To preface this article with a little disclaimer, below is a list of my favourite vintage YouTubers, however, I am sure that there are many more out there who I’ve never watched before. If you have any more suggestions for me, then please make sure to comment below so that I can watch them (especially those who focus on men’s fashion, there’s a distinct lack of them)! Like most vintage enthusiasts of my generation, I was introduced to the revival of the various fashion styles through watching YouTube channels run by people who are equally passionate on the subject. If you don’t have chance to read tons of books on the subject, then watching the following amazing channels whilst you’re washing up or doing your makeup can be an amazing way to enhance your knowledge.
1. Bernadette Banner.
Less of a ‘vintage YouTuber’ and more of a fashion historian, Bernadette is an expert seamstress with experience in historical fashion through university and working for years in the theater. She is New York based and shares her time spent recreating historical looks using techniques which are historically accurate for that particular garment. She is a fantastic source of information for those who are interested in Victorian and Edwardian fashion, as well as sowing. I must say, she is an absolute delight to watch; even though I’ve never even attempted to make my own clothes, I can’t seem to stop watching her!
You can find her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSHtaUm-FjUps090S7crO4Q.
2. Shirinatra.
Shirin is a German based vintage YouTuber who focuses on vintage fashion, mainly from the 40s and 50s, and has tutorials on beauty and vintage hair. She champions accessible vintage fashion, showing how you can get affordable looks from high street stores such as H&M. Her tutorials and hauls are easy to follow and usually feature neutral and muted colours. I love watching her videos when I fancy relaxing as she’s very easy going and down to Earth.
You can find her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialShirin/featured.
3. Jessica Kellgren-Fozard.
Jessica’s channel description describes her perfectly, so I’ll repeat it here ‘adding vintage fabulousness to a life with disabilities and chronic illnesses, aided by my beautiful wife Claudia and our adorable pups’. Jessica is an England based YouTuber and has multiple chronic illnesses, but that never stops her from getting dressed in her vintage garb and shining in front of the camera. Although her channel focuses on various vintage topics, she also includes videos on chronic illness, disability and LGBTQ+ issues. She’s an absolute inspiration no matter what you come to her channel for, and watching her positivity will just brighten up your day.
You can find her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/MissJessicaKH/featured.
4. Karolina Zebrowska.
Karolina is another fashion historian who has done multiple TV interviews. She’s based in Poland and has a wicked sense of humour. Her channel mainly focuses on educating her viewers on fashion from the Victorian period, right through the twentieth century. She also includes beauty and hair tutorials and debunks some common misconceptions about vintage fashion. Her channel is a definite must watch if you’re wanting to educate yourself on fashion history, as well as if you’re wanting to wear vintage fashion.
Her channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/czekoladaimaslo/featured.
5. Loepsie.
Loepsie (who’s actual name is Lucy) is a fabulously funny Dutch vintage vlogger. She’s not afraid to laugh at herself and has put herself through several hilarious vintage beauty tutorials. She’s also the person who convinced me to switch to using a safety razor, which is of course far more sustainable than a disposable plastic razor. If you’ve ever wondered what hairstyles throughout the century looked like, then Lucy’s channel is the one to watch. She recreates hairstyles using original guides and whilst most of the finished looks are fabulous, some don’t go quite as planned.
You can find her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Loepsie/featured.
6. The Closet Historian (Bianca Esposito).
Bianca’s fantastic little channel is a gem. Bianca is an American YouTuber who talks about vintage fashion, hairstyles and has a great deal of videos on recreating vintage clothes. If look books and tutorials are what you like to watch for inspiration, then Bianca’s channel is the one for you. She also has an awesome blog to go alongside her videos!
Here’s the link to her channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbH0Fj-R756TzpRohxfqKVA/featured.
7. Christine McConnell.
You remember the amazingly talented and gorgeous woman from Netflix’s ‘The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell’? Well, I was overjoyed to find that she has a YouTube channel! Christine is probably the single most talented individual to have graced our fine Earth. She can bake, she can cook, she can sow, she makes her own furniture, she does all of her own DIY, she even makes her own wallpaper (just watch her house tour video). She does all of this with her wonderfully coiffed vintage hair and sinister sense of humour. If you like mixing the quirky aesthetics of the 40s and 50s with anything Gothic, then Christine’s channel will be right up your alley.
You can find her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/christinehevers.
I hope that you find these channels varied and full of inspiration. As I stated at the beginning of the article, don’t hesitate to send me a message or leave a comment if you have any more suggestions.
Please comment, share with your fellow vintage enthusiasts and let me know if there’s anything specific you want me to write about. To share this article, use the share buttons below. You can also use the social media buttons at the top and bottom of this page to visit my pages. If you want to keep up to date with my listings and discounts, then make sure to sign up for my mailing list and follow my store (https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SwabyCollections) on Etsy.
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