A totally
comprehensive list of every possible style an item on Etsy could
belong to is probably impossible, but their own list is certainly
very extensive. One problem, though, is that it's such a big list –
reaching to unusual or even esoteric topics – that most people
won't really know what all of them mean without doing a lot of
research to figure it out. Another trouble for anyone buying or
selling clothing items is that while some of these styles have very
clear meanings in some particular field, like architecture or
interior design, it's a little trickier to say how they might be used
in the fashion world. To help save all the time and confusion of
sorting all this out, here's a short explanation of all of Etsy's
listed styles as the terms apply to clothes and accessories:
Abstract
Sometimes this just refers to anything
printed with abstract art; otherwise, whatever is unusual and
eccentric in style or material. (Ask, “Is it something Lady GaGa
would wear to an award event?”)
African
Usually people use this to mean pretty
straightforward shapes and cuts in bright and colorful patterns, but
it is, of course, somewhat more complicated because Africa is an
entire continent. Generally, though, African style is pretty
traditional and hasn't changed a great deal over time.
Art Deco
A visual style from the 30s and 40s
that is industrial and geometric. The Chrysler building is used often
as an example of Deco. Clothing doesn't necessarily belong to this
style directly and more often takes inspiration from the broad idea.
Art Nouveau
A visual style from the late 19th
and early 20th centuries. A flowing and graceful style
characterized by natural influence and dominance of curved lines. For
clothes it usually refers to things that are lacy and elegant, but
not over-extravagant.
Asian
Again, an entire continent. In the
western world, we often just borrow curvy dragon motifs and words we
can't read, but sometimes Asian style is talked about on a more
serious and practical level. Modern Asian fashion in places like
Tokyo tends to be pretty loud and individualistic – “anything
goes!”
Athletic
Pretty obvious and straightforward: anything that looks practical and suited to some sport or other
physical activity.
Avant-Garde
A broad term referring to bold,
original and experimental style. Often its invocation brings to mind
associations with the dada movement, which was characterized by a
rejection of reason, but avant-garde is a wider idea, and it
certainly doesn't always refer to things that are completely
irreverent.
Beach
It's the beach! Bright, sunny, simple,
and practical.
Boho
A shortening of “Bohemian”, a
fashion associated with a loose, free lifestyle and often exemplified
by the dress of nomadic people like the Romani. Common elements of
the style include fur, felt, beads, embroidery, and
simple-but-prominent colors.
Burlesque
Fashion influenced by racy and/or campy
performance art that makes use of everything bold and glamorous.
Think early-to-middle twentieth century showgirls.
Cottage Chic
Usually used in reference to home décor
that is modest, but refined, in keeping with the fashion language
tradition of tacking “chic” onto other words in order to indicate
“...but on purpose” (as with “shabby chic”). It can refer to
clothes that are light and conservative, but modern, with subtle
pastel colors.
Outdoor work or work-inspired clothes
with farm and ranch associations – something a cowgirl would wear,
or anything that would look at home with jeans and boots.
Edward VII reigned from 1901-1910, so
this refers to what was popular during that period or even to the
years following up until 1920. (Apparently, poor George V wasn't cool
enough in the early years of his reign to get the period named after
him – but the whole world wars thing was pretty distracting, too.)
Dress in the time period was transitional, as clothes moved more from
the frills and extravagance of the past to things that were more
convenient for actually moving around. Clothes were still formal and
elegant, but more restrained compared to previous eras. Edwardian-era
style is something a lot of people have become interested in lately,
as Downton Abbey takes place close to this time period.
An intentional, anachronistic
hodgepodge of the dark ages, the Renaissance, and anything that
evokes thoughts of dragons and castles. Because of modern
entertainment (video games, anime, etc.) the usage of “fantasy”
in dress or art has departed somewhat from Disney fairy tale images
and into darker and more serious territory... or as serious as a
person can be in a witch hat, anyway.
A broad concept referring to the
passing on of ideas between the common people within a culture; what
it means in clothing depends on what culture is being thought of.
Generally it's anything that looks old, but like something the
working class would wear rather than anything with the frills of rich
people's garb.
Rather than referring directly to the
older architectural movement (or the people responsible for the fall
of the Roman empire), “gothic” in terms of clothes describes
dress tied to a subculture that came out of a specific branch of the
post-punk music scene. Because it fits with the music style that
spawned it, goth dress is reminiscent of ideas originating in horror
movies, romantic science fiction, BDSM, and “actual” Gothic
literature and artwork. The style relies heavily on uniform
blackness, often offset by shiny, gray-tone metals in the form of
spikes, studs, and chains.
Everything modern and up-to-the-minute;
all that evokes richness and demonstrates originality in design. High
Fashion is wealthy, contemporary, and focused on change; it's a
varied and controversial field within which there will be
disagreement on what looks good – which is a large part of its
draw.
This style of dress is a natural result
of the subculture surrounding its music, so it is characterized by a
modern, urban look. Hip hop looks are fresh and easygoing; casual,
but cool. Clothes are often loose with large and bold detail or
accessories.
