The brief
Clothes that reference another era, worn today, on purpose, without irony. The model looks like they found these pieces rather than bought them. That's the whole point.
It's a modern take, not a recreation. One era sets the reference, and the rest of the look keeps it in the present. That's what makes it read as fashion today rather than a period piece.
- Mood
- Nostalgic, modern, bold
- Silhouette
- Era referenced
- Palette
- Era inspired
- Fabric
- Vintage wool, tweed, crepe
- Key piece
- A genuine vintage piece
- Suggested season
- All year
- Good for
- vintage, retro, era, second-hand, 60s, 70s, 90s
Two ways to wear it
Structured
- A period-referencing dress or skirt suit, tweed, houndstooth, or a defined vintage cut
- One accessory that signals the era clearly, a beret, brooch, or gloves worn deliberately
- Footwear that completes the reference, Mary Janes, a Chelsea boot, or a pointed kitten heel
Undone
- A vintage-cut jacket or coat worn open and loose, contemporary underneath to keep it fashion, not costume
- One contemporary piece in the mix, denim, a modern boot, anything that stops it reading as fancy dress
- Hair and stance a little undone, referencing the era without recreating it exactly
What makes it work
- A clear era reference: 70s flares, 80s shoulders, 90s slip, 50s silhouette
- Genuine vintage or vintage cut pieces with real construction
- One contemporary element so it reads as fashion, not costume
- Hair and beauty that nods to the era without copying it exactly
- Wearing it with confidence now, rather than playing a part
What breaks it
- Full costume from a single era head to toe
- Cheap reproductions that look like fancy dress
- Worn out vintage with stains or damage that shows on camera
- Mixing too many eras at once unless it is deliberate
The outfit
Top
- A period referencing blouse or a vintage cut jacket worn open
- A genuine vintage piece with real construction
- A genuine vintage blouse or jacket, where the construction shows
- A modern basic under a period piece, so it reads fashion not fancy dress
Legs
- A skirt or trouser in an era specific cut: flares, pencil, pleated
- One contemporary piece in the mix, denim or trainers, to keep it fashion rather than costume
- Flares, pencil, pleats, or whatever the decade wore
- One modern element, denim or trainers, to keep it current
Footwear
- Period appropriate shoes: Mary Janes, platforms, kitten heels, brogues
- Mary Janes, platforms, kitten heels or brogues, matched to the era
- Modern trainers, deliberately, as the anachronism
Hair and makeup
Hair
- An era styled set: finger waves, a bouffant or feathered 70s layers
- A headscarf tied the way the era did it
- A period appropriate updo or set curls
- A set that belongs to the decade: finger waves, a bouffant, feathered layers, crimped
- A headscarf tied the way the era tied it
Makeup
Era Signature
One period detail, a winged liner, a drawn beauty mark or a matte red lip
Period Brow
A brow shape true to the decade, thin 20s, full 80s
One Period Detail
A winged liner, a drawn mole, a matte red
Era Brow
Thin for the 20s or 90s, full for the 80s
Finishing touches
Jewellery
- Vintage clip-on earrings
- A brooch pinned exactly as it would have been worn
- Pearls, or costume jewellery from the era
- Clip-on earrings from the era
- A brooch worn exactly where it would have been
- Costume jewellery rather than fine, which is usually more accurate
Other Accessories
- Vintage frame sunglasses
- A period handbag
- Seamed stockings for 40s and 50s references
- Vintage frame sunglasses
- A period handbag
- Seamed stockings for the 40s and 50s
- Gloves, which almost every pre-1960s reference used
Take it further
For when you want to go all out, pull out every stop and make it yours.
- 01Pick one decade and one modern piece, then style every other detail around that pairing
- 02Go to a vintage fair and build the look entirely from original pieces
- 03Mix two eras deliberately, a 70s suit with 90s trainers
- 04Pick a year, not a decade, and research what people actually wore that specific season
- 05Build it entirely from a vintage fair or charity shop in one afternoon
- 06Mix two eras on purpose: a 70s suit with 90s trainers
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