Vintage by definition is anything that is 20-100 years old, and Antique is anything over 100 years old.

This means that items from the year 2000 are now considered to be Vintage. To me, the year 2000 does not seem that long ago so I'm still coming to terms with this, however it means that if you are searching for a term on a site such as Etsy, Instagram or eBay and you use the term "vintage" you will have all kinds of eras appear in the results.

It also means that anything earlier than 1920 is considered to be Antique. Antique items are special in their own right, they tend to be more delicate and less resilient to every day wear. Most antique clothing was made by hand by talented home sewers or seamstresses who really honed and refined their craft. Having a large selection of clothing was reserved only for the very wealthy and so the quality of the construction of clothes from this time, and the overall design was for the purpose of wearing many times over. A typical woman in the early 1900's may have had two or three dresses in her wardrobe. These dresses would be worn for many days before they were laundered, as laundering was a very time consuming process. Generally these dresses would be aired to freshen them before wear, and women used natural deodorisers to reduce body odour smells.

Compare this to now in modern first world countries, where many women's closets are bursting - clothing may only be worn for one season, and, in the case of some "influencers" worn only once in front of a mirror for an Instagram photo. There is a certain tragedy to this when you consider the amount of environmental waste that this creates. That in itself is a whole other conversation!

Blue Wren Vintage predominantly focuses on mid-century clothing which is 1940s-1960s but with a definite orientation towards 1950s. Fashions from this era remain relevant and wearable even today in 2020. I have worn pieces from the early 1950s and people who asked about my dress have been shocked when I've told them it was vintage 1950s. Vintage gets a bad rap, it is not always smelly, torn or dated - of course this certainly does exist out there but if you choose your item well and you take care of it then it will last you for many decades to come. More on this in future blogs.... :)