Vintage Styles and Accessories Inspiration

Vintage has so much to offer, that I sometimes get lost in all the eras and just want to mix and match everything at once. To give myself some structure, and to share some vintage inspiration with you all, I’ve put together this style and accessory guide based on the items I adore from ASOS Marketplace. So, be aware that there will be some era matching, i.e. 40s dress with 20s jewellery. Take a look and let me know what you think in the comments section. :)

Here’s a 40s black polka dot dress with caped sleeves and concealed pockets from designers Emily and Fin. I love the caped sleeves and the high neck, as it makes this dress suitable for many different events, including a formal affair such as a wedding, or a casual day out with friends. As accessories to go with this dress, I’ve chosen a chunky art deco inspired bracelet by La moda boutique to add a bit of glam to the look. To keep it looking stylish and in sync (I love themes to looks and things being in sync), I’ve added a silver metallic handbag with a print bow, inspired from the 1990s by boutique LIAR. In this outfit 40s meets 20s meets 90s, and all co-exist in trendy harmony.

This look relies heavily on patterns from the 60s. The tunic is a 60s inspired mod tunic with an abstract Indian style pattern. The navy blue against the white of the vibrant pattern really makes this piece stand out. As it is Indian inspired I selected other Indian inspired items to accompany it. The bag is a handmade cloth handbag with gold-thread embroidery by Bargainmerchant. It’s a unique piece, but I couldn’t resist the charming pattern. The headpiece is a 70s inspired heart 3-piece headpiece, which adds some elegance, mystique and Indian princess style to the whole look in a subtle and modest way. For the last look I wanted to look at some 80s dresses, as I’m an 80s girl, but I just couldn’t find anything inspirational, so I went for the next best thing, a 90s look.

The dress is a Grunge bandage velvet dress in burgundy by Evieknight, and I chose it, because nearly every woman on TV was wearing one of these at some point during the 90s. The black tassel fringe faux suede cross messenger bag is from Trendypanda, and also very 90s, as tassels were all the rage, while the feather necklace by Black Tied is again 90s inspired, as peace signs and peace symbols such as feathers were highly popular accessories. This look would work well in the Autumn when going out on the town. So, here are three vintage inspired looks. The first two are mixes of different vintage eras, while the last stays true to just one era. What do you think of the combinations? Hope you got inspired.

For more vintage clothes visit the ASOS Marketplace website.

This article was written by vintage lover Sarah, who is currently writing on behalf of ASOS Marketplace.