SS20’s trends are all vintage-inspired — here’s where to shop them second-hand

By Erin Lindsay
01st Oct 2019

SS20’s trends are all vintage-inspired — here’s where to shop them second-hand

As Secondhand September (and of course, SS20 Fashion Month) draws to a close, we’re noticing an overlap in the emerging trends and vintage favourites

We’re now into October, which means the chaotic sartorial energy of September can settle down and we can sift through the noise to find our own version of a new season wardrobe.

But of course, as anyone with a passing interest in pop culture will know, September wasn’t just Fashion Month — it also saw the emergence of Oxfam’s anti-movement, Secondhand September, where the charity encouraged fashion lovers to rage against the fast fashion machine, and stick to secondhand and vintage buying for 30 days.

Being glued to my Instagram stories over the last four weeks has afforded me a refined picture of what SS20 style looks like — and it looks distinctly vintage. From Gucci to Givenchy, Batsheva to Balmain, retro-inspired looks dominated runways across the board, and got me thinking about how to positively approach shopping the new season.

No coincidence

It could be argued that fashion is and has always been a repetitive beast, and it’s only natural that elements of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s fashion trends are continuously found in new season looks. But looking at the runway shots below, one can’t deny the abundance of on-the-nose vintage looks in what is probably one of the most throwback-esque Fashion Months of recent years.

It can’t be a coincidence that the recent upsweep of secondhand shopping has coincided with such retro runway looks, but I wonder which came first with this chicken-and-egg situation — are we buying more secondhand because it’s en vogue, or are vintage looks appearing because we, the consumer, demand them?

We at IMAGE obviously play a part in the fast fashion machine — we are a fashion publication, and as such, we answer the call to which new season clothes you should buy. But we also are increasingly turning our attention to secondhand gems, as a guilt-free way to update our wardrobe. And what better time to do so, in that many of the looks seen on September’s runways can be found in your local NCBI or Oxfam?

We’ve gathered some of the top trends of SS20, and some online vintage gems to help you recreate the look sustainably.

Seventies’ tailoring

In what was probably the prevailing vintage-focused trend of the season, the ’70s came back in force for SS20. Sharply flared silhouettes and textures galore abounded across Gucci and Celine, while bright colours and dagger collars had some fun at Paco Rabanne. This trend has been everywhere in 2019 and shows no signs of slowing, so now is the time to stock up on vintage copies.

Get the look

*Long-sleeved cropped olive suede jacket, €42.54 approx. from Beyond Retro*

Sixties florals

The Swinging Sixties are here to bring the colour to SS20. New fashion darlings RIXO and Olivia Rubin embraced the trend with open arms, both unveiling dresses of all lengths in full vibrant bloom on the runway (or grass bank, if you were at the RIXO show). Follow their lead and don’t bother looking for subtle ways to wear — go all the way and rock those florals with pride.

Get the look

*Printed dress, €59 from Imparfaite Paris*

*60s Style Shift Dress, €82.48 from Etsy*

Prairie and tea dresses

We’ve now well and truly left the summer behind, and I’d say I’ve seen about 57693 prairie dresses on my Instagram feed over the last three months. The comfy, wearable and distinctly vintage trend has dominated summer Scandi girl fashion for 2019, and for next year, it seems the designers are finally catching up. Batsheva and Erdem, famous for nailing the prairie dress look, did not disappoint in their shows this season.

Get the look

*Vintage 1970’s Prairie Dress, €70.70 from Etsy*

All shapes of sunnies

And to finish off your full-vintage outfit? It has to be a great pair of sunglasses. Oversized is the name of the game this season, but they can come in any shape you choose. We’re loving Gucci’s 70s-inspired square frames, but round and hexagonal shapes are all making a comeback too.