Welcome to It’s Vintage, a Fashion-History Blog

Photo: Keystone-France/Getty

Fashion is usually understood to be all about what’s next, or what’s now, at the very least. But in fact, its history is rich and — thanks to the constant recycling of ideas from the past — almost omnipresent. In the tweeting, Snapchatting, Instagramming storm of Now, it’s easy to lose sight of how much that history plays into the looks we see today. Think, for instance, of perennial forms like the motorcycle jacket, the trench coat, the high-top, and other classics that designers constantly find themselves reinventing and reinterpreting. It’s Vintage, the Cut’s blog devoted to all things fashion history, will run through the entire month of April, with each day themed around a different topic — whether that’s a show like Marc Jacobs’s often-referenced grunge collection, or a fashion moment, like dandyism from the 19th century through the present. We’ll also delve into the origin of some of the most influential and enduring pieces in history, like the power suit, the fascinator, and sneakers.

And we’ll hear from, among many others, Dapper Dan on his love of logos, Hood by Air’s Shayne Oliver on his rave days, Martha Stewart on her collection of power suits, Bethann Hardison and Stephen Burrows on the Battle of Versailles, and musician Kathleen Hanna on how she really felt about that grunge collection. The distinguished advisory panel of It’s Vintage, which includes everyone from Museum at FIT director Valerie Steele to the Cut’s critic-at-large Cathy Horyn, will be weighing in as well. Bookmark the site for a crash course in all things fashion history — sans any musty overtones.

Welcome to It’s Vintage, a Fashion-History Blog