WHEN you hear the word ‘vintage’ most people tend to think of the usual. Ornate tea cups, horn rimmed glasses, bright red lipstick… But these are all feminine things! Are guys just not feeling the vintage vibe? Is it considered girrrrly to be so particular about having ‘ye olde look’?
Turns out they may just be sneakier than you think! Take out your Geordie Shore gorillas and your TOWIE satsuma James Bonds and steer your vision more towards Shoreditch, the fashion catwalks and even possibly the last boy you saw walk past. What do you see?
The ‘trendy’ look is the ‘vintage’ look
Did he look like a geography teacher?
Cardigans? Corduroy? Fixie bikes? We all know the style, we see it every day, so it’s easy to forget that it’s predominantly the vintage look they’re sporting. They may not have been down the latest fair to get an authentic 1920’s time piece but they’re certainly digging the look! I mean… search for ‘Men’s Vintage Clothing’ on eBay and you get 677 pages!
Even celebrities are getting in on it. Remember Jarvis Cocker? He was simultaneously a pin up on teenage girls’ walls AND a slightly awkward looking cardigan and glasses wearer. Girls loved it!
In 2014 the global market for men’s fashion is supposedly going to be more that £260 billion! That’s 14% more than 5 years ago, with clothing and shoes making up for 60% of buying. So it looks like we’re not the only ones thinking about ‘what to wear’, however, with the women’s market allegedly worth more than £402 billion it seems like we are still the chief fashionistas!
And no celebrities are too big to style it out it seems?
One Direction enjoying a bow tie, braces and a waistcoat. Looks like a ‘hat tip’ to Frank Sinatra if you ask me!
So i hit the streets and tracked down some of these men wearing the retro look out and about to ask them if they knew exactly what they were sporting. Turns out some of them weren’t exactly sure!
James, Spitalfields
James, from Spitalfields said “I’m not wearing vintage!”
Oh James, is that a pocket square i see? I think we have a nice tutorial on those on The Timewarpian! The wonderful corduroy blazer also echoes 60s and 70s to us.
Patrick, Spitalfields
Patrick, also found wandering Spitalfields market told me “It’s just a smarter look. It attracts attention and i like the way you can still look professional without looking like an investment banker”
Sammy, Old Street
Sammy, Old Street, “I nearly wore my suspenders/braces today!” Sammy is clearly a fan of holding his trousers up AND winding the clock back in his wardrobe. I spied his flat cap through a shop window. Wouldn’t you know it? It was a comic book shop. Comics are ultimate retro with their popularity hitting dizzying heights during the 40s. Sammy also confessed he was off to see Casablanca the following day and was looking forward to dressing ‘Full Timewarp’!
George, Hoxton
George, Hoxton “I don’t know what my look is. I used to be into grunge but have kind of drifted out of it now!” I looked at George and asked him ‘Do you think you resemble a slightly dangerous looking Fresh Prince?’ He wasn’t impressed, but i can’t say he doesn’t have a Harlem Jazzy Jeff thing going on here, and i like it!
Clearly the boys are out there representing Timewarpian fashion. Just popping my head into a few vintage shops showed me there’s plenty of fashion options for men. Such as these…
Have a specific shade of beige in mind for your trench coat?
Even Converse sneakers are vintage nowadays!
Wrenched back into fashion by Russell Brand these waistcoats are an excellent way of staying sharp.
SO! It looks like the guys are indeed revelling in the joys of dressing like a Timewarpian! Tell us what YOUR look is and let us know how you’re mixing it with other looks, or whether you’re keeping it pure vintage!
Send your photos to….
Twitter: @Vintage_LDN
Email: thetimewarpian@gmail.com
But for now…
Lots of Love!
Sarah
