Vintage Fashion: Report on Style and Cultural Significance

This report provides a detailed analysis of vintage fashion, focusing on a vintage evening dress inspired by the 1950s. The assignment delves into the artefact's description, history, material, construction, design, and function. It identifies the dress's characteristics, compares it with other garments of the era, and analyzes its cultural components. The report further examines the marketing and implications of the vintage trend in the present scenario, including a PEST analysis to understand the political, economic, social, and technological factors influencing the fashion. It concludes that vintage fashion, with its luxurious materials, flattering designs, and celebrity endorsements, continues to influence contemporary styles and trends. The report is a part of a fashion publication and is a learning journal in the style of a mini publication worth 3,000 words.

Running Head: VINTAGE FASHION
Vintage Fashion
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

VINTAGE FASHION
Introduction
Vintage is a term that has much ambiguity. When one thinks about vintage, old and
antique materials come into mind1. But when it comes to vintage fashion, beautiful dresses
and colors, celebrities like Monroe and Hepburn sporting their evergreen looks surface in the
mind. The 1950s and 60s era created some of the best fashion lines. For the purpose of this
essay, an object has been selected that is symbolic of that era. This paper includes the
description of the artefact, its history, material, construction, design and function,
identification of the artefact and its factual descriptions and the evaluation of the artefact
created through comparison with other subjects. Moreover, it also analyses the cultural
components of the object and leads on to the marketing and implication of the trend in
present scenario.
1 K Horton, and A Payne, “’Imagination wove this flesh garment’: Fashion critique and capitalism”. Undesign:
Critical Practices at the Intersection of Art and Design. 2018.

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Discussion
The artefact
Image 1: A vintage evening dress
The Artefact displayed is a vintage evening dress, inspired by the 1950s fashion. The
dress is an example of superb craftsmanship. The dress is a knee length and boat necked to
give a modern twist to the vintage look. The dress is pleated overall which became quite
famous during 1950s and 60s. From the looks of it, this is an evening dress. The material
from which it is made, probably buff silk, seems luxurious and expensive. The beauty of this
dress is that the color is subtle, a soft peach which compliments women at all times. The
pleated look and the hemline and lack of sleeves, makes it a fashion statement.
Identification
The dress is an example of vintage as it shows the style, pattern, color, design and
fabric of vintage garment. Vintage refers to an era bygone, at least 20 years before a given
date but not more than a 100 years old. The vintage era that is being focused here is the 1950s

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and the 60s. The fashion of this time is influenced by the post war celebration of victory,
opulence and return to quality. Before this time, the fashion concentrated mostly on cheap
fabric and practical dresses that would enable the women to work in the absence of their
husbands2. After the war was over, the women returned to their household roles and
concentrated on more feminine and exuberant fashion in order to portray a lively picture.
Colors like pink, peach and yellow became common as they portrayed youth and beauty. The
dress that is presented here has all the aspects of a true vintage. The pleats provide a fuller
look, the hemline is flattering and modest, sleeves are fashionably short and the color and
texture of the material is luxurious.
Evaluation
In light of the other dresses made during that era or inspired by the fashion and
clothes line of the same era, the presented piece seems a unique piece. The design though
seems similar with its pleats, it has subtle differences that makes it a work of art. The pleats
are asymmetrical and covers the whole of the dress. This is a unique feature of the dress.
Moreover, the neckline is also quite different for that time3. A round, oval or triangular
2 S Smilansky, Experiential marketing: A practical guide to interactive brand experiences. Kogan Page
Publishers, 2017.
3 N Valaei and S R Nikhashemi, "Generation Y consumers’ buying behaviour in fashion apparel industry: a
moderation analysis." Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal 2017.

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neckline is most common for dresses during that time and this dress portrays a boat neckline
which came to fashion not long ago. The dress is fabulously made and when paired with a
slim belt, heels and genuine leather handbag creates a complete vintage look. The similarity
and differences with other dresses of the same era shows a departure from the common
patterns4. Through the 1950s and 60s there has been much shift in the fashion trends. The
early days of 1950 saw the fuller skirted feminine fashion, soft pastel colors and modest
sleeves and hemline where the later the 50s were famous for bolder experiments, and new
patterns, new narrow hemline and sleeveless dresses, which continued till 1960s.
Cultural analysis
The fashion of 1950s extremely gendered as men and women portray completely
opposite styles of fashion. While men portrayed clear fashion, casual and day to day, clear
lines and more practical, women fashion became the epitome of elegance5. Towards the end
4 P Ok, "European luxury fashion brand advertising and marketing relating to nostalgia." Studies in
Communication Sciences 2 2018.
5 C Keim and R Wagner, "Back in time to move forward: An empirical study on luxury fashion vintage
drivers." Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 9.2 2018: 87-102.

