A convincing period look depends on more than the right decade. Silhouette, fabric, condition and the way a garment moves all affect how it reads on screen. For a wardrobe department, the challenge is finding pieces that serve the design whilst also fitting the actor, schedule and demands of filming. This guide sets out how to brief a vintage search, assess garments for screen use and work with a specialist supplier. It also explains when true vintage may be suitable, and whe

Weddings and race days both invite a little extra polish, but neither calls for sacrificing comfort or wearing something that feels unlike you. A vintage dress can bring colour, character and a distinctive silhouette to the occasion; the key is choosing a style that suits the event’s dress code as well as its setting. This guide compares vintage occasion dresses by era, with practical ideas for weddings and the races. You’ll find ways to choose accessories, check comfort and

Denim is one of the most familiar fabrics in a wardrobe, but vintage jeans and jackets can be surprisingly different from their modern counterparts. The cut, construction and condition all affect how a piece feels and fits, and no single label detail can tell you the whole story. This guide will help you assess vintage denim, shop with confidence and bring classic pieces into your everyday style. Key takeaways Date by looking at several clues together. Labels, stitching, fabr

The 1930s brought a new kind of glamour: long, fluid lines, softly shaped silhouettes and clothes that moved with the body. Yet 1930s fashion was not all sweeping evening gowns. Daywear, tailoring and practical separates each had their own distinct look. This guide explores the decade’s signature shapes, explains how they differ from the flapper style of the 1920s, and offers simple ways to bring 1930s-inspired details into your wardrobe. You do not need a head-to-toe period

Retro sportswear can make an outfit feel distinctive without sacrificing comfort. The key is choosing one strong piece and wearing it in a way that suits your everyday wardrobe. If you’re exploring retro clothing in the UK, Fila is a useful place to start: the label has a documented connection to 1980s casual style, but you don’t need to dress head to toe in period sportswear to enjoy it. This guide explains what 80s casuals means, where Fila fits into the story and how to ch

Y2K fashion is firmly back in the conversation, but wearing it today does not mean recreating a head-to-toe look from a 2000s music video. The easiest way to make the decade feel current is to borrow its best-known details: think bootcut denim, a baby tee or a compact shoulder bag, and balance them with pieces you already enjoy wearing. This guide explains what Y2K style includes, how to choose a direction and how to put together outfits that feel nostalgic without feeling li

The 1980s did not have just one look. Power dressing, bright prints, statement denim and sportswear all shared the same decade, giving you plenty of ways to explore 80s fashion without dressing head to toe in a costume. This guide looks at what made those trends distinctive and shows you how to bring them into a modern wardrobe with confidence. Key takeaways Choose one strong reference at a time. A bold blazer, bright windbreaker or acid-wash jacket can anchor an outfit wit

The 1950s are often summed up by one image: a full skirt, a fitted bodice and a clearly defined waist. But the decade’s dresses offered more than one silhouette, and you don’t need to dress head to toe in period style to enjoy them today. Whether you’re choosing a dress for everyday wear, a special occasion or a vintage-inspired outfit, this guide explains the key shapes and how to make them work for you. Key takeaways Start with the silhouette you like: swing dresses bring

The 1990s weren’t defined by one look. Minimalist slip dresses, grunge layers, relaxed denim and bold sportswear all had their place, which is why 90s fashion still offers so many ways to express your style today. The trick is choosing the details that feel right for you, rather than dressing head to toe like a period costume. This guide explores the decade’s best-known looks and shows you how to build wearable 90s outfits for women and men, using vintage pieces alongside the

There are some vintage fabrics you learn to recognise by sight, and others you know the second you touch them. Crimplene is very much in the latter camp. It has that unmistakable dense, springy, slightly textured feel, and once you have handled enough 1960s and 1970s clothing, it becomes surprisingly easy to spot. It turns up in shift dresses, neat day dresses, skirts, trouser suits and all sorts of wonderfully practical pieces, and it has a stubborn ability to hold its shape

Fashion has never existed in silence. Clothes may begin on a designer’s sketchpad or a dressmaker’s table, but some of their most important transformations have happened once somebody put on a record, cleared a space and started to dance. The dance floor has always asked something slightly different of clothing. A skirt has to move rather than simply hang beautifully; shoes have to survive an evening rather than pose for a photograph; fabrics catch light, sleeves fly, hems li

There are certain garments that manage to feel practical and dramatic at exactly the same time, and the jumpsuit is one of them. It has the simplicity of being a single piece, yet it can create an extraordinarily strong silhouette, whether sleek and minimal, sharply tailored or unapologetically glamorous. That combination has helped it survive one reinvention after another. At different moments it has been associated with workwear, modernity, bohemian ease, disco glamour, pow

Few fashion details have quite the same sense of movement as fringe. It sways, shimmers, flicks and catches the light in a way that flat fabric simply cannot, which is probably why designers have returned to it whenever clothes have needed a little more drama. Depending on the material and the way it is used, fringe can be glamorous, bohemian, theatrical, rebellious or playful. Beaded strands on an evening dress have a completely different character from long suede tassels on

There are few garments that tell the story of women’s changing relationship with fashion quite as clearly as the trouser suit. What now feels like an ordinary wardrobe option once carried far more weight, because trousers themselves were not always considered acceptable clothing for women outside very specific settings. To wear them could be practical, modern, provocative or quietly rebellious depending on the decade, and when trousers were paired with a matching jacket, the

Dive into iconic 1960s fashion trends and discover how to curate an authentic retro wardrobe that truly reflects your unique style.

Few fashion details can change a silhouette quite as quickly as a peplum. Add a little extra fabric around the waist of an otherwise straightforward jacket, blouse or dress and suddenly the proportions are completely different: the waist looks more defined, the hips gain shape and even fairly simple tailoring acquires a little drama. It is one of those details that fashion has repeatedly rediscovered, usually just when everyone has decided it belongs firmly to another decade.

Knitwear has not always occupied the comfortable, practical corner of the wardrobe that we tend to associate with it today. There was a period when a simple fitted jumper could be every bit as glamorous as an evening blouse, and during the 1940s and 1950s it became closely tied to one of the most recognisable silhouettes of post-war fashion. The woman wearing it became known as the “Sweater Girl”, a phrase that conjures Hollywood publicity photographs, softly curled hair, nea

Utility, elegance and ingenuity define the 1940s wardrobe. This guide explains the key silhouettes, fabrics, colours and accessories that make outfits read authentically 40s, from day dresses and menswear to dance-ready evening looks. Discover practical fit tips, era-accurate hair and beauty, and how to choose original vintage pieces that work for modern wear and events.

There are some vintage pieces that seem to carry their decade with them wherever they go, and the maxi skirt is one of them. Long, flowing, easy to wear and endlessly adaptable, it became one of the defining silhouettes of the late 1960s and 1970s, but its appeal has never really disappeared. Whether cut in soft floral cotton, sweeping jersey, velvet, denim or a bold printed synthetic, the maxi skirt offered something fashion has always loved: drama without too much effort. P

There are some vintage styles that announce themselves immediately, all nipped waists, dramatic sleeves or extravagant skirts, and then there are the quieter classics that earned their place through sheer usefulness. The shirtwaister dress belongs firmly in the latter camp. With its recognisable combination of a shirt-style bodice, button front, collar and defined waist, it managed to be smart without feeling stiff, practical without becoming plain and feminine without relyin