My Favorite Vintage Clothing from Five Decades: The Fifties through the Nineties

If you’re anything like me, you find it hard to throw anything out you may use later, especially clothes and shoes. It seems like some fashions go out of style one decade, just to reappear in another. Of course, some items never come back and some were never even meant to be! However, when fashion does bring styles back, vintage clothing is the best in these situations; the second- and third-time-around just doesn’t seem to have that same vibe as the originals. Here are some of my favorite pieces of vintage clothing down through the years – some things never go out of style!

The Fifties

The fifties are mostly known for the rockabilly style for guys and poodle skirts and saddle shoes for the gals, but if I have to pick a favorite, I’d have to go with “going out dresses.” Whether you’re going to work or play, both popular styles of this decade – pencil dresses and swing dresses – have some real potential for making you look fun, cool, and retro. Fabrics came in an array of choices from solid, heavier alternatives, like wool and tweed, to light and breezy cotton. In addition, these dresses came in a variety of styles, like edgy trim with contrasting colors, cute little pockets, huge bows, and dramatic collars in a multitude of colors and patterns. Some were solid, but just as often they were polka dot, novelty printed, floral, or textured. There are just so many choices; you can’t go wrong with a pencil or swing dress from the fifties. And for the guys, jeans and white t-shirt never go out of style! (Don’t forget your leather jacket!) Check out more styles here.

The Sixties

The sixties was all about attitude and everything from modest to barely-there looks were popular. There was so much going on in fashion during this decade that it’s hard to pick a favorite. There was Jackie Kennedy’s style – simple, clean lines that fit well and had matching accessories, while Bridget Bardot’s style was more daring, bold, even tacky and cheap, but fun. The biggest deal, I think, was the mini-dresses. There was a variety of styles to choose from, such as shapeless shifts or baby doll dresses, and either could be paired with bright tights and pop art jewelry. While the Jackie look is timeless, the sixties-style mini-dresses are just plain fun. Remember what it was like to have fun with clothing? Check out other sixties styles here.

The Seventies

Oh, the seventies! What fun in fashion they had then! The seventies was home to the disco and hippie eras, both with separate, awesome looks. What I love, love, LOVE about the seventies is the colorful bell bottom pants and jumpsuits paired with an array of colorful clogs and boots. Even a pair of plain bell bottom blue jeans and a seventies-inspired t-shirt looks great when paired with authentic vintage seventies shoes. Another favorite? One word – rompers! Such an easy, breezy, vintage look and only one piece of clothing! Rompers, clogs, and costume jewelry is going to take the win for this decade, but there are plenty of styles to choose from. Check out more styles here.

The Eighties

Who can forget the neon colors of the eighties and the big hair? This decade was definitely all about being seen, from the big hair to the brights colors, to the layered look, everything just seemed to have that fun vibe and begged MORE! Windsuits were huge as was ski-type jackets, vests, and pants, in bold, bright colors. Jeans were fitted and straight-legged with jean jackets and vests both adding to the go-to styles. My favorite look from the eighties, though, has to be the Madonna look – mini-skirts, leggings, cut belly shirts, and lightweight jackets paired with hoop earrings, lots of black plastic and silver bracelets, and lace gloves. Although you may not want to go all out with the whole outfit – even though it would be so much fun – the best part of the eighties was the colors and the layers. There wasn’t any color too bright and you couldn’t have too many layers. Some advice – just maybe not do the big hair; do they even still make Aquanet?. For more eighties fashion ideas, check out here.

The Nineties

Some of you may be wondering why the nineties is included on a vintage clothing list, but 1999 was twenty years ago! That makes clothing from that entire decade vintage classics. There are so many fashions to choose from, like a net and see-through shirts with pretty bras underneath, body-con dresses, skorts, and overall shorts. There were plenty more, but that’s just some of my favorites. My two most favorite, since I can NOT just pick one, would have to be the body-hugging body con dress and the versatility of skorts. Pair a body con dress with a light jacket or sweater and belt for work and change it up by removing the jacket and adding pumps for the club. Skorts could take you anywhere. They were super short, but, wait – they’re shorts! You didn’t have to worry about bending over because you were covered and they came in all colors and styles. My favorite, however, was the blue jean style with the zipper flap – cute, sexy, and fun, all rolled into one! There are plenty more styles where those came from, though; check out more nineties styles here.

No matter which decade you choose, there’s going to be some vintage fashion you just can’t live without. Sometimes it pays to hang onto clothes as the years go by if you have adequate storage, but that’s just not always feasible. Check out local vintage and used clothing stores or shop online. A good rule of thumb is when you do get hold of some good, vintage clothing styles that seem to keep coming back in fashion, is to hold on to a couple of pieces. You’ll be glad you did! Of course, it is always fun to shop and add to your collection, too. Happy shopping!