You’ve decked out your new apartment in Y2K style with blow-up couches, fuzzy mirrors, and bright and bold pieces of art, only for your mum to come over and tell you that it isn't vintage.
Vintage is something that is often debated. Is it old enough? Is it an original? Is it unique enough to be called vintage? The answer? It’s all subjective to the person viewing it.
From vintage Nike to rare Blue Willow dining sets, in this blog we will delve into what vintage, retro and antique is.
Retro
Taken from the French word retrograde which means “from the past”, retro pieces are usually not old enough to be coined vintage and are often not considered “authentic” vintage.
Retro items are often associated with the 70s or 80s. Think flower child vibes or blue eyeshadow and Studio 54. Often described as at least 20 years old, retro can also be related with Y2K and the 90s - but we believe it's whatever you want it to be! Retro for someone might be modern for someone else.
Antiques & Artefacts
Typically coined antique if an item is over 100 years old, these items are usually very fragile. These pieces of clothing and other items are often unusable and will fall apart if touched or not taken care of perfectly.
Antiques could be your grandma's necklace that her grandmother gave her or a sugar bowl from your dad that's been passed down from generations. Antique clothing is rare to find but it can be seen in some vintage stores - the kind of vintage store you find in the country, off the beaten track.
Artefacts are even older, around 300 years. These items and pieces of clothing will be extremely rare to find and are usually only seen in museums.
Vintage
Literally meaning “of age”, usually people say items that are 40 years old are vintage but others say 20 years. As there is no official way for something to be vintage, it is based on what vintage means to you.
At Official Vintage, we believe anything that is of age and has that true vintage flair is vintage. With the love for vintage constantly on the rise, many brands recreate looks from their older seasons for the demand. A modern piece of clothing may have a vintage look, but it is certainly not true vintage.
Needing to have that vintage appeal that is unique only with age, the Official Vintage range is just that, official. Create your own unique look with vintage.