By Stylishly Yours, Jennifer Thorpe
Rescu. shows you how to wear shorts for every occasion and vintage fever has hit Australia, and it’s time for all Rescu. women to learn the tips and tricks of effective vintage shopping!
How To Wear: Formal Shorts
It’s now getting into slightly cooler weather, which means a shift in the wardrobe department.
However, the benefit of living in sunny Oz? Shorts might be on the menu all year round, with the proper accessories – and that’s a good thing, because they’re one of the biggest trends of the season.
The key is to balance proportion and fit your look to the occasion. Of course, first off you have to find the correct length. Hotpants are absolutely out, even for teenagers. The current look is thigh-skimming, short but not unduly unmodest. Too long and you’ll look peculiar.
If you’re having a not-with-my-legs moment, fear not: tights are here to save the day. Stockings with shorts are one of the big looks this season – Rihanna electrified the fashion world when she wandered out of a hotel wearing shorts with Topshop stockings designed to look as if they were a garter belt and suspender set. These ‘illusion’ stockings are all the rage at the moment.
Knee-high socks are also a possibility if you’re up for looking slightly younger, but generally tights are a good saviour if you’re fumbling with the silhouette. Go for opaque and dark if the shorts themselves are ornate or if it’s a more formal occasion, decorative if you feel like a bit of a lift. And no matter what Kate Middleton says, flesh-coloured is a no-no.
As for the shorts themselves? Proper cut saves everything – stiff satins and silks, with pockets, are excellent for evening, and you can even find brocade ones if you’re feeling luxurious. Softer materials, like suede, are flattering and skim curves. The current trend is to pair them with a statement jacket, tuxedo or otherwise, or invest in a shorts-suit. Denim is for weekends and clubbing only.
Avoid playsuits unless you are in fact playing or going to a music festival – it’s not worth it.
Image: Carven Spring 2012 short-suit.
How To Be A Wise Vintage Shopper
1. Don’t be a snob- look everywhere.
The owner of WilliamVintage in London, one of the premier vintage sources in the world, told a magazine recently that he found a 1950s mint condition Dior cape in a tiny store in a remote American town. It wasn’t on display because “the velvet was going to be cut up to make cushions”!
The lesson? Don’t stick to the big names in vintage boutiques and fairs. To get a treasure, you may need to search everywhere.
Look in charity shops, run-down tiny places, and out-of-the-way car boot sales. The prices may be better, and you might just find an amazing piece – but be prepared to dive in and get your hands dirty. Often the best pieces in vintage are hiding away in huge racks – you’ve just got to find them.
2. Befriend the shopkeepers.
Often, though not always, vintage shopkeepers are collectors and buyers themselves. This isn’t the case with the bigger vintage emporiums, which may simply have a hired shopgirl at the front desk who hasn’t a clue about anything, but with smaller labour-of-love places it’s all about a passion for clothes.
This means the biggest treasure trove in the entire shop may be their expertise. Don’t dismiss their help – get them involved in helping to find what you want, as long as you have a specific thing in mind.
If you get on their good sides, they may introduce you to pieces they weren’t intending to sell, things which weren’t on display, or provide you with a fantastic deal.
3. Be wise about condition.
Sometimes shopping for vintage means you have to sacrifice a little bit of prime condition for an excellent piece. After all, the clothes have been worn before.
However, that doesn’t mean you should buy a good-looking dress that’s unravelling at the seams. Look at pieces with a very critical eye. Is the stitching holding? Is the zip functional? Does it have all its buttons?
One particular area to pay close attention to? Stains. Vintage fabric is much more delicate than modern fabric, and that little stain that could come out of a Target T-shirt may never come out of an older dress – and washing could damage it.
Be realistic about what you’re willing to pay for, and what damage you can actually undo.
Happy shopping!
Image: Vintage Fashion Emporium, Sydney.
