Not all women can wear vintage clothing, and it’s not because they might not favor the feminine styles of yesteryear.
“The majority of vintage fashions are in small sizes,” said Lynn Short, co-owner of Knitting Mill Antiques on Manufacturers Road. “I guess a lot of women were really small back then.”
With that in mind, Russian fashion designer Nataya (Inga Bogomolny) now includes sizes up to 3X in her vintage-inspired fashion line, Nataya. The fashions are sold locally at Knitting Mill Antiques.
“Some people may think it unusual that we carry a line of ‘new’ fashions, but we carry authentic vintage fashions, and we thought the Nataya line would fit in well with our inventory,” Mrs. Short said.
Customers agree.
Debbie Waites of Chattanooga said she was surprised to see vintage, albeit new, clothing in sizes larger than 10.
“I used to run thrift shops, so I saw a lot of vintage clothing, but the sizes were so small that few women could wear them. It’s one of the limitations of vintage clothing. But this line is isis awesome because there’s something for women of all sizes. And the fashions are beautiful,” Ms. Waites said.
The designs epitomize femininity: Victorian-style dresses and jackets, soft and flowing pants, and ruffled and lacy tops.
“Wearing it makes you feel good,” said Darin Wright, of Red Bank. “I could see wearing one of the long tops with jeans and a pair of strappy sandals. It would be a very good look.”
Besides size, the other drawback with authentic vintage clothing is the delicate nature of older fabrics.
“The older fashions are often fragile and can crumble when touched,” Mrs. Short said. “That’s the beauty of the ‘new’ vintage. The fashions look old but are in excellent condition.”
In fact, at first look, many customers think the Nataya line is authentic vintage.
“Most of the styles are inspired by fashions from the early 1900s, but when they touch the fabric, they know the fashions are new,” Mrs. Short said.
Vintage or vintage-inspired fashions are also available at many local antique and thrift shops, including Collective Clothing in St. Elmo, and online at onelittlem.com.