Return to postwar values
With the effect of the recession on consumers’ finances, many have
been seen to opt to down-trade or even shop at charity shops, which
may be viewed as a factor in the rise of vintage fashion. Sarah Butler
reports in an article for The Times on April 6, 2010, that the practice of
“hand-me-down enjoying a recessionary revival” with sales figures to
support its claim. She also states that “the British Heart Foundation and
Oxfam [had] reported like-for-like sales growth of 5 per cent or more in
January and March.” This is an interesting figure to take into account,
especially as many high street chains are suffering and have actually
seen falling sales due to the recession. Celia Walden also notes in The
Telegraph on October 27, 2010, the impact the recession has on current
fashion trends, stating that “the sociology behind the midi isn’t quite so
subtle: uncertain times have provoked a nostalgia for the safer values of
yesteryear.” The article continues with Brenda Polan saying, “We’re in
between [skirt] lengths because we’re in between austerity and prosperity.”
The rise in popularity of the midi-skirt can also be attributed to the
television series Mad Men (further discussed in 2.5.1), which can be said
to evoke a true feeling of nostalgia in the minds of the viewer.
There is also a return to postwar mentality as vintage consumers
adopt the “repair, reuse, and recycle” attitude. This challenges
the “throwaway fashion” idea as people hold on to garments longer
and choose to repair them rather than discard them. This echoes the
attitudes of society in 1943; a mass-observation study conducted during
this period revealed that “women were spending more time on repairs,
alterations, [and] generally making-do” (Sladen 1995: 14). Currently
in the UK Channel 4 is televising the program Make Do And Mend, a
term very much associated with the Second World War period, which
informs viewers of all manners of money-saving tips for modern living.
With the effect of the recession on consumers’ finances, many have
been seen to opt to down-trade or even shop at charity shops, which
may be viewed as a factor in the rise of vintage fashion. Sarah Butler
reports in an article for The Times on April 6, 2010, that the practice of
“hand-me-down enjoying a recessionary revival” with sales figures to
support its claim. She also states that “the British Heart Foundation and
Oxfam [had] reported like-for-like sales growth of 5 per cent or more in
January and March.” This is an interesting figure to take into account,
especially as many high street chains are suffering and have actually
seen falling sales due to the recession. Celia Walden also notes in The
Telegraph on October 27, 2010, the impact the recession has on current
fashion trends, stating that “the sociology behind the midi isn’t quite so
subtle: uncertain times have provoked a nostalgia for the safer values of
yesteryear.” The article continues with Brenda Polan saying, “We’re in
between [skirt] lengths because we’re in between austerity and prosperity.”
The rise in popularity of the midi-skirt can also be attributed to the
television series Mad Men (further discussed in 2.5.1), which can be said
to evoke a true feeling of nostalgia in the minds of the viewer.
There is also a return to postwar mentality as vintage consumers
adopt the “repair, reuse, and recycle” attitude. This challenges
the “throwaway fashion” idea as people hold on to garments longer
and choose to repair them rather than discard them. This echoes the
attitudes of society in 1943; a mass-observation study conducted during
this period revealed that “women were spending more time on repairs,
alterations, [and] generally making-do” (Sladen 1995: 14). Currently
in the UK Channel 4 is televising the program Make Do And Mend, a
term very much associated with the Second World War period, which
informs viewers of all manners of money-saving tips for modern living.