A young woman who loves thrift shopping has become a 1950’s vintage fashionista.
Bri Serjeant, 27, from Minnesota, has been styling her look based on the 1950s by picking up vintage pieces of clothing in thrift shops and even sometimes making clothes herself.
“At a young age, I was captivated with the hair and fashion in the movie Grease,” she said. “My newfound interests didn’t reflect my fashion choices until I began college.
“When I began college and moved out on my own, I started searching at thrift stores to be economical. This opened a whole new plethora of clothing choices. I was immediately attracted to feminine blouses and high-waisted skirts. This sparked my realization of how much I enjoyed being dressed in these girly outfits.”
She added: "As time went on, I homed in my vision of how I wanted to present myself to the world and went back to my original love of 50s fashion and hair.
“Now, I mostly find true vintage clothes at estate sales and thrift stores. The occasional vintage reproduction creation or online purchase of a vintage garment has also helped to fill out my wardrobe.”
When she is out and about in her full vintage attire, Bri says that she gets lots of stares and is regularly asked if she is going dancing or if she is in a play. She is even sometimes told by strangers that they like her “costume.”
“I think the great thing about living in the now, and not in the past, is that we have the right to choose how we dress,” she said.
“As a woman, I have the right to choose if I want to wear pants without a second glance or judgment.
“I can choose to wear all black or pastels, head to toe. I don’t have to adhere to modern trends if I choose not to. I know it is a big step to separate yourself from the masses and do your own thing, but I think we all have that bravery in us.”
Serjeant says that it doesn’t have to be a “huge overhaul of your closet,” rather, it is good to start smaller with vintage-inspired modern things. “Little steps towards a new self-image are doable, you just have to decide one day to make those changes,” she adds.
Besides her clothes, Serjeant has also perfected some amazing 1950’s hairstyles.
Recalling how she used to practice her hairstyles before work, she said: "At the time I was really getting into vintage, I was working nights as a security guard. During shifts where I knew I would not see very many people, I would practice setting my hair. That way if it turned out terribly, I wouldn’t have too many witnesses to my blunder.
“After finding out which products and techniques work specifically with my hair, I began doing more complicated hairstyles and now I can do pretty much any style I want with some level of success.”
