How to Wear Designer Vintage Clothing

Whilst we adore vintage clothing, sometimes people can be daunted by the variety and uniqueness shopping for vintage clothing brings. Some people are absolute naturals at jazzing up clothes regardless of what the item is - others are not so much and that's fine!

We're here not only to offer you gorgeous designer vintage items, but give you ideas on how to where them too. We've pulled together some top tips on how to wear designer vintage clothing and make the most out of your purchases:

Buy when you see
It's no secret that the one of the key selling points of designer vintage clothing is that it's often a one off. If you see something you like, buy it or might not be there next time you look! Even if the size isn't quite right or you think it might need some minor alterations to make it into your wardrobe, still buy it and make these adjustments yourself. 

Choose pieces that look like current trends
We all know that fashion comes back around and old vintage clothing is used for modern day inspiration from today's designers and high streets. The majority of contemporary fashion has been moulded from fashions past so searching for a vintage item that look like something you can find on the high street (it will just be better quality and of course, heaps cooler...) is not hard.

Try giving your piece a make-over
If your vintage piece looks a bit worn, don't be put off. Changing the buttons of a shirt, jacket or dress can make a huge difference to the overall appearance. If you're really DIY inclined, you can do more than just change the buttons and really put your stamp on it. 

Ensure the rest of your look is modern
To make designer vintage clothing look truly effortless and trendy, it's important that the rest of your look screams 2018. You can achieve this by pairing your vintage garm with contemporary hairstyles, make-up, shoes and accessories. Keep the hair and make-up relatively simple and your accessories on point to ensure the most impactful and stylish look for your designer vintage outfit.

Your accessories must be modern
Just to reiterate the importance of having suitable accessories, pairing your vintage clothing with very modern shoes, a contemporary bag and on trend sunglasses is a fantastic way to ground your vintage look. Also be sure to match your accessories to the colours of your vintage piece to modernise the outfit even more.

Try wearing vintage with ultimate current trends
Whilst at the moment the total 90s look is really on trend, sometimes too much vintage of the same kind of era can look dated. We recommend choosing a designer vintage shirt and pairing it with ripped jeans, wear a cutesy summer dress and throw on an oversized leather or denim jacket, try old chinos with a brand new shirt and hat... The best way to make your vintage garment look as stylish as possible is definitely to pair it with at least one 2018 fashion piece.

Don't be fooled by the quieter pieces
It can sometimes be hard to look past a vintage item's first appearance. For those not used to buying vintage, missing a key item can be easy because you can't imagine how it could look with a bit of attention. If an item looks a bit drab or not as bright as you would like your vintage piece to be, you can dress it up to be fabulous. Try putting it with bright boots and coat, bright accessories and a hat - soon it will look it was born to be worn on you!

Dress around one dramatic piece
Some of our vintage pieces are stunning and very distinctive. For these kind of pieces, we recommend trying to wear it low key by dressing it down with other accessories or plain items of clothing. For example, a loud vintage coat of jacket can be dressed down by wearing with a logo t-shirt, white trainers and casual jeans. This will also make your vintage piece stand out even more!

Give layering a go
Sometimes you need to wear your designer vintage item in a way that it wasn't intended. Use jumpers, cardigans, shirts over t-shirts, scarves and other items to layer up your piece to change it's look. A good example is wearing a jumper over a flamboyant or eccentric shirt so that just the collar and bottom is showing - this will create a playful and fun look without being over the top.

Make it office appropriate
In many places of work, high fashion and style individuality isn't always accepted. We don't want you to think that vintage clothing can't be worn in the office so we suggest pairing some more distinctive vintage items with dark colours like black tights, a dark jacket and heels. Again, layering can really help to create a more office appropriate look that still has an awesome, stylish flair. 

We hope this has helped to give you some inspiration on how to wear your designer vintage clothing! Don't forget to tag us in your Messina Hembry purchases on Instagram!