Let Bygones Be Worn Again

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It's an age-old sartorial dilemma, made all the more challenging by an increasingly homogenized retail world that finds a Gap or H&M on every high street: What does it take to stand out from the rest of the fashion pack? Big bucks may buy a measure of individuality, but less than you might think — within weeks that satin Prada ensemble you shelled out thousands for has been knocked off by a mainstream retailer and is on the rack for less than a tenth of the price. But if you can't get ahead of the game, you might craft a unique look by falling behind. Just as designers have long sought inspiration from the past — think of Yves Saint Laurent's 1976 Czarist Russia-inspired Ballet Russe collection — customers are seeking that special flair in the clothing and accessories of bygone eras. Oxymoronic it may be, but vintage clothes are today's hottest trend.

The stylish penniless have long made smart use of the vintage look; the rich and famous followed suit — Julia Roberts wore a 1970s Valentino dress to collect her Best Actress Oscar last year and Kate Moss made novel use of vintage Pucci during her recent pregnancy. Now, it's our turn. Vintage has become so hip that major chains like Topshop are devoting space to old clothes.

As ever in fashion, the big question is: How do you know what to buy? For those who can afford the most sought-after creations, Cameron Silver, owner of the Decades boutique in Los Angeles and one of the pioneers of the back-to-the-couture movement, recommends "designs from the '60s and '70s, and haute couture from the '50s — vintage that looks modern." A selection of items of that kind will go on sale this week at Sotheby's in London, along with an assortment of period clothing, including a single, rare shoe from around 1740 and gowns worn at the Russian Imperial and German courts. Some of these items are destined for museums. Others, like lot 335, a circa 1970 crepe dress by Brit Ossie Clark, are more likely to end up on the red carpet at movie premieres. — By Aisha Labi

Back from the Dead
Is fur now so politically incorrect that it's cool? After a decade in the doghouse, animal pelts are again turning up in designer labels. Undeterred by anti-fur activists — like the PETA folks who disrupted the Victoria's Secret New York show last month — fashion houses like Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier and Louis Vuitton have launched fur-laden dresses and accessories. And their customers are cozying up to the idea. The British Fur Trade Federation says sales in the U.K. rose 35% last year. Celebrities like Madonna and P. Diddy have been seen in fur outfits, a far cry from the 1990s, when many famous faces appeared in ad campaigns swearing they'd "rather go naked." But if some fashion houses are prepared to ignore the anti-fur lobby, they also worry that some customers may be offended by the sight of pelt. To have it both ways, many have taken the precaution of producing synthetic versions of their furry products. — By Stephanie Pfeffer

Hot Feet? No Sweat
Twelve years ago, Italian vintner Mario Moretti Polegato was jogging in Reno, Nevada, when his feet began to sweat. He took a knife to the soles of his running shoes and sliced vents in them; the solution worked in the dry Nevada desert, but not back home in Italy, where rainwater kept seeping through the vents. So Polegato invented an insole from a mesh membrane that allowed perspiration out, but was so fine that drops of water — 700 times larger than sweat — couldn't get in. In 1994, he started using the insoles in shoes, launching the brand Geox. Today, he employs more than 2,000 people and markets shoes in 51 countries, with sales of €210 million expected this year. Polegato's ultimate goal: to save the world from the tyranny of sweaty rubber insoles. "I'm not an entrepreneur," he says. "I'm a missionary." — By Lauren Goldstein