September 8, 2014

Celebrating the importance of colour in your vintage wardrobe



Last November I discussed the process behind how I put together my vintage outfits, one key point of which is that colour is something I almost always keep in mind when getting dressed (in no small part because I adore a wide range of different hues). A lot of us do, and that's a great thing, as there's no limit to the number of possible colour combinations that stand to be put together. Today I'd like to share a few more thoughts with you relating to the importance of colour when it comes to our vintage wardrobes.

Various colours evoke thoughts of certain decades - or even years in some cases. The 1920s, for example, when pictured in one's mind is often on the light or the dark side of the spectrum (including hues such as creams, white, pearls, champagne and blush or, conversely, inky indigos, rusty reds, forest green, silver and midnight black). For the early forties, one often thinks of patriotic and military inspired hues, with blues and roses swirled through the palette, for example.




{On this page from 1931, we see a terrific array of neutral and darker shades that were in the fashion spotlight that year. While of course other hues were present and popular the time, too, a page like this is irrefutable proof of certain colours that helped make up the overall tapestry of early 1930s fashion. Image source.}


In fact, familiarizing yourself with the colours that were commonplace during a certain decade or block of years is a fantastic way to not only better date vintage garments, but to help you put together highly period appropriate ensembles (spots such as magazines, sewing pattern sleeves, fabric swatch cards, decor books, photos and movies can all be great sources when it comes to learning more about what colours were in vogue during a certain time frame).




{This charming page of fabric swatches from the 1930s is a fantastic example of some of both the colours and patterns that were popular during the time. Do you have a favourite? I'm especially drawn to the purple, white and orange pattern on the left – that's such a cool, fun trio of colours. Image source.}


In a era when so many photographs (and movies) were black and white, it can be all too easy at times to forget that, then as now, the fashion world was alive with vibrancy (a point that I touched on in this post) and wonderfully creative colour combos.

Certain pairings and compilations of hues can definitely speak for various years and decades, but most colours that we have today (and a few that are rarely seen any more, save perhaps outside of paint swatches) have existed since at least the 1910s (and many date far further back in time), and many have enjoyed at least a moderate degree of popularity at once point or another.

There's a bit of a misconception amongst the general population that vintage fashion (that is to say, the clothing and accessories of the 1920s-50s) was drab and comprised mostly of neutrals. As us vintage loving folks know, nothing could be further from the truth! (Just take a look at this list of imaginative, inspiring colour combos from 1922 that Kate posted this past June for proof that there was no shortage of creative colour pairing at work in that decade!)



 photo vintagehats_zps8b112542.jpg

{A wide range of lively, beautiful hues are alive in this 1920s springtime ad for ladies hats - which even reminded shoppers of the many colour choices they had. Image source.}


In some respects, if we exclude the current fad for neons once more, it could almost be argued that those (especially women) who lived during our beloved mid-century decades wore even more colour than most folks do today. One peak at a rack full of 1940s novelty print rayon dresses or 1950s swimsuits (like those pictured below), for example will quickly dish up more fun colours than you'll find in a candy store.



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{You practically need shades to look at this wildly energetic highlighter yellow Jantzen suit from the fab fifties. Image source.}


This isn't to say of course, that every yesteryear gal's wardrobe was a riot of bright colours or that she sported five hues in each ensemble, of course not. Then as now, neutrals were an important part of most people's' closets, and few folks wore eye-popping shades all the time.

Most however, especially those who had their pulse on the trends of the day, were keen to inject colour into their ensembles, be it in small doses or big splashes, and the majority of people had favourite colour combos that they reached for time and time again, thus helping to definite the palette of an era.

I think that as vintage lovers, many of us enjoy making a statement with our clothing, and colour is certainly a surefire way to do just that. It is a powerful tool that we have at our disposal to channel the sartorial essence of a time long gone, yet still fantastically alive in our hearts and closet.

One can stick closely to the exact palette of a certain decade, or put to use pieces that look the part (be they vintage, reproduction, handmade, or vintage appropriate) yet were perhaps less popular at the time. I'd venture to say that many of us (myself very much included) do both, and our wardrobe are brightened up - both literally and figuratively - for the better because of it.


