Vintage Style: Sartorial Nostalgia for Men

Vintage men’s style encompasses a wide range. Let’s break it down to figure out what style elements you might like to incorporate into your wardrobe from the past.

We hear all the time that fashion is cyclical. In my 30-some years on this planet, I’ve seen the styles, fits, and cuts everyone emulated in my middle school days come back in vogue. Then I saw them go out of style. 

Now, we’re right back at the point of the cycle in which they’re ground-swelling, ready to pop back onto the backs of tastemakers.

That being the case, is there such a thing as “vintage style”? Of course, there are vintage pieces. But incorporating your grandfather’s tie into your contemporary-made, modern-cut suit recontextualizes it. It isn’t exuding vintage style in that combo.

What I mean to say is that there are several ways to define and incorporate retro-ness  — for all personal styles. Knowing how to do this adds to your dress arsenal.

If you’re looking to learn more about what vintage style and aesthetics really are read on!

Men’s Vintage Style Clothing: What Is It Exactly?

Since the word “vintage’ simply means “from the past”, the term “vintage style clothing” is pretty vague. The most all-encompassing definition is that vintage style is one that incorporates and emulates fashions from the past.

10 ft. Single by Stella Dallas

Does clothing make today that’s built to look like it’s from the past count? If so, what’s the difference between that and cosplaying? Does wearing a vintage piece currently in style and therefore indistinguishable from modern iterations count?

Different Kinds of Vintage

Actual, literal vintage clothing is, in fact, from the past. Where does one draw the line? There’s no universal rule. However, if it’s 20 years old or older, most stores would qualify it.

If a garment is made to look like it’s from the past, it’s a piece of vintage-style clothing. It’s not an actual vintage piece, but I think it counts as falling under the umbrella of vintage fashion in general.

If you dress up in all hippie garb, is that vintage style or just a costume? 

This is where quality comes into play. A lot of costumes are “fake” clothes. This means an astronaut jumpsuit costume isn’t actually often built to spec. 

A hippie costume from the Halloween store, at its lowest quality, may just be one piece of cloth to drape over your body with an illustration of bell bottoms and a fringe vest on it.

Those are costumes.

What about an actual vintage-style suede fringe vest and bell bottoms, fully crafted to be worn as proper clothes? Well, you can call it both a costume and actual clothing. Another term for it would be “repro”, short for reproduction. And, of course, there are gray areas between the two extremes.

And finally, what if you incorporate a true vintage piece into an otherwise modern-looking outfit? Is that considered vintage style? The answer is that it’s subjective. 

Some may be drawn to that vintage piece, therefore making a big impression on your entire outfit. Others may not even recognize that it’s vintage.

So, as you can see, there’s a wide array of ways to incorporate vintage clothes to create different effects. 

This means that even the most contemporary-leaning guy can benefit from learning a thing or two about vintage.

Vintage vs. Antique

If a piece of clothing is over 100 years old, it’s beyond vintage. It’s what we call antique.

It likely needs to be stored and maintained in a restorative way. And it might belong in a museum. 

Even if you want to incorporate style trends from over 100 years ago, you’re likely better off going for reproductions, as actual pieces might be too delicate.

Vintage Look for Guys: Key Pieces per Era

Depending on which past era you’re trying to channel, you might want to consider some of these essential pieces.

The Aughts

The aughts were a mish-mash of post-future aesthetic. It wasn’t conspicuous and was the height of the logo craze. 

On the other extreme, the suit made a comeback after being experimented on to great extremes in the ‘90s. It came in all cuts, from ‘70s-inspired wide lapels to featuring jean-like breaks and upper-hip waist /placement.