4TheRcrd Mag.

While popular chains of mass manufactured clothing like American Eagle and Old Navy still flourish, there is a definite scene and demand for clothing that is unique. The affluent of Vancouver find the unique touch they are looking for in shops such as True Value Vintage, which sells second hand vintage clothing as well as new funky clothing. The vintage clothes and accessories are unique and interesting, some pieces extravagantly weird, and some are rare treasures, but one thing they are not is cheap; this is not a thrift store, it is a fashion boutique. Well, why didn’t you say so?

This led me to thinking how, for example, a simply unwearable (unless as a costume) 1940′s dress could be valued at over $100 dollars. It also led me to realize that value can be found in old styles and clothing. Styles are recycled every decade or so, it seems: after a few years’ repose, bell-bottoms returned in the 90′s. I remember thinking it was weird to wear straight legged pants! Then eighties styles began to return, and legwarmers were seen on the shelves of fashion stores again, and skinny jeans took hold. After experiencing these drastic shifts, I no longer feel bound by any rules in regards to what looks good.

In the mid-1980′s my mom and my aunt began a project called Pita Designs. They designed and hand painted sweaters and jackets, each one unique and ornate, some with beadwork and sequins. It was only recently that I discovered the above photographs at my aunt’s home showcasing some of their sweaters and I thought to myself, I would wear that! Why not have bright floral designs painted on sweaters! I then discovered along with the photographs a newspaper clipping from the time, praising the uniqueness of the new fashion and its success in boutiques around Vancouver. I can imagine them being popular now to the same people who shop at True Value Vintage – people looking for something unique and bold and unbound by restrictions.

At first I was left a little sad by the fact that many of the things I would want at places like True Value Vintage are just too expensive for me, but hey, I bet that actual thrift stores have amazing treasures as well. But more than that, these ladies created art, individual pieces of art, and I felt inspired. It sort of reminded me what I feel fashion should be more like: individual and not just sexy.