How To Start A Vintage Wardrobe | A Complete Fashion Guide

Hey guys! Welcome back to my channel. So for this video, we are going to be talking about everything vintage. Everything vintage style or vintage inspired. I'm going to be covering everything that I have learned over the years about vintage fashion and how to start your own wardrobe. So there's going to be a table of contents that will pop up right here and this is going to let you know at what points I'll be speaking about what. So before we begin, we have to realize the most important thing about starting a vintage wardrobe. This is 100% non-negotiable. This is 100% mandatory and that is do what you want. If you have any doubts or insecurities about starting to dress vintage because you're afraid of what society has to think about it, just do it. You know why? You know why? Because life is too short to be worrying about people who don't pay your bills. So now that we got that little doubt out of the way, let's go ahead and start learning about vintage fashion. So step number one, find your era and understand it. Now I know that sounds incredibly overwhelming but you can find all of this information online through just google images or documentaries or watching old films. So there's a lot of resources for you guys to really understand the decade and I know it's also very overwhelming to just let alone choose a decade because there are so many to choose from but my advice is to go off of the decades that interest you the most, the ones that give you a sense of nostalgia, a sense of happiness, a sense of comfort and then learn to see if you can find your style within that decade. Now there's a huge misconception that I have to clear up before you start choosing which decade is going to be for you. So a lot of people are going it based off of the stereotypical image of what they think the decade is all about. For example, I've heard a lot of people say, oh I love the 50s but I'm a tomboy so I can't really choose the 50s for my fashion and that is so false. That is false. For example, the teddy girl style which is Britain's most rebellious tomboys of the 1950s and they looked awesome. Each decade has seen multiple fashion trends because a decade makes up 10 years and a lot goes on in 10 years. For example, this is the 1950s but this is also the 1950s. This is the 1960s but uh this is also the 1960s. This is the 1990s and this is the 1990s. Now the last thing to keep in mind is you can have more than one style. You can pick more than one decade. I don't know who invented the idea of you gotta look one way because I don't agree. I love the 1950s and I love the 1980s and I dress like both and it makes me both super happy. So if you like more than one decade, go for it. There's nothing in the way of stopping you from doing that. If you want to dress you know super prim and proper and then you want to dress like an 80s rock star, do it. All in all no matter what decade you choose, you still have to do research because there are so many misconceptions about every decade and also it is just more easy to find pieces and to get inspired when you are basing it off your inspiration. So research is everything. You got Google for that. You got YouTube for that. You've got books for that. So yes, research is number one. So once you've found the decade and have learned a little bit about it, what really helps to ease into the vintage world is changing your hair and makeup first. You don't have to have a vintage wardrobe to do this. It's relatively free. Most likely you do have a little bit of makeup and a couple hair tools to play with or you know you can DIY all ahead if you want to get you know creative. But relatively you know that's something that everyone can afford to do. So it's a great first step to take. You could be wearing a plain red sweater from like H&M and you could be wearing a pair of jeans or a pair of pants and the minute you throw on a couple pin curls, you put on a little bit of a red lip and a cat eye, you're gonna look really vintage without you know much effort. So that's perfect for those who want to ease into that kind of style and not have like a huge dramatic change the next day. It's perfect for those who aren't ready to quite commit to buying vintage pieces yet. So there's a lot of benefits to just changing this. If you guys want vintage hair and makeup tutorials, I do have a couple up but I'm going to be uploading so much more especially coming December. So make sure you subscribe so that way you guys can get some info. So the location of a thrift shop oftentimes determine the kind of things you're going to be finding in that thrift shop. For example, Burbank, California is a film history gold mine. This is where so many film studios opened up for the very first time including Walt Disney Studios which opened up in 1940 in Burbank and you're way more likely to find Disney related collectibles or just film studio related collectibles and clothing in Burbank thrift shops. And that is actually