Welcome to "I Tried It" Week. From our editor in chief purging over 19 shoes from her closet to our assistant editor dressing exclusively in vintage, follow along this week as the Who What Wear editors take on personal wardrobe challenges and document the process along the way.
Even though it’s literally my job to spot trends and test them out IRL, there’s still a special place in my heart for wearing and shopping vintage. Chalk it up to a residual habit from my cash-strapped college years or simply a creative way to shop for the items no one else will have, but I’ve built up quite the collection of one-of-a-kind vintage scores.
While I usually incorporate them into my daily outift mix, I thought that Who What Wear’s I Tried It Week would be a good opportunity to test out wearing head-to-toe vintage. Would it feel frustrating to be limited to certain options? Or would it feel liberating to wear what no one else was wearing? As you’ve guessed, it’s a little bit of both. Full disclosure: The most challenging part was sourcing shoes and jewelry to complete my look, and in the end, I had to wear some non-vintage shoes (don’t judge!).
As frustrating as it was not to be able to participate in certain new trends, when I got to the end of the week, I was more fulfilled by the outfits I had picked out. Knowing that everything I was wearing held a timeless quality that most brand-new clothing lacks weirdly made me more satisfied in my outfit decisions.
To find out why my vintage outfits felt more fulfilling to wear, I chatted with Sasha Skoda, a vintage expert and head of women’s at The RealReal. According to her, "It feels so much more special to have a piece that no one else has—there’s something really personal about that. Especially in today’s world of social media—as soon as a new handbag or coat is released, you see it all over Instagram. Instead of following the pack, vintage allows you to shop according to your personal style. And there’s no better badge of honor than being able to say, ‘Thanks, it’s vintage’!"
Ahead, see all the vintage outfits I wore throughout the week and shop similar pieces from online vintage sellers, of course.
Next, read about the only five denim brands I really trust.
Source: Who What Wear – Anna LaPlaca