Things To Consider Before Buying Vintage Clothing
Vintage clothing is very often beautifully and well made, and this is one of the reasons why so many people, especially women, adore wearing vintage. However, we should never forget the fact that vintage clothes are by definition second hand garments. This means that in most cases vintage clothes have been worn before, and that is why you should always pay close attention to your vintage garments and the way you take care of them.
Before buying vintage clothing, you should carefully examine the garment if possible. Always check for particular stress points in the garment. For instance, you may need to examine the condition of the seams, under arms, fastenings and zips. Also, you might want to look out for faded or smutty spots, tears or holes made by clothes moths. Remember that some damage is perfectly repairable by a capable tailor who can do wonders for your vintage clothes. However, if the material is too worn, it will eventually fall to bits and there’s nothing a qualified seamstress can do about it.
Stay tuned, if you want to know how to clean your vintage clothes properly.
Sanna 28. February 2008 | Vintage | Comment [2]
Top 10 Reasons to Give Vintage Gifts This Holiday Season
Lulu’s Vintage has wonderfully inspiring post on top ten good reasons to choose vintage gifts this holiday season. Her ideas are exhilarating especially for those who want their presents to be eco-friendly, unique and authentic. So what are you waiting for? Go green, invest in vintage and remember your beloved ones with a gift with thought!
10. It is the ultimate eco-gift! No landfill packaging. No new use of resources or labour.
9. Craftsmanship. Vintage items were made out of high quality materials and feature unique design details.
8. History. You are buying an item that has proved to be fashionable throughout history.
7. History (part 2). It is fun to own something vintage and think of how a person from a whole other generation appreciated it as well.
6. Uniqueness. No chance of hitting the streets with a new scarf only to see three other people with the same one!
5. Supporting a small business. Instead of lining the pockets of big box stores, you can support an independent business owner.
4. Authenticity. Why buy rip-offs of old designs, when you can get the original.
3. Authenticity (part 2). Why buy something that has been “distressed” to look old when you can get something that has genuine patina.
2. Save some cash. Vintage items are often times much less expensive than new.
1. Don’t participate in the mad rush to the mall. Vintage is easy to find off the beaten path.
Sanna 17. December 2007 | Shopping Vintage | Comment [4]
How to Find Vintage Clothing
Vintage hunting has recently become pretty toilsome, thanks to the ever growing interest in vintage items and the rise of internet trading. Fortunately there are some tried and tested tips on how to find astonishing vintage clothing. All you need is a little time, patience and some background research.
1. Be prepared
There are a few things you should know before you you start looking for vintage clothing. First, you should take your measurements; your height, waist, hips, inseam and bust will do. Knowing your measurements is important because sizing standards have changed. Even if you are the perfect size 8 by today’s standards, you may find that vintage clothing marked that size are either too large or too small for you, depending on the era. Accurate measurements come especially handy if you are vintage hunting online and unable to try on the clothes.
Second, think about the current content of your wardrobe. Would those vintage pieces come for everyday use? Or are you looking to make a statement at the next big bash? Perhaps you are tired of looking like everyone else or having trouble finding clothes that look good on you? Whatever your reason for vintage hunting is, you should know what you are looking for. It is easy to get carried away when shopping, so be prepared and make a list of the types of clothing you want to focus on.
2. Know where to go
The vintage hunter has many options. If you want to be able to inspect and try on pieces before buying them, you may want to focus on second hand shops or vintage boutiques near you. Give Google or the local Yellow Pages a go and find out your options. One of the advances of these stores is that the clothes are usually in very good condition and the sales staff is well-informed and clued-up.
Remember that thrift stores and consignment shops can house spectacular clothing and are often cheaper than more trendy vintage stores. Usually, thrift stores and consignment shops don’t accept pieces of clothing that are unclean or in very poor condition so you can find some treasures at really good prices.
If you are shopping online it is wise to understand the function of the sites you usually visit. Some sites are online vintage stores and others serve only to unite sellers and buyers. Try to find a store with a fair return policy. Make sure that the seller provides detailed descriptions of the merchandise, close up photos of any flaws and accurate measurements of every garment. If you don’t see the item of your dreams, ask for it. Or is someone of your favourite bloggers wearing outfits you adore? Keep your eyes and ears open and ask for tips.