The hippie subculture is based in a
system of values emphasizing personal freedom, and as such is often
associated with psychedelic music, sexual revolution, and
consciousness-altering drugs. Although modern culture was influenced
strongly by many of these ideas, the overall visual styles, which
were similarly counter-cultural, remain in contrast to the typical
even today. They revolve around bright, varied colors and loose, free
clothing representative of the ideas behind the movement as a whole.
In its modern usage, this is a
much-maligned subculture that loves all that is cool and places high
value on genuineness and authenticity in the appropriation of styles
from past subcultures such as early punk or grunge, instead of a more
casual adaptation of same. But, unlike these other subcultures, it
doesn't represent any philosophical ideas. It is also an eclectic
movement, as it does borrow from many other ideas, so its styles are
difficult to pin down, but, examined broadly, it's fairly
recognizable and uniform. Anything implementing an assemblage of
various dated styles, especially logos and iconography, could be
described as hipster. Hipster clothes often also involve
“cool-because-they're-not-cool-anymore” articles of clothing
(e.g. light scarves and sweaters, bow ties, and suspenders).
These are clothes that, rather than
borrowing ideas from an older time, actually look like they belong on
someone from that period. The practice of dramatically reenacting
events from history has spawned a sizable movement; the era of the
American Civil War and the days of the early pioneers are particularly popular.
This is typically used in reference to
interior decorating, but it describes a style that takes influence
from the glamor of the golden age of film. It relies on
elegant-but-cool shapes and restrained, calculated color pallets that
often make heavy use of white.
An art style of convenient modernity,
relying on sharp, defined shapes with dynamic lines typified by the
designs of modern machines such as cars and computers, drawing
influence from them and applying the ideas to other fields. In
clothes, however, “industrial” can also describe things inspired
by working-class dress, and generally has a practical, “blue
collar” feel overall. The industrial music subculture also has a
distinct style of dress, which blends the elements described above
with more typical punk rock concepts.
Kawaii
This is a visual idea from Japan, where
cute animal mascots and other characters are ubiquitous visual
elements; the concept has also carried over to the United States and
elsewhere. Beyond cute, iconic characters, the style also relies on
bright colors and pleasant shapes. Generally in clothing it involves
printed designs or hats/hoods in the shapes of animal heads and
faces.
Lowbrow, mass-appeal art; kitsch style
is fun and casual, and could refer to anything that doesn't look like
it's taking itself very seriously. Often this involves printed
pictures and designs in plentiful colors.
Style from this area is often
restrained and conservative, but simultaneously bold in its denial of
conventions. Mediterranean fashion could be described as a bridge
between typical dress and US high fashion. As this area of the world
is also an important place for classical art, clothes or accessories
described as “mediterranean” may incorporate elements from that
tradition or from the culture of the old empires in that segment of
the globe (Greece, Rome, etc.).
The styles people like to borrow from
the 1950s and 1960s were bright and fun – practical, while still
looking nice. General shapes and cuts tend toward plainness, with
focus on details and accessories for accent, often in solid, happy
colors or large, bright patterns. 60s styles have been a notable
subject of interest recently because of the popularity of Mad Men.
This is a very well-defined style, as
militaries around the world have much in common, tending to be
traditional and emphasizing uniformity. Military-influenced styles
revolve around details like straps, buttons, and buckles. Colors are
usually navy, olive, charcoal, or other muted tones.
The art movement of minimalism
celebrates beauty in simplicity. Minimal clothes tend to have few
details and little or no color variation to draw attention to the
overall shapes and lines of the article itself or the person it is
on.
A shortening of “modern”, the term
refers to a British subculture originally from a genre of jazz music.
Dress of this style is casual and androgynous; it frequently
incorporates the colors blue, white, and red, as well as the direct
use of the symbols these colors are taken from – usually the Royal
Air Force roundel (pictured), but also the Union Jack (hopefully you know what that one looks like).
A style that needs little explanation;
the word can be used to describe anything in the last couple of
decades or whatever was more timeless through the end of the last
century.
Many images can bring to mind ideas of
boats and the sea, but horizontal navy and white stripes are so common that they are a defining characteristic of this style. Handkerchief scarves, pea coats,
and rubber boots are also prominent elements, as are
symbols such as stars and anchors.
Any art made at a time after the
prominence of classical works of ancient Greece and Rome, but in
their tradition can be described as “neoclassical”. In fashion,
common elements include lace, layers, uniform colors, and floral
patterns.
This style of dress takes its influence
from the historical culture of Ivy League schools, as well as from
high-class leisure activities like sailing and horse racing. Clothing
is typically layered and relies heavily on patterns like argyle and
madras in soft, pastel colors, frequently with contrasting navy, but
almost never with any black. Seersucker fabrics are a very common
attribute.