where I found these bad boys. Did I need them? No. Did I want them? So with that being said, it is often best to shop in cities or towns or neighborhoods that have a historical value or just has an older age demographic so that way you guys can increase your chances of finding like super old stuff. Now keep in mind there is a difference between a vintage or antique shop and a thrift shop. So a vintage or antique shop do accept community donations but they only really put the vintage stuff up for sale that they consider valuable and they often go out of their way to go to estate sales so that way they can bid on vintage valuables and then they double or triple the price of what they paid to make a profit. So that's why oftentimes vintage shops are more expensive than thrift shops. Thrift shops um accept and rely 100% on community donations and they sell anything and everything so you're going to find stuff from our time today and sometimes you do find vintage stuff. You will find vintage stuff in both the thrift shop and an antique or vintage shop. Now in this day and age, the future, we have access to the good old internet. The internet is a great place to find vintage stuff when you don't have vintage thrift shops nearby. So a few of the awesome places to check out online when you're trying to find you know real vintage stuff is eBay. I often check eBay more so for like vintage home decor, trinkets, little like tangible items, I go on eBay just because they have the biggest variety and on top of that they have the best prices. Now there's also Etsy which is like the best place because they have vintage inspired clothing which people hand make themselves or you can find real vintage pieces and the selection is amazing. They have so many awesome stuff on Etsy. So Etsy is a great place for vintage clothing and there's also Depop for those who are more of my 80s and 90s babies. Depop is a regular like secondhand type of app like Poshmark but for some reason it kind of turned into more so of a place to find really good 80s and 90s apparel and also like accessories and stuff. So if you guys are more into the 80s and 90s, Depop is a great place. The prices are there are just very reasonable. So those are the three like top three places to find real vintage stuff. Now there's also the option of vintage reproduction. So vintage repro or vintage reproduction is stuff that's made today to emulate or look like it came from the past. So that's perfect for those who don't have thrift shops nearby, who have kind of a little bit of a trouble finding stuff in their size, or honestly just want to wear newer stuff. So it's a perfect amazing alternative. So here are a few of my favorite shops. So some awesome brands to check out are Michelin Pit, Betty Page, Voodoo Vixen, Collective, Unique Vintage, Pinup Girl Clothing, and Lindy Bop. But there is a little bit of a disclaimer. Vintage reproduction clothing can get more costly than modern clothing and it can even get more costly or just as costly as real vintage pieces. But here's what you gotta do. You gotta wait for the sales. The holiday sales, you know, St. Paddy's Day sales, the Christmas sales, Black Friday sales. You'll be surprised how far their stuff gets marked down. Also consider checking out vintage inspired clothing from regular like everyday shops like Forever 21. They often sell a lot of 70s, 80s, and 90s style clothing, especially now. There's also ModCloth where they make modern clothing with vintage prints and just slightly vintage spins on their clothing. There's also Fashion Nova, which you can kind of find vintage stuff in. I have found a few vintage style dresses there, although it is quite rare, but it's definitely worth just checking out every now and then. And I also love their jeans. That's literally only where I get my jeans from. And they have great 80s style mom jeans there that are worth checking out. So they do have vintage inspired pieces here and there. And there is also, what else? Oh, Payless. Can't forget about Payless. They have the best saddle shoes for very affordable prices. They also sell Oxfords and Keds and kind of like those kind of shoes that are known for being vintage staples. So definitely check those places out. So now that you know where to shop, let's talk about how to shop because it matters a lot. When keyword number one is the word vintage and your decade. So putting in the word vintage is going to filter out all that modern stuff. It's going to save you a lot of time. And also putting in the decade is going to narrow it down to your decade. It helps so much and it saves you a lot searching. So that's like number one for sure. Also there is brand. Now brand is up to you. You don't have to put in the brand, but if you're looking specifically for 80s Levi jeans, it helps to put in the brand so that way you save your time with brands you don't want. But again, not necessary, but it helps when it's suitable for the moment. There's also article of clothing. That is absolutely so helpful