Fashion in Troubled Times

Ian Drummond Collection is considering our stock for the upcoming spring vintage clothing show season.

In troubled times, when one might question, “Why think about fashion now?” we can look to Lauren Duca, a writer for Teen Vogue, who stated “Women can love thigh boots and still talk politics.”


Katherine Hamnett’s T-shirts became cultural signposts to the times we lived in.

“Fashion is just a reflection of our times” Bill Cunningham said. Fashion is communication, for both the people and those in power. We look to Michelle Obama, who used fashion as a way to communicate her world vision; and Hillary Clinton with her white pantsuits speaking to Suffragettes, and inspiring a nation of 111 million and more supporters calling themselves “Pantsuit Nation.”
If we have any pantsuits, we’ll bring them!

  Inez Haynes Gillmore, Hildegarde Hawthorne, Edith Ellis Furness, Rose Young, Katherine Licily and Sally Splint represent female authors, dramatists and editors during a New York women’s suffrage parade. Photograph: Paul Thompson/Getty Images
Inez Haynes Gillmore, Hildegarde Hawthorne, Edith Ellis Furness, Rose Young, Katherine Licily and Sally Splint represent female authors, dramatists and editors during a New York women’s suffrage parade. Photograph: Paul Thompson/Getty Images

But more, with the textile and apparel industry being second to oil as the most polluting in the world, fashion can also be an action. Which is why we are encouraging people to not just shop at the Toronto and Ottawa Vintage Clothing Shows as a style choice, but as a responsible and ethical choice. There will be plenty of clothing that will be relevant and wearable in contemporary fashion available, as well as statement pieces that grab attention. Why not buy beautifully made, carefully preserved and timelessly styled clothing as a way to respect what’s on the #grabyourwallet boycott, and to shop local and support small businesses?

Ian Drummond Collection will be bringing new old stock in currently trending 90s apparel that’s perfect for work wear; classic vintage clothing for every occasion; and jewellery for freshening up old favourites.

We noticed an uptick in sales of our reproduction WWI factory workers uniforms from the 2002 Jason Alexander movie The Man Who Saved Christmas in our Etsy shop, Ian Drummond Vintage, over the past few weeks. There were customers who wanted to wear them to march as Suffragettes! Staff members at the Women’s March in Toronto noticed a few Rosies, and so we’ll also be bringing our coveralls from the series Bomb Girls to the shows as well.

Sadly, it seems more and more reasons to demonstrate will present themselves.

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