Different Designs of Vintage Clothing

The beauty of vintage clothing is that you are immediately enveloped in a totally different moment in time when you slip into a garment that was made well over 50 years ago; most shops today stock clothing dating as far back as the 1930s. The styles vary greatly between 1930 and 1960 due to many political changes that took place within that 30-year timeframe. The most obvious changes occured in women's fashion.

Vintage clothing is as unique as the times in which they were designed. Fabrics and patterns that were once considered lavish or outlandish became the popular trend and allowed people to express their individuality.

• 1930s and 1940s

The fashions of the 1930s and 1940s remained constant. Women wore dresses and men wore suits. While the end of the 1940s sparked a new generation of rebellion due to the end of World War II, this decade remained unchanged in many respects. For example, women's dresses, while much more colorful and detailed, still remained draped well below the knees. Fabrics such as rayon began to make a way into mainstream and replace more expensive materials such as silk, which was always imported. Women's shoes were very practical and seldom reached heel heights over two inches. Men continued to sport hats and top coats but the types of suits varied during the mid-1940s; single- and double-breasted suits became much more popular among working-class men and laborers.

• 1950s

During the 1950s, fashion really slowed down a bit and made very few extreme designs. This decade was filled with continuity and comfort. Men began wearing more cardigan sweaters in various geometric patterns rather than smoking jackets, while women continued to wear dresses that fell below the knees. One major change to reflect on is the popularity of the leather jacket. Worn by self-proclaimed bad boys, black leather jackets were the standard uniform of any motorcycle rider.

• 1960s

The 1960s sparked a decade of revolution, civil unrest and major changes. During this time, the changes that turned the most heads occurred when the hems on women's skirts and dresses took a dramatic ride south. Instead of the hems landing well below the knee, almost at calf length, the fashions of the 1960s raised the hems well above the knee to the mid-thigh area. Pair this change with the introduction of tie-dyed fabrics and clothing made from hemp and other natural materials and you have a good idea of what this time in America was really like.