Moving Forward

During each decade we can see a resurgence of a period of fashion that has come before it. During the late 1990's there was a revival of 1960's fashion, presently I have noticed a significant reappearance of the fashions of the 1980's. With the cyclical nature of fashion, it is not unreasonable to think that Vicki's vintage dress could have new life here in the 21st century.  Over the past several years, I have noticed an appreciable rise in the number of young adults wearing vintage clothing. Men and women are shopping at thrift stores, consignment shops and vintage clothing boutiques in hopes of finding a garment from the past worth wearing today.

The cape and the cloak, two garments similar in their basic design and use, are nearly as old as the history of clothing itself. Simple garments, capes/cloaks are designed to protect the wearer from the cold, wind and rain. So, it is no surprise that these items have seen their popularity rise and fall and then rise again over the years. Capes or cloaks, like the one that accompanies Vicki's dress, have been familiar garments throughout centuries of fashion history. Each has undergone changes to keep up with current fashions, much like the cape/cloak that is part of Vicki’s outfit was cut to match the length of the dress and is made of matching and complimenting fabrics.  It is more a fashion accessory then simple protective clothing, but it still holds on to its basic roots as a protective covering.

Modern perceptions of the cloak and cape tend to be more towards seeing them as garments used in historical contexts and in periods of history gone by.  Movies with period piece costumes, television shows about underworld mysteries with vampires and demons and books that tell tales of Victorian periods like the Sherlock Holmes series, tend to come to mind when we think about cloaks and capes. Many today might also call to mind a cloak or cape in reference to their use during popular Renaissance fairs. 

I realize I have spend most of this blog talking about the cape rather then the dress, but it seemed most relevant to this weeks topic. The dress, while decidedly of vintage construction is not too far in style from something you might buy today. It is short and sleeveless and shows a good deal of skin. There is no dated pattern or style to speak of so it could possibly go unnoticed.  The only element to the dress itself that could date it stylistically would be the faux velvet fabric. But, even then, with the resurgence of the 1980’s fashions, it could be overlooked and seen as something from that decade. 

Most importantly I think the focus on the cape or cloak is what makes the outfit noticeable and unique.Without it, the dress could go relatively unnoticed in today's fashion world.