By request: Advice on vintage fashion for women over 40

Every now and then someone suggests a post topic that while I feel I have the theoretical knowhow to write about, I pause before doing so simply because I don't think that I have enough firsthand, real world experience with the subject matter yet.

My lovely friend and Canadian author Elinor Florence recently brought up the subject on my personal Facebook page of (me writing) a post on the topic of vintage fashions for mature women. Several ladies of varying ages, myself included, weighed in on the topic, and it didn’t take long for me to decide that I would love to tackle this far too infrequently discussed subject matter.

Though I don't consider myself to be of a so-called mature age in so much as fashion is concerned yet, I've certainly reflected on this topic many times since Elinor first raised it and decided  I would proceed to take her up on her request, even though I don’t have any first hand experience in this area yet in so much as being a woman in her 40s, 50s, 60s, etc and wearing vintage clothing is concerned. I hope that I will do both it, and those in this age range who sport or are currently thinking about starting to wear vintage styles, justice.

First and foremost, I genuinely believe that one can, and should, wear anything that their heart desires regardless of age. As long as you're happy, comfortable, and not hurting anyone or being culturally insensitive with your attire, the sky is the limit whether you're 18 or 98! A point that I've touched in numerous posts over the years, such as 2014's Dress Like a Cupcake Should Feel.

That said, objectively, there are certain styles, colours, garments, and even, one could argue, decades that typically suit certain ages better than others. Plus things such as one's choice of makeup, hair colour and style, jewelry, and even shoes can all go a long way towards creating an age appropriate look. We'll be delving these kinds of points in today's post, but first...


How do you define a mature woman?

What exactly constitutes a mature woman in terms of age in today's society? With the average female life expectancy continually rising and people frequently remaining healthier and more active into the golden years, the somewhat general age that I feel many early and mid-century fashion magazines, catalogs and designers designated as starting to fall under the mature header (40 - 45+ a lot of the time), may no longer ring as true. Does a mature lady now replace the rather unflattering term of a "matronly woman" and thus apply to those over 60 - 65 years of age or is a catch-all for those aged forty and over?





I'm leery as the day is long to put labels onto ages or people, but for the sake of simplicity, I will opt for the vintage starting point and say that this term applies primarily to those who are currently 40 years or older. Of course, if you're in the 30s and feel that it applies to you, by all means, avail of the advice here today (at 30 going on 31 next month, I swear I've already starting living and dressing with some of these tips in mind myself). And by the same token, if you're fifty-five, say, and don't feel like these points apply much to you or that you haven't reached a point yet where you're keen to think of yourself in this broad age bracket, then certainly hold off on doing so.

These are general pointers for stylish ladies of all ages, especially those who have reached mid-life or older. I cannot stress enough that they are not hard and fast rules in the slightest, but rather generalizations and guidelines based on a lifetime of studying fashion and beauty and understanding the art that goes into each, as well as how to make them work for oneself as much as possible.

In order to address the wearing of vintage fashion by those of a mature age today, it's important to first look backwards to the years or the early and mid-twentieth century (the 1900s through to the early 1960s). This was an exciting, wonderful, creative time for style and just as more and more mass produced garments were flooding the market and fashion was taking a stronghold in the public eye through the new found media of movies, so too were more distinct categories of clothing for women of different ages beginning to emerge.






Flip through just about any catalog with women's fashions from the 1920s - 1960s and you're bound to see clothing sized for, and aimed at, no less than three categories of women: Juniors (usually for teens and slender younger women under 30), Misses (for gals in their 20s - 40s+), and Women's styles, sometimes also called "fashions for the older (or graceful) lady" geared towards those aged 40 - 50 and up.

Though I don't doubt for a nanosecond that women from each of these general groups shopped from the others at least sometimes, these fashion categories were intended to help a lady find and buy garments and accessories that the style powers that be at the time felt were suitable for her figure, lifestyle, and in some cases, income, too.

