How to find Vintage-Looking contemporary fashion

Intent on making 2017 your

Best Year Ever

? We can help with that, thanks to our 2017 Coach of the Month series. Here, our first coach of the year, vintage clothing expertJulie Heller,offers her expertise on how to find vintage style that look modern (and vice versa).

Fashion is cyclical. Trends ebb and flow, coming back into style over and over again in more updated and modern ways. Right now, the '70s and '90s are huge—we're seeing bohemian looks, slinky dresses, minimalism, and grunge all over the place! Here's a quick guide to finding vintage styles that look modern, and contemporary pieces that look, well, vintage.

Saint Laurent embodies the best of the '70s. In their 2016 pre-fall collection, they made a red chiffon tie-neck dress with crystal embellishments that could have come straight out of Studio 54; they even totally recreated a hooded wool cape with tassels from their Rive Gauche line in the '70s, the original of which I just sold at EraLuxe! Their '70s style boho fringe leather and suede jackets have also become core. They're eternal best sellers.

Gucci is another major designer who has begun recycling—upcycling?—pieces and ideas from their own collections back in the '70s. Both the bamboo details and the red and green logo trim have made their way back into the collection. And do I even need to mention the loafers?

Right alongside the '70s, the '90s have become extremely relevant in the fashion world. One major influence, of course, is '90s minimalism; my favorite iteration is the revamped power suit. Richard Tyler is a great American designer who created super flattering silhouettes for womens' pantsuits, pairing high-waisted, relaxed fit pants with matching crop tops and an oversized blazer—all made out of the same fabric.

Another impeccable example is the iconic burgundy Tom Ford for Gucci velvet tuxedo that Gwyneth Paltrow wore to the MTV awards in 1996. The pantsuit has made a comeback on the red carpet recently—every A-Lister from Gigi Hadid to Kate Hudson to Julia Roberts has been seen sporting the look. Pallas does a great interpretation of the '90s power suit and The Row is a personal favorite for minimal designs.

Aside from the dressier looks, the casual styles from the '90s get brownie points for form and function—mom jeans, distressed straight-leg denim, and plaid shirts are more or less universally flattering, and ultra comfortable. Grlfrnd and Re/Done make some of the best '90s-style jeans, and R13 is one of my favorites when it comes to grunge with their distressedeverything, flannels, and combat boots. When looking for actual vintage denim, it's tough to find ones that fit perfectly, so it's best to size up and then tailor the areas that need it—go for Levi's if you want the best of the best. If you mix in just a couple of these kinds of pieces from the '70s and '90s, you'll be a regular fashion unicorn: trendyandtimeless.

(ELLE)