Browsing through authentic thrift shop and vintage boutiques is one of the best things about Melbourne (along with our coffee and culture) but with the closing of ‘non essential’ retail stores, some of our fellow vintage outlets are forced to move online. So to give everyone a boost, we’ve decided to match some of our authentic vintage tees with one-of-a-kind vintage pieces from some of Melbourne’s top vintage clothing stores.
Vintage t-shirts are a wardrobe staple just like biker jackets and straight leg jeans. A vintage tee worn with dark jeans is a classic look but there are a lot of different ways to style this timeless item.
Layering a vintage t-shirt with unexpected pieces can help you get the most out of your vintage and, after all, isn’t that what wearing vintage is all about?
Example number one: we think there’s nothing cuter than pairing a black vintage tee worthy of 90’s grunge with a vintage floral skirt. Take our black Vintage Zero Skating Boarding T-Shirt and the Reworked Floral Skirt from Retro Star. Not only does this look super comfortable, it’s relaxed silhouette reminds us of 80’s icon Molly Ringwald and her outfits in Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles.
Example number two: so we’ve mentioned wearing vintage tees with jeans but did you know there is more than one way to pull this off? If you want an 80’s inspired take on the classic jeans and a tee combo then opt for a slouchy grey long sleeved tee or sweater instead. By going up a size or two and looking for a wide boat neck style you can achieve one of the most fashionable looks from 1983: the off-the-shoulder top. In the still-famous movie Flashdance, Jennifer Beals wore grey off-the-shoulder sweaters with jeans to achieve the casual-sexy vibe that made her famous. DIY her workout scene yourself by grabbing our grey Vintage Ocean Pacific Sweater in Medium and picking up some genuine vintage all-American jeans or cut-offs from American Rag. If you’re brave you can also take a pair of scissors to the neckline to make your tee even more off-the-shoulder.
Final thoughts: when it comes to vintage sometimes you don’t need to go shopping at all. Vintage isn’t about spending gallons of money, it’s about conserving statement pieces. If you’ve decided to just wait lockdown out then take a look inside your wardrobe instead. Dig out some of your old overalls and wear one of our classic vintage Disney tees underneath for a cute yet functional look, or take an oversized 90’s tee and wear it with your favourite leggings or worn-in black jeans for total comfort. In other cases, sometimes the t-shirt alone does all the talking, like our 90’s Coneheads T-Shirt.