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of the 1950s, the feminine silhouette became straighter and the focus shifted to the teenagers
and the artefact presented here shows this particular feature. The dress does not portray a full
skirted look but rather a slimmer and straighter body type, generally possessed by youths6.
The late 1950s culture also impacted the men’s fashion as suits and trousers paired with shirts
and knitted sweaters became popular fashion. During this time, experimenting with different
fabric was often encouraged. There are numerous dresses made with tweed, velvet, rayon,
silk, linen, cotton or wool, selected according to the occasion and silhouette.
This kind of dress in the 1950s and 60s were inspired by the post war economic
affluence and a return to longer hemline as women at that time concentrated more on their
household duties as their husbands returned from war front. The fashion during that time
were extremely feminine and were meant to accentuate the feminine aspects of the wearer.
This is the time when people in the west were earning much more than before7. After war,
economy was booming and production were on the rise more than ever. With the introduction
of Ford’s assembly line, cars were affordable and holidays became cheap. People could easily
travel and have weekend trips. The dresses portray much of these aspects of the 1950s
culture.
The mass production culture and affluence of the time, popularized couture dresses
among the ladies and these kinds of dresses could be mostly worn during both day and
evening with slight variation in color and accessories. They are also fitting for holidays and
short vacations that became so popular during that time. The simplistic design and the diverse
range of fabrics used indicates that anyone could afford these styles and the clear lines of
design were flattering for most body types. The dresses were dominantly made to accentuate
the waistlines of women and that is why, the use of belts or other accessories worn around the
6 L Esteban-Santos et al. "Fashion bloggers: communication tools for the fashion industry." Journal of Fashion
Marketing and Management: An International Journal. 2018.
7 A Geczy, and V Karaminas, The End of Fashion: Clothing and Dress in the Age of Globalization. Bloomsbury
Publishing. 2019.

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west became popular. Pleats that can be seen in most of the dresses displayed were popular as
they created extra volume.
The vintage fashion was also high street fashion, often mass produced after famous
designers like Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Charles James, Gabriel Chanel and
Cristobal Balenciaga, released new styles and celebrities endorsed the products8. Promoting
through celebrities and popular starts became a trend during this time. As pop culture became
famous, music bands like Beatles were emerging and style icons like Audrey Hepburn and
Marilyn Monroe ruled the fashion world, clothes worn by these personalities soon became the
haute couture as well as high street fashion. the use of color became quite famous in both
men and women clothing, though full white or full black dresses were also quite in as
Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn were seen to portray them quite frequently.
Interpretation
Post war era shows a high fashion consciousness and promotion through celebrities
became popular. Many times, marketing of designer brands were though famous celebrities
like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor who were often seen to portray
similar dresses. An analysis of macro-environmental factors (PEST) is presented:
Political
The post war era of 1950s was a time of much political unrest. The world war had just
ended, colonies were becoming independent and there were tensions of cold war. During this
time, America was one of the most powerful countries and the leaders wanted to assure
people of political stability. There were much requirement of recreation and happiness and
the fashion of that time wanted to serve that need. Thus, colorful clothes, pastel shades and
flattering folds became popular.
8 J Sihvonen, and L L M Turunen, "As good as new–valuing fashion brands in the online second-hand
markets." Journal of Product & Brand Management 2016.

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Economic
After the world war were over, America emerged as the most powerful economy. The
economic trend at that time was consumerism and that helped the fashion industry. People
became more focused on the appearance9. The fashion that were being produced in the
designer workshops in France, were promoted through the celebrities. The aristocrats and the
affluent population of USA followed the trend hungrily and even the mass produced
garments too, sported similar designs.
Social
The social norm of the 1950s were conformity and conservatism. The fashion that
emerged during this time, portrayed the same ideals. Women were returning to the household
and were portraying the characteristics of a perfect wife10. The fashion during this time, thus
is feminine and full-skirted, modest hemlines and pastel colored to accentuate the beauty of
women body and their allure.
Technological
The mass production techniques like assembly line started to be replicated in all the
industries and the mass fashion production also started that. They replicated the designers and
created similar clothes for common people. The only difference were in material. While the
original brands and designers preferred natural fabrics, the mass made product were often
made of polyester as they were cheap and easy to clean11. New technologies for dying and
new sewing machines were being invented to cope up with the demand.
9 O Mitterfellner, Fashion Marketing and Communication: Theory and Practice Across the Fashion Industry.
Routledge, 2019.
10 L Carey, et al. "Vintage Fashion: A Cross-Cultural Perspective." Vintage Luxury Fashion. Palgrave
Macmillan, Cham, 2018. 185-203.
11 M Strahilevitz, "Will Sustainable Fashion Ever Beat Value Fashion?." 2020.

