In with the old as vintage comes back into fashion
Caroline Allen met three women who dress vintage because they love the look, the superior quality and as a gentle protest against fast fashion and fast living.
LOOKS from the 1960s and early 1970s are stealing a march on the catwalks as minis, maxis, geometric prints, capes and knee boots turn back time. But some dedicated fashionistas are choosing to wear authentic vintage clothing day in day out, regardless of Irish weather and the often unforgiving nature of old fabrics.
Is this nostalgic dressing due to the popularity of TV series such as Mad Men and Downton Abbey or because of a desire to stand out from the crowd? Or could it be a political statement about our throwaway culture and its unpalatable origins?
Whatever it is, vintage is everywhere: on the television, in fashion and is even making its ways back into our homes through interior trends. Some people may shudder at the thought of wearing clothes Granny had in her closet but as Dawn O’Porter’s TV series This Old Thing showed vintage clothing can steal the heart of even the most sceptical of shoppers.Meet this trio who are true vintage believers:
Wyn Grant, 49, a Dubliner living in Co Meath, can wear vintage clothes to work: she’s a pastry chef in Tower Cafe, Tower Records, on Dawson Street, which celebrates all things vintage, from vinyl to the furniture in the the cafe.
“I’ve always loved vintage — the fashion, the music and the movies. Going back to my teens, I hung around with punks and mods. I shopped in vintage shops and made my own clothes,” Wyn says. “I really got into vintage fashion about four years ago, when I started working in Tower Cafe, as I could trawl Dublin’s vintage and charity shops, especially Oxfam,” she says.
“I mainly wear clothes from the ’60s, but like pieces from the ’50s, as well. I wear a lot of monochrome, and patterned tights,” says Wyn. “I often alter dresses and add details, like lace collars or ribbons, and love the bags. It’s part of a wider vintage lifestyle. Most of my friends are also into vintage and we meet at Thomas House, Dublin, monthly, for vinyl nights of ’60s and Northern Soul sounds.
“We go to movie screenings in The Lighthouse Cinema and vintage markets. I recently bought a ’60s record player and I’ve a full-size picture of Audrey Hepburn in my kitchen.I host tea parties for special occasions,” Wyn says. “I love the romance of it all. It was a more considerate time and people talked more, face-to-face.” Wyn’s favourite haunt is Shotsy, Temple Bar. She gets glances in supermarkets, mainly from admiring older people. “I’ve worn vintage dresses to christenings and weddings and for which I’ve only paid €10 and people have said they looked amazing.”
Mary Jo Murphy, 32, started wearing pure vintage four-and-a-half years ago, when she opened Mercury Goes Retrograde, on Drawbridge Street, Cork.
“My sister took me to Red Square, a vintage shop that was on Paul Street, when I was ten, to buy my first pair of vintage Levis. Through my teens, we’d save for the year and go to London every summer to stock up on vintage clothes,” she says. “During my teens, I did top up my wardrobe with high-street items, but now even my pyjamas and running gear are vintage.
“The tragedies in the clothing factories in Bangladesh make it impossible for me to support any current clothing production industries,” Mary Jo says.
“I don’t model myself on any particular era, preferring to create looks combining all decades. I think I can look quite current, seeing as most high-street ideas stem from vintage styles anyway.”
The quality of vintage garments is a draw. “Dresses were lined; beading and sequins done by hand and materials were stronger. You can’t help but feel the romance of a dress hemmed with handmade lace, with hidden fasteners, and maybe a little, hand-stitched tag. I love having one-off pieces,” she says. “I also get great satisfaction in re-using, and not adding to the amount of stuff being produced and wasted in the world, and not supporting any global corporation.”
It’s a vintage life for Mary-Jo. “I live in a little Victorian house in the city centre, furnished completely from car-boot sales, flea markets, like Mother Jones and the Cork Vintage Quarter, and auctions like Aidan Foley, in Doneraile,” she says. “ I think, if you’re fully interested in vintage and everything from times past, you live at a slightly slower pace. I don’t drive, I love food and cooking, making breads, crocheting blankets and repairing clothes and furniture, so they can live longer.”
Rebecca Moynihan, 32, a Labour councillor on Dublin City Council, started dabbling in vintage fashion in her late teens and early 20s. “My brother brought me to this amazing vintage shop, Kleidermarkt, in Munich, when I was over visiting him. I picked up a couple of really nice, cheap dresses and a faux fur coat and that really got me into wearing and collecting vintage.“I love that you can get things much cheaper than on the high street, and of much better quality and finish.I like clothes from the ’40s and ’50s and I have a lot of ’70s day dresses. I usually mix and match vintage with modern pieces.”
Rebecca’s choice of clothing doesn’t tend to turn heads, but she does get favourable comments. “My style is fairly classic, rather than crazy. People often comment that a piece is unusual or really nice.
“I like to support independent Irish shops. My current favourites include Shotsy, Temple Bar; Om Diva, South William Street; and Lark Vintage, in The Loft, Powerscourt Townhouse. I got an amazing evening dress from Dirty Fabulous, Wicklow Street. Another fabulous find was a ’50s Neiman Marcus swing coat, for €50, at a Sunday market in Smithfield.When I’m travelling, I always try to find out where the vintage shops are. I picked up an amazing ’50s jacket that’s houndstooth on one side and red on the other, in New York.” Next on her wish-list? “I’d love a Morris Minor.”
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