Fashion that is influenced by styles of
aged times from before antiquity or from cultures in modern times
with very historic and traditional culture. Important aspects of
these clothes are furs, rough fabrics, flowers, bones, and teeth; the
emphasis is on raw materials, the animal and plant origins of which
are readily apparent.
Any fashion taking influence from
royalty and high-class societies, particularly of the past. Garments
are typically very formal, with intricate details, but colors are
generally more restrained.
This period was a celebration of all
things abundant and elegant, so style involved flowery, frilly
accents on garments with layered details and dark, rich colors. Even
the working-class clothes seem lush and artistic by today's
standards.
Casual, but expensive – pale and
light hues on clothes that are simple with some frills, pleats, and
other details for accent. Overall a classy, outdoor look.
Appropriation of all that is cute and
fun from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Bold patterns, especially polka dots,
are foundational pieces of a retro style, as modern fashion tends to
rely more on uniform colors or more subtle designs.
Rough, loud, and, gritty style
featuring an abundance of leather and denim. Rips, patches, and studs
are common, and, as this fashion has its roots in music, imagery and
text associated with bands is an important element, but it is
sometimes replaced with more general musical iconography.
A term usually applied to interior
design, but applicable additionally to clothes with similar
characteristics. All things evocative of home and a modest life fall
under this label; typically simple forms in light and warm earth
tones, with prominent buttons and/or distressed materials.
Fashion from a future time could be
anything, since it hasn't happened yet, so clothes described as
“sci-fi” are unusual and experimental. Shiny or reflective
materials are common, as are blacks and whites, geometric designs,
and rigidly protruding elements.
This relies heavily on large patterns
inspired by traditional folk art and native American designs. Because
of this, knit materials are frequently used. Garments are often large
and loose, with a casual overall appearance.
The clothes of ghosts and monsters;
anything that brings horror movies or halloween to mind! Usually dark
tones, especially black, are central, with white accents and
highlights. Flowers, fringe, and lace are often used to achieve this
kind of look.
Originally a genre of literature
typified by the old science fiction works of Jules Verne, steampunk
has evolved into an entire subculture. It's a retrofuturistic style,
taking elements from the late nineteenth century and blending them
with bizarre technology that never existed or wasn't implemented
until a much later time. Gears and other clockworks are common visual
elements combined with corsets, top hats, and other dated stylistic
elements.
A meeting between an appreciation for
modern conveniences and a sense of aesthetics; not a particular
visual style, but instead anything that is designed with contemporary
technology in mind (phone cases and the like) or contains visual
reference to it (such as jewelry made from computer chips).
A general description of any fashion
that relies on the typical styles of a particular culture; it
describes anything that is less modern in its approach and tends to
stick to the historical way of dress.
Fashion influenced by much older dress
style, relying on geometric or floral patterns and animal prints, and
featuring exotic details made with beads and feathers.
Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to
1901, so this refers to all styles that were popular throughout that
era. Much of our conception of Victorian culture comes to us through
the popular novels of Charles Dickens, who wrote during that period.
The dress during this time was elaborate and spectacular (to a point
of being quite restrictive at times); garments were puffed, long, and
flowing, incorporating lots of lace and floral designs.
This is a term that applies
specifically to a type of simply-made dolls; it's probably the only
style in Etsy's list that would be too much of a stretch to apply to
fashion.
This is just what its name suggests:
anything incorporating visual elements related to forests, flowers,
and other plants; it could refer to leaf prints or shapes,
camouflage, or other green patterns and designs.
This style bears much in common with
the philosophical and religious teachings for which it is named. In
the worlds of architectural and interior design, it involves calming,
quiet, and reflective arrangements. “Zen” isn't often used to
describe clothing, but when it is, it refers typically to plain and
practical Asian-styled garments
Hopefully, those descriptions helped
you describe and categorize things you have or intend to sell, or it
gave you some names for styles you already like so you're
better-equipped to search for what you want!
Despite its growing popularity and acceptance, vintage is still an alternative lifestyle that doesn't exactly fit into the mainstream. Unlike many other subcultures, though, it doesn't give a lot of reasons not to be liked -- some people aren't interested in it, sure, but nobody has a real excuse to be openly offended by it. Even those belonging to the generation from which these clothes originally came don't generally seem to be bothered that younger people are borrowing their styles. Some, like my grandpa, are happy they get to wear what they want now without feeling like they're out of touch or behind the times. Plus, while it's easy to be upset with any style that demands you spend a lot of money so you can look cool, vintage is a total opposite to this kind of thinking.
Everyone agrees that the biggest goal for putting effort into personal style and fashion is self-expression. But the media and big corporations all seem to be convinced that the way to do this is to spend more money than your peers so you can be like "the cool people". We're sure that's not the answer! Instead, we just want to be ourselves, and we want you to be you! All that takes is making outfits from items that are old and uncommon, which doesn't have anything to do with the right connections or a big bank account. And, in the end, that's the big reason we all love vintage: it makes expressing individuality simple. Let us help you be you -- check out what we have for sale on mydarlingvintage.com, or browse through our Etsy store.