It was widely accepted and acknowledged back in those days that a woman's style developed and matured as she aged and that a sixteen year old was not expected to dress with the same degree of grace and formality per se as her forty year old aunt or school teacher, for example. Not only did a lady's fashion sense deepen as she matured, but so too did her beauty in many cases (a point the French were especially big on).

Vogue even had a stylish middle aged encroaching on senior woman they dubbed simply Mrs. Exeter (pictured below), who not only dished about stylish advice for her well dressed peers, but who appeared on the cover the magazine not once, but twice (see this great piece from the Guardian's Invisible Woman fashion over 40 style blog for more on the history of this chic mid-age and mid-century lady).




Very few mature women back in the day would have ever considered sporting styles intended for a teenager, but that doesn't mean they all went full Whistler's Mother the moment they hit menopause either. As a lady aged, her figure often changed, as might her hair colour, and it was important that she continually dressed in ways that flattered these points and ensured she still looked like a respectable member of society. The demands of her daily life might have be different by the time her 40s came along and she may have had more formal social functions to attend, particularly if she was a part of of the middle to upper class.

Her daytime wardrobe, whether for the house or afternoons out, likely differed from her (usually more formal - but not always, think hostess gowns, for example) evening attire and rarely the two did meet in terms of the main garments at least (stockings, shoes, handbags, hats, and some jewelry may have done double duty). Nowadays few of us, even those who wear vintage regularly or all the time, maintain such strict rules with when we sport our clothes, but that doesn't mean we can't take a note or two from our foremothers who adopted this approach, especially as we age and enter an even more sophisticated period of our lives.

Time and time again I've heard ladies in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond say things to the extent of that they don't know how to wear vintage and/or that vintage is a young person's game. I would strongly argue against those points. When we don vintage clothing, we are emulating or drawing inspiration from decades past and in those very years, women of all ages certainly wore clothing - it was not, silly as this may sound, reserved just for the young. Nor is vintage today merely the realm of the youth crowd by any means.

Though many vintage reproduction companies and those making vintage inspired pieces do tailor their offerings to a younger audience, there are still vintage appropriate pieces to be had from some of these brands that suit the woman who is 40 years or older excellently (some which include Heyday, Revival, Freddies of Pinewood, Blue Velvet Vintage, The Victorian Trading Company, American Duchess, Puttin' On The Ritz, and 20th Century Foxy, to name but a few such companies that carry a selection of styles that work well for most folks who are middle aged or older).

And certainly genuine vintage and classic, timeless pieces such as those in my 2013 post A beginner's Guide to Buying and Wearing Vintage Appropriate Clothes offer a wealth of possibilities for the mature vintage fashionista.


Key points to keep in mind:

-Vintage has no age limits! Though some older women, particularly those above age sixty fear that folks will think that they are woefully out-of-sync with modern fashion by intentionally sporting old school styles, do not let this stop you from doing so for a split second. The only thing that truly matters when it comes to fashion is how you feel and what you think about your look.

That said, if this is a concern, you may find yourself feeling more comfortable when you wear one or two vintage items in the context of an outfit that also includes modern pieces. For example, a contemporary sheath dress sported with an art deco bangle bracelet and 1920s piano shawl for a cocktail party or a 1950s wool 49er jacket with 21st century bootcut jeans and classic lace-up leather boots for an autumn walk through your neighbourhood park.


-Another potential way to help try and skip over this perceived issue is to dress from decades prior to when you were born. So if you were a child in the 70s, you might want to stick with 1950s fashions, for example. Born in the early 60s, how about some chic, elegant 1930s or 40s threads for you?

If it's clear that you're too young to be from the era your wardrobe hails from, it may cut down on some people (at least those who know the basics of fashion history) assuming you're just wearing really old clothes and dressing "grandmotherly" (a term that personally, I've never been comfortable using in a derogatory context - one only has to look at websites like Advanced Style to quickly see that plenty of grandmas and great-grandmothers alike have killer style that can knocks the socks of that of scores of women several decades their junior!).


