What is Vintage?

 Vintage is a word that appears very lightly in our conversations. It's easy to refer to something as 'vintage' if it has a certain vintage feel to it, but do you know what exactly vintage is? Do you know what it takes to call it that? If I have made you doubt with these words, congratulations, you have come to the right place! Today we are going to see what is vintage, what is not and where the term comes from.

Article content

1 Before you know the meaning of Vintage

2 Origin of the term Vintage

3 Vintage style in fashion

4 Vintage decoration

5 Vintage in our day to day

6 Vintage trend, more than a fashion

6.1 You may be interested in the following vintage products

Before you know the meaning of Vintage

To begin with, one very important thing: Vintage things are not just old things. Vintage shouldn't be a euphemism for things that are very old, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. For example, some papers that your great-grandfather had in the attic do not magically become vintage.

Origin of the term Vintage

So what is vintage? As a curiosity, the word comes from English, but this in turn comes from the French "vendange" which means "harvest" and which was used to speak of a wine of a certain year. It is not pronounced as it sounds, but rather "vintash." But let's get to the point, vintage items are those that have survived at least 20 years since they were created, and have appreciated over time, thus becoming prized objects or "classics."

We can also consider it as vintage, when something is a certain number of years old but does not become an antique, such as a Japanese vase from the Ming dynasty.

Vintage style in fashion

Possibly the vintage style in dress fashion is one of those that immediately come to mind, and we think of a certain aesthetic, such as high-waisted pants, flowers or lace. In general, stylish and elegant clothing that can be worn in formal or informal settings, and that looks good on all types of women.

The vintage fashion trend is normally characterized by being of good quality and exclusive, an unmistakable feature of clothing made a few decades ago, often by hand and almost personalized for each client. That is why vintage garments are a gem in any wardrobe and are desired by men and women of all kinds, who go through vintage stores in search of the ideal garment for them or even look in the closets of their relatives hoping to find a jacket or shirt only.

Some of the examples of this iconic trend would be 1920s style dresses , fitted at the top and flared, printed blouses and sunglasses with large tortoiseshell frames. Vests, tweed suits and bow ties are unmistakable for men.

Vintage decor

The vintage style is also present as a key element of the decoration of many homes. In this case, it is going to be characterized by elements of an antique air and many of them with a handmade touch. It does not mean converting your house into your great-aunt's town house, but it does mean incorporating elements of her time that give your house a distinguished and, above all, unique and original touch.

Some elements that can be very good are the sofas and triplets from the beginning of the 20th century, which can be combined with large frames for paintings or photographs. Also on a nude style table you can incorporate a pendant lamp, as long as it is not too low, or even an old style telephone.

Brass elements that give an impression of antiquity are key for kitchens, and that, although they are not useful for cooking with them, they are useful for decorating. For example: a very clean can can be used to leave the marks, or you can use an old oil can or kettle.

We cannot forget the posters and decorative paintings, which may be the first thing we think of when hearing "vintage". Something that stands out are the posters of train stations, in which the schedules were marked, combined for example, with clocks or indicator signs. Many others have reused propaganda posters of the time or even advertisements. Also relevant are vintage canvases of North American culture, for example, with motifs of bars or restaurants, shops, or even Route 66! To this day, much artwork from previous decades is preserved, and that distinctive, hand-painted style makes any wall look unique.

Vintage in our day to day

The vintage style not only refers to objects from the past, but also refers to the way of life, the way to use those objects. The first distinctive feature is that in the vintage era there was no computer, internet and many of the things that we use on a daily basis and that are already taken for granted. At that time, plans were improvised, friends were those with whom you really spent time, and time was quality time.

To this day, there are people who advocate recovering this way of life, slower and perhaps, -they say- more real, more authentic. They prefer to build relationships offline and live their life differently, worrying less about what they will say. Many of them also return to appreciate ancient art, for example, lovers of Pablo Picasso or Andy Warhol, as well as vintage cinema.

For example, films by Alfred Hitchcock or actors like Paul Newman or Marlon Brando, and actresses like Grace Kelly or Elizabeth Taylor are back. The books of that time also return, such as the Brönte sisters or even Agatha Christie, classics that do not go out of style.

Read also: Vintage Art Posters | Roadrelics.com

Vintage trend, more than a fashion

In short, vintage is far from being a simple fashion, but they are objects that were created long ago and part of whose value lies precisely there. It's as if the years have given them a good layer of interest and made them more valuable in our eyes. And it is not arbitrary: they are objects made with great care, with a quality that has almost been lost and with an original and unique style that is no longer common. It doesn't matter if it's clothes, a hairstyle, art or decoration, put something vintage in your life to give it a different touch!