Add Some Flair: Vintage Pins From the 60s to 90s
Collecting enamel pins is the ideal hobby for any vintage enthusiast looking to spice up their aesthetic with local art from various decades. Enamel pins featuring vintage art offer a creative way to express yourself if you're eager to enhance your style.
Collect Local Art From any Decade
If you appreciate one-of-kind accessorizing, you've likely admired vintage pins before. No matter your style, there are vintage enamel pins available to match. In addition, many vintage pins feature art specific to the area and decade they were produced in, making them a wholly unique collector's item.
The 60s: From Straight-Laced to Flower Power
At the beginning of the 60s, fashion trends mirrored the conservative elegance of the 50s. However, before the decade was halfway over, the style had swung to the opposite end of the trend pendulum. Out went neutral and unassuming color palettes, and in marched the vivid shades of pink, blue, green, and orange now associated with this decade.
The 60s featured a "flower power" motif on much of the jewelry and pins produced during this time. In addition, a large portion of the generation preached passivity in staunch opposition to the Vietnam war, so it was common to see pins featuring peace signs alongside flowers. The iconic "Make Love, Not War" slogan was also coined and worn boldly on pins by those opposed to American intervention in Vietnam.
The 70s: Counterculture Continues
In the 70s, fashion trends consisted of extremes, such as the contrast of wide-legged bellbottom pants to barely-there short-shorts and romantic prairie dresses to mini-skirts and go-go boots. The designs of enamel pins mimic the fashion trends and fluctuate between opposite styles.
The counterculture movement established in the 60s carried on, and many pins from this era reflect this societal outlook. As pins served as miniature billboards to share their wearer's political opinions, pins from this decade often have pithy sayings expressing a distaste for war in the thick, bubbled font associated with the 70s. However, pins celebrating Ronald Reagan and Republican ideals were also prevalent, showing the political spectrum's opposite side.
The 80s: Big Hair, Bold Patterns, and Branding
Fashion took a turn toward excess during the 80s and embraced fluorescent colors, intense patterns, and branded apparel. MTV made a splash, and expressing your music preferences and personality through your fashion choices was expected.
This desire for individuality and increasing comfort with sexual expression is evident when looking at the pins available from this decade in our shop. With sassy sayings such as "Your place or mine?", "Blondes have more fun, but brunettes get it done," and "Have you had it lately?" pins from the 80s are just as much fun today as they were then.
The 90s: Pick Your Lane
The self-expression of the 80s remained into the 90s, with fashion trends allowing individuals to associate themselves with a group aesthetic. There was something for everyone, whether individuals identified with punk, hip-hop, preppy, grunge, or minimalist fashion trends. Pins were made in styles to suit every fashion preference, popular movie, or product. As with the previous decades, pins also remained a stylish way to display your political and personal beliefs.
Wear Your Vintage Art Collection
One of the numerous fascinating things about these eye-catching accessories is that they allow you to wear a tiny piece of history. Whether you appreciate quirky quips or prefer pins with graphic designs and art, vintage pins will enable you to express your personality distinctively.
If you're looking to add to your vintage pin collection or pursue wares from independent artists, we'd love for you to visit our location or shop with us online. Visit our shop, and find your next extraordinary treasure.