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Shopping my wardrobe for the best pair of vintage jeans, ever

— by Alyson Walsh

Photos: Claire Pepper

When I bought this pair of APC jeans in the early 1990s, the denim was a dark, inky blue, untreated and as stiff as cardboard. After many years and many washes the hardwearing fabric is soft and worn and has faded to a gorgeous shade of winter sky. When does an item become vintage? These jeans are approximately 25-years-old, they’re a classic 20th century garment, well made and well designed. Are they  vintage – or just something I’ve owned for a very long time? (Nearly half my life). My fashion dictionary defines vintage as ‘second-hand clothing with a sense of history that is worn in an ironic or nostalgic way’. There is a possibility that my fashion dictionary might be vintage, too…And, for an item to be considered vintage on the Etsy website, it must be 20-years-old.

Now that we have a new improved storage system at That’s Not My Age Mansions, I feel more organised, able to see clothes clearly and can ‘shop my built-in wardrobe’. As a denim-lover, I knew that these APC jeans were worth hanging on to – even if they have remained unworn for the last decade. The Japanese selvedge denim is top-notch and the straight-leg shape is timeless. What’s old is new, to me, again.

The denim shirt from J.Crew, cost $25 in the sale and I dragged my brother all over New York to find one in my size (quite a few years ago, similar HERE). Style tip: I like the look of the J.Crew Point Sur jean in medium vintage, reduced in the sale. The boots are my ancient Acne Pistol boots, the cashmere sweater is from Gap and the corduroy jacket is second-hand Margaret Howell, and not quite old enough to be vintage. 

 

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When I bought this pair of APC jeans in the early 1990s, the denim was a dark, inky blue, untreated and as stiff as cardboard. After many years and many washes the hardwearing fabric is soft and worn …