Popularity of Vintage
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- HijoDMaite
(for research)
Trying to think of media's influence during the last decade which helped the rise in Vintage styles, antiques, second-hand wear, shabby chic, restoration hobbyists and so on...
Obvious examples are TV's endless reality shows about antiques, pawn shops, auctions, vehicle restoration etc..
I know that E-bay and Craigslist were major players in as far as exposure was concerned, but what drives the nostalgia in terms of fashion, design and decor in today's culture?
Economy? Gender? Generational differences? Culural Diversity?
any thoughts will help
thanks
- abettertomorrow0
Probably just human nature. "the good old days"
- inteliboy0
^ this.
especially with this last decade with the internet and a HEAP of our time being in front of computers and around tech, not just for work, but for communicating & play --- people then crave hand made, vintage, wood grain, mechanical, nostalgia etc.
Just like when you spend time out in the country, and miss the city, or when in the city, and miss the country.
- HijoDMaite0
in terms of analog technology seems like a rebellion against the digital age? I wonder if this happened when electricity became popular?
- abettertomorrow0
- damn, I'd heard the definition but couldn't think of the word. thanks!HijoDMaite
- randommail0
Might be interesting to see if the popularity of vintage occurs in different countries.
I've always thought America's fetishizing of 'vintage' had something to do with its lack of a long heritage coupled with its extremely fast growth.
- HijoDMaite0
@ random - I have noticed that first generation immigrants abhor old, worn or distressed styles. would make sense.
- bobkat0
Nostalgia. Life was better. And more bespoke back then.
- inteliboy0
Was thinking this, fascinates me countries that have thousands of years of 'civilised' history -- say Japan, and how they relish in technology, but you can see their deeply rooted culture in almost everything -- all tangled up together.
- < I was just thinking exactly the same thing.randommail
- I had a japanese roommate in college, he said people throw out appliances rather than fix them...vaxorcist
- prophetone0
i think in these times of toss away furniture and clothes etc. some people, not most, look for things that are unique and not like the rest. maybe to relive the past or to be hipsters. also vintage in many ways is cheaper. a teak dining table on craigslist might be $$ but to have one made nowadays would be $$$$$$$.
- SteveJobs0
i've always thought the answer was much simpler. everthing is cyclical.
you get tired of your shiny or trendy new dresser/jeans/car/etc. the only way you can go is backwards. generally the more in-tune (read: obsessed) you are with the relevance of any given item and the scale you use to measure its relevance, the faster you'll rotate through the cycle.
- SteveJobs0
i have a friend who has a very interesting take on fashion, particularly with those nearing and beyond their 40's. he says their style is generally indicative of the best period of their lives. for many, that is their college years and as a result you'll see a lot of people who are seeminly stuck in the grunge era or maybe the hair band era. i always think of this when i see the old guys wearing the hawaiian shirts and khaki shorts - the guys who reaaaaly like to put margaritaville on the jukebox.
- abettertomorrow0
Another side of this is that it happens to be very cost effective to resell already established brands and ideas. Think about hip hop sampling old pop songs, or the endless number of Hollywood remakes/sequels. Recycling old ideas is safer and easier than coming up with new ones.
- randommail0
Do we all agree that this happens mainly in America?
And if there are symptoms of this elsewhere, that it's due to America's influence.
- abettertomorrow0
the latest example of this, Charlie Sheen
- seriously what's up with all his stupid 80's slang?HijoDMaite
- jaylarson0
i think bob dylan was on to something when he talked about nostalgia being death.
- Miguex0
- Hipster: "Hey man, is that a vintage coat?"
- Charles Bronson: "No, it's not, it's a right now coat"
- pressplay0
I see it from a I very practical angle. I recently bought a vintage hifi-amplifier, I found it attractive because of the followig qualities:
- durability: if an item stood the test of time for the last twenty or thirty years, it is very likely to keep going at least another ten years
- value for money
- design: this amplifier for example was build by engineers and not designers, it has no fancy stuff, no useless blends, no shiny buttons for features nobody needs. It does not look like someone wanted it to look like it came of starship enterprise or shit, it was build to work and function, it looks like something that it supposed to make music loud and that is what it does
- uniqueness: if you buy a vintage bookshelf for example, you are likely the only one who owns it, opposed to 80% of people who just got billy from ikea (mind you: nothing wrong with billy)
- patina/character: the use over time leaves it’s marks and adds a certain quality/warmth/liveliness that a brandnew product cannot provide
- MrT0
- HijoDMaite0
A lot of good input here, thanks all. I think the economy has had a big impact, and I also feel it is an American phenom which of course spreads to the rest of the world quickly.
I also agree that it is a rebellion of everything Ikea stands for. We have all experienced the dresser drawer purchase in 2000 from Ikea only to find out in 2001 that it was a piece of shit, then told ourselves, "never again will I buy furniture from there" so when we try and buy some nice solid wood furniture we see the price and are left with Craigslist, and maybe some fixing up. The difference in taste then comes in weather a person prefers the piece of furniture to look old or look new. That brings in a Generational and Demographic aspect. My aunt who lives in D.C. (white/50's) has an entire guest room done up in Shabby Chic where she actually spent time and money distressing, bleaching and painting furniture and accessories in the room to give it that look. On the other hand my friend and his wife (30's/white) who live in a condo in S.F. would
be caught dead with that shit in their pad.As for the clothing it is more of a fad in my opinion. Which will continue it will just switch eras as fashion always does. Cyclical.
For technology and tangible things you are right, things were made different back in the day. It seems we have gotten away from the old rule that, form follows function.
Also the last half of century has given us a lot more free time which allows for hobbies and weekends. A garage can only be used to fix a car so long as a car needs fixing. Cars are getting smarter and better so the private space of a garage has needed to be used for something. There is something here also I believe...
- lukus_W20
It's a response to the values of today - a lot of what's produced is designed to be replaceable, and as a result is ultimately disposable. It's also helped by a modern desire for 'authenticity' which is becoming increasingly illusive as time goes by. The desire to be seen as 'original' also features.
- agree about replaceable and disposable and the 'authentic'HijoDMaite