because you're going to go crazy if you don't put in the article of clothing because you're going to get socks, you're going to get shoes, you're going to get jeans, you're going to get skirts, you're going to get blouses and jackets. You're going to go crazy looking through such a general page. You need to narrow down to the article of clothing you're looking for. So it helps to put in vintage 50s skirt, vintage 50s coat. It's just going to save you your sanity. It's going to make it easier. Also there is color. Now if you have a specific color scheme like I do, I only wear really pastels. It really helps to put in the specific color. Even if you're not looking for that color in the moment, it kind of helps to narrow down the vibe. So you can put vintage 50s pink dress or vintage 80s purple windbreaker jacket. So it really helps to kind of put in the color so that way you filter out all the colors you don't really want to wear. And there is also size. Size matters. So putting in your size again is going to filter out all the sizes that don't fit you so you don't disappoint yourself. Because there's so many times that I have found the perfect dress and it was an extra extra small and I'm an extra small and there was no way I'm going to fit my body in that thing. And I cry about it. I really do. But it really just helps to again filter everything out and also you don't get disappointed when you find something that doesn't fit you. And also consider putting in the size three sizes above you. So for example I'm an extra small but I also look for small medium and sometimes large depending on the article of clothing if it can be put in. Because sometimes it's worth getting it sized down or sized to fit you. So also consider that. But that is pretty much the complete checklist that you should follow in order to make researching way more easy, way more convenient, and you're more likely to find stuff that you like. Also since we're on the topic of sizing, also keep in mind that vintage sizing is so different from modern sizing. What's a size three then is not the same measurements of a size three now. So you may come across a listing where it says it's your size because they'll say oh the tag of the dress says it's a size eight so the dress is a size eight. And they don't put in the measurements. Always ask for the measurements or most likely you know more experienced sellers do put in the specific measurements of the dress but always look for that or ask for that because um yeah different sizing and you might buy something that does not fit you at all. So always look at the specific measurements where it says the waist size and the chest size so you can guarantee that it's going to fit you. So like I mentioned earlier developing a vintage wardrobe can get quite costly because it's such a boutique industry but aside from waiting for things to go on sale and aside from visiting the thrift store let's talk about budgeting techniques that are going to keep the cost way down while keeping you looking fresh or old. Wait. So number one is staple wardrobe pieces. Having a set of basics that you can use over and over to create brand new looks will save your pockets big time. Um that because you don't have to buy a whole new outfit every time. It's amazing. So let's do a little example so you guys can get an idea of how a staple piece works. Now let's go ahead and use these 80s mod jeans for example and we're going to create three different looks and to make it more fun let's do three different decades with that pair of jeans. So three looks, three decades, one pair of jeans. So for the 1950s let's go ahead and throw on a white peasant top off the shoulder and a brown belt and now you look like Marilyn Monroe in the River of No Return in 1954. Now let's go ahead and do the 1970s. So for the 1970s let's throw on a bell sleeve top and some really bold hoop earrings and now you look like you're right out of the 70s. Now let's do the 1990s, the good old 90s. So let's go ahead and throw on a cropped black spaghetti top with a wire choker. Boom, 1990s. Three different outfits, three different decades with one pair of jeans. That is the magic of staple wardrobe pieces. I know, super magical. So aside from a pair of jeans great staple pieces are also things like cardigans, jackets, jewelry, shoes. So it really just depends on your decade and especially if you're a decade hopper like me. What really helps is to think to buy staple pieces that are seen in both eras. For example a varsity jacket is perfect for the 50s but it's also perfect for the 80s because they came back in the 80s. Also leather jackets, they were used in the 50s and they were also used in the 90s. Now another great budgeting technique is to just use what you already own. Now I know you're probably like, Jess all my stuff is modern, I can't do that. But you'd be surprised how much stuff you already own that kind of looks vintage enough. For example if you have an oversized sweater, that's been done in the 80s. If you have