30s bolero – private seller // 40s heels - Red Light Vintage // 80s purse – yard sale
Pencil skirt – thrift store // 50s cotton blouse – yard sale
The most successful outfits always start with a good base. It took me most of my adulthood to figure this out. I’ve always been drawn to big patterns, deconstructed shapes, and bright colors. For the longest time I resisted the most important fashion step – investing in basics. I thought it was a waste. Why spend money on a pair of boring slacks when I could buy, say, a rainbow paisley jacket with peacocks embroidered on it? But of course, dressing yourself gets pretty wacky when that’s all you have in your closet.
Once I realized how much better my bold pieces looked against a nicely tailored, neutral background, I realized shelling out the money for the basics was worth it.
Doing so is especially important when trying to integrate vintage into your everyday style. You want those pieces to stand out without being overwhelming or chaotic. I’ll share some of my styling secrets, with the help of the talented and effervescent Jessica Keener as guest photographer.
1) Pick out 2-3 standard “base outfits”. These will be made of pieces that go right next to your skin – pants, shirts, dresses. For me, some standards are:
-a pencil skirt and a button-up
-skinny jeans and a blouse
-a black dress.
All of these items pair well with just about anything, and give shape and structure to more elaborate items. From here, you can layer on jackets, scarves, cardigans, accessories and jewelry.
These base outfits are where you should spend more money than you actually want to.
Since these are your building blocks, you want them to fit you just right. You should shell out for details like darts, double-stitched hems, and linings. For the purposes of this shoot, I used my go-to combo of a white cotton button-up and my favorite gray pencil skirt. I cannot stress enough the god send that is the pencil skirt. I swear, it’s flattering to every shape. I highly recommend getting a few – they are great for casual wear, work, and even going out.
2) Have a few items in each neutral. I suggest black, white, and either gray, cream, or tan depending on your skin tone and preference. While layering prints on prints and colors on colors can be fun, it does make it difficult to get dressed when you don’t have time to fully evaluate your pairings.
Having neutrals hanging in your closet makes it easier to look put together in a time crunch.
Once you have your neutral-tone basics, you’re ready to pile on the the cool stuff to give your outfit that pop. This will be the moment to let that signature vintage piece or two shine. In this shoot, I wanted to highlight two things – my jacket and purse. You can see that they stand out in contrast to the white and gray. If I had tried to match with one of the colors in the embroidery, like green or purple, the color would have competed with the jacket, rather than allowing it to remain prominent in the visual field.
3) Buy leather. Seriously, it’s the best. Leather instantly lends an air of polish to an outfit. Plus, it lasts forever, ages beautifully, and conforms to the shape of your foot to make all your footwear more comfortable. Boots, heels, flats – I always buy leather whenever possible. Though the price point is higher, leather shoes will last season after season while making any outfit look better.
You’re basically throwing away money when you buy shoes that aren’t leather.
Trust me, the higher initial investment pays off in the long run, both in terms of longevity and appearance. Luckily, most vintage shoes you encounter will be leather of some sort. One of my favorite brands to hunt for on eBay is Frye, supposedly the oldest boot manufacturer in the country. I also have a soft spot for easy-to-find leather loafers from the 80s. When buying new, Remix Vintage Shoes generally uses leather.
I hope I can help you avoid the years of outfit mistakes that I made, having too many statement pieces and not enough basics in my closet. Thanks again to Jessica Keener for lending her fabulous eye.
XOXO,
Sasha