34 comments:

  1. Love this! Getting caught up in being vintage accurate is not my style. Having fun with what I'm wearing, colour or style is. Since I'm growing my vintage wardrobe from only things I've thrifted or fabric that I've thrifted to sew with (my 2014 rule of not buying any new clothing) finding things are a little tricky but fun. They may not be the right colour for the time period as far as the fabric goes but I like to live on the edge. :)

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  2. Terrific post, and nice to have a reminder about colours in vintage clothing! :) I must admit that since I've been *ahem* lusting *ahem* over fashions from the 1920s and 1930s, I've actually used their colour combos as inspiration for my own modern wardrobe (and even makeup). A little difficult to figure out what looks best on someone with now-dark purple hair, but fun nonetheless! *lol*
    Thanks for the great post!!

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    1. Thank you very much, dear lady. I love that you're drawing inspiration from the palettes of those decades, they were so rife with incredibly shades.

      My tip (if you're not doing so already) would be to treat your hair colour like it was a colour in your wardrobe and built your palette around it. That's how I've always treated my hair colour (I'm not a natural redhead) and find it can go a long way towards creating a look that is fabulously harmonious from top to bottom.

      Big hugs & many sweet thanks again,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. I love those fabric swatches that you included, that's a fantastic little glimpse into the styles of the past. While I'm not going to try and recreate the lastest looks of 1931, just seeing a color palette like that can be really inspiring when you're trying to find pieces that evoke a certain era. I'm going to have to bookmark this post, I keep popping back to look at that and trying to picture what I have in my wardrobe in those colors!

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  4. I love colours in fashions, you're so right that it can really make an outfit. I love dressing in vintage rainbow hues and often feel that modern clothes feel so drab in comparison. Some of the loudest, gaudiest patterns of the '60s are amongst my absolute favourites, and whilst I fully appreciate that isn't to everybody's tastes just wearing that splash of colour can lift my mood immensely! I often find myself missing that they don't make clothes in quite the same bright colours anymore.

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    1. Excellent point, sweet gal. I too have had that exact same thought before - often in the context of 40s rayons or 50s novelty prints. We have what I'd call loud colour still, as in the neons that were everywhere last year, but they're often single hues or colour blocking at most. Vivid, multi-coloured patterns that are unabashedly bold are not seen nearly as often, let alone on a large scale like a dress, and it's something that I feel the fashion world would benefit a lot from rekindling a love affair with once more.

      Thank you for your terrific comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. My dodgy internet connection is refusing to load the images in this post - torture! I guess everyone knows that the 70s liked its colours, but I think you're right that there's a mistaken frumpy palette assumption about 50s and older. And yet all the vintage clothes you can buy are in so very many colours! And all the bloggers putting together fab outfits with them are doing such great jobs mixing and matching - I've picked up some great tips for colour co-ordinations. It's actually surprising how many colours go together and how many can be used across seasons. We should all experiment more! CC x

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    1. Very much so, lovely lady. I think that a lot of people have very perceived notions about colour and what can and can't be partnered together. The truth is that nearly any two colours (actually any three - but that's a whole 'nother post unto itself :)) can work together, it's just a matter of getting the shades/intensities right and wearing them with confidence.

      Thank you very much for your terrific comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. This is a great post! I too love a plethora of colors, Im always depressed that so many people go for all black. I love the 1930s and 20s images you used in this post and also the gorgeous colors on the jantzen suits. In your outfit posts you can see your amazing eye for color

    retro rover

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Kate. I agree entirely! Sure, black, white, grey and dark neutrals have their very important place in the fashion world, but I couldn't imagine turning my back on nearly all of the rest of the colour spectrum just because I liked those ones. Colour is really and truly one of the best joys we have in life, whether we wear it, eat it, create with it, fill our homes with it or anything else. "Get your colour on" might as well be my motto, because I really think that's what we should all do, at least some of the time.

      ♥ Jessica

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  7. I would wear that bright yellow suit in a heartbeat, it is fabulous! I agree that color is so important in a vintage wardrobe. Just like today there were 'in' and 'out' colors of the day. The reason I love wearing vintage is because I like at times to wear vintage silhouettes in crazy colors just for fun! I dearly love the palette of swatches in the first photo though. Those are all of my favorite colors-especially as we are approaching fall!