a cardigan, welcome to the 50s. So look through your closet, see what you have, see what you can play with. For example if you do just have a plain pink cardigan or whatever color cardigan and if you have high-waisted jeans, tuck that in to your high-waisted jeans, button it all the way up, throw on a pearl necklace, pearl earrings, put a bow in your hair and now you look like kind of like the 50s or 60s. So look through your closet, see what you have. Again researching comes into this. You will kind of recognize some pieces once you know about your decade and kind of form your own little thing. Now another great budgeting technique is to DIY your stuff. Do it yourself. There's a lot of things that you can DIY very easily like for example circle skirts. Even in the 50s they DIY'd their own circle skirts back then to save money. So just seeing what you can DIY, whether that's jewelry, whether that's clothing or hair bows. For example this, I'm gonna undo it right now. I'm gonna show you what this really is. I literally bought a roll of ribbon from Michael's for 80 cents, cut it to however long I want it and all I did was tie it up into a little bow and it really helps to get ribbon that has wiring on the inside so that way it sits up in the perfect bow shape. So definitely just look into DIYing your own stuff. Get creative. So now that you know where to shop, how to shop, how to budget, let's talk about the most important thing. How to style. So there are two main levels of vintage. There is authentic which means you want to look like a living breathing replica and there's vintage inspired which means you're a little bit more casual, you're modernized, you're not necessarily historically accurate but you're in the style of a decade. So choosing whether you want to be authentic or vintage inspired really helps kind of figure out what direction you want to go in and you can totally do both. For me it really depends on what outfit I'm trying to build. If this one outfit for this one event I want it to be vintage inspired I go and try to do that but just having it in your mind what you're trying to do and what direction you're trying to go in is going to help it be a little bit more clear and more easy to build it. So a big question when it comes to style that I get a lot from you guys is how do you not look costumey or tacky? So if tacky is not for you, a great way to avoid looking tacky or costumey is to avoid the cliche, avoid the obvious. So poodle skirts, the infamous cherry print, the nautical theme, the leg warmers, headbands, chunky peace sign necklaces, all the stuff that you can pretty much find in a Halloween store, don't do it. Also wear the right clothing for the right occasion. That's a really quick way to look costumey if you don't do that. So if you're walking around the mall on a Wednesday afternoon in a 1950s prom dress you're gonna look like you're wearing a costume not like you're wearing normal clothing. So those are great ways to avoid looking tacky or costumey but again like if that's for you, if that's your vibe, rock it. This is just advice for those who don't want to. So another question that I get regarding style is how do you not look old or granny-like when you're dressing 40s or 50s? Now there's actually a really easy way to avoid looking like your grandmother. So the number one tip that I have is make sure your clothing is well fitted. It doesn't need to be tight but it needs to fit the way it was made to fit because our grandparents' motto is if it's comfortable it's going on because we're tired and I don't blame them. So that's often why you see your grandparents wear like loose cardigans and loose pants. So wearing clothing that is well fitted to your body, it's going to make you look automatically way more youthful. And also utilize youthful accessories. That is a game changer in making you look vintage and not granny-like. For example, hair bows and saddle shoes were really only worn by school girls. You would not see the average mother in the 1950s wear any of that. So wearing youthful accessories that usually the teenagers wore or the college students wore is going to make you look way younger while wearing very old stuff. That's all you really need to do. All in all though, at the end of the day what matters is how comfortable you are in what you're wearing, how confident you feel, how good you feel, and just doing what makes you happy. That's all that matters at the end of this. So hopefully this video was really helpful. I hope you guys learned new things. I hope I encouraged you guys to try it out. Honestly, it's so much fun. So I hope you do. And if you guys have any questions at all, leave them down below in the comment section and I will be sure to get to them. But thank you guys so much for watching. I really hope you guys enjoyed this video. If you did, give it a thumbs up. Make sure you subscribe and turn on the notification bell so that way you get more vintage content like this. And I will see you guys in my next one.