The Open for Vintage Industry Insider series invites leading voices within the fashion, sustainability and vintage industries to share their insights and thoughts, as part of our mission to grow the conversation around choosing vintage in 2020.
This month, we invited influencer and fashion writer/stylist, Polly Sayer, to tell us more about why she thinks 2020 is the year for vintage.
Sustainability was fashion’s buzzword in 2019, but unlike other passing fads and zeitgeist-y trends, both the industry and shoppers are waking up to the fact something has to change, fast. We all know the stats, but in case you need a reminder – in the UK, 300,000 tonnes of clothing ended up in landfill last year and it takes 1,800 gallons of water to create just one pair of jeans. If 2019 was the year of realising the full scale of the issue, then 2020 is the year of putting what we’ve learnt into practice. What have we learnt? That the most sustainable way to shop is to wear what already exists.
While shopping vintage isn’t exactly new (pun very much intended), the rise in the number of circular brands and demand from shoppers for luxury pre-loved clothing means the vintage shopping experience this year will be better than ever. Several revered names in the industry have predicted 2020 will signal a shift in shopping habits towards more pre-owned and sustainably made pieces. Shopping second hand no longer carries with it the label of being second best – it’s desirable, it’s personal, and it’s on the cusp of blowing up.
One of the most accessible entries into vintage shopping is with handbags, which have the unique ability to look even more beautiful after years of careful wear than they do when they’re first made. I personally love how leather becomes suppler with age, like this gorgeous Chanel quilted shoulder bag:
Of course, it’s an utter classic and the design is still one of the most coveted ones to have in your handbag collection, and I’d always go for a vintage one. There’s something about carrying a bag that’s been loved by one, two or three others that brings with it a storytelling charm you can’t create with a new one.
You’d be forgiven for thinking shopping for vintage means sacrificing the most current trends, but from French girls to grungers, the 90s baguette shape is the bag all fashion girls have on their shoulders right now. Fortunately, there’s plenty of vintage options available that could be straight out of Clueless – look to Prada’s nylon styles, that offer a more affordable alternative to leather, while Fendi’s printed canvas designs are a must for logo-lovers. I’ll be wearing them with the season’s hero chunky boots, jeans and an oversized knit for ‘just-threw-this-on’ cool.
Whatever your style, there’s something vintage for everyone from accessories to apparel.
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