-Getting older actually allows you to rock certain styles that may have seemed matronly or overly conservative at an early age. Case in point, a fabulous Chanel suit might look akin to a little girl playing dress up in her mom's closet on a seventeen year old, but on a forty-seven year old it’s pure fashion perfection! The mature woman has the curves, poise and engrained elegance that comes from age that makes her as well suited for that garment as if Coco herself were sporting it.





-Generally speaking, one's skin texture and sometimes even colour (to a small degree) changes over time. Fabrics that once suited taught twenty year old skin to a tee, may not be kind to that of a seventy-fire year old. Gravitate towards fabrics like medium weight cottons, denim, tweed, velvet, stiffer silks, rayons that drape and flatter, well tailored linen, corduroy, knits, crepe, and in some cases, sequined or beaded materials, amongst others. Nylons, spandex, thin silks, gauzy fabrics, chiffon, tulle, and in some cases satin/sateen, to name a few, are fabrics that you may wish to gradually start phasing out or only wearing selectively in the context of an outfit that includes some of the more flattering materials mentioned above.


-Play up your best features and downplay those that you're not wild about. If you love your long, slender neck, reach for pearls, strings of crystals, ropes of gold and silver, scarves, and high necklines. If your waist is a point of pride, continue to sport figure flattering cuts, belts, princess cut garments, and styles that highlight this slender part of your body. By the same token, if you're, say, top heavy, don't opt for a sheer white blouse or slinky sleeveless shirt. Employee common sense and a second opinion from a trusted friend or relative when in doubt.


-There is a fine line between dressing too young or too old in the eyes of society and for women today, many of whom, as touched on above, are remaining active and looking vivacious later and later in life, it can be downright challenging to know where that thin line lays. When in doubt, it can help to veer towards the more mature side of things, but again, use your best judgment. It's served you well for decades now and chances are it's there to help on the fashion front, too.




-If you opt to wear vintage style makeup, ensure that it is flattering to your current age, complexion and hair colour. Unless you use coloured contacts, your eye colour is unlikely to change much with age, but that too (your eye colour) should always be kept in mind when getting dressed and putting on your makeup. Generally speaking, softer shades, such as taupe, grey, cream, buff, nudes, light browns, and whisper soft plums and sages suit mature faces superbly on the eyes.

Brown mascara, instead of black, may also be more flattering and is apt to really compliment those kinds of shadow colours. All can work in the context of a mid-century vintage look. For lips, which may thin or loose some of their fullness with age, outline and fill them in with either matching or clear lip liner and then use a lipstick brush to apply a becoming colour. Red, soft roses, tawny browns, and for some ladies, pale corals and call be strikingly lovely colours as their faces age.

Continue to moisturize frequently, wear sunscreen every day, avail of products designed to help combat the signs of aging if desired, and seek a dermatologist's help if problems as such rosacea or chronic dry skin appear. As skin thins with time, you may find you need less, not more, foundation and powder (or similar products). A light dusting of a good quality powder and perhaps a little highlighter or bronzer and/or blush may take the place of a whole slew of products that a twenty-five year old would be apt to wear.

For evening and formal occasions, you can certainly branch out more, but always try to aim for sophisticated, not shocking, with your makeup choices, regardless of the time of day.





-By the same token, if you're aiming for vintage hairstyles, mile high Victory Rolls or blunt Betty bangs might seem a bit out of place on a sixty-seven year old (though, to be fair, I have seen some older ladies rock Betty bangs superbly - it really depends on your face shape and overall degree of vintage style).

Some vintage hairstyles that may flatter and work well for mature women include, but are certainly not limited to, marcel waves, middy cuts set with pin curls into a flattering, face framing shape; pixie cuts (though these can easily read as very, very young, so proceed with caution), buns, chignons/French rolls, back rolls (see Tasha's great how-to post for tips on how to nail this classic 1940s style), and hair of any length tucked under a chic turban.

If your hair and makeup are both age and vintage appropriate, it will do wonders to help create a cohesive old school look when you slip on your clothing and accessories, and may also help strangers to quickly understand that you're intentionally dressing this way, not (to their mind) merely out of touch with today's fashion scene.


