Building a Vintage-Inspired Wardrobe

Want to wear vintage clothing and vintage-inspired clothing? These are some tips for building your own vintage-inspired wardrobe.

I’m currently working on purging my wardrobe. There are several reasons for this.

1. I will never weigh what I did in high school. My body has matured and will not fit into a lot of the things I’ve held on to, even when I do lose weight.
2. A lot of my clothes are from high school. It’s been nine years since I graduated from high school.
3. My style has changed. In jr. high and a lot of my time in high school I was into more goth type clothing. Since then I have been trying to find a style and I finally have and most of my clothes don’t fit with it.
4. I don’t wear a lot of the things I own.

So far I have donated a large bag of items and have another good size box I’m working on. I’ve also started to buy some new items.  I wish I could say they are all made in the US and organic but confession, they aren’t. When possible they are and they are at least natural fibers.

You may guess because of the title of my blog that my style is vintage/vintage inspired. I have a real love of 40’s-50’s clothing. And I’m not talking pinup, retro look, though I love that as well, I mean more of a Donna Reed look. I love full skirts, cardigans, heels, ponytails with ribbons, pearls, and all that wonderful stuff.

Currently, as I build my new wardrobe my style is less extreme but slowly I’m working towards a very vintage looking wardrobe. It’s amazing for one’s self-esteem to only own clothes that fit properly and that you feel good wearing. I don’t want to hold on to clothes that don’t fit or that I don’t like anymore.

I believe it’s a good idea to take a look at your wardrobe every once in awhile and decide if it’s really still working for your body, life, and style. Of course most of us, myself included, can’t just go buy a new wardrobe all at once. However, slowly buying new pieces that you can work into what you currently own is a great way to get started.

I’ve been working on a list of items I want to have in my new wardrobe. I thought I’d share the list in case anyone would find it interesting. While many items only work for my vintage inspired wardrobe, many are classics and are good for any style. And I figure if you are reading this blog you may be interested in a vintage-inspired wardrobe as well.

Must-Have Vintage Clothing Items

• Circle Skirt
• Pencil Skirt
• Shirtwaist Dress
• Cocktail Dress
• High-Waisted Pants
• Wide Leg Pants
• Cardigans
• Fitted Sweater (better yet a sweater set!)
• Petticoat
• Slips
• Heels
• Accessories: pearls, sweater clips, gloves, bangles, brooches, cute handbags, and hats.

Where to Shop for Vintage Clothing & Vintage-Inspired Clothing

• ModCloth (Get 15% off your first order!)
• eShakti (Get $25 off your first order!)
• Etsy
• Unique Vintage
• Amazon

Love vintage clothing? Check out Ditch the Yoga Pants, Embrace the House Dress.