Va Va Voom - Lovin' The Vintage Vibe

"Ooh I adore that vintage style dress!" I say while flicking through a magazine, my mum rolls her eyes. Of course vintage style clothes are never quite as cool as the real thing. You also miss the fun of rummaging through to see what wicked bargains you can find. Awkwardly, everything I ever pick out my mother seems to have owned twenty years ago. As for the word "vintage", it was simply "second-hand" to them back in the day.

It's hard not to notice trends repeating themselves over and over these days. Leggings were supposedly a thing of the 90's, yet you can't go anywhere without seeing somewhere wearing a pair. I guess 2012 saw the return of high-waisted denim and tucked-in shirts. My friends and I adore high-waisted shorts, they are the "it" item of clothing, anyone who is anyone owns a pair, while frayed edges ticks another style box. 

I love to grab my latest new find from the likes of Republic and H&M, team with my favourite pair of denim shorts and then dig around in my mum's wardrobe to steal an old beaten up denim jacket (which was probably pre-owned before she bought it). DIY Vintage can be fabulous too, I made my own 80's style gilet by cutting off the sleeves of my boring, and frankly plain, denim jacket and sticking on a retro pin. I also cut up old jeans, tie-dyed them and frayed the edges. Perfect if you don't want to let go of an item just yet and in these times of "recession", even though I like to convince myself you cannot punish fashion for the governments' mistakes, it's a little lighter on the purse too.

So why has cast off clothing become such a stylish must-have for young fashionistas? I personally love the concept of recycling fashion, the thought of my clothes coming with a story is really cool. The happy memories someone shared with their shirt, all of the places it's been and what the previous owners were really like are now passed on to me, so I can continue the story. Maybe to some, Vintage is overrated but I suppose not everyone can see the beauty in something that's not shiny and new.

People spend hundreds of pounds on items of clothing from different eras as originally vintage was about buying one-off pieces of retro couture. However, it has now evolved into accessible fashion for young people wanting to stand out and wear something a little bit more original. Perhaps we have Primark to thank for that, I have often stood in their store considering purchasing one of their garments but worried that every girl in my school would own it.

It's not just clothes either, shoes and hairstyles have all come back in too. Converse have become a timeless iconic item for all generations and the length of your hair will never be seen as "so last year". Retro everything is huge just now; cars, clocks, telephones and even packaging on food and drink. The Jean Paul Gautier Coca-Cola bottles are very similar to the original Coca-Cola design. Old-fashioned cameras are a must have too, there's something precious about their design and how the photos come out. This is why the Apple and Android app Instagram is so popular, it makes your average picture look like an old polaroid image (my snapshots are displayed in the sidebar of my blog).

Lana Del Rey and Paloma Faith are the picture of old-style glamour, their latest albums proving that nostalgic music is everlasting too. Their hair and wardrobe choices also reflecting those of sultry singers in the late 20th century. These ladies may seem like they're from a different era but they represent 2012 far better than teeny-bop boybands and auto-tune. Vintage music comes with a certain amount of respect and flare, and I know which feels more authentic to me.

High Street shops are all scouring their back-catalogues to find pieces for their new collections, trying to recreate real vintage. Although others may argue fashion is supposed to be about creating new ideas and showcasing something that's never been seen before, I'll never tire of stealing my mum's old clothes.