Vintage Clothing Revisited

The East Village in Manhattan is a panoply of alternative fashions—punk, vintage, Goth, urban-artist bohemian, and more. My best friend and I enjoy browsing the vintage shops, picking up the occasional vintage sundress, fitted jacket or shoes. In the last year, I’ve seen several references to a renewed interest in vintage clothing, fueled in part by the popularity of the television show “Mad Men.” (Am I the only one who finds that show too depressing?) This past week, I learned that there are online sites selling reproduction vintage clothes.

Reproduction vintage clothing is a growing market, according to a recent New York Times article, entitled Why, This Old Thing? Actually, It’s New. Unlike present-day fashions designed for anorexic runway models, vintage clothing celebrates a woman's curves. And one of the big pluses to reproduction vintage is that it only looks old. You won’t find signs of wear and tear (ie, the unfortunate chocolate stain, moth hole or yellowing underarm) that you might find with an authentic vintage garment.

The Cleo and Antony dress at the top of this post is from Shabby Apple. Shabby Apple isn’t a reproduction vintage designer per se, however, many of the dress designs have vintage elements. Personally, I love the way the clothier captures the past and present in its designs. Below is Madison Ave, another Shabby Apple dress. It's available for $76.




Below are links to some of reproduction vintage clothing companies that were mentioned in the NY Times article. Before you start shopping online, though, get in the mood by watching the movie trailer for To Catch a Thief. Grace Kelly’s dresses are to-die-for vintage designs.

ONLINE REPO VINTAGE SHOPPING
--Blue Velvet Vintage
Take a peak at the beaded Flapper Dresses. When the movie remake of the Great Gatsby hits theaters, these exquisite dresses may be all the rage.

--Trashy Diva
Check out the hats while you're there. The site has a large selection of reasonably priced chapeaux.

--ReVamp
This site organizes its collection by decades as well as by garment categories, such as dresses, tops, bottoms, swimsuits, etc. You can also shop for the men.

--ModCloth
This clothing company has a large selection of outerwear, priced from $45 to $150.

--Queen of Heartz
You'll find dress styles to flatter every body shape.

If you shop in New York City, check out another New York Times article, entitled Prospecting in Manhattan’s Richest Vintage Vein, for a directory of vintage stores in the Big Apple.