Gucci Style
As we all know, fashion goes full circle and reinvents
Anna Sui Style
itself in various trends that can be seen right there on the catwalks of London, Paris and Milan and followed vigorously by the fast-fashion boom on our high-streets. This autumn/winter sees a continuation of the Boho look that’s been prevalent for quite a few years now, and made famous by the likes of Sienna Miller and various other celebrities. The “Luxury Bohemian Trend” is a take on this look but with a more ethnic/folksy feel.
Fabrics are luxurious and rich and the colours tend to have a dark base with highlights in red, purple, yellow and pink. Patterns can be found in the shape of hearts, paisley prints, flowers and teardrop shapes. Floaty tunics with bracelet sleeves are teamed with large, statement necklaces, patterned tights, boots and Mary-Jane style shoes which together, makes this a very feminine and easy-to-wear look for all shapes and sizes.
Traditional Sardinian Folk Costume
Here I’ve shown an example of a folk costume from Sardinia just so you can see how the influence has effected this current trend. There are of course, hundreds and thousands of ethnic costumes to choose from.
Two fashion giants that I think have shown the Luxury Bohemian Trend particularly well are Gucci and Anna Sui. Their runways shows were full of lush fabrics, dropped waists, patterned tights, faux fur gillets and ethnic prints.
Of course, not everyone can afford their designer prices so there’s plenty to choose from on the high street – that’s if you don’t mind wearing clothes that you’ll see on every other girl or women in the land! One of my missions in life (if you didn’t know already!) is to encourage people to look at what’s available in the wonderful world of vintage. Yes of course you can go to any vintage boutique in New York, London or Paris and pay a small fortune for a labelled vintage garment. However, if you’ve got an idea of what you’re looking for, I can think of no better way (well almost none!) of spending your evening or Saturday afternoon, searching for that special item that looks as if it’s been taken straight off the latest runway – and that’s the exciting thing about vintage clothing. You just never know what you’re going to find!
Tribal Drop-Waist Dress from Lionheart Vintage
A great place to start is Etsy because all your sellers are under one roof, so to speak. The sellers there can only list “genuine” vintage clothing, that being a garment or accessory that’s at least twenty years old. It has been known that some would consider vintage as a garment that’s been worn from just the previous season. However, to anyone connected with Etsy, this is not the case and never will be. True vintage fashion has a history; an essence within it that makes it special – it’s unique and beautiful and you’ll be hard-pushed to find another garment anywhere that’s exactly the same.
The only thing I recommend you have on hand whilst shopping for your vintage clothing are your measurements. So, invest in a tape measure and get your vital statistics written down. Make sure you measure yourself regularly as we can all loose or gain a few pounds without even noticing.
Luxurious Mini Dress from Some Like it Vintage
Shopping for vintage on-line is one of the easiest and best ways to get hold of your vintage. There’s tons of inspiration to be found on Etsy and I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to each seller who has kindly agreed to me using their photographs for this piece. Every item shown here is currently available for sale at the time of writing. You can find the names of each Etsy store or website under pictures and at the bottom of this blog.
Now this is just a small example of what’s available in “vintage land”. I think you’ll agree that these pieces really do well in showing how a new look can be achieved quite easily using vintage clothing. After all, it’s not really “new” at all—it’s just fashion that’s gone full circle and reinvented itself with a modern twist.
What’s to look out for
Anything with a folksy/ethnic feel such as: tassels, fringes, feathers, dropped waists, patterned tights, boots, Mary-Jane’s, large statement necklaces, faux fur gillets, Boho coats with embroidery detail, floaty smock tops; luxurious fabrics: velvet, satin, silk; printed fabrics: paisley, tear drop, hearts, flowers, embroidery, braid, embellished belts.
Here’s some more vintage goodies which fit in perfectly with the luxury Bohemian trend. WARNING: Drooling could occur!
Read more by Louise Sleigh, owner of a vintage clothing site at her blog: Catwalk Creative Weblog .
Peasant Blouse with Tassels from Decades Vintage
Ethnic Kaftan from La Dolce VitaEthnic Kaftan from La Dolce Vita
- 60s Tan Embroidered Coat from What Would Marilyn Wear?
Rose Cropped Jacket from The Spectrum Vintage
Vintage Crochet Cape from La Dolce Vita
Folksy Embroidered Dress from Kitsch-y-Cool-Vintage
60s Coat with Faux Fur Trim from Some Like it Vintage
Divine Vintage 30s Shoes from Planet Claire Vintage
Credits: Decades Vintage, Lionheart Vintage, Some Like it Vintage, The Spectrum Vintage, Planet Claire Vintage, What Would Marilyn Wear? La Dolce Vita Clothing, Kirtsch-y-Cool Vintage (eBay). Folk costume photograph from www.costumepage.org.
Recent Comments