It seems that in this era of mind-blowingly modern miracles people are beginning to have a hankering after some of the old fashioned charm of yesteryear. You only have to look at Pinterest, Etsy or Flickr to see that “old” is the new “new”.
It’s a strange paradox really – people using their high speed iPads, iPhones or latest android devices (inventions which people could never have imagined 50 years ago) – to look at pages and pages of vintage inspired “prettiness”. Even fashion has taken a definite “retro” turn in recent years.
Pinterest — got to show some vintage love!
Naturally, I am delighted by the current yester-yearly leanings. I have, however, never been one to be governed by popular trends. I grew up in the 1990’s … probably one of the most “modern” and “androgynous” eras in all of history. Girls wore “Doc Martin” boots (with short dungarees); overly feminine skirts and dresses were frowned upon and to admit you liked the colour pink was social suicide! Black, white and the occasional touch of blue were the tones of the times. Phrases like “less is more” and “minimalist”governed the decorating scene.
The cast of Beverley Hills 90210 pretty much had the 90’s look “sorted”
In spite of my “badly timed” teenage years – I have always had a love for antique treasures. This was probably because I had some good inspiration… My grandparents had an amazing house in Hilton (in the KZN Midlands) which they built themselves using salvaged pieces from demolished antique buildings. They had crystal chandeliers in the lounge, refurbished yellow-wood flooring, huge old hardwood doors, even stained glass windows! The home was literally overflowing with English porcelain, figurines, EPNS cutlery, statuettes and amazing old furniture. My granny (at nearly 92 years of age) still has a (slightly smaller) home full of such delights.
To add to this, my father and mother have always been avid collectors of vintage treasures (they even had a brief stint running an antique shop in the picturesque village of Robertson in the Western Cape).
I read Jane Austen; knew all the words to “Sound of Music” and collected pretty ornaments and china from church fetes and charity shops. Nothing much has changed… actually, I may have forgotten some of the words to “Raindrops on Roses”…. (at least I now have the luxury of being able to “google” those).
“La a note to follow So” … gotta love those curtain outfits in Sound of Music!
So although I have never been a “fad follower” – I think I might just be happy to go along with the latest handcrafting-upcycling-vintage-loving trends. I just hope this endures a little longer than the health sandal phase which lasted for about 6 months when I was in Standard 9!
Seriously, these were the must-have footwear for teenage girls and boys at Howick High school (for about 6 months in 1998)!
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