Weddingbee

One of the awesome things about living in such a large city is that you have access to a lot of different things. You have a tonne of restaurants, a tonne of theatres and a tonne of clothing stores. Especially vintage clothing.

Though shopping for a brand spanking new piece of clothing is great, sometimes scoring a great preloved piece can be just as awesome, if not more so, because you feel like you’ve unearthed something really amazing. I can’t tell you how many weekends after I first moved to the city I spent scouring Queen West or Kensington Market with Mr. Hummingbird for a great new find (Brava, Carbaret, House of Vintage and Courage My Love are all noteworthy shops if you’re looking here in Toronto) .

It can take some effort sometimes, but if you find just the right thing, it can totally be worth it.

Because vintage seems to be coming back in a big way, for some inspiration, I’ve collected a bunch of pictures of actual vintage dresses.

A simple square necked number from the 1950s.
(I totally love the simplicity of this! The way the skirt falls is so pretty.)

A short lace cocktail dress with a cinched satin waist.
(I say if you’ve got good legs, you should flaunt ’em!)

A creme coloured organza outfit.
(Doesn’t it totally seem like the kind of dress Marilyn might have worn
to speed off on a weekend getaway in a convertible?)

A fashionably flared 1960’s getup.
(This would be perfectly paired with some great bling and a martini glass )

Get boho chic in this dress from the 1970s.
(I know the ’70s weren’t that long ago, but in fashion terms, it’s vintage).

And for those of you who like the look of vintage but perhaps don’t have access to the real thing or are looking for something newer, some cool vintage inspired dresses.

A white silk halter inspired by 1970s fashion.
(Or perhaps the JLo of today. Isn’t she known for wearing grecian halters?)

Gold glam from the 1930s.
( Check out the cute peekaboo back!)

Rock it like Jean Harlow in this slinky silver slip-on.
(How totally va-va-voom is this? I love it!)

You can not only drink champage at your wedding but wear it in this 1940s dress.
(I am so damn pale so I like the off whites)

The detailing on this glam number from the dirty ’30s makes it one for the history books.
(I didn’t used to like beading, but this is pretty awesome)

Not only is it kind of a cool blast from the past to pick something vintage, but it’s also kind of a neat way to honour the trends and the people that came before us. Although your grandmother might not be around anymore, wearing her dress, or a replica of her dress, from decades past can be a nice way of making her part of your day.

If you’ve got time, try searching for a great wedding dress, maid of honour outfit, rehearsal dinner getup or something cool to wear on your honeymoon at the vintage stores in your area. You never know what you might find.

(All pictures are from Posh Girl Vintage and Unique Vintage respectively.)

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