Mostly everyone is unaware of the distinctions between vintage and retro fashion, but if you want to create an impression on your fashion conscious friends, there are a lot of differences you may need to learn and understand. They may sound similar, and they may have a lot of differences too.
Vintage Clothing
Vintage is a term that describes an item that was made and used in the 1920s or later. It is defined as the age of the item instead of its style. People usually are mistaken about calling a modern day 1920s flapper dress from a dress store as vintage clothing, but unless if it was made 20 years ago or maybe earlier, it is not deemed vintage. No matter if it bears the old style, it cannot be considered vintage if it was made 20 years ago. Now in 2020, any item made between the years 1920 to 1996 can be deemed vintage but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it may bear a vintage appeal or vibe.
For instance, fur coats were very famous in the 60s, and since it is made and worn in this era too, they are now deemed vintage. Fur coats are adored by many fashion lovers, despite the controversy that arose in the year 1980. A regular blouse made in the year 1955 doesn’t have the exact appeal or vibe like a fur coat. It is not limited to the clothes only, but the term vintage can be used for clocks or other ornaments too. And even items like radios, cabinets, cars, and jewelry. What is more interesting is that the word vintage is derived from the French word vendage, which means that the grapes are picked during a season. This was how the old wine was described.
Retro clothing
Retro clothes are not associated with any time period when they were made. Rather, the term retro is referred to the style in which the items were made. Clothing made recently with the intention of copying the fashion of the older times is deemed retro. Many stores keep bringing back the past trends by making clothes which were deemed fashionable in the 80s and 90s. These items are deemed retro and not vintage. It offers a way for vintage styles and patterns to return to today’s fashion. It also lets people to attain a vintage look wearing vintage clothes without browsing online for authentic vintage clothes. Retro is most commonly used when considering the items being made to copy those from 20 years ago. The term vintage and retro is not only applicable to clothing but other things like household goods, music, and toys too.