While the well-dressed thrive on the thrill
of keeping up with the trends of the current season, many people are starting to turn to the past to find the
high fashion and quality that they have been seeking.
Vintage has a reputation for allowing its wearers to show effortless elegance. Like history, fashion repeats
itself, and rather than picking up a dress reminiscent of the 1920s, it’s becoming more popular to scour
vintage boutiques for the real thing.
Julie Yoo, owner of
high-end vintage boutique I Miss You in Toronto, says that vintage possesses a high quality that can’t be
found in today’s fashion. She believes there is a lot of “disposable fashion”: Clothes that go out of style
in one season and focus only on concept, rather than quality.
“If you find a good 1950s jacket, you’ll see it’s real wool or silk. The quality, craftsmanship and
construction were a much higher standard than today,” she says.
Yoo has been collecting vintage for 15 years, but only opened her store five years ago. Her store, with items
ranging from $10 to over than $800, houses hand-picked, vintage finds from iconic designers like Chanel,
Gucci and Prada. On top of vintage, the store’s contemporary designer resale service allows for designer
clothes from only a few seasons ago to be resold.
“Trends always come back around. Even in runway shows you see historical references to things, and you can
always incorporate vintage pieces into the wardrobe of today to have a really contemporary look,” Yoo
says.
Because quintessential vintage pieces are difficult to find, there may only be one type of item that fits
only a certain type of person. This contributes to vintage’s unique appeal, as it literally takes a “special”
person to fit a garment that is one in a million.
“People might pick up a dress and think, ‘Oh, that’s nice,’ but when you see it on a person you can really be
impressed by how it looks on them and how they incorporate it into their personal style,” Yoo says.
As style is forever evolving, fashion aficionados can always take comfort in the classics. From tweed Chanel
suits of the 1950s to A-line dresses of the 1960s, vintage will always be admired for its timelessness.
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Photo by Arta
Ghanbari
