Vintage selection
By Christina Bastianon (California State University)
The Vintage Selection was an exhibition of stores from Florence and surrounding areas that collaborated to create this immense collection of vintage clothing, accessories, and furniture. Once you paid your 3 to 5 euros to get in, you entered into another world, away from the traditional streets of Florence and into this retro and relaxing atmosphere.
Each contributor had a designated area in order to create a mini store that showed off their best pieces. All of the stores had individual layouts and styles with unique and creative displays that formed an inviting ambiance. Items within each store varied from military-style jackets to classic furs and pastels to even ballerina dresses with tutus.
The prices on some items were reasonable for this thrifty shopper, however, most shops had their best pieces out, meaning name brands all the way. I saw pieces from Gucci, Prada, Hermes, and Miu Miu, just to name a few; and the prices reflected these name brands. There were things like a stunning gold top for 45 euros and a leather bag that had me counting my pennies to reach the price tag of 130 euros. I found a keeper at the booth, Happy Books, where there were vintage books from all kinds of genres of fashion, music, architecture, and comics.
The atmosphere of the whole event was relaxed and never overbearing. The music that was playing simply set the right mood; I heard some of the greatest American pop culture music and even forgot I was in Italy for a moment. Then I saw the bar and remembered I was Italy. This got me thinking about how everyone was dressed at the event. I was clearly a sore thumb compared to the stylish fashionista walking past me. Each person had their own unique style and somehow it all flowed together; but the store workers were, by far, the best dressed. They were all suited up with the best outfits that complimented their store.
Looking at all these great outfits made my friend want to burn her current wardrobe and start over with this vintage inspiration. Which in turn, made me really analyze “vintage outfits”. I came to the conclusion that it all comes down to the piecing of the puzzle. There are pieces that are too strong to stand alone, but the way you pair it with another subtle piece creates a different look, yet it still works.
I was honestly so impressed today to see the vintage style surrounding me being expressed through so many different avenues that it made me question; “where did the vintage style come from”? As I looked around at the clothing, I couldn’t see a real characteristic that stood out from the rest, but the moment I started looking through the books, postcards, and posters, it hit me. All the posters were of American Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, and, my personal favorite, Carey Grant; meanwhile, the music books were of Metallica, The Beach Boys, and Led Zeppelin. It surprised me that all of these were, first, in English, and second, were all American-based celebrities.
This day proved to be a great experience in Italy, seeing the creative and crazy trends that flow through Europe and the great designers and store owners who provide it. The last thing I have left is the question: Is the Vintage style from the States?
