What’s the Difference Between Vintage and Retro Clothing?
When it comes to style, the terms ‘vintage’ and ‘retro’ are sometimes used interchangeably, but do they really mean the same thing? The short answer is ‘no’, but in this guide, we’ll break it down for absolute clarity. At Vestiaire Collective, we’re aware that some shoppers shy away from buying second-hand because they fear that pre-loved fashion doesn’t have the same appeal as brand new items. But we’re here to show you why second-hand clothing can be better for your closet, your wallet and the planet all at once. In a style environment where retro looks are constantly being revamped in new collections and vintage pieces are more and more valuable, the line between ‘old’ and ‘new’ is increasingly difficult to draw. Our global community of Fashion Activists are creating a new movement to erase that line altogether through the circular economy. Are you ready to join in the fun?
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What is Vintage clothing?
Shopping vintage clothing online is a sustainable fashion adventure. You never know what amazing things you’ll find. We love being inspired by the fashions of the past and discovering the vintage pieces that just deserve to be out of the closet and back on the streets.
There are many ways of defining vintage but at Vestiaire Collective, we categorise pieces as ‘vintage’ if they are 15 years old or older. That means anything from before Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got together is fair game for us.
At Vestiaire Collective, our vintage selection features pieces from the world’s top fashion houses like Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermès. The reason luxury brands have such a strong vintage presence is that clothing from these labels are made with such a strong commitment to quality. The high craftsmanship and excellent materials used by these houses ensure that they are just as good 15 plus years later as the day they were purchased brand new. Our Fashion Activists know that taking care of the pieces in our closets, like clothing and handbags, is also an important way of taking care of the planet. Wearing style items gently and then selling them second-hand on Vestiaire Collective is an excellent way to contribute to the circular fashion economy.
Our community of over 10 million users offer incredible access to the most elite selection of vintage finds. You no longer need to sort through racks and racks of disorganised clothing from a thrift store. Now all you need is to download the Vestiaire app and you’re on your way to filling your closet with gorgeous designer vintage finds.
What is Retro clothing?
While vintage clothing reflects the age during which it was manufactured, it isn’t necessarily trying to reference another time period. Retro clothing, on the other hand, is designed to imitate the style of a past era. For example, some colourfully printed Hermès Carré Géant silk scarves evoke the ‘70s, though they are produced in the present day. However, a Hermès printed silk scarf that was actually made in the ‘70s would be considered a vintage article. Vintage pieces are original, retro pieces imitate the original.
Every generation has had a penchant for the fashions of a previous decade. The 1960s drew fashion inspiration from the 1920s, and the 1980s tried to emulate some of the fashions of the 1940s. In 2021, creative directors for top fashion brands often rely on retro trends in their collections. It’s a way of taking the very best ideas from previous decades and putting a modern spin on them. Just take Fendi, who in the spring of 2020 exhibited a gorgeous collection full of psychedelic patterns which was inspired by the youthful zeitgeist of the 1970s. Recently, several designers chose the 1960s for their throwback collections. Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs all gave a nod to flower power using big floral patterns and bold colours in their Spring/Summer 2020 collections. And Stella McCarnety went full ‘90s with a heavy use of denim in her S/S 2020 collection.
All these designers using retro fashion proves what we already know: fashion is cyclical. What was popular in previous decades comes back into style again. What our global community of Fashion Activists strive to do is make cyclical fashion also circular. How do we do that? By buying our clothes second-hand— no matter what fashion decade we adore. Choosing second-hand prevents raw resources from being used to make new clothing which makes a huge impact when we are talking about the second most polluting industry in the world.
Does timeless clothing really exist?
Words like timeless, classic and iconic are thrown around a lot in fashion. At Vestiaire, we believe there are evergreen pieces that will stand the test of time because they have been doing just that for decades already. Evergreen pieces essentials that never age. Think: the cashmere sweater, the little black dress, Levis 501’s jeans and Converse Chuck Taylors. If you are concerned with having a wardrobe made of ethical clothing, evergreens are your friend because these are pieces that you will keep for many seasons. They are made to look good and last for years.
Evergreen pieces are so named because they, like evergreen forests, are always in season and never fade from view. Often, these pieces have attained their evergreen status thanks to iconic celebrity moments like Audrey Hepburn wearing her trench coat at the end of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Now, the trench coat is just as beloved as it was back in the 1940s and so we consider it an evergreen piece. While you can find vintage trench coats you can also find them in every new collection, like the Burberry trench coat.
