RETRO REVIVAL

WHY VINTAGE IS STILL TRENDING

by Jennifer Holstein

EVERY SEASON SEEMS TO BRING NEW TRENDS...

in fashion and home design. Stylists weigh in on the must-haves, encouraging you to update your look to keep you on trend. But one of the hottest looks in both home and fashion right now isn’t new—it’s a blast from the past. Rattan, 70’s textiles, avocado green and orange accent colours, curvy furniture: the vintage trend is on point.

Style has always been cyclical, with throwbacks to a bygone era always seeming to make a comeback. Clothing retailers in particular, keep recycling trends of the past to market to a new consumer base—don’t get us started on mom jeans! This hunger for vintage style is creating a booming business in the re-sale market. Online vintage marketplaces, like Chairish, have seen their business double since 2020. But what is driving this recent surge of interest in antique, vintage, and retro?

There are a lot of factors involved (economic, environmental, social, and psychological) in making everything old seem cool again. The pandemic has changed the way we work and live, and many of us spend more time at home. People have turned to styles of the past that evoke a more confident, safer, happier time. We are also budget conscious, and more mindful of environmental sustainability. A 2020 survey by thrift giant Value Village reported that 33% of shoppers were “financially squeezed,” with less disposable income than before COVID. And, of course, recent supply-chain disruptions are making it more difficult to buy new.

THE NOSTALGIA EFFECT: REMEMBERED JOY

Whether it’s an antique dresser that reminds you of your grandmother’s home, a woven wall hanging that takes you back to high school art class, or surrounding ourselves with items that conjure specific memories or feelings from the past, nostalgia can be both comforting and invigorating.

It is amazing that our brains can take sensory inputs of smells, sounds, and sights and associate them with positive emotions from our past. Hundreds of years ago, nostalgia was seen to be a disease of the mind that required medical treatment mostly because it was thought to negatively impact homesick soldiers on the military campaign trail. Now, from a psychological standpoint, having this emotional gateway to our past is understood to be good for our mental health. Studies suggest that engaging in nostalgic thoughts can build our self-esteem and lessen feelings of loneliness by looking to the past for confidence and encouragement.

ARMCHAIR ANTIQUING

As anyone who has ever bought second-hand can tell you, whether at a garage sale, thrift store, swap meet or antique barn, there is nothing quite like that feeling of finding something really special. And in our modern times, hunting for secondhand treasure has never been easier. With the advent of online stores like Ruby Lane, Chairish, 1st Dibs, Etsy, and Facebook Marketplace, we don’t even have to leave the comfort of our homes to search for antique or vintage items. All you need is an internet connection.

SHOPPING TO SAVE THE PLANET

If you read the headlines, it is becoming impossible to deny that the climate crisis is getting worse. To do our part, many of us are making conscious choices in our daily lives to lighten our carbon footprint. According to the National Zero Waste Council in Vancouver, more than 672,000 tons of furniture make their way to Canada’s landfills every year, and a global waste study found that each person throws away on average 37 kilograms of clothing each year. And that’s only half the story. Our wasteful habits and reliance on “fast fashion” and design also contribute to pollution and the overuse of natural resources. In fact, new clothing is the secondlargest consumer of water, worldwide.

RETRO Nathalie Blanc oversize sunglasses

Buying “old” items is a great way to practice sustainability while also snagging a unique find that can’t be found in regular retail outlets. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Nanaimo has seen, first-hand, the community shift towards sustainable consumerism. ReStore accepts donations of used furniture from all over the midIsland and resells it to support their mission of affordable housing. According to manager Dawn McHarg, their customer base is now trending younger, and they are shopping for well-made, unique pieces to furnish their homes on a budget. “The pandemic was a boom year for us,” says Dawn. “People were decluttering their homes and we saw a lot of donations.” But furniture has been flying out the door as fast as it comes in. “Mid-century modern, old floral couches, 70’s gothic, vintage record players; our customers are coming to us for something unique. And of course, the quality of the pieces is also so good, so it’s the real deal.” Dawn has also noticed a trend in people wanting to upcycle their finds by giving them a fresh coat of paint, or repurposing an item to give it a whole new look. “We started a partnership with ReVived Vintage [a Qualicum Beach business] who runs upcycling workshops at our store. The classes are booked full with people who want to learn a skill and have fun.”

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

When you buy vintage, or antique or even “pre-loved” retro, you are playing a small part in the circular economy—a model that is gaining traction globally. Taking inspiration from the natural world, the goal of this model is to reduce waste and the use of new resources through sharing, reusing, repairing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. Even furniture giant IKEA is jumping on the bandwagon, piloting buy-back and resale services, and making changes to how their furniture is sourced and made, making it easier to fix, repurpose, or recycle.

So go ahead and buy that mid-century teak armchair you saw at the flea market. You will be on trend, improving your mental health, helping to save the planet, and revolutionizing the economy in one fell swoop!

ANTIQUE Worcester Porcelain Factory teapot; collection of Auckland War Memorial Museum ca. 1768-1770

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Antique, vintage, retro—these terms are not interchangeable. So what’s the difference? While there is no perfect answer, most experts agree that it’s about time… and style.

Antique is the elder statesman of the three—literally —and it is generally understood that an item must be at least 100 years old to qualify as one. The age, condition, and rarity of the piece are what ultimately give it value.

The term vintage is a bit trickier. The word literally means “of age” and was once used specifically to refer to wines. Now the moniker describes anything that was made or manufactured more than 20 years ago. More readily available and often more affordable than antiques, vintage items often have a value because they evoke a specific period or style that many of us still remember—the nostalgia factor.

Retro is more like your kid dressing up in grandma’s old clothes. While a retro piece is not actually from the past (it can be brand new), it does reference the past in its style or representation. Because they are neither vintage nor antique, retro items can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of their “older” counterparts and still evoke a specific style or era… like that “midcentury modern” credenza you found on Wayfair.

VINTAGE Gossen Tippa Pilot portable typewriter ca. 1955

Jen Holstein lives in Nanaimo with her son and her collection of vintage typewriters. A born thrifter, she has only recently bought her first piece of new furniture—a mid-century modern style credenza.