Recently I was contacted by fellow blogger and vintage enthusiast Margaret Wilds of DENISBRAIN to review her new book Wear Vintage Now! Choose It, Care for It, Style It Your Way. I’ve been aware of Margaret since I started this blog, which makes sense, because she’s had an on-line vintage presence since 1999, and she is well versed within the world of vintage. Since I’m no longer interested in creating “period perfect” looks, vintage guidebooks have fallen off my radar, but when I noticed part of Margaret’s subtitle said “Style It Your Way” I was intrigued, and decided to go ahead with a book review.

Margaret starts her book with a personal intro that lets you get to know her and trust her. She also notes that, as I suspected, this book is not a period guidebook. Its aim is to help the reader discover, learn about, and understand vintage clothing, and to use vintage as a way to develop one’s own personal style. This spoke to me, as vintage really was a stepping stone for me in creating my own personal style. As I’ve said, I’ve moved away from period perfect looks, but still adore vintage for a variety of reasons, many of which Margaret talks about, including style, quality, fit, the support of small businesses, and the overall environmental impact of buying used clothing. Vintage offers unique style, is often of superior quality than new items, often fits better than current items, vintage shops are small businesses, and therefore better for the economy, and buying used clothing is better for the environment, as you are recycling.

For the most part, Wear Vintage Now! focuses on women’s vintage clothing, and is aimed at new comers to vintage clothing. Margaret defines that current meaning of “vintage” and notes the hazards of older, true antique clothing, such as beaded dresses from the 1920s. The book is jam packed with vintage clothing myth busting, tips for finding vintage, keys to finding the perfect fit, advice for buying (including a great deal of information for buying on-line), and how to care for your clothing. Literally everything you need to know to get started buying vintage.

And while I keep mentioning clothing, Margaret covers accessories too! Brooches, scarves, purses, hats, and shoes. Noting they are a perfect introduction to the world of vintage, and, for the most part, one size fits all when it comes to accessories!

Vintage can be extremely intimidating, and it can be dizzying trying to figure out where to start, but if anyone interested in wearing vintage women’s clothing came to me and asked me “Where to I begin?” I would honestly say “Get a copy of Wear Vintage Now!” It is a quick read, but extensive with the perfect amount of advice without making it feel extremely overwhelming. Even though I’ve been wearing vintage since middle school, I still found helpful tips, especially when it came to working on stains, and think that it is a swell book for those who have been wearing vintage for awhile.

You can purchase Margaret’s book, Wear Vintage Now! on her website.

Disclaimer: I was approached by the author, Margaret Wilds, to write a review of Wear Vintage Now!, and received a copy free of charge. However, this is a book I strongly support regardless.