The popularity of vintage clothing continues to grow with each passing year with more and more sellers entering the market to satisfy the demand. The increase is accessibility of vintage with more and more businesses opening on the high street, the internet and even eBay seems to have blurred the definition of vintage.

So what is vintage clothing? This is a question that we are asked on a regular basis and to a certain extent this is a very subjective question. For many, any second hand clothing made before the 1990’s is referred to as vintage clothing and antique clothing for anything from the 1920’s and earlier.

So how do we define vintage? We believe that anything that dates from the 1960’s and earlier can legitimately be classified as vintage. Although 1970’s is such a fabulous era for really striking fashion we believe that this is not yet true vintage, so at Devoted 2 Vintage we believe that Retro clothing is a more accurate definition. Partly due to the popularity of nostalgic 1980s TV dramas the fashion from that Era has seen a significant revival. For those buyers who were born since the 1980’s these clothes are often referred to as vintage, but for us it will take another couple of decades before this definition could be considered.

At Devoted 2 Vintage we have found that the most popular eras for women are the 1950’s, a decade which really accentuated the female form and the 1960’s with simple classic shift dresses and the more daring mini dresses. For men, the 1970s remains the most popular era. This is an era of wild designs, tapered fitting clothes and of course the classic flared leg.

So does it really matter? As long as the items are properly described so the buyer is getting what they expect the definition is secondary. To guarantee that you are getting the real thing and not a modern copy of a vintage garment you should either buy from an established retailer like Devoted 2 Vintage or do your homework so that you can look out for the tell tale signs.

Paul Armstrong

Managing Director – Devoted 2 Vintage