Is “vintage” the most overused word in the world?
It would seem so; everything these days seems to fall under the
umbrella of “vintage” - even new clothing that hasn’t
even left the factories in India and China, soon to arrive at stores
like Anthropologie, Lucky Brand, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s and a
Target near you, amazing how the Madison Ave. “men &
women” manage to overuse and kill an idea and term, not the word
per se, but the joy and concept of one of a kind!
When I started wearing vintage we called it “antique
clothing” because it was, I think now that wearing 18th and 19th
C. clothing probably wasn’t the best decision I ever made, 
but
at the time the only thing that mattered was how outrageous your
“look” was, it was an exciting time and depending on where
you lived great things came along for almost nothing! Attics were
full of treasures and neighbors were happy to clear out their trunks
to the odd little girl down the street…always a topic of
conversation I’m sure and an embarrassment to my Mother! I loved
to dress up and concerts were the fashion event of the time, you never
knew when you might run into Jim Morrison, Jeff Beck or Mick Jagger so
it was important to look good.
I began selling my glad rags beautiful bits and pieces of early finery
because my tastes were changing, I knew in my heart that I
shouldn’t be wearing clothing that should have been in a museum
and I had fallen in love with the 1920’s I wanted more and free
isn’t forever so I began to collect and sell full time. One day
I woke up and it was no longer “antique” clothing, now it
was “vintage”, as in fine wine…I was oddly dismayed,
why “vintage” who decided? While I was immersed in the
“teens and 20’s jazz age”, “antique” was
moving on to “vintage” and people were searching for
clothing from the 1960’s, my roots so to speak! Yikes I had
become Rip Van Winkle but I hadn’t been asleep only lost in
time!
I had been buying and selling for a scary amount of time and thought
enough, I wouldn’t sell the clothing that I knew from my
youth…but one day I came across a small group of Courreges and
Jean Muir dresses from the 1960’s, things I could never have
afforded or even wanted when they were new, they shone in a new light
and I saw the beauty and craftsmanship, these pieces were way ahead of
their time, in their time.
Clothing has always been my drug of choice so to speak and I was once again “hooked”, Ossie Clark, Mary Quant, Biba, Pucci clothing that “spoke” for a generation, well mainly wealthy women from the society pages of Vogue and Bazaar! But now I was selling “Vintage”, I slowly began using the word. I found new joy in this Vintage world amazing clothing, amazing construction and technique and ah the French, I fell in love with Yves St. Laurent Russia, gypsies, Africa he was Brilliant! Vintage, vintage, vintage I couldn’t get enough the 60’, 70’s and OMG the 80’s, well thought I, lets draw the line HERE, after all the 80’s just were just yesterday,right? Around again to Vintage, it is just that, to me anyway, gently worn clothing from another time, not 2 weeks ago or even 2 years ago and certainly not from the “chain” store at the mall that spits tat like a rapper spits four letter words. My vintage is custom or ready to wear, American or European one of a kind designer and renegade one season wunderkind, from the 1800’s through the 1980’s occasionally something sneaks in from Chanel or Dior or who knows who and a little later. Maybe I will start a little “new” consignment site, we’ll see, but for now and back to the original thought, yes vintage is right up there with the most overused words in the world, but here at Palm Beach Vintage we like to keep the word where it belongs! Right on, keep on trucking, keep the faith and above all EVOLVE!