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Textile and Design
The fashion of the post war era was extremely material conscious. This is probably
the reason why people relate vintage with fineness of material. The original fashion houses
only used natural fabrics like silk, linen, rayon, tweed or wool while the more commercial
and mass produced brands used polyester and slub cotton to reduce their cost. The designs
included geometric patterns, high collars, pleats, folds, sequins, laces and any other material
that accentuated femininity while men’s fashion were quite basic and concentrated more on
casual12. Colors dominated the palette during this time and a fun loving, adventurous image
was portrayed through fashion promotions.
Implication to present times
In present times, there seems to be a revival of vintage, handmade items among
people along with a newly developed love for all things organic13. This shows a shift in
paradigm as the fast fashion trend of the millennium is slowly coming to an end. The cheap
material of fast fashion and the environmental degradation that it causes, has created an
aversion for this kind of fashion and a preference for fine breathable fabrics, naturally
produced, handspun and hand made from scratch are becoming popular. As I was writing my
story on vintage in the fashion publication, I realized that vintage fashion of 1950s and 1960s
still largely rule the fashion world and the most fashionable of the events such as Grammy,
Cannes film festival and other popular red carpets are pupated with derivatives of 1950s
fashion. The lack of new design or concept is leading to a journey back to the time when
dreams were sold through fashion and modern marketing strategies for social will ensure its
popularity14.
12 K Taylor, Vintage fashion & couture: from Poiret to McQueen. Hachette UK, 2017.
13 Y Au, and J Au, "Development of innovative high-fashion collection via conceptual design process
model." Journal of textile science & fashion technology 2018.
14 W K Bendoni, Social media for fashion marketing: Storytelling in a digital world. Bloomsbury Publishing,
2017.

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Conclusion
From the above discussion it can be concluded that vintage is a term that has diverse
meaning. It not only indicates a particular time in history, but also to an era. It indicates high
living, birth of consumerism, conservatism and a celebration of beauty. The term is also
indicative of luxurious material and patterns that flattered every body type. The artefact that
was selected for analysis shows a unique pattern and style. It conforms and departs from the
conservative vintage style with its asymmetrical pleats, boat neck and narrow hemline. The
marketing and promotion of vintage was quite creative as well. They sold the dreams of
vacations and a life like celebrities as they used them for their promotions. The macro-
environmental analysis shows that the unique political, social, economic and technological
situation of USA led to the popularization of the vintage fashion. Finally, it can be said that
vintage fashion has been “in-fashion” since it surfaced and there has been revivals and
fusions many times which shows the popularity and impact of vintage in present times.

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References
Au, Y., and Au, J. "Development of innovative high-fashion collection via conceptual design
process model." Journal of textile science & fashion technology 2018.
Bendoni, W. K. Social media for fashion marketing: Storytelling in a digital world.
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017.
Carey, L, et al. "Vintage Fashion: A Cross-Cultural Perspective." Vintage Luxury Fashion.
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018. 185-203.
Esteban-Santos, L, et al. "Fashion bloggers: communication tools for the fashion
industry." Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal. 2018.
Geczy A and Karaminas V, The End of Fashion: Clothing and Dress in the Age of
Globalization. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2019.
Horton, K, and Payne, A. "‘Imagination wove this flesh garment’: Fashion, critique and
capitalism." Undesign: Critical Practices at the Intersection of Art and Design 2018.
Keim, C, and Wagner, R. "Back in time to move forward: An empirical study on luxury
fashion vintage drivers." Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 9.2 2018: 87-102.
Mitterfellner, O. Fashion Marketing and Communication: Theory and Practice Across the
Fashion Industry. Routledge, 2019.
Ok, P. "European luxury fashion brand advertising and marketing relating to
nostalgia." Studies in Communication Sciences 2 (2018).
Ryding, D, Henninger, C. E., and Cano, M. B., eds. Vintage Luxury Fashion: Exploring the
Rise of the Secondhand Clothing Trade. Springer, 2018.

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Sihvonen, J, and Turunen, L. L. M. "As good as new–valuing fashion brands in the online
second-hand markets." Journal of Product & Brand Management (2016).
Smilansky, S. Experiential marketing: A practical guide to interactive brand experiences.
Kogan Page Publishers, 2017.
Strahilevitz, M. "Will Sustainable Fashion Ever Beat Value Fashion?." (2020).

Running head: VINTAGE FASHION
Taylor, K. Vintage fashion & couture: from Poiret to McQueen. Hachette UK, 2017.
Valaei, N, and Nikhashemi S. R. "Generation Y consumers’ buying behaviour in fashion
apparel industry: a moderation analysis." Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management:
An International Journal 2017.