As vintage becomes more mainstream, it’s not unusual to see elements of vintage/retro in peoples’ clothes or in their homes. It’s a habit I follow myself, and I’m very pleased with the elements of vintage that I’ve incorporated into my daily life. At the same time, I am not sure that I could ever embrace a fully vintage lifestyle – for a start, what decade to choose? Home-wise I mix the clean lines of 20’s Art Deco with kitsch 50’s kitchenalia, and style-wise, my taste inclines to the the thirties, but my figure best suits the forties and my wardrobe still has items I wore in the 80s.

So I am full of admiration for those people who have the dedication/obsession to set their whole life in a single decade, and to make sure that it is reflected in every element of their personal life.

People like Ben Sansum, who lives in a house retrofitted to be as close as possible to the forties:

Ben Samsun in his 40s Living Room

His dedication to this way of life includes getting up at 4am to light his vintage range, according to the Daily Mail.

Authentic Kitchen

Now that’s dedication to the way of life!

A woman recently featured in the press, credits living as if in the fifties with saving her marriage!

Living the Fifties Life

While as a good feminist, I’m not sure I agree with all the views in the article, I have to admire the dedication that this couple have given to collecting and living with period appropriate items.

One thing I do take away from this, is that as more and more articles like this appear in the media, vintage may become more mainstream and lose some of its cachet as an alternative lifestyle. Is this good or bad? I don’t know. I welcome anything that establishes the value of original vintage, rather than some pastiche of memories watered down and made in China – now available in a chain store near you. But at the same time, does it devalue the lifestyle?

Do let me know what you think.