Reporting live from our third week of quarantine, you may have already noticed, but time inside has ramped out online shopping (along with other activities!).

While chatting on the phone this week, we thought it would be fun to do a little style challenge on something near and dear to our hearts—vintage. We love vintage and incorporate it into most, if not all, of our outfits. Admittedly, it can be hard to style at times without looking gimmicky.

So our challenge? A head-to-toe vintage look. The goal? Keep things old school right vs retro wrong. We’re not going to a themed party!

What we’ve found is that when styling vintage, it’s important to anchor the look with a current trend or hot streetwear item, because it instantly makes the outfit approachable. Some of our favorite vintage items have been outerwear and Levi’s denim. Both add that element of classic lived-in cool that makes vintage unique and individualist. Keep reading to catch our takes for this style challenge….

JG: The kicker (see what I did here?) is that based my look on an early-1960s cream trench with an oversized white leather coin purse i.e. the ultimate accoutrement. It is a statement piece by the late Bonnie Cashin from her time at Saks, which pre-dates her Coach career. To modernize the look, I then delved into the current dress-over-pants trend—in vintage Levi’s of course, and a thrifted dress I scored for $1. Nothing seals a vintage moment quite like a Ferragamo pump, so there ya go!

JG Outfit: Coat - Saks Fifth Avenue; Dress - Quite possibly a little girl’s church dress; Denim - Levi’s 517; Shoes - Ferragamo; Earrings & Signet - Eden & Eden (circa 18th century)

AKL: Oh vintage, so so special. I was obviously game when this challenge was presented. The memories attached to vintage is something fast fashion cannot replicate.

I landed on wearing a puffy Ralph Lauren vest with oversized claps. I paired it with a trusty pair of vintage Levi’s. This particular white pair is an ultra high rise straight from their Native Blue line. They feel very Princess Diana, and yes, that image influenced the shoe choice. The vest was one of my mom’s and ingrained in my childhood memories. With the current peak of the 90’s trend, it’s been heavy on rotation and felt like the perfect piece to anchor this look.

The very oversized button up shirt is my grandfather’s (*not pictured* his monogram on the cuff), and I love being able to style it in different ways. Speaking of styling, I was back and forth with my dirty hair (to bandana or not?)so I left ya with the 2 for 1 deal.

AKL Outfit: Vest- Ralph Lauren; Shirt- Grandfather’s; Shoulder Bag- Vintage Coach; Straight Jeans- Levi’s; Loafers- Bass; Vintage Gold & Diamond Rings- Recreo Jewelry; Pearl Gold Ring- Grandmother’s (circa ~60s)

So you have our take, but we could not leave you hanging without a shopping list. Achieve the vintage look with some of these killer pieces from The RealReal!

1. It’s all about the outerwear! In 2020, it’s hard to snag a really nice coat in quality fabric with unique/functional style details without paying $$$$. Do it here!!

2. Invest in timeless accessories—a great belt or bag will never go out of style.

3. Look for silhouettes that are versatile- a long cotton dress or a silk blouse