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    1. Thank you for your great comment, dear gal. The silhouettes of decades past are a massive part of the reason why I love such clothing, too. Pound for pound, 1940s and 50s looks work about 10 million perfect better for my body. Throw gorgeous colours, amazing details and stellar patterns into the works and it's easy to see why I've always been head-over-heels for vintage. :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Hi Jess, it's Christy. I'm making an attempt to reply to your post. I absolutely agree w you over hair color. As a blonde, some colors don't work. It can be over powering or wash me out. Great post!

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    1. Hi sweet Christy, thank you for your lovely comment. It's been a long time since I was last blonde, but I've really longing to return again - so you might just see me on the blonde side of the hair colour spectrum again soon. :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  9. thanx for that great post!
    one big reason i love midcentury fashion is the colors of this time. they were much more subtle then the colors used now in textile, interior, cars etc.. 40´s/50´s colors seem to come directly from a artists palette - especially the combinations in multi-colored patterns. today it´s a kindergarten paint box mostly........
    and for black - i have so less black in my closet that i get in trouble when i have to attend a funeral.
    all the colors of the rainbow for you my friend!
    hugs&kisses

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    1. Very well said, dear Beate, I agree across the board. The colours of the mid-20th century really do seem like they were lifted for an artist's colour palette and I adore that about them.

      Thank you for the terrific comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Black is a a classic of fashion, but probably it represents also a confort zone for many wonen...what a pity! There are so many other colours as beautiful as that! And, as you have shown, a lot of possible combinations!
    Interesting subject for a post...

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    1. Very much so - especially since we're long been told (and to a degree, it is true) that black is slimming. I have no qualms with black. It's classic, standard, chic, versatile, and one of the colours of my favourite holiday, Halloween, but I couldn't imagine (even if I was into goth fashions) making it the focal point of my wardrobe - I just adore colour far too much! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  11. You are so right, with so many films and photos in black and white it so easy to forget that color has been such an important part of fashion throughout the decades. Thanks for the colorful reminder!
    Kisses,
    Sarah
    http://everydaystarlet.com/

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  12. This was so interesting to me, I've never really thought about how different colors tend to be known as part of the fashion for different decades, but when you started pointing out which colors I realized that, oh, yeah, I have seen that...as someone partial to vibrant colors myself it's probably no wonder than I'm drawn to 50's styles.

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  13. I liked reading about the different colour combinations. I think the subdued shades of the coat advert are rather gorgeous and sophisticated. It is strange how we imagine past decades to be less colourful - I think it's because of black and white photographs. When I think of the people I know today, many wear black and denim as their everyday choice, so you might well be right that past decades were more colourful!

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    1. Very true, dear Philippa. When we were down in Vancouver back in early June, I had a chance to people watch to a degree I never do here, simply because of the massive differences in population and was constantly struck by how I saw women wearing soooo much black, white and denim. One woman in her 60s was rocking a neon peach-pink blazer (with white pants), and of course some people did wear other colours, too, not just the aforementioned three, but compared to many of us in the vintage/fashion/sewing blogger community, it was quite a drab, predictable colour palette indeed. I hope that more colour returns to the world of 21st century fashion and that folks get braver when it comes to putting together great colour combos - there's so much fun to be had by embracing the whole sartorial rainbow! :)

      Thank you for your great comment, lovely lady!
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. I love colours the bolder the better! Colours are a great source of energy and inspiration! Lovely post Jessica!
    http://balearaitzart.blogspot.com.au/

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  15. I have to admit that I wear a lot of black these days, but I love colour too and have been introducing a few more brights and novelty prints back into my wardrobe as my love of vintage has grown. I am a bit more willing to try different colours these days, and my partner is definitely sensitive to colour and can't wear black jeans during the day as he says he feels more depressed in them! One thing I've noticed is that as people age, over here they seem to start wearing a lot of beige, which in my mind is worse than any other colour - it sucks the pallor from my face like no other. Black is much more flattering on me, and I think can be quite chic, but I do tend to go for bright red accessories alongside it. Lovely images, I like the lady in the yellow swimsuit best! P x

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    1. That is very interesting, I haven't noticed a substantial swing towards beige around here (but to be fair, I wouldn't say my little town is always on the pulse of the most cutting edge fashion trends) or in Canadian fashion magazines lately, but we (North America as a whole) often catch the trends that start in Europe a few weeks/months later. At the moment, I'm seeing a lot of black, white, navy, a bit of grey, and as we head into fall, teal and burgundy (in the shops, in the case of the latter two, more than on actual folks on the streets yet).

