Hello, fashionistas ✨

Today we’re going to talk about something that has been on my mind a lot — literally — and that is my passion for the past. From a very young age, I’ve always been drawn to romanticism, the concept of memory, sepia tones, and instant photographs. However, there came a point in my life when I began to question whether this taste was something I had acquired, whether it was just a trend, or whether I truly have a natural tendency to appreciate beauty as time passes. That fascination eventually made its way into fashion when I discovered the term “vintage” — which, by the way, is still very much on the rise.

Like life itself, fashion is cyclical. What is a trend today may return to the spotlight again in a decade. But back in the 2000s, when there wasn’t much culture or awareness around it, I used to dream about certain styles and certain garments. I developed a taste for visiting places like garage sales to hunt mostly for books — it’s worth mentioning that in Cumaná we didn’t really have garage sales; things were sold anywhere, but that’s how we understood it.

So, while looking through my photo album, I came across these pictures where I’m wearing a long-sleeved shirt paired with a brown skirt. That photo holds a story of achievement for me. The skirt belonged to my mom — I’ve been a fan of skirts since I was little, OMG — and as I grew up, I would always ask her the same question: “Mom, does it fit me yet?” I dreamed of wearing it, and words truly fall short of explaining how much I wanted it. I was obsessed with it. I would look at the suede-like fabric and say, “I want it.”

That’s the story behind the first piece. The second one is the handbag, which I found at a street stall near a shopping center in my city. From the display, you could tell these were items that had once been deeply loved. My eyes immediately landed on the bag. I listened to the story of the man selling it — it was leather, a beautiful bag, heavy, and clearly well-made. When I asked about its age, the man told me it was from the late 1970s and had belonged to his wife, who was no longer in this world, and that he needed the money. I didn’t hesitate. I said, “It’s mine.”

I don’t know if you’ve ever connected so deeply with an object that, the moment you see it, you think, “I was waiting for you.” That’s exactly what happened to me with the handbag. And now I recall that moment because I left it behind in Venezuela 💔, just like the skirt.

The day I bought the handbag, I was looking for something to pair it with, and it occurred to me to go to my mom’s closet. She insisted that the skirt still didn’t fit me. Guess what happened? Of course it did. I felt beautiful—not because the outfit matched, but because I was wearing something that truly represented me. I imagined that this was how writers dressed, and at that time, those were my vibes.

Since then, I’ve realized that I get excited every time I go to places where there are second-hand garments, although I connect even more with the stories behind them. In my view, this practice is a form of adoption: you continue giving love to an item that once belonged to someone else’s life and that, for one reason or another, is now for sale.

Pre-loved vs. Vintage

Now, let’s talk about something that took me a while to understand: not everything we see that is second-hand is vintage. Nowadays, stores that sell “used” clothing—or as I like to call it, pre-loved—often use the term vintage as a marketing strategy. I myself thought I was very into vintage, mainly because I truly believe in giving clothes (and some objects) a second chance.

However, vintage fashion has its own characteristics, and the main one is that the item—whether it’s a garment, accessory, book, piece of furniture, or something else—has endured over time and becomes a reminder of a specific era. Yes, most of these items are second-hand because they once belonged to someone during that period. But second-hand and vintage are differentiated primarily by time.

If I sell a dress that I wore once, the person who buys it is making a second-hand purchase. For it to be considered vintage, it should be at least one or more decades old—you can research that further yourselves. The truth is that I have several pieces in my wardrobe that are over 20 years old and once belonged to my mom or some of my aunts, and to me they are invaluable because you can clearly see that pieces made in that style and format are no longer produced.

I’ve come to the conclusion that this isn’t a style for everyone. Some people talk about the energy stored in garments, or about beliefs related to scarcity when buying second-hand. We could talk much more about this 😅
Do you like this topic? Leave me a comment if you’d like me to go deeper into it or if you’d like to see the pieces I own.