Last night I went to an engagement party and the bride-to-be had on a vintage dress that would have made even Lady Gaga take notice. It was circa 1939-40 and was the perfect silhouette for this gorgeous 29 year old. The close fitting black dress had shoulder pads which allowed the mid-length sleeves to fall gracefully to her elbows. It ended well enough above the knees to show off her shapely long legs. All along the lower part of the skirt were these fabulous flower-like sculpted pieces of fabric which made it look very funky and cool. She wore her long hair in a retro up-do and her accessories and platform pumps were the perfect blend of modern meets vintage.

I am drawn to vintage clothing perhaps because I have been lucky enough to visit the fashion archives at the museum at FIT in NYC where I attended school. Although fashion trends seem to repeat every few decades, there is something in the fabrics and the way they finished the insides of the garments that are telltale of a time when items were works of art and not mass-produced.

It is of my opinion though, that not everyone can pull off a vintage look. It helps if you exhibit a certain style or flare to begin with. First of all, unless you are playing a role, too much at one time can make you look like you are wearing a costume. If you are a bit older and not particularly stylish in general, you might end up looking dowdy and the observer might think that you have been wearing the same clothing for decades. They say if you wore it the first time around, then you are too old to wear it again which I completely disagree with. You simply can’t put it all together the very same way you did back in the day. There is a trick or two to pulling off a modern look while wearing vintage. It is best to wear only one special item at a time. Black always looks good because unless it is faded, it looks more expensive and mixes well with modern pieces. Certain classic looks are great finds like cashmere sweaters and coats. One last bit of advice is to make sure you try on the article of clothing in the shop because if you buy the size you wear today, it is sure to be too small. Sadly, today’s size zero was a size 8 about 25 years ago!