INTERVIEW #178 EMILEIGH

Name: Emileigh

Occupation: U.S. Air Force officer

Based in: Alabama, U.S

Website: www.flashbacksummer.com

Instagram: @flashbacksummer

Hello, Welcome to A Sustainable Closet! Can you please tell us more about yourself?

I’m Emileigh, and I currently live in Alabama in the U.S. I’m a mother of two girls and have been married to my awesome husband for 10 years now! 

Can you tell us more about when and why you became interested in vintage?

I always thought vintage clothing was cool but never thought to wear it myself until college. I had just returned from living in East Africa and was re-acclimating to American culture and ways of dress. (It was difficult!) I experimented with fashion to outwardly express who I was inside as a third-culture kid, and I settled on vintage fashion with intercultural elements. It’s a way to connect to my history and experiences! 

How would you describe your style?

1920s-1950s vintage with an intercultural twist 

Can you name a favourite decade or vintage style?

I really love the 20s and 30s! 

Any favorite vintage items or things on your "wish-list"?

I would love to have a 1920s robe de style someday. They’re such a quirky silhouette and often embellished beautifully!

Where do you shop vintage?

I try to find pieces locally first. I’ve moved around a lot, so I always look through antique malls and any vintage stores in my town, first thing. After that, I tend to purchase clothes off Instagram from vintage shops or other vintage wearers. 

How does one know what's vintage? Seems like a word used for a lot of second hand clothing.. 

I think the technical definition of “vintage” I’ve seen is clothing that is at least 20 years old, but that means anything before 2004 is vintage and I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet! 

How can one start to add more vintage clothing into their style?

I think one of the easiest ways to start is through accessories. They’re plentiful and often cheap, so it can be an easy gateway to vintage style. Some pieces, like brooches and hats, aren’t worn as often these days and will evoke an immediate vintage vibe! Another inexpensive item I recommend is a big silk scarf. It can be worn so many ways and styled for any decade.

Anything else you want to share?

I absolutely love the mentality of the 1930s and 1940s toward clothing. Because of financial depression and then war, people in these decades tended to have fewer garments they took good care of. They freshened them with new accessories or refashioned them into something else when they wore out. There are so many good sustainability tips from books, magazines, and pamphlets from these eras!