Vintage Vs. Vintage style - what's the difference?

''Vintage clothing is a generic term for new or second hand garments originating from a previous era.''

"Vintage style usually refers to clothing that imitates the style of a previous era.'' 

We all know there is a big difference between something being vintage and vintage styled. These days, you can walk into any shop on the high-street and find dozens of 'vintage inspired' pieces! Vintage clothing was once for a niche of fashion lovers, people wishing to recreate certain eras (the 20's always having been a big favourite!). However, in the last 5-10 years, sourcing vintage clothing has become undeniably mainstream and therefore everybody wants to be part of it. Buying a vintage flapper dress will set you back a much larger amount of money than an imitation from a place like Topshop. The good thing is, you know it will be in excellent condition because it is new but also to the untrained eye, will appear like a vintage one of a kind. My issue though, is with everyone buying into it, after a while you start to see everyone wearing that dress. I guess though, some could say it is the same as buying certain products from the high-street that are inspired by the latest designer catwalks. That same untrained eye will be unlikely to tell the difference between a Chanel quilted bag and your average high-street quilted bag. 


What really inspired me to discuss vintage fashion on my blog was my introduction to eBay yesterday. Yes, you heard right. A 19 year old fashion lover only just familiarising myself with the world of eBay seems crazy but the truth is, I was worried about having another place to over spend. After a few serious inner monologue discussions, I talked myself round. Whilst browsing I noticed that as I searched for vintage pieces, many of the items listed were actually vintage styled. They were from current shops and maybe only bought a few months back but came up with the real vintage pieces. 


For me, it isn't an issue. I buy into both. The shoes, sunnies and necklace in my photos are vintage style whereas the dress and scarf are real retro pieces (I was also wearing two vintage rings but stupidly didn't think to take a picture of them, partly because my tripod has broken!). I do think that certain things on the high-street don't work as vintage though. Creating something that looks new and old at the same time is admittedly tricky, but when done right is very effective. Therefore it is important to do it right, Topshop for example pull this off effortlessly. Others however end up with cheap looking products that don't quite fit into either category, therefore who is going to buy them? I am a big advocate of fashion being available to  everyone and I think the beauty of vintage is that you can pick up some amazing finds in charity shops because they probably weren't too expensive the first time around. Buying original couture dresses etc are unlikely to ever be within my reach because like a good wine, the older it gets, the more expensive it becomes. Even if I end up earning a nice wage, I cannot see it being something I could afford, or justify, splashing out on.

How do you feel about vintage inspired fashion? 
Which do you prefer to buy into and why? 
Which stores do you feel do it best?