Retro Vintage
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Est. Since the Golden Age

Retro Vintage

Warmth of Time · Handcraft Warmth · Classic Eternal

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Since

1940

Authentic

A design language rooted in the 1940s-1950s aesthetic. Old typography, vintage tones, handcrafted textures — and the quiet permanence of things built to last.

Explore ComponentsBrowse Eras
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Component Demos

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Buttons — Double-border, Serif, Slow Passage

Cards — Corner Reveal & Ink Oxidation on Hover

Chapter One

The Beginning

A story that spans generations, told through craftsmanship and tradition passed down with patient care.

Chapter Two

The Journey

Every step taken with purpose, every detail considered with care. The road itself becomes the craft.

Chapter Three

The Legacy

What we create today becomes tomorrow's heritage — objects that carry the warmth of the hands that made them.

Inputs — Serif Label, Transparent bg, Brown Border

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Vintage Color Palette

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Five aged-paper swatches constitute the full Retro Vintage palette. Each tone is drawn from pre-war printing inks, leather-bound volumes, and the slow oxidation of honest materials.

Primary

Saddle Brown

#8b4513

Background

Parchment Cream

#f5e6d3

Accent I

Rust Red

#c94c4c

Accent II

Forest Green

#2e4a3f

Accent III

Golden Tan

#d4a373

Tonal Gradient — Saddle Brown Family

Parchment LightDeep Espresso
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Typography System

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Display — Headline — Serif Display / 48–64px

The Golden Age

Subheading — Serif Uppercase / 28–36px / tracking-widest

CRAFTED WITH CARE

Body Copy — Serif Body / 16–18px / leading-relaxed

Every detail considered, every line drawn with intention. The warmth of time speaks through aged materials and patient hands.

Caption / Label — Small Caps / 10–12px / tracking-[0.3em]

EST. MDCCCLXV

✦Ornamental Divider✦

Fine

Crafted

Est. 1940

Authentic

Heritage

Since The Golden Age

Limited

Edition

No. 0001 of 500

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Era Showcase

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Select a decade to see how the Retro Vintage palette shifts its tone while preserving the warmth and authenticity of the era.

Wartime Utility & Craft

The Forties

Restraint born of necessity, beauty forged from scarcity. Wartime design stripped away excess and revealed the quiet dignity of honest materials and careful craft.

HONEST · DURABLE · PURPOSEFUL

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  • ✦Forest green and brown tones
  • ✦Utilitarian sans-serif lettering
  • ✦Heavy-duty border treatments
  • ✦Minimal ornament, maximum integrity
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Design Rules

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The Retro Vintage language is built on restraint and intentionality. These rules guard the authenticity of the aesthetic.

✓ Must Employ

  • ▪Vintage color tones: sepia, amber, brown series
  • ▪Paper and aged-texture backgrounds
  • ▪Serif fonts or vintage-style sans-serif
  • ▪Thick borders: border-2 or border-4
  • ▪Decorative corners, dividers, ornaments
  • ▪Uppercase titles with letter-spacing
  • ▪Sepia or brightness-90 filters on images
  • ▪duration-700 ease-in-out on all transitions
  • ▪Corner ornaments that reveal on hover
  • ▪Ink & Oxidation: bg darkens, text deepens

✗ Must Avoid

  • ▪No modern gradients whatsoever
  • ▪No neon or high-saturation colors
  • ▪No minimalist flat modern design
  • ▪No overly rounded corners (border-radius: full)
  • ▪No glassmorphism or backdrop-blur effects
  • ▪No scale() or translate-y() on hover — Antique Stillness
  • ▪No duration-150 or faster — Slow Passage only
  • ▪No new saturated hues on hover states
  • ▪No excessive or rapid animations
  • ▪No bright white backgrounds (#fff)

The Four Animation Laws

Antique Stillness

Zero scale() or translate-y() on interactive elements. Objects do not leap. They breathe.

Ink & Oxidation

Hover darkens backgrounds (hover:bg-[#eedbc2]) and deepens text (group-hover:text-[#5c2e0a]). No color additions.

Slow Passage

All transitions minimum duration-700 ease-in-out. Duration-150 is categorically forbidden.

Corner Reveal

Corner ornaments begin at opacity-30 and transition to opacity-100 on group hover, duration-700.

Visual Contrast — Retro Vintage vs. Modern Flat

✓ Retro Vintage

Established

The Heritage Collection

Handcrafted with patience and care, each piece tells a story of enduring quality.

✗ Modern Flat (Avoid)

Avoid

Collection

The Heritage Collection

Handcrafted with patience and care, each piece tells a story.

✦ ✦ ✦

The Collection

Retro Vintage

A design language born from the 1940s-1950s aesthetic. Warmth, permanence, and the beauty of things built to last.

In This Showcase

  • Components
  • Color Palette
  • Typography
  • Era Showcase
  • Design Rules

Style Details

Era1940s–1950s
Primary#8b4513 Saddle Brown
Base#f5e6d3 Parchment
Transitionsduration-700 ease-in-out
MotionAntique Stillness

StyleKit — Retro Vintage Showcase

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