Incorporating mid century style into your everyday life by offering a mix of old & new
Good question! Even though many of our customers dress and decorate our homes in the mid century style, part of my passion for this business is helping people incorporate mid century style into their everyday lives. My day job doesn’t really allow for dresses or skirts so I need to be creative with mixing in vintage. Vintage coats, scarves, sweaters, and jewelry are my go to! I’ve even worn a nearly 80 year old pair of shoes to work once! So for me, accessories are the way to go. I often am full vintage paired with a pair of reproduction trousers and/or shoes at work.
So how do you bring a little vintage into your everyday? Worried about standing out a bit too much? Start by adding a necklace and earrings or a scarf. Work in a top or cardigan. The great part of 40s & 50s era clothing is the styles are timeless. Many of the designs are replicated even now so donning a vintage skirt or dress isn’t likely to make you look like you’re wearing a costume.
Now for the fellas. Same for you guys! Accessories are a great way to start adding a vintage touch to your everyday style. You can start with a necktie. You’ll note that many neckties are much shorter than modern ones so I suggest adding a waistcoat (vest). This will disguise the length and add a really authentic look to your outfit. Trust me guys, ladies really love a guy in uniform or in retro clothing, especially from the eras between the 20s and 60s. Now here’s the struggle. You guys are notorious for wearing your clothing until it’s basically falling apart, making finding vintage men’s garments really challenging. Luckily for you, your clothing didn’t change drastically over the decades. With a little research about subtle design changes, you can replicate a fantastic look quite easily with modern pieces. Or you can shop at Dupree’s for reproduction when we start bringing it in! We will blog about that later along with some of those subtle design elements I was talking about earlier. Back to bringing retro into your modern! Ties are a great start, but if you wear a suit for work try adding in a pocket square, buttoned suspenders, the previously mentioned waistcoat, or a hat. These little touches will really make your look standout! What if your style is casual? No problem. Get jeans that are a bit too long and cuff them. A great vintage button down shirt or pullover will work! While your vintage options may be harder to come by, your reproduction options are plentiful! Watch for the upcoming blog exclusively about men’s clothing for even more style tips!
Here are a few examples of how I (and one of my hubby) add vintage into my everyday.
1st photo is a vintage scarf paired with a modern blouse & vest
2nd photo is a vintage cardigan with a sweater clip I made from a pair of vintage clip on earrings
3rd photo is a vintage blouse with a modern cardigan
4th photo has me wearing vintage jewelry
5th photo is the same vintage jewelry as photo 4, but also a vintage jacket and coat (it’s cold in Wisconsin!)
6th photo is of my husband in a 50s suit and 40s tie with a modern French cuffed shirt (while you can’t see in the photo, he has vintage cuff links on as well)
