Taking a nostalgic step back in time, the trend of retro revival is taking over the streets, making vintage street fashion a timeless classic. With the modern street style of yesterday becoming a thing of the past, fashion enthusiasts look to the past for ideas on how to make a statement in today’s world. Whether you’re feeling inspired by the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s, reviving the trend of vintage street fashion is the perfect way to make a statement. Let’s take a look at how retro revival is making a sartorial comeback with nostalgia and vintage street fashion.
1. The Timeless Allure: Exploring the Resurgence of Retro Fashion
The styles of yesterday are making their way back into the world of fashion. Those of us who lived through the 80s can remember feeling the impact of the neon and new wave. But, it didn’t go away, it just went underground and waited for its chance to come back into the limelight. Now, retro fashion is here again and it’s everywhere.
Cultural Influence
It may be partly driven by nostalgia, but there is also a social element to the resurgence of retro fashion. Modern trends often arise from a particular culture. A certain type of clothing, presented in a certain way, can help represent a culture and its people. When embracing a retro style, you are also often embracing the culture which created that style in the first place. It is a way of paying homage.
Bright Colors and Bold Patterns
Whether it’s a more conservative 1960s look with tailored jackets and slender trouser-suits, or a loud 1980s vibe with torn jeans and radical colors, retro fashion is all about making a statement. Through unexpected combinations of bright colors and bold patterns, you can align yourself with a certain era and capture a unique style.
Mix and Match
Modern fashion often consists of matching different items from the same collection, but retro fashion is more about piece-by-piece mixing. You can bring your own 60s mod mini dress together with a pair of funky 70s bell-bottom jeans, for example. You can even draw inspiration from multiple decades or centuries and piece together a unique and timeless look.
Futuristic Meets Retro
- Create an unexpected color pallet.
- Look for avant-garde prints and fabrics.
- Incorporate metallic, plastic and other eye-catching materials.
If you really want to stand out, try combining a retro aesthetic with futuristic elements. Aim for a style that looks back but moves forward. Take references from classic silhouettes and add modern accents. Try these tips for timeless fusion looks:
2. Channeling the Past: How Nostalgia Inspires Vintage Street Style
Everyone loves to feel a sense of nostalgia for those moments in life when we felt complete and happy, and style is no exception. Vintage street style brings to mind an era long gone but never forgotten. From dressers to bikers, people around the world are channeling the past through their fashion choices.
When done right, vintage style can be a stunning way to express personal style while also honoring an homage to the past. Whether taking inspiration from art, movies, or celebrities, modern day vintage style is an interpretation of iconic moments from bygone days.
The appeal of vintage style is timeless and each era offers a range of eras and styles to draw from. Some trends that can easily take the form of vintage style include:
- The 60s: Think mod rockers with tight-fitted, knee-length dresses, chunky knit sweaters, and patterned shawl-collared coats.
- The 70s: This era is all about fun patterns, bell-bottoms, and fringe jackets. Paisley and bold colors like bright blue and orange are key.
- The 80s: Go big or go home is the 80s mantra, with bold stripes, neon colors, and over-the-top accessories, such as chunky gold chains and shoulder pads.
Today’s street style has its roots in the past. People of any age can draw inspiration from vintage looks and fashions. Whether it’s a full-on homage to a particular era or a modern remix of past styles, street style that channels the past can be a powerful statement.
Vintage style can be a great way to express individual style with flair. Give people a peek into an era gone by and open up to a whole new world of style possibilities.
3. Unveiling the Icons: The Key Elements of Retro Revival Fashion
Retro revival fashion has taken the world of fashion by storm. This classic style has captured hearts from all corners of the globe and is proving itself to be timeless. From the vibrant florals of the Roaring Twenties to the edgy power suits of the Discotheque Era, the key elements of retro revival fashion are icons all in their own right.
High Waisted Jeans
From coloured denim to mom jeans, the 70s-inspired high waisted jeans add a touch of attitude and a hint of sass to any ensemble. From sleek skinnies to wide-legged flares, this stylish silhouette extends beyond decade-specific boundaries and can be accessorised for any unique look. Versatile and timeless, these jeans are a staple for any retro restoration wardrobe.
Vintage Prints
Bringing a touch of history to any look, prints and patterns from the past are an iconic vintage style. Whether bold floral patterns lifted straight from the Roaring Twenties or delicate prints characteristic of the Disco Decade, vintage patterns are a timeless style statement. With their daring and unconventional designs, these prints are sure to add a unique touch to any look.
Platform Shoes
Tomorrow’s trend-setters today, platform shoes have reemerged as a stylish accessory and have slowly worked their way back into the spotlight. Offering height and a unique vintage style, these shoes are the embodiment of retro revival fashion. Ranging from subtle to statement, they’re the perfect way to top off an outfit and make a true style statement.
- Retro Sunglasses
- Neutral Knits
- The Iconic Beret
These vintage elements are paving the way for a new era of retro-inspired fashion. Effortlessly feminine and delicately daring, retro revival fashion is captivating and transcending trends, from the classic staples of the past to the modernised power suits of today.
4. From Runways to Sidewalks: Embracing Vintage Street Fashion in the Modern Era
The vintage street fashion of the 1960’s and 70’s has long been celebrated and admired, since it first made its way onto the runways of Prada, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, and more. From bell-bottom pants, chunky platform shoes, and turtlenecks, the revival of vintage fashion on the street has been embraced by modern fashionistas worldwide.
Unprecedented access to world cultures, music, and art, makes it easier than ever to mix vintage and modern styles in empowering and unique ways. Suddenly, retro patterns, colors, and silhouettes can be seen everywhere with a mix of outerwear, accessories, and hairstyles from days gone by.
There are three key components to getting the most out of vintage street fashion:
- Find the right pieces: Vintage pieces will have unique details, usually found in the way they fit, materials and construction.
- Wear them confidently: Adding an accessory or item of clothing from a different era can feel intimidating, but when pulled off with confidence, it can be incredibly stylish.
- Mix new and old: Contracts between vintage pieces and modern classics can give a timeless vibe. Think of mixing a vintage dress with modern sneakers or shoes.
Vintage fashion is all about self-expression and sending a message. And the only thing more powerful than wearing a modern trend is reinventing a classic look. To stand out in a crowd and make your own fashion statement, nothing beats acknowledging a classics past, while finding your own way to style it and make it your own.
Looking back at the history of vintage fashion is a fascinating reminder of how trends have come in and out of style over the years. The recent revival of nostalgia and vintage street fashion has proven that sometimes the classics really do never go out of style – retro truly stands the test of time.
