Vintage Chic: 5 On-trend fashion items to borrow from your mom's closet

Vintage Chic: 5 Fashion items to borrow from your mom’s closet

Rana Wehbe

20 Jul 2015

updated the 6 October 2015 à 22:53

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Culottes
Popular in the 70's, the culottes - or cropped wide legged trousers - are back in force this season. We're pretty sure your mom had a pair or two back in the days. To update the look and modernise it, team them with an edgy sports-inspired crop top.
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Culottes
Alternatively, a fitted top with geometric shape balances the look and gives it a chic twist.
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Culottes
Or feel free to take them to the next level by teaming them with a tailored oversized jacket creating a work-friendly statement ensemble.
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The Jumpsuit
Love them or hate them, jumpsuits are here to stay! Printed versions may seem scary to tackle at first but the trick is in finding the perfect accessories to modernize the look. Think masculine brogues and folio bags... but nothing fringed, we beg you!
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The Jumpsuit
Keeping the look monochromatic also helps tone down the printed jumpsuit. A tailored jacket adds just enough 'chic' to the otherwise vintage look.
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The Jumpsuit
A cropped jumpsuit, teamed with edgy separates makes for an interesting mix as well.
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Pleated Skirt
While your grandma might still wear those midi pleated skirts - it doesn't mean you cannot wear them too, provided you mix them with younger contrasting pieces such as this bomber jacket.
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Pleated Skirt
A cropped sweater and edgy footwear could also do the trick.
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Flared Pants
These definitely remind us of a 70's Woody Allen movie. Pulling off such a signature piece depends on how modern you make it look. For instance, going for a casual t-shirt and keeping the look simple works best by giving it a more laid-back vibe.
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Flared Pants
Those courageous enough to take on a printed version, make sure you team it with plain separates and create some layers on top. The length of your sweater or jacket should hit the hips as it looks more chic this way.
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The Vintage Dress
If you fancy any of your mom's dresses from a couple of decades ago, wory not, as with the right accessories, you too can wear it. A slip dress for example can be made day-friendly by covering it up with a jacket. Sexy yet discreet.
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The Vintage Dress
Even flowy pastel frocks can look modern, all you need to do is team them with some sporty footwear or sneakers to create a nice contrast.

With every season bringing in the revival of a past trend, why not raid your mom’s wardrobe and incorporate these items in your modern look? Our Editor shows you how.

One of my favourite quotes from Sex and the City (the series obviously) is when Carrie likens politics to fashion. She says: ‘they (fashion and politics) are both about recycling shop-worn ideas and making them seem fresh and inspiring’.

And this cannot be more true than recent seasons where fashion from the 70’s has been making a comeback on the runway with some previously no-no trends making their way back into our wardrobes. Case in point are the jumpsuits seen at Balmain and turtle-neck sweaters at Louis Vuitton.

Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, I recall sneaking into my mom’s closet every now and then to try on some of her dresses and shoes. With my grandmother being a seamstress, you can guess, there was no shortage of amazing frocks lying around – not to mention dozens of Burda sewing magazines showing the latest trends back then.

It comes as no surprise then that as I grew up to fit in my mom’s clothes, I took some of her now-vintage pieces and incorporated them into my wardrobe. With her blessing of course. So imagine when to my surprise, similar jumpsuits to that one I took from her appeared on the runway. Recycled and refined – the 70’s inspired pieces were everywhere to be seen from New York to Paris and celebrities like Taylor Swift donning them on the red carpet.

However, dressing in our mom’s clothes (or any vintage pieces really) is not as easy as it seems. It takes skill and clever styling to make the look more modern and trendy rather than looking like you just literally stepped out of her closet – and we don’t mean it in a good way.

So, if you’re tempted to borrow something that your mom had stacked away decades ago somewhere in the attic, here are your best bets on what to go for – plus some tips on how to pull them off and seamlessly incorporate them into your wardrobe while looking bang on trend.

The irony of fashion, isn’t it?

Rana Wehbe

Photos: Getty Images

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Vintage Chic: 5 Fashion items to borrow from your mom’s closet

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