3. Successful online shopping
It’s always good to search regularly; for example, eBay allows you to list auction or fixed price items for one, three, five, seven and ten days periods. Many sellers use long periods, so try to do the searches at least every three days or so.
Another good tip is to find misspellings because this way you can find high quality designer pieces that have an error in the title. Not every person offering vintage clothing is an experienced vintage dealer. Often people are just cleaning out their wardrobes and don’t have experience with either selling online or vintage clothes. Get creative! Sometimes it is easier to find a high quality vintage piece searching for a designer’s name or searching on fabrics. Special fabrics, such as cashmere, silk, velvet or mink are the favourite fabrics for many famous designers.
If you find the vintage piece of your dreams, don’t enter your highest bid too early. It is wiser to wait until the final minutes of the auction because you may end up getting the item for much less than if you bid in the first few minutes of the auction.
After being successful a few times purchasing online, it is wise to keep a list of your favourite sellers. If it is possible to sign up to be emailed when your favourite seller adds new pieces of vintage clothing, use this option. If you are looking for good opportunities, browse through vintage pieces by lowest price first. On the other hand, if you need to purchase high quality vintage piece, browse by highest price first. If you have lots of free time in your hands, browse the newly listed vintage items every day. This is a way to make sure that you never loose a great piece of vintage clothing.
All these tips will give you the chance to find all kinds of vintage clothing. Remember that you can build a special vintage wardrobe without spending a fortune. Happy hunting!
Sanna 4. October 2007 | How to? Vintage | Comment
Vintage, Retro or Something Else
I have a problem. Nowadays I get so frustrated when searching vintage items online because the word vintage seems to have lost its meaning. A quick tour around online auction sites such as eBay that even garments made by Hennes & Mauritz, Zara and Vero Moda are apparently vintage for some people.
The word vintage was originally used in the context wine-making. Then the word passed into general vocabulary to mean the year a particular item was made. For example, it was first used to describe vintage cars, meaning cars that were built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930. Next, dealers of second hand clothing took this term a touch further and used it to describe older clothes.
More recently and particularly with the rise of internet trading, the market has become confused and damaged, sidelining true vintage clothing. People use too often the word vintage and there are some confusions. It seems to me that quite many people believe that everything that is not current season is named vintage. The misuse of the word vintage just gets under my skin and shows the seller really doesn’t understand the concept of vintage. What’s more annoying, the term vintage is sometimes used shamelessly to describe retro repro (retrospective reproductions) garments where certain sellers set out deliberately to deceive.
Call me a purist but in my opinion vintage clothing is anything from 1920 onward to 1960. Garments from 70’s and 80’s could be labelled as retro, and anything newer is just contemporary clothing. Although vintage hunting has recently become pretty toilsome, there are fortunately some tried and tested tips on how to find vintage clothing. Be back on Thursday to read more on this subject!
Sanna 1. October 2007 | Vintage | Comment
How to Take Care of Your Vintage Clothes
So you have found that vintage treasure of your dreams? Lucky you! Taking care of vintage clothes, especially those that are several decades old, can be challenging because as with any piece of clothing, they can start to look a little tired and worn out. There are a few tips on how to take care of your vintage clothes. Treating your vintage garments with loving care in between wears is one of the most important things you can do to keep them in mint condition and maintain their original beauty.
Storage
Hang your vintage items in a dry and dust-free wardrobe. Protect those delicate fibres of vintage garments by keeping them away from any direct sunlight because this will help to prevent any discolouring of the fabrics.
Vintage clothes love fresh air so let your clothes breathe. Be creative: does your local recycling centre sell clothes rails dirt cheap? Then why to hide that gorgeous outfit in your wardrobe if you could use it as a decorative item on the side of your wardrobe!
Washing
Rare vintage pieces need to be washed according to their specific fabric needs. Do yourself – and your garment – a favour and take your special items to a reputable dry cleaner. Wash those rare pieces yourself only if you are confident with your fabric knowledge. Remember that repeated washing can damage the delicate fibres of vintage garments. To keep your vintage clothes in good condition, wash them as little as possible. Airing often does the trick, especially when it comes to natural fabrics.
Vintage clothes are peace-loving
Last but not least, try to resist the temptation of wearing your vintage gem two days in a row. Airing allows the garment’s fibres to breathe and restores it for the next wear. By following these few simple tips you can enjoy wearing that gem of a vintage item for years to come!
