How I Rock Vintage

(This was originally a guest post for the blog Mrs. Bossa Does The Do, but I wanted to repost it here on my blog in anticipation of a new feature that I will post about this week.  I want to thank Mrs. Bossa again for the opportunity to post the original back on July 11, 2011.)

Firstly, I would like to thank Mrs. Bossa for allowing me the chance to do a guest post on her fantastic blog!  This is something that I have been working on for awhile, so what better way to share than as my first guest post.  I wanted to honor her love of vintage by expressing my love of something similar.

AN ODE TO THE ROCK T-SHIRT

With so many t-shirts out there bearing some kind of “saying”, the rock t-shirt has received a confusing wrap. Are they are or they not fashionable? It depends on who you ask, and I personally love them. I have bought a t-shirt from every concert I’ve been to since I was 14.  My first two were Duran Duran in 1984 and Depeche Mode in 1985.  Both still fit and now have that “worn in” feel that clothing companies can only hope to emmulate.

I’m heavily influenced by 80’s alternative, which sneaks its way into my outfits in the form of a spiked belt, bracelet or rock t-shirt.  Designers like Vivienne Westwood and Stephen Sprouse have infused punk into their lines, and that’s what I love to do with my own wardrobe.  They basically took the t-shirt and made it into a fashion statement.  One of my favorite newer designers, Idil Vice, has created an entire line of clothing that takes the rock t-shirt to a whole new level by placing those rock and punk images on other pieces of clothing like dresses and skirts (like the one below).

The rock t-shirt not only showcases my musical tastes, but it allows me to have greater expression.  I can wear them either completely casual, all the way to glammed up.  They become conversation pieces and can actually bond people.  When I went to a recent concert by OMD, I wore a Joy Division shirt.  There were three other people wearing the same shirt, and we all gave each other a knowing nod, understanding why we were wearing the shirts.  I received several compliments, including an acknowledgement from OMD’s lead singer, Andy McCluskey (he said “Look at you in your Joy Division shirt!”).  Wearing the “right” rock t-shirt can say “I am a connoisseur of music” without you having to say a word.

(Just to give you a bit of history, OMD toured with Joy Division back in the very early 80’s.  When the lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide back in 1982, OMD wrote a song in his honor.  Joy Division later changed their name to New Order).

I came across this article from Cleveland.com called “Vintage rock T-shirts not only make a fashion statement but make a good investment, too“.  Looks like I’m not the only one with a love of the rock tee.  People are not only snapping up shirts from bands like The Ramones and The Sex Pistols, but even the random Styx or odd REO Speedwagon shirts seem to be a hit.  The article explains that vintage and current rock t-shirts are not just fashionable, but can bring in some cash if you are so inclined to give them up.  True vintage t-shirts have increased in value, especially on auction sites such as eBay, fetching up to $1000!  But beware of the wannabes being sold by sites who mass produce them and pawn them off as “vintage”.

“You can always tell by the tags: The originals have much smaller tags and if the tag isn’t as worn as the shirt, you’re probably buying a fake.” – Erica Easley, author of the rock shirt history, “Rock Tease.”

Who knew that my vintage concert t-shirts that I spent $15 on at the most back in 1985, could be worth so much?   Looks like I have a gold-mine in my closet!

(Top image courtesy of The Anti-Fop from Google Images. Middle image courtesy of Cleveland.com.)