Vintage, like beauty, appears to be in the eye of the beholder. I have heard all kinds of things described as "vintage" that I would not necessarily apply that term to. Then, I did a bing search for the definition and went "Aha! The reason it is used so broadly is that it can have various meanings!" Here are the top two I think apply to the way people use the term when looking at gowns:
1)period: the period of time when something appeared or began, or when somebody was born or flourished
"Depression-vintage furniture"
So when someone uses "vintage" this way, they mean the gown looks like it is from a different time period 20's, 60's, whatever. This is the way I normally think of the term. And for it to be truly vintage, something has to be from that period. There is a difference between looking vintage and being vintage.
2)classic: recognized as being of high quality and lasting appeal
"a series of vintage Laurel and Hardy comedies"
In this sense, vintage becomes a synonym for "timeless." I think this is where the term gets applied all over the place. People love the way a gown looks and think it just classic and gorgeous, they may not have a certin era in mind, it just looks like an ideal wedding gown.
So, "vintage" can mean that the dress looks like it is from a past era, or it can be a synonym for "awesome." Works for me!
