If you are someone looking to develop your style, Vintage Aesthetic Outfits might be your saving grace. Thankfully, Vintage aesthetics have made a comeback. Although, we are surrounded by millions of cloth aesthetics, vintage somehow stands out the most. If you have no idea, what I’m talking about. Stick around!! I’ll elaborate the meaning of vintage aesthetic outfits with multiple examples to create a detailed guide, just for you.
Vintage Aesthetic Meaning:
Vintage Aesthetic is a combination of two words; vintage and aesthetic. Vintage is anything that is not new(15 to 20 years old). No!! You are not vintage if you are over 20 years old. Lol, just kidding!! An Antique is anything that’s centuries old. So, there is a difference between the two. Hence, Y2K vintage, 80s vintage, 90’s, and even 40’s vintage all fall under the same umbrella.
Aesthetic is derived from the Greek word “Aisthetikos“, which is related to sentience and perception. In modern language, it means anything related to beauty or principles of beauty in arts.
If we combine the two words, Vintage Aesthetic would mean anything that is visually pleasing in last few decades.
Vintage Aesthetic Outfit Ideas:
Vintage aesthetic is a broad term. To elaborate, I have divided it into seven different categories.
Y2k Vintage Aesthetic:
The late 90s inspire the Y2k aesthetic in the early 2000s era. Due to technological advancements, this aesthetic is heavily inspired by a futuristic look combined with a slight retro edge. The biggest trends include pleated skirts, baguette bags, chunky sneakers, wide-legged jeans, velour tracksuits, shiny jackets and coloured sunglasses. The biggest inspirations during the Y2K era were Bratz Dolls, Carrie Bradshaw, and movies like The Matrix and Mean Girls.
The 90s Vintage:
The 90s grunge look is one of the most nostalgic comebacks this season. It’s exciting, comfortable, and quite iconic. This style’s main characteristics include Chuck Taylors, Mom jeans, dark colors, oversized denim jackets, band tees, plaid, chokers, and Leather Black Boots. Emerging from the underground music scene of the 90s, Grunge was a style born out of rebellion against societal flashy and materialistic trends carried by the 80s. The punk and metal bands had the most influence on grunge.
80s Vintage: The Retro Aesthetic
Now and then, The 80s fashion still finds its moment of stardom. Movies, music, and tv series( yes, I’m talking about The Stranger Things) have kept this trend alive for decades. The neon glary colors, puffy slips, oversized blazers, Vans, high-waisted jeans, body suits, and graphic tees form the basis of 80s vintage trends.
70s Hippie Aesthetic:
The 70s fashion tropes continue to make highlights in today’s world. Don’t believe me? Check out the designer runway shows for summer/spring 2022. The crotcheted dresses, pointed collars, blazer cut leather jackets, and last but not least, flared trousers are everywhere you see.
60s Aesthetic: Vintage mod
Let us discuss the 60s vintage mod now. This aesthetic is unique. Bold Patterns, straight cuts, and clean fit best describe this trend’s first half of the decade. Chaotic designs and floral psychedelic styles define the second half of the decade. Quite the opposite, I know!!
The Farm-core Aesthetic:
The Farm-core, better known as the Cottage-core aesthetic, is quite popular these days. Whit puff sleeve dresses, floral dresses, denim overalls, Corsets, frills, and laces form the basis of this trend. It is so popular that TikTok has about 4 billion views on the cottage-core hashtag.
Dark Academia Aesthetic:
The romanticisation of knowledge, literature and classical studies of art and literature creates a dark academic aesthetic. If you ever imagined yourself walking down the beautiful staircase of a university set in the 1940s or felt a little motivation to dress like a 20th-century upper-class Eurocentric character. This style is just for you. It teeters on dark aspects of intrigue and self-actualisation. I’m most fascinated by this aesthetic out of all the vintage aesthetic outfits we have covered yet.
How To Dress Vintage?
There is no hard rule to dressing vintage. It is really up to you and how you create your style. I suggest going with your color palette and the decade you are most intrigued by. Dark academia will suit you the most if you have a nerdy taste like me. And if you love bright colors and bold designs, Y2K or 60s will do you the most. Check out, PopVintage’s guide for vintage thrifting. To acquire the best outfits that suit your style. You can also check out Heddels ultimate guide for vintage shopping to get your best fit.
Vintage Clothing: A Sustainable And Eco-Friendly Option
Instead of buying new clothes. It is high time we all consider the more sustainable and eco-friendly option. With vintage fashion, we are not creating anything new but refurbishing and remaking everything that already exists. The classic trends mixed with a modern edge can create fabulous fashion pieces. Without contributing anything to an already distressing phase, our planet is going through. This brings us to how fast brands capitalize on vintage aesthetics and create what already exists. I mean, why create new when it already exists. If you can invest time and resources in thrifting vintage clothes. Kindly consider it.
The Bottomline:
The vintage Aesthetic can be considered a return to fashion trends from past decades. They come in many forms, The Y2K aesthetic, 90s vintage, 80s vintage, 70s hippie aesthetic, 60s mod aesthetic, the cottagecore aesthetic, and dark academia aesthetic. All of the trends have distinct characteristics. From bold and bright colors to dark themes. Everything falls under the same umbrella of vintage. Mixed with modern trends, the vintage aesthetic has a unique and fascinating look as more millennials and GenZ are adopting it. More twists on vintage takes are coming to the front scene.
With the ever-growing adoption of vintage aesthetics. There is a new market in fast fashion, capitalizing on the trends by creating new products. Thrifting is a more sustainable and eco-friendly way of creating vintage aesthetic outfits and should be adopted worldwide.
I would love to hear your opinion on vintage aesthetic outfits and which style suits your personality the most. Comment down in the section below and let me know. Cheers!!
By Fatima Mateen
