Fashion, most take this word to mean clothing and accessory styles most popular at a certain point in time. There is usually a 'mainstream' fashion trend - high fashion which changes at a fast pace and can be influenced by many different things.
The 'retro' in retro fashion is short for retrospective, this means clothing that imitates clothing of past eras.
Vintage clothing means clothing produced between 1920 and 1980. I guess by 2020 it will also include fashions from the 1990s so keep hold of your old clothes!
Antique clothing refers to clothing produced before 1920.
Clothing fashions in the western world change at a fast pace and would appear to have always done so. Historians can use fashions worn in paintings to date artworks right back to the 14th century. The major changes in clothing and style trends can usually be related to various economic and social changes.
Today we tend to buy most of our clothes from the high street. A wide choice of styles and fabrics, made abroad for the most part due to demand for low cost high fashion with cuts and sizes to fit the majority.
This is all well and good, the price of materials·renders making your own clothes in this country not overly financially viable, but if, like me, the clothes in the shops rarely fit properly and not all styles suit, the chance to learn the art of dressmaking and inspire my own style is invaluable.
My sewing experience was limited to embroidery and the making of one hand sewn skirt at school. I have since searched the web and many books trying to learn a skill that can generally only be learnt by doing. However the information is very useful whilst you're learning so hopefully this site can help you on your way to being your own retro 'make your own' style guide!
Here are some overviews of fashion through the last few decades and some interesting links:
