There are few fabrics in this world as perfect as silk. Between its relative ease to harvest, the multitude of different products which can be made from it and the softness of its texture, silk has made quite a name for itself over a span of several hundred years. If not for its price, people may consider silk one of the most perfect materials in the world. Unfortunately, the relatively high price on most silk products has kept many people from enjoying this wonderful fabric for decades. Now, though, that manufacturing costs are spiraling downwards and supplies are going up, silk is not just reserved for the rich and the powerful, as anyone who enjoys the feel of silk can now purchase a variety of different silk garments and products.

As with any material, most of the prominent products manufactured from silk include clothing. Thanks to silk’s incredibly soft and smooth feel, however, it has been the product of choice for the manufacture of things like underwear, sheets and lingerie. Silk lingerie and the quintessential pair of silk boxer shorts have been two of the top selling silk products for quite some time. More recently, famous designers have also added silk long underwear and silk pajamas to the mix to create some diversity amongst their product lines. From a silk tie to a silk scarf and a silk stocking set, nearly any type of clothing accessories you can imagine have been faithfully reproduced using this centuries old fabric.

With the decline in silk prices, products made from silk have been on the rise in many peoples’ homes.  Two of the most popular items for the home include silk sheets and a silk curtain set. Both of these products can essentially be made from any fabric you desire, but why would you consider getting sheets or curtains in any other material than silk when it is so incredibly soft and buttery feeling. For decorative purposes, you can now purchase a silk tree – an artificial tree with its leave

Guide to Dating Vintage Clothing 

There are a lot of interesting things about vintage clothes—their unique fabrics, flattering silhouettes, meticulous trimmings, and of course history. Only few, however, take interest in digging deep into the history of a given vintage item. They know it is from the past, but where exactly in the past, they are clueless. Remember that the ability to date vintage items saves you from buying fake ones.

How sure are you that a garment is an authentic vintage piece and not just something that is made to look like one? Every vintage-loving person—whether a collector or a fashionista—should be skilled in dating vintage clothing items. The following are some guides. 

1.) Peruse fashion history books. Fortunately, a lot of books written by reliable authors are available today. Make an investment and get yourself copies. You can also check websites that have detailed and interesting presentations on the fashion plates for every decade. Study the lines and silhouettes and notice their differences. Take a closer look at the prevailing lifestyle at any given decade and the subsequent trends.

What were the most stylish fabrics in the 1930’s? What were the fashion innovations caused by World War II in the 1940’s? How long were the skirts in the 1950’s? This may be too overwhelming a task, but this is a good starting point. Keep in mind that in terms of dating vintage clothes, nothing can replace your knowledge of the fashion history.

2.) Look at the zipper. Many people take zippers as clues in dating vintage garments. Zippers were first created in 1891, in the Victorian era, but appeared in garments only in the1930’s. That time, however, traditional button fastenings or press studs were more widely used in garments. Until 1950’s, zippers were sewn in side seams of garments, and later began to appear on center backs. Metal zippe

Get All Classic With Men’s Vintage Clothing

It is true that there are more vintage clothes available for women than men. Women, after all were, and still are, observed to be more careful with their clothes and kept them in good condition. Still, although men’s vintage clothing pieces are in inferior number and often have more holes, stains, and all sorts of damages, men can still scour the whole of a vintage store and successfully find vintage garments that can still be worn for many more years. 

There are many vintage choices for men that are still in style today. Classic, if we may say. And interestingly, classic pieces look very good on men, whether as casual, office, or evening attires. Vintage stores offer these classic vintage garments, and some of them are the following:

1.) Zoot Suit. Made popular in the 1940’s, zoot suit is composed of slim, high-waisted trousers and long, broad-shouldered jackets. Its bright colors and structure give it a highly stylish appeal, which is why it was mostly worn by teenagers and young men in its heyday. 

2.) Eisenhower Jacket. It has short collars and is cinched in the waist. Also appeared in the 1940’s, the jacket took its name from General Dwight Eisenhower who was fond of wearing it.

3.) Buffalo Plaid Shirt. It has a very formal structure, although the checkered print is very casual. It was common in the 1960’s and was worn by older men. 

4.) Turtleneck. Another popular item in the 1960’s, turtleneck comes as a basic garment among men as it can be paired with practically everything—jeans, slacks, vest, blazer, or coat. 

5.) Nehru Collar. It is a buttoned garment with short, stand up collars, hence the name. It is tight fighting and can be paired with a jacket. Also popular in the 1960’s, nehru collars were worn by The Beatles and other celebrities.

6.) Khaki pan

All about vintage clothing.

Celebrities in classic vintage clothing fanned the public’s awareness of vintage fashion. Today, more than ever, the concept of wearing clothes owned by people from earlier eras is not anymore limited to period parties and plays; going vintage has eventually become a trend. 

In strictest sense, vintage clothes are those produced in the 1920’s to 1970’s. Some, however, say that 1980’s clothes could still fit into the vintage category. Those made before 1920’s, on the other hand, are considered antique. Vintage clothes essentially are old, secondhand, and used, although a fraction of the vintage clothes were never worn by their original owners and thus belong to the dead stock market.

These clothes are more expensive than the used ones. Yet, there are also called vintage reproductions or repro. These are brand new clothes with designs and structures resembling those of the original vintage. Because they are produced in the contemporary times, there is more leeway in the use of fabrics, sewing techniques, and sizing. 

Where to find vintage clothes
Because of the hype in vintage fashion today, sources are pretty much abundant. Vintage stores are one. These stores have all the possible vintage items you are looking for—from evening dresses down to shoes and accessories. Vintage stores are privately owned and are regularly in search for more vintage items to buy and sell. 

You can also try and look in thrift stores, which sell donated vintage items for charitable purposes. When you buy from a thrift store, not only will you satisfy your vintage urge, you also get to help other people. 

Then there are the consignment stores. These stores act as sort of a middle man. People place their vintage clothes in consignment stores to sell, which if bought, the consignment store gets a predetermined percentage from the sales. If th

HISTORY OF MODERN T-SHIRT

 

The Modern History of the T-Shirt
T-shirts are the perfect blank canvas. They allow for self-expression through a simple, basic garment. You can pair them with anything—dress them up or down. Their versatility has become an expectation to the everyday wearer. Here’s a look at how they rose to fame as a fashion staple and made their way into the modern American lifestyle through pop culture and rebellion:
T-SHIRTS IN POP CULTURE & MODERN RESISTANCE
In the earlier half of the 20th Century, the T-shirt trends we see today first emerged in the mainstream. The Wizard of Oz was the first time we saw promotional T-shirts modeled after the emerald green Ts worn in the film by the people of Oz.
With this, T-shirts were seen as even more accessible to the masses. In the latter part of the century, T-shirts started making waves as a symbol of youth and rebellion. It was at this time that the T-shirt made its debut in film and therefore gained traction in popular culture. The rebellious image was launched in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire, inspired by Tennessee Williams’ classic play. Actor and main protagonist, Marlon Brando, introduced a simple yet powerful image of danger and appeal that secured the T-shirt’s spot as a fashion necessity for everyone.

 

Reportedly, the first iconic concert T-shirt featured Elvis Presley in the late 1950s, sparking the band T trend that eventually led to iconic logos appearing on T-shirts from the Grateful Dead to Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.  The T-shirt also has a thread of rebellion deeply woven into its fabrics. In the 1970s, the T-shirt was a fundamental part of protesting the Vietnam War. The tie-dye trends of Woodstock also led to rock and pop culture fan Ts in the ’80s and ’90s.  It was thanks to this dramatization of the T-shirt that the