How To Look Vintage Wearing Modern Clothing

For me as a teenager, I grew up in a time when fast fashion was growing massively popular and buying to excess was becoming more and more common.  Over recent years I've been trying to cut back on the amount of clothes I've been buying and focusing on investing in staple pieces instead.

I think it's safe to say that fast fashion has hit it's peak and now we are being more conscious about sustainability and what we are consuming.  Buying vintage or second hand has definitely become more and more fashionable over recent years and is certainly a great way to help the environment and the problems that are being caused by fast fashion.  The other day I was reading an interesting article that said in the US the resale market has grown 21 times faster over the last 3 years than the retail industry.  

I've always loved vintage clothes and it's a great way to have a sustainable wardrobe.  However, there's one thing that worries me about wearing vintage clothes, which I think is something a common worry people think about when it comes to dressing vintage; I don't just want to look like I'm wearing a fancy dress costume.  Not that there's nothing wrong with dressing top to toe in vintage if that's how like to express yourself, but personal I like to be more subtle when I'm wearing vintage clothes.  These are my tips on how to incorporate subtle hints of vintage into your wardrobe for an understated look.

One of the advantages of designers fashion now is that they're always looking to the past for inspiration.  If you think about pearls, they have been a classic accessory in many vintage eras.  The catwalks over the last few years they have been full of pearls which have filtered down to the high street brands.  Pearls are a current trend but can add a little bit of understated vintage too.

From left to right: Pearl Bead Shirt (White), £25.99, Stadivarius | Jacquard-Weave Skirt (White/Checked), £19.99, H&M | 'Landmark' Loafers (Black), £23.00, Dorothy Perkins | Pearl Hair Slides 5pk, £3.00, Primark | Top Handle Mini Bag (Black), £19.99, New Look

Florals scream vintage but are also something that never seem to go out of style.  They are always being restyled and this season is no exception.  This autumn/winter florals are on trend more than ever.  Muted, dark base tones with bright, decorative floral prints could be seen on the catwalks of Erdem, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs to name a few.  This trend has already hit all the major high street stores, notably in some delicate balloon sleeve 70's inspired dresses.  Already you have that 70's vintage look and with the right accessories will create a modern boho vibe.

From left to right: Short Faux Shearling Jacket (Mid Beige), £45.99, Stadivarius | Balloon-sleeve Dress (Light Beige/Floral), £19.99, H&M | Quilted Cross Body Bag (Cream), £8, Primark | 'Kind' Rouched Mid Calf Boots (Chocolate), £32.00 (in sale), Dorothy Perkins

As much as I love vintage hairstyles, they can often be time consuming to recreate.  When you're going for a subtle vintage look, I think it's important to keep hair and makeup simplistic and modern.  Having modern smokey eyes for an evening look, or natural makeup for a daytime look, is an easy way to achieve this.

Just like vintage inspired clothing, hair and makeup can also be inspired by the past with a modern twist.  The classic image of 1940's loose waves are often updated on the catwalks and red carpets to give that Hollywood glamour look which is great for an evening look.  Loose waves are easy to translate into a contemporary look.

For more of a day time look, you could try teaming a 50's style A-line skirt with a polished bun.  This way the A-line skirt gives a 50's vibe to your outfit whilst sleek bun helps modernise the look whilst still looking elegant.

I wouldn't discard the idea of wearing anything that's vintage.  Sometimes it can look nice to pair a vintage item of clothing with modern accessories (or vice versa).  Pairing a vintage dress with some modern shoes and accessories will give a streamlined look whilst making an outfit look a little less whimsical and a little more classic.

Once you have a mixture of vintage and modern pieces you can experiment and start to recognise what works well together. Use modern shoes, high heels or wedges, for example, to make your outfit a little more contemporary.  Modern accessories can also emphasise the print or colour in a vintage piece.

It's not just about keeping your accessories modern.  Sometimes it works well to mix the old with the new when it comes to clothing too.  A modern pair of jeans or tailored trousers, for instance, can really help modernise vintage pieces.  A vintage cardigan or blouse could look frumpy and a little old-fashioned but worn with some high waisted jeans instantly gives a more chic look.

No matter whether you're someone who style comes naturally to or if you're someone who really struggles to put an outfit together, we all need a little inspiration from time to time.  If you're in need of a little guidance, then it's always worth having a Pinterest board to turn to for inspiration.  I like to pin things that generally inspire the overall look I want to achieve, sometimes that's vintage and sometimes more current fashion.  This helps me visualise how vintage can fit in my wardrobe.  Having an inspiration board is good for pin pointing exactly what your style is and makes shopping much easier.  I find now I go shopping, whether that's in a vintage shop or in a modern store, I have a clear mind of what I'm looking for and what I want to buy.  Which helps limit buying unnecessary things that will most likely be discarded after a few months.

Vintage is a great place to buy staples for your wardrobe.  Items like blouses, blazers, belts and coats, vintage shops are the perfect place to pick them up.  The quality is excellent and you can get hold of nice second hand staple pieces like leather, denim or T-shirts.  Vintage clothing is much higher quality compared to clothing today and you know you're getting unique pieces that no one else will have.  We're so use to buying cheap basics today but they aren't really made to last so is it really that much cheaper in the end?  There's something luxurious about wearing garments that have been crafted well so it's worth investing in those vintage staples.

These are my main tips on how to look modern when wearing vintage clothing.  Vintage shopping is a great way to help the environment and also support small businesses and adding a little vintage to your wardrobe can help you create your own unique style and I hope you found this article helpful.


Do you like experimenting with vintage clothing?  Where are your favourite vintage boutiques to shop vintage?  What is the best thing you've found in a vintage shop?  Leave a comment down below!  I'd love to hear from you!