How To Do Retro Fashion in Today's Modern Age
As we've no doubt heard, retro and vintage-inspired fashion keeps us moving forward by taking giant leaps backward into the past. Fashion through time inspires our fashion choices today, and will continue to influence our culture's style endeavors moving onward to the future. One day, people will even look back on what we wear today and call it 'Retro,' 'Vintage,' or 'Classic.'
But what is retro style? What constitutes as retro, and how does it fit into our daily lives here in 2019? On top of that, what constitutes as bad fashion pairings that should never be relived in this age or any other? Well, to be honest, all that is up to you. As long as you feel confident in your retro threads, we know you can rock whatever vintage outfit you throw on! So with that, what is retro fashion?
Retro fashion is the conscious effort to mimic styles of the past, whether by collecting pieces native to whatever era chosen, or through imitative means using pieces from modern fashion that, when combined, create a mirror image of popular styles in fashion eras past. Some people call it 'Vintage Inspired;' others simply call it 'Classic Fashion.' But how do we know if something is retro? How long do we have to wait before we can adequately designated it as 'Classic,' 'Vintage,' etc? Allow us to call to your attention, the most recent trend in 'retro' fashion. Already, the 90's have been immortalized as a cultural favorite in fashion history. And soon, the 2010's will follow suit. So, in answer to the question, any era, or to make it easier, any decade, qualifies when searching for retro fashion ideas.
So let's get to it, shall we? Let's all take a trip down retro fashion lane and explore the many styles we can use when picking out our own outfits today.
1. The Denim Jumpsuit
Did you know that the jumpsuit was first designed in 1919 for parachuters and skydivers exclusively? Coined 'A Suit for Jumping,' this once purely practical item quickly wove its way into fashion lovers' hearts as a simple, yet put-together staple in every woman's wardrobe.
Check the golden age of Hollywood and all those famous female movie stars like our favorite tomboy, Katherine Hepburn. Yet, tomboy or not, you'll find all your favorite stars donning every manner of jumpsuit, from linen to silk; even our iconic Rosie the Riveter canonized the factory woman's denim jumpsuit during World War II, creating an image of pride for women all across America.
Jump ahead to the era of shoulder pads and outrageous prints and you'll find the jumpsuit present yet again. The 1980's re-imagined the jumpsuit, and we're back at it today with our own iteration of the jumpsuit.
This denim jumpsuit features a beyond comfortable stretch-denim and is cut to accentuate what you want to show off and hide what you don't! We've been pulling this jumpsuit out of our closet day after day as a fall staple.
Whether paired with sneakers, heels, worn under a leather bomber jacket, paired with Top Gun aviators, or what have you, the jumpsuit is, was, and will always be a classic - i.e. go ahead and snag yourself a set.
2. The Leather Moto Jacket
The leather motorcycle jacket has been around for quite some time, and it's no secret that in every era, it shines ever-brightly, never wavering in its validity as a winner.
As the name suggests, the moto jacket originated as a protective item to be worn while riding a motorcycle. In addition, the leather jacket was designed to add an extra layer of warmth for airplane pilots during both world wars. While still primarily used for practicality's sake, the cool-factor of the leather jacket was adopted in the 50's and 60's during the rebel phase fueled greatly by Hollywood movie stars like James Dean and Marlon Brando.
Transitioning into the 70's, we see the moto jacket on our favorite bands like The Ramones and Sex Pistols. Today, the Moto jacket can be used for that rocker chic look, mixing delicate pieces and fabrics with the edgy leather of the jacket. A little bit rock and roll. A little bit sweet. You'll see the above cropped leather jacket is paired with a mustard yellow maxi skirt for a perfect vintage outfit.
3. The Denim Mini Skirt
The evolution of the denim skirt began in the 1970's. Women searching for new ways to wear their old denim jeans concocted the idea of ripping up the seams and sewing them together to create long, patchwork skirts. Pretty soon, this idea of recycling one's jeans morphed into a highly popular look adopted by Woodstock enthusiasts, SoCal beach-lovers, high-rolling celebrities, your best friend Jean...just about everyone.
From loose-fitting, happy-go-lucky denim maxi skirts back then, to the form fitting denim mini skirts we have today, this is one style that continues to revolutionize the way we ladies look at fashion.
Wear your own denim mini skirt with a pair of knee-high boots, your favorite graphic tee, or spruce the outfit up with a strappy tank top and a pair of bedazzled stilettos for a fancy evening out. The moral of this story: there's no way you can't rock a denim skirt. And if you don't believe us, go on and give it a try. We dare you.
4. The Pullover Sweatshirt
Though the classic pullover sweatshirt made its first appearance back in the 1920's, the style we're looking at today was perfected in the 80's. Cut in bulky, oversized shapes, the 80's pullover utilized bizarre, out-there prints in a variety of bold colors and textured fabrics. The result was something in between a track suit and a bomber jacket, and the brighter, more obnoxious it was, the better.
Paired over a set of skin-tight leggings and some chunky sneakers to compliment your multi-colored scrunchies, or with a pair of white-washed mom jeans or a neon mini skirt, the pullover sweatshirt was a standard statement piece that every woman wore.
Flash forward to today, we're seeing 80's influences in our pullovers, taking the form of bold prints, retro stripes, boxy, cropped cuts, and even carpet materials. And with the continued popularity of the high-waisted leggings in all colors and fabrics, we're well on our way to glorifying that all-too-famous 80's look. Hip hip hooray, if you ask us!
5. The High-Waist Leather Pants
As we previously mentioned, the high-waist leggings are in, and have been in for some time. That Grease-lightning style, our 'Oh Sandy' cravings bring us these gloriously sexy, tight-as-all-get-out pleather leggings for our awe and wonderment.
And for an uber-chic look, we have the famous faux fur jacket to accompany said leggings. This glammed-up style has been a cultural favorite for decades. The oversized fluff of fur paired with the sheen of a good pair of leather leggings to show off the shape of your legs; it's nothing new, and yet it's oh-so-up-and-coming.
We have here an all-black ensemble highly epitomizing that other retro style, the Johnny Cash look, topping it off with a tribal-printed faux fur coat for an additional pop. Wear with combat boots or your peep-toe heels for a bit of added luxury. You'll make a statement either way you choose to swing it.
To read up on the (surprisingly long) history of leggings, click here.
For all our retro-inspired fashion ideas, check out our full collection here.
Maybe you've got your own ideas? How fantastic! Leave us a comment and tell us all about it!
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