-Accessories can look amazing on older women, especially hats. I don't know what it is about a face that has lived life, but so many of them, made all the more beautiful by the the lines they've developed, look absolutely sublime when topped with a vintage hat. By the same token, gloves are always a vintage must-have and one that can be a great way of disguising your hands, if you're not keen on how they're looking with age.

Scarves, which can be worn in a multitude of different ways, are often amazing for mature ladies and indeed, rarely did a well dressed woman over 40 sport a suit without one in the 1950s. By the same token, furs, real or faux, can add instant elegant and regal-ness to any look and their (often) warm tones can perk up one's complexion like a sunbeam, so don't write them off to quickly, especially given how frequently they were donned in the early and mid-twentieth century.


-Select handbags that compliment your age and outfit alike. Classic styles and shapes in neutrals, solids of simple patterns will always look good and are apt to go with a wide range of outfits. It's usually wise to keep the size of your purse in portion with the size of your body, but as with all things in fashion, there are exceptions to this rule (for example, a small clutch may be the best choice for a woman of any body type if she's attending a black tie event that involves dancing).





-The sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to vintage jewelry! Most jewelry styles are timeless or artsy/funky enough that they retain serious styling power. With few exceptions (think extremely juvenile looking pieces), vintage jewelry is one of the best and most important yesteryear accessories that any 40+ lady can wear. I know for a fact through online conversations that I've had with some of them that a substantial portion of the shoppers who purchase vintage jewelry from my Etsy shop are in their 40s – 80s, and several have told me that while they don't sport vintage fashions often or at all, they can't get enough of yesteryear jewelry.


-Shapewear is always important. If you're a fan and can safely, from a health standpoint, wear it, don't shy away from shapewear. You don't have to bust out the boned corset by any means, but a nice pair of Spanx, say, or a girdle and/or long line bra can all do wonders, amongst other possibilities, especially if topped by a slip, really do smooth and make the most of one's figure.





-And speaking of medical concerns, it's normal that these become more common as a person ages. If you find that you need to dress with such in mind, be sure to check out my post Vintage Clothing for Chronically Ill and Special Needs Individuals.


-You don't have to do a complete 180 degree overhaul of your wardrobe or personal style just because your age advances forward. In fact, I'd argue that you're more apt to look at home in your vintage wardrobe if you stick with pieces that make you feel comfortable and confident. For example, if you've always gravitated towards the colours navy blue, pine green, and burgundy, keep those dark, elegant shades in your closet, perhaps with the addition or subtraction of certain pieces, but still present. The more we age in fact, the more important it is that we retain a sense of our identify through our fashion choices.


-There are tons of great books and websites devoted to the subject of fashion over 40 or 50. Though few really hone in on vintage styles, much of their general advice - such as the terrific tips offered up on How to dress over 40 from the engagingly wonderful website 40+ Style - can easily be applied to wearing yesteryear styles, too. Avail of these resources and continue to develop and fine tune your personal vintage style.


You might want to determine...

If you're new to vintage or just starting to get into it in a major way, you'll want to determine with decade or decades you currently feel most pulled towards. Once you've established this point, read extensively on the styles of the era. Watch movies from that/those decade(s), flip through magazines, peer at old photos, view fashion exhibits at museums and develop a sense of what women in your general age bracket were wearing then (you might also find some great ideas for places to find examples of such things from my 2013 post Seven Unexpected Places to Source Vintage Wardrobe Inspiration From).

How much do these styles speak to you? If the answer is something along the lines of "Not at all!" because you view them as too "old fashioned" or "grandmotherly looking", but you definitely love vintage from that period, don't fear in the slightest. Chances are there are many classic looks from that era which will work well for you no matter your age. Instead, turn to styles from that decade that have timeless lines, details and lengths to them. They're apt to steer you in the right direction through every stage of your life.




In addition, what are your signature colours and styles? These will be hues and styles (glam, minimalist, preppy, edgy, highly feminine, artsy, Southwestern, sporty, etc) that suit you, make you feel happy and/or confident when you wear them, go with numerous other items in your closet, and aren't horribly garish or unbecoming. Cultivate a garden's worth of these styles and you'll quickly have a closet that allows for easy mixing and matching and thus a more cohesive overall wardrobe.


