"The best way to look stylish on a budget is to try second-hand, bargain hunting, and vintage."
We’ve been away for a while; we were running out of time (it happens!). We were looking for an interesting subject to treat and we landed on vintage clothing; something not everyone appreciates but it is always worth a try to win these non-believers over. We’ve been looking for the perfect items that show why vintage is so precious and boy did we find it!
Fashion repeats itself throughout the years: fashion from different eras always seems to find its way back into our modern life, ever so gracefully and in what seems to have a cyclical nature. Vintage mixed with modern has a sweet spot in the fashion arena and this is what “The Vintage Kids†is all about.
Voilà ! What made our hearts skip a beat: the shoes (and not any pair of shoes). About a year or so ago, we discovered this little vintage paradise “Dépôt Venteâ€: a little store in Mar Mikhael, Beirut, that sells and rents out vintage clothing. Whether you feel like dressing up for a party or just because you’re a little crazy with an eye for kitsch, we’re pretty sure you will be overwhelmed with eye candy.
It got addictive. We bought a shirt on our first visit and glasses on the second. The third time was a charm, especially for Salim; he got his hands on those blazing shoes that are, you gotta admit, flaming hot! In his look, Salim is also showcasing the perfect example of what we meant by mixing vintage and modern. The glasses he is wearing are from Zara and are obviously inspired by what aviators used to wear decades ago. He modernized them by turning the glasses firey orange. The opposite, however, also holds! Sometimes, you might have something in mind that you can’t find in modern retail outlets like Zara or Bershka. This is why it could be a good idea to go dig into a vintage shop and do a little DIY project, especially if you are someone who doesn’t strictly follow fashion fads. Sometimes, you can end up being a trend-setter.
Things got more exciting when we heard that Dépôt Vente and Pam Nasr (a Stylist whose work we are fond of) were collaborating on an exhibition of awesome vintage clothing in Mizian, Hamra. Leather was everywhere; it was Sophie’s turn to get pimped up. Sophie found cowboy boots that she never thought she would buy; but for some reason these ones called out to her. Once she had them on, the two were inseparable and you could finally understand the true excitement behind singing “these boots are made for walking, that’s just what they’ll doâ€. Even pop culture can’t deny the magical effect of putting on a new pair of feel-good shoes, let alone when they are vintage and loaded with history. Good shoes do put you in a good mood as Paolo Nutini sings “Hello, new shoes. Bye bye, them bluesâ€!
