So lots of you ask me, "Jessica, are you vintage

"all the time, all day, every day?",

and yes, yes I am.

I really, really am.

Don't know modern clothes.

Another question I get asked a lot however is,

"How do I use modern items and make them look more vintage?"

Which is great both

if you're starting out in vintage clothing

and you maybe don't want to spend too much money

or you don't know if it's right for you

and you just kind of want to adapt

the clothes that you've got.

And obviously you're saving money,

it's wonderful because retro clothes

can be really expensive guys, really expensive.

So I thought I would challenge myself

to use the most modern article of clothing

I could possibly think of, the T-shirt

and see if I could make it vintage.

I should probably point out

that since I don't own any T-shirts,

this really was quite a challenge.

I am using one of my merch T-shirts, ta-da!

So you're going to see them in a variety of ways

throughout this video in a variety of different outfits

and I hope it will be really helpful for you

and give you some little hints and tips and tricks

for when you're just trying to start

your vintage wardrobe and your vintage life.

Now let's watch as I attempt to make a T-shirt vintage.

(upbeat music)

We're starting with a standard white T-shirt

and then adapting the neckline

with a pair of trusty scissors.

A lot of vintage looks benefit

from more of an open neckline

and I always think it's incredibly flattering

to show a little collarbone.

But the skirt is the real MVP here.

Apparently that's a sporting term,

it means it's trying really hard.

I'd really advise getting some staples in your wardrobe

that look quite vintagy and thus can make other things

look vintage, but also work for everyday wear

if you don't put a petticoat underneath them.

Honestly, I could wear pinback with this skirt

and still look vintage.

But I don't think I've done too bad a job with the T-shirt.

You might have noticed the little teal accent on the T-shirt

and I'm continuing that into accessories

with these very cute shoes.

They're from Paradox London

and are supposed to be wedding shoes,

which really just means they are comfortable enough

to wear all day long.

Top tip for comfortable yet cute shoes.

If you've ever wondered how I do up my shoes,

the answer is I don't.

Thanks Clara.

To match my shoes I am adding a bag of the exact same color.

Lots of fashion magazines will say that oh,

you shouldn't match your shoes to your bag

because only grandmas do that, to which I say duh!

My entire aesthetic is what would grandmother wear.

And to top off this rather basic vintage look,

add some pearls because you can never go wrong with pearls.

You can quote me on that.

Another vintage staple, this dress is the Matilda,

not that Matilda, from British Retro

and whilst it is 58 pounds,

it is a really great investment piece and very wearable.

It also comes in a range of colors

and just look at that color, oh!

But this outfit really starts with a very attractive

and incredibly soft oversized T-shirt that I happen to sell.

One is the most modern identifiers of T-shirts

is the way the sleeves are cut and fall,

which is lovely if that's your thing,

but personally I'm a fan of the Snow White puff.

Here's a really easy way

to add cute sleeve details without any sewing.

All you need are some tiny safety pins.

I have a lot of them thanks to most vintage companies

attaching labels with them.

I'm not kidding, I'm simply drowning

in mini safety pins, send help.

To make a sleeve puff you merely take the pin

and grab a tiny bit of fabric

in the center of the sleeve edge on the front side,

pick up another tiny bit of sleeve

in the center halfway along

and then finally a section from the center near the seam.

Clip your pin together

and you have a delightful puffy sleeve.

You can repeat this on the back of the sleeves too

in order to create a very puffy puff,

but I quite like this look.

As you can see the collar from the Matilida dress

has transformed the look.

Plus the T-shirt has lavender tones to match the skirt.

Now I am going to attempt to tie the T-shirt around my waist

to keep the 1950's cinched in look.

Awkward.

I said attempt, okay?

Did I genuinely just make a video about

how my hands don't work and then immediately attempted

to tie a difficult knot behind my back?

Yeah, great logic Jessica.

Time for some socks.

Yes, I'm a belly-dancing seven-year-old sometimes,

but bare with, they do actually look great

when teamed with heels

and they bring the white of the collar

down to the bottom of the outfit

so we can be as matchy matchy as possible.

Have I sold you yet?

All right, next up, these cute shoes

to match the navy of the T-shirt.

They're velvety and thus adorable.

A wicker bag sets the whole thing off

and yes, maybe I look like a schoolgirl,

but at least I look like a schoolgirl from the 1950s

so I'm living my best life really.

We're now going to create an item of clothing

that will either be called a sleeveless jumper,

a pullover, a sweater, a vest,

or even a waistcoat depending on where you live.

I'm sure there are many more names for it

so please do leave whatever you would call it

in the comments below.

Make sure to turn your T-shirt inside out when cutting

so you know you're sticking to the seams.

Don't mind, I'm aware my edges aren't perfect

when cutting for the camera,

but I am actually going to neaten them up later.

(upbeat music)

Please meet the most autumnal autumn skirt

to ever autumn autumnally.

And another thing you desperately need

when building a vintage wardrobe,

a beautifully cut shirt.

This one's from a seamstress I found through Etsy,

which I highly recommend checking Etsy, the small companies

and people who sew beautiful things at home.

This shirt is so useful, you will see it again later.

And once we've added our new red sweater vest

you'll see what I mean about how useful the shirt can be.

Once I have finally perfected

the most perfect bow to ever perfect.

Done.

I'm adding a cream belt to tie together the shirt sleeves

and the collar to the skirt.

Belts just complete an outfit for me.

These shoes the new,

so I just had to fit them into this video.

They are made for dancing, which of course means

they are perfectly comfortable for everyday life.

I have very delicate little feet

that always seems to be cut up by shoes

and I also can't feel them,

so finding comfortable yet beautiful shoes is

a really big deal for me and stops the blood everywhere.

And the ultimate accessory a red beret,

which I decided to put on the side of my head

to make the bow stand out because have we mentioned

I'm obsessed with bows?

Oh, and that's just an open door

that won't stay closed, cool.

Hot tip for vintage on a budget.

If you see a high street store selling a circle skirt,

you buy one in all of the colors.

That's why I did with