Vintage fashion: why it never gets old-fashioned

Old clothes stay stylish because they look like past decades and do not harm the planet. When you pick used garments, you wear looks that already existed plus you avoid new factory production. Second-hand bags including crossbody shapes, are easy to find - someone else's former purse becomes your fresh accessory.

People keep wearing vintage outfits because each piece is one-of-a-kind and carries a story. As dress codes relax, more shoppers choose loose, graceful vintage dresses that feel personal but also comfortable. Re-wearing past era clothes also cuts the amount of fabric that ends up in landfills. Classic items such as traditional abayas still look refined at events, cost little and suit many situations.

Certain old garments stay in demand year after year. Denim ranks high because it lasts as well as fits many looks. Skirts and jackets sewn from the 1940s through the 1980s remain favorite finds - the fabric grows softer with wash or wear - the piece becomes more pleasant to put on and still looks good.

Patterned wool skirts - especially plaid ones that sold well in the 1940s - return each fall because their simple shape matches most tops. Capri pants, first cut for factory workers during World War I also later loved in the 1950s, survive for the same reason - they look neat and allow easy movement.

Old shoes also keep their place. Thigh-high boots, worn only by men in the 1400s, now keep women warm next to look sharp. Open-toe shoes, first sold in the 1930s, still work with skirts and dresses proving that past footwear designs stay relevant.

Short-lived fads fade - yet vintage clothes hang in today's closets. They spare resources, suit many tastes plus sit on thrift shop racks and web listings everywhere - anyone can build a personal look without buying newly sewn goods.