      I absolutely have no qualms with black and think that even the most devote colour lover should have at least a few ink hued pieces in their wardrobe. They're a fashion staple and a wonderful one at that, but it would be very challenging for me personally, being a huge fan of colour, to wear black primarily (especially since it tends to wash me out when sported near my face). I've always thought it looked stellar on you and love the way you marry black with various colours, dear gal.

      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Good information and a lot of great points, Jessica! You are right about how people did have more colourful wardrobes in earlier eras—goodness, just watch The Brady Bunch (and I'll confess that's not my favourite era). Yes, lots of brown and yellow, but there were plenty of colours to go with them! I love seeing colour movies and newsreel from the 40s and 50s, because it gives us a good idea, but even black and white images help—so many pretty floral prints indicates colour to me! Plus hats, of course. Even just looking at vintage feedsacks, from which many items of apparel were made particularly during the Great Depression, offers us an inkling.

    Regarding your conversation with Porcelina about taupe and black...interesting. Over the years, I have learned that my fair complexion does not do well with certain colours, so they're "confined" to skirts (such as my vintage yellow wrap skirt with an owl on it—yellow makes me look malarial!). Other tones are okay, but do better with a "buffer zone" of scarf or skin—I only have a handful black tops or dresses, but they all, every one, are scoop- or square-necked, one is off-the-shoulder—because that buffer zone of shoulder and collarbone makes all the difference in the world. (Of course I've quite a few black skirts!)

    Like working with our figures, it's just a matter of figuring out how a colour *can* actually fit into our wardrobe (never thought I'd wear yellow again after a disastrous yearbook picture, but that skirt was too cute to pass up and I'm so glad I bought it!)...though I think colours are easier to work with than curves! ;)

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    1. What a wonderful, detailed and enjoyable comment. Thank you very much not only for relating some of your own personal experienced with colour and fashion, but for suggesting tips for Porcelina. That's immensely sweet of you to do.

      You absolutely rock, Jen!

      ♥ Jessica

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  17. The colours in that image of the 1920's hats are glorious, it felt like I had taken on an infusion of colour. I love seeing fabric swatches, you are right, as so many images that we see are black and white it is one great way to see what colours were being used. I love the floral fabric on the right with the orange in it. In fact, I am hankering after orange at the moment, especially a kind of burnt orange. I am going to get even more colour into my wardrobe!

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    1. I know just the hue you're talking about and adore it myself, too. I have a cardigan and knit shell combo in that shade, which I rarely wear anytime of the year but fall. It just seems strikingly out of place (on me at least) during the rest of the year (especially spring!).

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment, my sweet friend!

      ♥ Jessica

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  18. I love this post. I think it's especially hard to get an authentic look with some of the earlier eras beccause a lot of the actual photos were black and white. This is a great idea! I also wanted to thank you for all of your lovely comments on my blog :)

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    1. Great point. It can be, yes, and that's where illustrations are a godsend (especially if we go way back to the Victorian era, before - for all intents - colour photography existed). Those of us who fancy 1930s or newer looks are very fortunate on that front, as many colour photos - and movies - exist to show us just what palettes were being sported and when.

      You are sincerely welcome, my dear. The deepest of heartfelt thanks for all of your terrific comments as well.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. Most definitely do I appreciate the prints and colors of the Deco Age, but I think my heart and loyalty lean more towards the atomic/novelty prints of the 40s and 50s. I will have to share this post with my sister since the Deco years are her favorite!

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  20. I like colours so much I realized last time I don't have enough "neutral" colours, like simple beige / grey / black items in my wardrobe.

    What I love the most is to wear a dress quite simple but with matching-colorful-accessorizes: like a dress yellow but a pink touch: hat, bags belt gloves and shoes all in pink. God, I love so much that. And it is one of the reason I love so much your outfits Jessica! You're such an inspiring lady!

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  21. Oh, colours. I cannot live without them, and I love the first colour chart, which are just perfect autumn colours. I wonder if you could write about autumn and winter colours of the fifties? Because I think most people only think about pastels when they think about the fifties. Just a suggestion. :)

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