Social Sciences

Fashion is not about reinventing the wheel. It's about taking history to make history. Most trendsetters can look back to centuries of style for inspiration of what can work for today. Chanel's iconic Little Black Dress was created in 1926 and has flawlessly adapted with each decade to remain our most beloved fashion piece. Vintage is a second (or third or fourth) hand garment with a lifespan of over twenty years. People enjoy vintage clothing because of the fine materials used, the snug fit of sizes past and of course, the uniqueness of the piece. Popular places to buy vintage clothing include charity-run second hand clothing shops, garage sales, flea markets, antique markets, estate sales, auctions, vintage clothing shops, and online. Rule number one for vintage couture: never alter. If you have name-brand vintage clothing, altering it automatically kills the value. Also important to preserving and maintaining pieces in good condition is storage in acid-free boxes and tissue paper. Some vintage pieces are essential for the present while some can be left to their past.