What to wear, what to wear:

Naturally putting it all together is very important, but if you're not sure where to start of just need some more ideas on that front to get your creative fashion mojo churning, the following two lists are bound to serve you well on that front.

Here are fifteen vintage and/or vintage appropriate garments that work well for ladies of any age and most body types:


-Fitted white button down shirt

-Cropped, waist length or hip length blazer, depending on your height, in black or a dark neutral

-Tweed skirt suit (generally you'll want the skirt to hit at, or below, the knees for a vintage look)

-An LBD in a becoming fabric and cut

-Pearl jewelry

-Dark coloured oxfords

-Wrap blouses and/or dresses

-Classic style cardigans

-Suede or leather gloves

-A beret (seriously - it's one of the most universally flattering hat styles around)

-A medium width dark (brown, black, tan, etc) leather or faux leather belt with simple hardware

-Pumps/court shoes with heels no higher than three inches

-Pencil skirts that hit at or below the knees

-Shirtwaist dresses

-Fitted or slightly slouchy fine and medium weight knits (sweaters/jumpers)


And here are twelve genuine mid-century examples of outfits spanning sportswear to evening attire that are highly apt to work well for women over 40 (or anyone wanting to channel a seriously chic, sophisticated, skillfully put together look for that matter):



{A simply white polo style shirt and colourful little scarf lopped 'round the neck seem seriously glamorous when sported by Grace Kelly, just as they likely will on you as well, especially if you opt for vintage style hair and make-up, too. This is a great look for running errands, walking the dog, playing or watching sports, traveling, or gardening in the warmer months.}




{An excellent look for the chillier half of the year, this ensemble worn by Ginger Rogers in 1942 highlights one's figure so tastefully and offers a good deal of both warmth and modesty, thanks to the skirt suit, scarf tucked in around the neck, leather gloves, and wide brimmed hat. It would be a great choice of looks to wear to a wedding, church, the office, or just about any professional setting.}




{Sheer fabrics do not have to be reserved for the young alone! In fact, they can be surprisingly flattering on many middle aged and older ladies. The key is to balance sheer with more opaque fabrics and to keep the see-through material atop parts of your body that you're confident about, such as your neck, shoulders, and/or sleeves. Sheer elements, such a pockets or a ruffled trim, on opaque garments can be gorgeous, too!}




{Any one of these three fantastic daytime looks from 1947 would be a great choice for those in the 40+ age bracket. They're timeless, stylish, interesting, and a snap to dress up or down.}




{Here Doris Day, often seen sporting very youthful verging on twee fashions, takes things in a decidedly more grownup and understatedly elegant direction thanks to a striped top, boxy blazer, statement jewelry, and somewhat wide legged trousers that all telegraph a wonderful, very refined nautical vibe. This would be a fantastic look if you were going on a cruise or resort vacation.}




{Fear not the pale hues! Though some complexions are at their loveliest when worn with bright or dark colours as a person ages, most ladies, even those in their golden years, can usually still sport at least a few lighter shades wonderfully well. A good rule of thumb is to work with paler versions of your most flatting dark tones, though as with all things in life and fashion, experiment to see what suits you best on this front.}



{Whether on the court of off, Katharine Hepburn's c. 1940 tennis ensemble would look strikingly at home in today's fashion world and adds credence to the fact that casual styles are often amongst the most timeless one can possibly wear.}




{Joan Crawford excelled at looking elegant and immensely well put together throughout her whole career. Favouring classic, highly tailored styles that highlighted, but rarely overtly flaunted her figure, such as this gorgeous, subtly alluring floral print v-neck maxi dress and some bold jewelry. This would be a superb 1940s style for many middle aged vintage loving ladies to rock nowadays as well.}




