A Vintage Wardrobe for Spring
Spring here on the Southern California coast has a very specific scent. As the days inch longer and the sun warms all the budding plants, there is a sweet, earthy fragrance that will sometimes surprise you in the least likely places-walking back to the car form school pick up, past the scrubby flower beds outside a shopping center, or stopped at a red light with the windows rolled down, you might suddenly be thrown back to the first morning in fourth grade when you didn’t need a jacket to go to school and you could wear your favorite hiking boots and babydoll dress instead. Born and raised here, it really smells like home.
I love getting dressed in spring. It is warm without the intensity of summer heat, the mornings are often foggy but it burns off by lunch, and the evenings have a chill to them. I feel special wearing skirts and dresses all the time, but in spring it feels especially indulgent. This year, just by way of experimentation, I am ushering in the California spring with a bit of a capsule wardrobe based on vintage pieces I own and love.
Shopping vintage is a very easy, accessible, and fun way to practice mindful consumption and express personal style consciously. Vintage can be incredibly versatile and offer unparalleled quality if you know how to approach it. I have had my share of novelty print circle skirts, but at a certain point, they no longer fit my personal style. They felt quite cosutme-y and overdone on me, although I wholeheartedly admire women who can pull off a full retro style with panache. I do still get a simple kind of pleasure from the gentle nostalgia of a vintage blouse or the hard to find fit of a vintage skirt. There is nothing like the warmth and longevity of a coat from a few generations back, and I have the little micro-collection to prove it.
I have developed a few strategies for shopping vintage over the years. These policies have allowed me to curate a small collection of items I treasure and which bring me joy to wear.
Know Your Shopping Goals
This is a strategy I always use when shopping, but it is especially helpful when perusing vintage selections. It is very, very easy to be influenced by the way a vintage piece is styled and to make that impulse buy because it is a one of a kind garment. The most effective strategy I use for halting that impulse is to keep a well edited list of items I am looking for and not stray from that list. Right now, I am on the lookout for a boxy camel v-neck cardigan. That is the only thing on my list. Going into any kind of vintage shopping scenario, I know for certain I will see many, many items that are a near miss, but I have learned through trial and error to be patient. Just the right thing will come up at just the right time. If it doesn’t, what I’ve really learned is that I didn’t need it in the first place.
Know Your Colors
Again, this applies to all kinds of shopping and it is incredibly helpful in taming the trigger finger. I have a very specific range of tried and true colors that I know for certain suit me. Vintage clothing can offer some of the most beautiful and vibrant colors out there, but whatever you choose needs to be able to blend in with the rest of a contemporary wardrobe. Vintage pieces tend to be warmer in tone, and even a bit muddier, than what is available off the rack. Understanding the undertones you are looking for, knowing if you prefer cooler or warmer shades, can save you a lot of hassle. I prefer neutrals in general and cool colors with warm overtones for accent, I have to be careful not to buy beiges that are too yellow, nor browns that are too chocolate-y.
Know Your Measurements
If you have ever bought a vintage item, you already know that size tags are irrelevant. The number on the piece means absolutely nothing as to measurements or fit. I recently bought a top and skirt set marked as a size 14, when in modern sizing I wear a size 6. Knowing your waist, hip, and bust measurements is essential to getting a good fit. Another strategy I often use is knowing the measurements of a garment I already own so I can use the fit as a benchmark. For example, I know from measuring a button-down top I own and love to go for at least a 19” chest measurement when taken flat. I would never buy a button-down top if the chest measurement is less than 19” because I know it will feel too restricting for my taste. Shopping online, a reputable seller will have specific measurements provided, but if I’m shopping in person, I usually bring a fabric tape measure in my purse to check measurements.
Go Natural
Natural fibers like wool, silk, cotton, and leather just last longer. They are more susceptible to insect damage, but I would prefer to mend a moth hole than buy an acrylic sweater that feels rough, has lost its elasticity, and won’t keep its shape.
On to the wardrobe!
Beige heather tee (thrifted) - Camel box top (handmade) - White linen tee - Black linen notch collar - Ivory peasant top
Black cashmere blazer - Sage blouse - Alpaca cardigan (handmade) - Thermal long sleeve - Cable knit sweater (new from Cossac)
Levi’s - Linen skirt (handmade) - Floral skirt - Sage pleated skirt - Black tapered trousers
Floral wap dress - Peacoat - Tan peasant dress - Beige car coat - Raw silk pinafore
The vast majority of the pieces in my vintage spring capsule are true vintage, but a few are modern pieces and are marked as such. I find that mixing vintage with modern pieces can make for a wardrobe that feels interesting and unique while still feeling clean and minimal.
A handful of the vintage items I own came from eBay or Poshmark, although it is a bit harder to find those truly special treasures there. I do have a few go to vintage shops online that I use as resources when I’m looking for something specific.
I am so looking forward to spending March and the first half of April in these twenty items, plus my small selection of shoes and two vintage purses I’ll be swapping out as desired. This is the first time I’ve been able to build a small capsule wardrobe that really feels like it honors how I want to show up in the world AND will let me have fun getting dressed, and I’m excited about it!
What are you excited to get back into as spring arrives? Are you a vintage lover, or does the prospect of the hunt not appeal to you?