Vintage is such a controversial word in some circles these days.
My friends and I have been dressing, and living, with a vintage, nostalgic slant, for years now, well before vintage was cool (and dare I say it, overused). But I believe that letting vintage values truly influence modern life is massively important. And it’s hugely underestimated in the world we live in.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the internet even more than the next person, and I think the modern world is for the most part brilliant. I love that I have opportunities the generation before me didn’t, and the generation before them didn’t even dream of. Yet the things I dislike about modern life are undeniably new(ish). The pace of life, the presentee culture at offices, the obsession with having more and more stuff, however much we earn never being enough… all of those things, which seem to plague so many of my generation, were either nonexistent or less pronounced fifty or seventy or a hundred years ago.
I got some raised eyebrows when I made the decision to step out of City life and try to reclaim my own joyful day to day existence. Eyebrows still get lifted on occasion. For choosing to spend the majority of my income on my home and garden and my own small businesses. Because I don’t splash out on holidays and gadgets and clothes. As far as I can, I try to live mindfully and acknowledge each moment.
The vintage life
I’m learning to sew so I can make my own clothes and mend old ones; Annastasia is more than halfway through a year of not buying any new clothes at all. She is vegan and has an allotment – I am just a fussy eater and have an unruly garden. We’re not quite poster girls for the nostalgic movement yet! But we are certainly taking our formerly crazy lives in the right direction.
I think the mix of old and new, modern lifestyle and vintage values, is one of my favourite things about my own life.
And this leads me to Pretty Nostalgic magazine. Some of you will, I’m sure, be familiar with it, while for some it will be a delightful new discovery. Its ethos is to ‘Spend wisely. Waste less. Appreciate More’. It couldn’t really be more in line with our values here at Ink Drops if it tried. And so we’ve joined up as business members. It is in the process of evolving from a magazine to a society. There will be gatherings and events as well as the magazine/compendium published quarterly.
Nicole, the editor, has set up a Kickstarter campaign to fund the launch of the society and there are all sorts of lovely perks, starting at just £5. Why not head over and have a look – at the Kickstarter campaign or at the Pretty Nostalgic website if you want to find out a bit more first.
We’re also planning, with some like-minded ladies, to launch and run the Essex/Suffolk gatherings. So let us know if you’re local and interested. We’d love to see you there!