Besides the influence of the red carpet, evergreen pieces have been born from the talents of impactful designers. Take the Dior bar jacket. It was created by Christian Dior for his very first collection in 1947and has been in nearly every Dior collection since then. After three-quarters of a century in the fashion limelight, there is no doubt that this piece is timeless.
Buying into trends is not a sustainable way to consume fashion. At Vestiaire we don’t promote buying what’s “in” because we know the most responsible way to shop is to buy pieces that you will love and that will last for years. Fast fashion relies on the whims of trends that come and go and thus contribute to excessive production and waste. Second-hand evergreen pieces bought from Vestiaire Collective are safe bets all around — for your wallet, for your style, and for the planet.
The archive designs trend
Archival fashion is when a designer takes a piece from their past body of work and revamps it for the modern day. Doing a retake of a vintage model is a way of dusting off a culturally significant piece of clothing and updating it as a new rendition. Oftentimes, lifelong fans of a particular brand will wait with anticipation for these releases, as they did for Raf Simons’ Archive Redux collection released in January 2021. It’s a fun way to participate in fashion history with beautiful designs that have a lasting appeal.
All the major fashion powerhouses from Gucci to Dior to Chanel take inspiration from their archives. It’s how creative directors honour their label’s heritage while bringing a fresh touch onto each new collection. For example, the first silk scarf produced by Hermès was back in 1937. Since then, there have been numerous versions of the beloved piece. Each time the scarf is rereleased it is updated for the times, but retains a clear lineage going back to that very first scarf. The tradition and history is what makes these vintage pieces collectible.
A great way to find the original models of these remakes is by browsing the vintage selection at Vestiaire Collective. Besides being super easy on our app, it has the added benefit of having better prices than the new collection remake. When you shop archive pieces second-hand on Vestiaire Collective, you’re getting fashion gold for less that you will cherish for many years to come.
Benefits of choosing Vintage clothing
Vintage clothing is an excellent choice for many reasons. We all want clothes that will last a long time. The fact that a vintage piece exists is proof that it is a durable item. Excellent quality fabric combined with high quality craftsmanship make a piece that can last for years, instead of a piece that lasts only for a season. This is one of the reasons vintage shopping is a sustainable way to buy clothes. Buying less clothing, but with better quality is the shopping philosophy of the Fashion Activist.
Not only does each item of vintage clothing represent an item not placed in the landfill, it also means all the water and natural materials that go into producing a new garment are also conserved. Truly, second-hand shopping is the way to go for those who love clothes and love the planet.
Second-hand pieces are often items that are no longer in production. These discontinued models have a one-of-a-kind value and can give you a singular style. No one likes to walk into a party and see someone wearing the exact same thing. Buying vintage clothes ensures you always have unique clothing. Some vintage pieces, like the always popular trench coat, are great gender neutral clothing options.
Vintage evergreen styles are easy to resell when you are finished wearing them. It continues the Fashion Activism cycle and allows the next lucky person to find a totally unique piece in a sustainable way.
Vintage clothes can often come at a fraction of the cost of new clothes, even if they come from top brands like Dior or Louis Vuitton. We love finding an archival piece from Gucci that we don’t have to spend our whole paycheck to acquire. Those kinds of gems are on offer everyday at Vestiaire.
No matter your preferred fashion time period, or whether you’re looking for vintage or retro, we have it. Our app makes it easy to filter for vintage finds, just look on the left hand side and select vintage in the filters. From there you can filter by brand or size if you prefer, or just browse through and see what catches your eye. That’s the great thing about unique vintage clothes — you usually don’t even know what you want until you find it.
From a sustainability standpoint, vintage clothing is generally preferable to retro clothing because vintage doesn’t require new items to be produced. However, shopping for both vintage or retro on Vestiaire Collective is a positive move for sustainable shopping because we carry only the very best second-hand items available.
Fashion is power and second-hand clothing is the most powerful way to help out the planet while having a killer wardrobe at the same time. Choosing second-hand for your favourite brand is often the friendliest on your wallet, too, and definitely the friendliest for the environment.
Be inspired by the past and let whichever decade you choose reflect your unique personal style. Saving money, making sustainable choices, finding unique pieces and looking great all in one shopping experience? That’s vintage and second-hand shopping on Vestiaire Collective and we can’t think of a better way to fill our closets.