Vintage clothing: Why the past is all the fashion

VINTAGE clothing has come of age. Something, perhaps, to do with the fact that all previously-loved clothes have a back story.

Something, no doubt, also to do with the fact that vintage clothing was made when tailors and dressmakers worked with beautifully textured fabrics, following the fashion of the day.

Today, however, attention to detail comes at a high price in high street, high-end stores. Cheaper brands can do it, too, but often at a human cost, as underlined by the recent factory collapse in Bangladesh, in which young workers were killed churning out cheap clothing for the West.

For people with a conscience, buying vintage, and thus supporting the recycling of clothing, feels good. And it’s fun.

With a budget of €100, I set about discovering what was on offer.

Miss Daisy Blue, at no 12 Market Parade in Cork, has the largest range of vintage clothing and accessories in the city, in sizes 4 to 20. Here, you can dip into the styles of a few decades.

A blue, raw-silk dress with a large bow at the neck is a 1950s style, and costs €90. I teamed it with an oversized, round bag that was so decorative it was not for sale. The lace gloves were €38. A pill box hat was ideal for a wedding, and cost €75. A pale-aqua silk-and-cotton mix dress was €78, and a baby-pink silk one with hand beading was €85.

Owner, Breda Casey, is true to her vintage passion: she designed the fit-out of the shop, with the help of Niall Linehan, who supplied the salvaged pieces.

Large, pewter organ pipes hanging upstairs made clever light fittings, and came from the North Monastery. Curved glass used as a display case came from Christchurch. The ornate metal balustrade came from Lindville hospital, and old Cork Dry Gin boxes are used as wall fittings.

“I was always into vintage, the recycling ethos, the quality, and I love printed fabrics. I even have old, printed wallpaper in the dressing rooms. When you get the dress right for a customer, and they appreciate the trouble that has gone into the making of it, it’s very satisfying,” says Breda.

Olivia Murphy, based in Ballineen, West Cork, has an online vintage boutique, at www.elsaandgogoboutique.ie. There are dresses for well under my budget. Olivia started her business three years ago, going to markets and setting up pop-up shops for Christmas.

“I loved my grandmother’s jewellery and their beautiful boxes. Nowadays, I love everything, from sparkly bling to brightly coloured Thermoset plastic.”

The dress she brought for me was made from green damask and had a fringed hem and elbow-length sleeves. It was a 1960s look, which I paired with a luxurious, Russian-red ermine stole, just over-budget at €110, from Mercury Goes Retrograde on Drawbridge St in Cork.

Mary Jo Murphy set it up three years ago and has only ever shopped in vintage and second-hand shops. “I have huge issues with big shops selling cheap clothing at the expense of child labour”, she says.

“The recent accidents in Bangladesh show how the health and safety of children are sacrificed for our cheap clothing. Cheap, really?”

Most of her clothes are geared towards college kids and the sizes are small. The furs appeal to older customers, who appreciate their luxury, and she has a good range of clothing for men, too. In Fellini coffee shop on Carey’s Lane in Cork, there is lovely antique jewellery and a small selection of clothing. There is also a flea market off Wellington Rd at the weekends, which is worth a look for accessories and clothing. Vintage is about taking time to try on the clothing. Shapes often look ordinary on the hanger, so take a few hours and do the rounds. You may discover a previously-loved treasure.