Incorporating Vintage into Your Modern Wardrobe – "I can't pull it off!"

People are always coming up to me and telling how much they love vintage and want to wear it and THEN they give me a “reason” why they can’t wear it. These “reasons” are usually preconceived notions that can easily be put to rest with some confidence and a little know how! J 

SO, I’ve decided to break down my first few Monday vintage posts by the preconceived notions I repeatedly hear as to “why I can’t wear vintage.” In the coming weeks I will cover topics such as:

Today: “I can’t pull it off”

“I wouldn’t look good in it”

“I don’t know where to start”

“It’s too small for me”

“It’s too expensive!”

Etc…

On to today’s post!   

How to Incorporate Vintage Pieces into Your Modern Wardrobe

 “I love how it looks, but I could never pull it off.” 

(This one makes me cringe the most)

Ok first off, the term “pull it off” annoys me in any context. I don’t care if it’s fashion, cooking, dog walking, whatever…It always makes me cringe because it reinforces the belief that you can’t do something. It sounds corny, but if you have confidence in yourself you really can do anything you want. You only live once! Yeah, you may fail once or twice, but who cares?? You learn from your mistakes and you move on a bit little smarter and with a lot more self-confidence! Ok, off my soap box and back to vintage.

My awesome 50s Etsy find with modern
Express bolero: Christmas 2009

Don’t Be Scared! You can do it! 

It’s all about finding a style that you like and finding pieces you will feel comfortable wearing. I personally like really colorful flashy pieces, but other people prefer muted colors and a more reserved style. So, make sure you’re looking for pieces you’re comfortable with.    

Try Some On!

You’ve already established that you like the look of vintage, so why not try some on for yourself? It’s important to remember that vintage pieces (just like modern pieces) vary in sizes and shapes. This means that you will need to measure yourself before you begin looking. This sounds a LOT more involved than it is…It will take you 5 mins tops. For a quick & easy “How to” click here! Vintage pieces (just like modern pieces) look the best when they’re your size so measure yourself and then begin testing the waters.   

If you have a friend that wears vintage, ask them if you can try a piece on. If the friend is larger or smaller than you, start by holding a piece up to your body and checking it out in the mirror (make sure it’s a piece you like). If the piece fits you (and your friend says it’s ok) ask if you can go out for a drink with them wearing the piece just to see how it feels. 

If you don’t have said friend, check out the Etsy vintage section for sale items or a piece that meets your measurement requirements. It is easy to find items in your size if you type in XS, S, M, L, or XL or enter your measurement number in the search box. For example, if I were looking for a 60s style skirt, my waist measurement is 34. I would type in “60s skirt W34” and then hit search.

Give it a try! It's not a lifestyle change, it's just a skirt! ;)