alex drake vintage | purveyor of quality vintage goods: vivenne westwood

YSL Resort 2012, Image from Clothingbrands24.com

Ahoy there, my hearties!
Hope your Friday is smooth-sailing.

A good friend recently asked if I still sell nautical-themed items. She said she remembered the sailor shift dresses and red anchor cushions in my Leeds and Harrogate shops. It triggered happy memories for they were my best-selling stock in 2008- 2009. This reminiscence prompted her to ask why the nautical/sailor theme is still going.

Research yielded the following reasons:

❤ Support for the Royal Navy

The Victorians and Edwardians were heartily supportive of the Royal Navy, which would travel to new undiscovered nations to extend the Empire.
In 1846, 5-year-old Prince Albert (who would later become Edward VII) wore a custom-made sailor suit for use aboard the Royal yacht. He looked adorable and so started an unprecedented trend for the children of the middle and upper classes. The Edwardian era — also called 'The Age of Opulence' — was emblematised by the leisurely pastimes of affluent people. These included yachting, bathing and promenading. Railway, tram and bus services developed, many of which aimed at transporting the masses to seaside resorts. There was even a charitable organisation in London which organised trips to the beach for the poor. The sailor look never left the fashion scene.

Image from Wkipedia of Prince Albert

❤ Coco Chanel

In 1917, Coco Chanel took inspiration from Breton fishermen wearing stripy shirts. She was visiting Brittany at the time. Her relationship with the Duke of Westminster from the 1920s to 1930 brought her into frequent contact with the yachting fraternity. Since then, the loose trousers and stripy shirt has become Chanel's trademark look.

Kenzo 2006 Nautical Collection

❤ YSL, Kenzo, Vivienne Westwood & Adam Ant

Yves Saint Laurent introduced a naval collar and reefer jacket in his catwalk show of 1962.
Later, Paris-based Kenzo adapted the reefer jacket in the late 1970s and in 2006, Kenzo's catwalk under Antonio Marra made a sensational comeback. In 1980s England, Vivienne Westwood created the pirate look and English musician Adam Ant wore naval-inspired costumes.


Adam Ant via adam-ant.net

❤ That breezy, care-free feeling

The nautical look never came from high fashion. Its roots were adapted by fashion houses simply because of the assured calm and lightness that it evokes. And from a business of point of view, translating it to daily wear for ordinary folks like us has never been easier because there's not much to modify. People simply love the nautical look because it projects the ambience of relaxing seaside holidays. And who doesn't want to be on the beach?