i was prepared to pitch this photo and the one that I will post next, but then I changed my mind. This little outfit is from 1981. It looks just like things being sold today at first glance. So why would I say that there is anything special about it? It is just barely true vintage – 33 years old. But, it’s still a favorite outfit of mine and I still wear it.

The pants are by Stuart Lee. I bought them from the Spiegel catalog, which was a favorite of mine. They are a lightweight denim and fit really nicely. Love the color!

The blouse is silk in an animal print that was very popular then (also in the late ’60s and came back a bit in the late ’70s. Not to mention, of course, the ’50s and the ’40s!)
At that time, silk clothing was usually only high-end and was expensive. The company that produced this, Royal Silk, was one of the first to make popularly priced silk shirts and blouses. I had several and will show another one of a completely different style later.

So, ordinary fabrics and ordinary style – but they have held up well and are completely current fashion NOW. The pants, especially, fit better than what I can find at retail today.

What’s the point? 1. If you find things that you love, take care of them and keep them. 2. The clothing made since the mid-seventies (excepting some disco-wear and some designer things) are very similar to what can be found now. They differ from modern clothing only in the quality of the materials and workmanship. If you’re very good at spotting the difference, you can snag some wonderful things. Otherwise, it all looks the same. Take a look at my next post, from the ’70s, for another example.