One of my best recent finds was a large lot of vintage fashion magazines, mostly of them from the 1980s — Cosmo, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and many others, over 100 in total. I am slowly reading and leafing my way through them, trying to savour the experience as much as possible. Vintage magazines are getting shockingly hard to come by! Last time I found some older Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines at the thrift store (and, keep in mind, these were only from the mid-2000s), they were $5 each. Oof. To say that I regret giving away a large portion of my late 90s and early 2000s magazine collection is an understatement.

I enjoy looking at old magazines for many reasons. One, it’s a window on history … and before you protest, may I remind you that the early 80s are now 40 years go. I know, it took me a while to adjust to that reality too. It’s really interesting to see how society and culture was back then, versus now. Also, and this may be a niche interest on my part, I really like seeing mundane details of daily life back then: how much things cost, what jobs people had, etc.

Two, 80s and 90s magazines are a wealth of style inspo given my current fashion interest in that period. What has surprised me many times is how fresh and contemporary some of the styling still appears today, especially for certain designers in particular. I recently saw an 1983 ad for Calvin Klein that, honestly, would not look out of place in a magazine today. It’s definitely changed my perception of 80s and 90s fashion, even beyond my current interests.

One thing I will say is … interior design in the 80s? Hard pass.

Three, and on a related note, these magazines are providing me a whole education on vintage fashion. I’m discovering (or rediscovering) brands and designers that were popular back then, which informs my hunt for vintage pieces at the thrift stores (and on Poshmark). It’s interesting to see how some brands, which have since “come down” in the fashion world, used to be considered quite fancy — Anne Klein, for example. It’s also nostalgic to see names that I hadn’t thought about in years, like Byblos, Krizia and Agnes B.

Here are some of the images I have saved in my “inspiration” folder so far (all from Harper’s Bazaar):

To be continued …

2 Comments on Style Inspo: Vintage Magazines

  1. It seems as though your existing wardrobe pieces are on par with these images. I bet you could easily recreate a few of the looks shown.

    I’ve definitely been appreciating the resurgence of the oversized trouser. Although my expanding middle age mid-secton doesn’t agree with the look of a cinched waist.