Today’s outfit is a navy-blue swing skirt with a little bit of movement. ‘’And pockets!’’ she adds excitedly, her soft Yorkshire accent shining through her bold red lip. Her hair is pulled back into a Gibson roll, inky strands loosely pinned in place. 33-year-old Rachel Hollings has been gracing the streets with her vintage style since 2017. She talks to Madison Bown about her style icons, size inclusivity, and replica fashion.
How did you get started with vintage fashion?
I guess it all started in 2017. I was scrolling through Instagram, and I came across this photo of a girl and she was done up in the sort of 50s style swing dresses. And I thought wow that dress is gorgeous, and I looked at her page and realised this was what she did every day, that wasn’t her just dressed up for an event. I started looking for where I could buy those style of clothes and started slowly incorporating them into my wardrobe. Obviously, I wanted the hair to go with it, so I started looking at books and YouTube tutorials and teaching myself how to do it.
How would you describe your style?
The 40s and 50s particularly jump out at me and everything I see I’m like ‘’Oh I want that. How can I style that? How can I wear that?’’ There are fashion icons from those eras like Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner whose outfits I try to replicate, but I also sort of modernise them because I don’t dress to era, I definitely mix and match my eras a bit. But I think fashion should be fun. I don’t think it should be rigid.
Why do you enjoy dressing in this style?
Before I got into this sort of style, I just used to throw anything on and rock up. I didn’t put in much effort but now because I like this style so much, and because it makes me feel confident, I actually enjoy getting ready. When I leave the house, I do feel girly, and I do feel pretty and put-together.
I think having the whole get-up puts me in a good mood, I know I can step out my door and feel happy and confident which can change the outcome of my day. That’s the great thing about fashion, it should just make you feel good.
What sort of reaction do you get from people?
I generally only get positive feedback. Every now and then, you might catch someone giving you a look because they maybe aren’t used to seeing things outside of the norm but most of the time, when people comment, its nice things. That did take a while to get used to at first because I am quite a shy person so all this attention on me was a bit daunting at first. But now I’m just used to it- I know that I stand out, but I like what I wear and I’m comfortable, so I just sort of roll with it.
How did you overcome your shyness in regard to wearing vintage clothing?
I never thought I would be comfortable wearing this on the daily because I thought ‘’oh my god people are going to be looking at me.’’ There was a little bit of that at first, but then it became so natural that I don’t even think about it. You get up and you put on your clothes and makeup, the same way you would do any other way. Fashion should be fun, and I think if you’re comfortable you don’t even think about it, it just becomes your ‘normal.’
Who are your style inspirations?
As I mentioned before, Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth were such big icons of their day, so their style really sticks out to me. But also Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor, very much big, powerful, female fashion icons of the era. It makes me feel glamorous and I think there’s something about that vintage 40s, 50s era that’s elegant, its feminine, its classy. Even if my day isn’t going great, if I’m dressed in vintage, I feel much better.
Do you think size inclusivity is a real issue in the vintage and retro industry? Do you think enough is being done to make it more size-inclusive?
I think all fashion should be accessible for all shapes and sizes and I do think in some of the replica brands in particular there is more of an effort being made to be more inclusive. I’m a relatively small person and I’ve found that with true vintage the sizes are incredibly small, but some of my favourite replica brands such as Vivien of Holloway, and Collectif, are getting better at being more inclusive. Which is brilliant because everyone deserves to feel good about themselves and you shouldn’t need to change yourself to do that.
Where do you get your clothes from?
It’s a mix of true vintage and replica brands. I like replica brands because I think you not only get the style you want but the material as well. I’m vegan and a lot of true vintage uses leather or wool, whereas replica products use synthetic fibres and are open about the materials they use. Another great thing about replica brands is they do made-to-measure outfits, and there’s a great Etsy shop called Hearts and Found who do this. You can have them specific to you, your body, and in the prints you want which I love!
What advice would you give someone trying to get into vintage fashion?
Now and again just add little bits to your wardrobe. Initially, I had a lot of plain t shirts, so I bought some swing skirts in different prints and just started slowly incorporating items into my everyday outfits. YouTube is great for hair and beauty tutorials, and tricks of the trade. Just build your wardrobe little by little and before you know it you’re a 40s dream walking around Louth!
To see more of Rachel’s beautiful outfits, head to her instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyorkshirepinup/