As you know, I am a huge fan of vintage clothing. I have been dressing this way for many years and still love it. However, it can also be a little frustrating. Sometimes it can be quite hard to find something suitable in the shops. Understandably, there are not that many mainstream retailers that sell vintage style clothes.
Every now and again a particular vintage cut or garment will come back into vogue. When that happens, you can stock up a bit by buying several dresses, skirts, and tops. However, if you are a vintage fashion lover you inevitably end up learning to sew. At least that way, you can transform off the peg items into something that fits in better with your personal style. This carries you through and you can still get to dress the way you really want, most of the time.
The tricky bit is the shoes. Finding vintage style shoes is quite a big problem. Plus, if you cannot find something suitable making yourself a pair is not an option for most people.
Fortunately, this year, there are quite a few nice vintage style shoes available in the shops. Court shoes, slingbacks and wedges are all back in vogue. You can click here for more styles. I suspect I will be taking the chance to stock up on some of these classics.
But, what do you do when vintage shoes are not in vogue like they are this year? How do you cope then? Well, the answer is that you have to get creative. As you will see, there are places you can pick up vintage style shoes and craftsmen and women who can help you to get more use out of the ones you already own.
Vintage clothes shops
If you are really lucky, you will have vintage clothes shops near you. The owners of these shops are really good at searching out the appropriate styles. They pretty much always have something you can wear in stock.
2nd hand shops and websites
Understandably, most people do not like to wear 2nd hand shoes. But, I would be remiss not to mention the fact that charity shops are actually quite a good source of vintage shoes, boots, and sandals. Occasionally, you will also see vintage shoes for sale online, for example, on sites like eBay.
Vintage clothing shows
If you live near a big city attending vintage clothing shows could be an option. They are becoming increasingly popular.
Reenactment events
Depending on the era of clothing you like, you may also be able to find a reenactment group that covers that period of history. For example, there are quite a few WWII and Rock and Roll groups around. They are always looking for new members and will happily share tips about where they buy their shoes and other items of clothing.
Keeping your old pairs going
If you have a pair of shoes that you love you can often keep them looking good with the help of a good cobbler. The best craftsmen and women can do far more than re-heel and re-sole them. If you are not lucky enough to have a good cobbler working in your area, you can always have a go at repairing them yourself. This video is a good one for those of you who need to re-color a pair of shoes.
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