{From the ankle grazing length to the abundance or ruching, this elegant evening wear dress would look splendidly becoming on many middle aged and older women. The matching turban, fur coat, and gloves up the chicness and instantly create a great an amazing 1930s or 40s look and are well worth keeping in mind if you’re aiming for a similar type of ensemble nowadays.}




{Monochromatic outfits, in a colour that flatters your skin, hair and eye colours, can be a timeless way to instantly look put together, sophisticated, and very fashionable, as this lovely fall suit ensemble from 1937 demonstrates.}




{Patterns and novelty prints absolutely do not need to get the boot when you hit your forties and beyond. Though a head-to-toe kitten or cherry print, for example, might evoke comments regarding mutton dressing in lamb’s clothing, middle aged and older ladies can still rock beautiful patterned garments with ease. Look for prints in sophisticated motifs, that are located areas that highlight a garment (like the hem, as seen her on this lovely daywear dress that Ava Gardener sported in the 1940s, collar, sleeves, or pockets), and that are in keeping with portion to your height and size.}




{The perpetually lovely combination of a button front/shirtwaist dress and a wide brimmed hat, much adored and worn during the late 1940s straight onto through to the early 1960s in particular, is one that suits women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond extremely well. Add gloves, a classic handbag, understated jewelry, and perhaps a floral nosegay or corsage pin for extra style points. }


One very interesting thing when it comes to age and fashion during the early and mid decades of the last century is that the bulk of mainstream models - especially those like Dovima, Jean Patchett, Suzy Parker, and Dorian Leigh who became household names - were often in their 20s or 30s, not middle school or teen aged like we often see with models, especially on the catwalk in recent years (though there are of course exceptions to that statement, such as Carmen Dell’Orefice who first appeared on the cover of Vogue at the tender age of just fifteen).

It was widely understood that the clothing they were sporting would likely be purchased by those who were beyond their teen years and very often in the prime of their life and early golden years alike so companies and magazines were keen to show such customers the items they were selling/highlighting on models who were similar in age to their buyers/readers.


Who's your mid-life style icon?

I want to circle back to an earlier point I was discussing. One does not have to wear the styles that a sixty year old sported in the 1940s, if you’re that same age today. In fact, doing so may stand to age you beyond your actual years. I brought up this topic initially though to help highlight the difference between the kinds of styles that a twenty year may have worn then and what her Grandma was slipping into each morning. The key to wearing vintage as you age is to aim for classic pieces. Really, really, really classic pieces. Those garments and accessories that are as home today as they were thirty, fifty, even eighty years ago in many cases.

Seriously. When in doubt, ask yourself if you could see someone like Jackie O, Grace Kelly, or Katharine Hepburn would have sported it. If the answer is yes, chances are it's a safe, vintage appropriate bet. The importance of classic, well tailored, beautiful clothing really can not be stressed enough. I'd even so far as to say that this might be my top tip for wearing vintage or vintage appropriate styles if you're 40+.





Though the following is by absolutely no means an exhaustive list of such blogs and websites in the slightest, I'd love to point you towards the following group of uber stylish ladies, all of whom wear vintage whole outfits or pieces as part of their ensembles on either an every day or regular basis.

Each and every one of these talented women is over the age of 40 and their blogs serve as beckons of sartorial light for those in their same age bracket who are keen on vintage fashion - as well as to those in other all age groups as well.


♥ Isis from Fashionable Forties

♥ Jill from Grown Up Glamour

♥ Joanna from Dividing Vintage Moments

♥ Judith from Style crone

♥ Martha & Saskia from Two Ladies and a Wardrobe

♥ Patricia from Lady By Choice

♥ Rosy from Sewing Adicta

♥ Sacramento Amate from Mis Papelicos

♥ Shelia from Ephemera

♥ Tamara Beardsley from Tamara Beardsley

♥ Tiina from Elegance Revisited

♥ Tziporah Salamon from Tziporah Salamon



Is vintage just for young people?

As I hope we've firmly established by this point in the post, the answer to that question is a resounding NO!!!! Though many vintage reproduction/vintage inspired/rockabilly lines cater to a younger clientele, that doesn't mean that there aren't options available from some of them that will suit the vintage inspired wardrobe of a woman of any age (see the list of suggestions given earlier on).

