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Like many a collector starting out, I didn't always know what I was doing -- I just bought what I liked. After awhile, you have to explain yourself. Like when you show up at holiday functions in a red wool swing coat with faux leopard trim, people stare, or snicker, the bolder ones ask 'Why are you wearing that?' For some of us, the adoration of vintage style is not just about collecting the stuff, but wearing it, using it, living it. Since the internet, I find I am not so alone. I meet folks everyday who lust after antique nude postcards, trashy pulp novels, authentic opera gloves, the original rhinestone jewelry, Victorian lace etc. Folks who have lusted for years, long before it was trendy. Some of 'us' are real snobs about it. I don't always pass the standards of some retrophiles as I still don't have much education. (I still buy & obsess over items that I don't *know* the value of, I 'just love' them.) Some consider those who haven't been collecting for more than 10 years 'real,' they are just following trends (I pass on that one alright!). Like most 'groups' there are little cliques that don't get along. Seems in this area, it breaks down by the age of the items, and how true you are. (Some folks don't dig eclectic, it must be authentic to the last detail.) Since I am one who adores, and can't be educated into liking something, I still just go about selecting my items of worship in the same way... But, the whole discussion of vintage is very interesting to me. As I do know some much more educated folks, who are as passionate as I & don't seem to mind a less educated gal, I thought I woud take a small survey of their thoughts on vintage style.
 Why do you think vintage/retro styles are so popular?
"The glamour and mystery has disappeared from everyday life; this is reflected in everything mass-produced, from clothing to furniture, cars, and even values. Cheap is the name of the game, and it shows. I believe that people who are attracted to the "vintage lifestyle" recognize this, and are rejecting the current standards of quality. Where is the glamour in a Gap outfit? Where is the class in an Adidas sweatsuit? People want something with more style!" "I think there a few things that work toward the popularity of vintage/retro styles. First, there's the nostalgia. People like to visit an era where things were simpler, more innocent (even though no modern age was truly simpler nor innocent). Then there is a need to connect to past generations. A parent's generation is too close. We already know enough about them (i.e., baby boomers). Element's of their culture are everywhere. But a grandparent's generation is just far enough away for us to find things that have fallen away from the popular consciousness. So, the discoveries seem fresh and new.
Will the next generation look toward the 1960's and 70's as we do the 1940's and 50's? That's a tough call. American culture is so obsessed with this idea (and marketing tool) called nostalgia that there may be nothing left to mine in 10-20 years."
"They are real one-of-a- kinds, and let’s face it, no woman likes to see herself coming and going! And the stars love it! AND, the quality and workmanship are so incredible and unique. AND you are participating in a glorious type of recycling-all while being the girl that everyone says of 'I wish I had the guts to dress like that!' "
"I think people always revert back to their past and remember a specific favorite dress of a relative such as a mom or a funky Aunt; and at the time they thought wow how stylish and how great they look. Retro styles link us to what we remember as happy times and fond memories."
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