Real Retro

Once upon a time, led astray by a well-meaning article in American Girl magazine, I came to believe that "vintage" was a synonym for "cheap." I always imagined that, when I actually began shopping for myself rather than living in gifts and hand-me-downs, I would be a bohemian but classy dresser, assembling clever little getups from the vintage shops that were sure to abound once I figured out where they were. Imagine my disappointment when reality struck, and I learned that "where they were" was mostly only New York City, and that vintage clothes are actually more expensive than they were when originally made and often more expensive than comparable modern articles, due in part to inflation and in part to their rarity. Thus, your typical Unfashionista does not often have the privilege of wearing vintage styles.

In fact, the first time I've actually succeeding in buying vintage, for the price at which I always thought it should be sold, was a few weeks ago, when I won this "vintage 1970's" dress on eBay for $8.04. Well, it was in slightly worse condition than I expected, and it had "that 70's smell," but that indicates to me that it really was a vintage style and not just some modern knockoff. I washed it, stitched up the hole that appeared in the skirt after I washed it, and, as the seller suggested, "put it with a pair of boots and WOW!"

Well, I don't know about the all-caps wow, but I do admit to being pleased that I finally got to add another decade of fashion to my eclectic style.

I wore it with a necklace and earrings that may or may not be period-appropriate, but since I inherited them from my grandmother, there's at least a fair chance.