Of course, repro and the like is just one avenue to a vintage look - the first one is, naturally, genuine vintage garments and accessories themselves. Thankfully we still live in an era when finding such pieces, especially online, is not yet a major challenge. Prices have risen a fair bit in recent years, but mid-century vintage can still be had for a reasonable price online and off, especially if you're patient, wait for sales, take advantage of coupon codes, and perhaps even join some of the many Facebook groups that are designed to swap and/or sell vintage clothing in.

Genuine vintage items come with a soul woven between their threads. Silent stories that whisper or shout or simply let you gaze upon them and write imaginary histories in your mind. They're beautiful and meaningful and will, beyond a doubt, enhance and enrich your wardrobe in so very many ways.

Part of the reason why don't necessarily see a huge number of women (or men) over the age of 40 or 50 wearing head-to-toe period appropriate vintage looks is that dressing in this way, or any of the many variations of it, is, for all intents, a relatively new cultural phenomenon. That isn't to say that some people haven't held onto or rediscovered looks from earlier decades or centuries and sported them throughout time, of course there have been such folks, but the notion of a vintage subculture is a fairly new concept for sure.




The 1950s wrapped up a mere 55 years ago and though there were folks who held onto or quickly rediscovered the fashions of this decade and those that proceeded it from the sixties onward, the idea of "being vintage" is a relatively new one. I hazard to even suggest a date as to when this style of dressing really took hold, but hopefully I won't get too many tomatoes hurled at me if I suggest that it was something that started to emerge in a real way during the 1980s, and which took a serious strong hold in the early 2000, spreading like wildfire through thanks to the web and the first online vintage sellers, bloggers, forums (like The Fedora Lounge), and later social media sites.

I wouldn't doubt for the tiniest of seconds that if you could gaze into a crystal ball and see many of today's vintage fashion lovers who are in their teens through forties in 25 or 35 years from now, a fair number of us would (and will!) still be sporting vintage. We're something of the first (or at most) second generation of people to fill our closets with mid-century styles so we don't have a lot of folks to look back on and gauge how popular vintage remains with young wearers as they transition into middle and later life. I personally think that this will be tremendously exciting to watch in the coming decades and really hope that if the universe grants me the years needed to reach that stage, I will still be rocking vintage when I'm in my 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond!

Of course, it should be stated for the record that people "come to vintage" at all stages of their life. I know others, like myself, who have sported it since their teens and plenty who joined "team vintage" in each successive decade of life right on up to their sixties. I don't doubt that there may even be some who got into vintage even later in life than that. Though one's teens through to their forties seems to be the most common age range to start wearing vintage, it's never too early or too late and anyone, truly anyone, who wants to can start rocking vintage, repro, vintage appropriate or vintage inspired styles at any point in time.

I’ve been reading fashion blogs for about a decade now and I can't begin to tell you how often during that time I've seen mid-life or older ladies who successfully incorporate big and small doses of vintage fashion alike into their looks. These are women who know their bodies, their styles, and the years they've tucked under their elegant belts to get to where they are today.


Final thoughts:

No matter your age, if you love vintage, wear it! Try, try and try again! What's the worst that can happen? An outfit doesn't work? Someone gives you a rude comment? You have buyer's remorse about that OTT hat? It's seriously okay. Life will go on, tomorrow is a new day and with it comes the prospect for a great new outfit. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, being tapped by the universe to sport vintage is an honour and joy no matter at what stage in the game it happens for you.

{To learn more about any image used in this post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

Embrace it and your wonderful age, whatever it may be, alike, and remember that while vintage may be decades old, you're always young at heart if you choose to be, and that fact can spur on sartorial creativity throughout your entire life.

If you're a woman over 40 who adores wearing vintage, please weigh in with a comment here. I want this post and its comments to be as helpful as possible for all those who are mid-life or older and looking for vintage fashion advice (plus I'm sure Elinor would love to get your take on things, too!).