Tips to help vintage shoppers from amateur to advanced make the most of their time and money.
Vintage clothing makes up a majority of my wardrobe, something I'm very proud of. I consider myself somewhat of an expert on the subject of buying vintage clothes, from thrifting, to investment pieces.
Recently I even started my own vintage clothing shop in Brazil, selling customised on trend vintage pieces. There is something special about vintage clothes, they are unique, and will even help make your wardrobe more sustainable!
Why
buy vintage vs. new
We all need to cut our consumption to reduce our environmental impact. Reuse and sharing is how earlier generations made the most of limited resources in less wealthy and consumer-convenient times. Buying vintage for me is like a form of recycling, it gives another life to some gem that might have just been thrown away. Plus, it will save you money too.
However, there are definitely some tips when it comes to buying vintage, to make sure you get the most out of your money. Here are a few things I always look out for...
Firstly, you should know the difference between thrift and vintage
There's nothing wrong with either approach to shopping second-hand. I like going into thrift stores like Salvation Army or Vinnie's just as much as vintage collectors stores. You should be prepared to spend a little more in the latter. You can find great vintage items for super cheap in thrift stores, but in a vintage collectors store, you shouldn't see any poor quality items. So be aware of this.
Ignore sizes
Sizes are not consistent throughout every decade. You may have heard that size 6 Marilyn Monroe would be a 10 or 12 by today's standards. Most of the sizes of vintage clothes have no correlation to the sizes of today's clothing, so it's extremely important to try things on, or if buying online to make sure you get all the measurements of the garment and check your own measurements will fit.
Start with a classic
If you're thinking to invest in a high quality vintage piece, then start with a classic style, something you will wear over and over again. You can never go wrong with a 1960's little black dress, or for something more modern try a denim jacket from the 80's.
Educate yourself
This is another tip when it comes to buying collectable vintage items. You need to make sure that you know how to recognise and identify the signs that may make an item valuable and collectable. Is it couture, a well established designer, does it have intricate and handcrafted details unique to the vintage eras? To better educate yourself, you could talk to people who run various local high-end vintage stores.
Go Larger
Finding vintage clothes that fit you perfectly is not always possible, but if you find something you like and it is too big for you, it may not be a lost cause. You can always tailor it to make it perfect for you. This is more difficult with smaller sizes as they rarely have enough seam allowance to make adjustments.
Make sure the fabric is in good condition
This is one of the most typical problems with buying vintage clothing. The clothes are made well to stand the test of time, but sometimes it's the fabric that loses its quality. You want to feel the fabric and look it over thoroughly to make sure its not cracking, pulling, falling apart, or fading. The last thing you want is to buy something that you will need to replace soon.
Rework it
This is without doubt one of my favourite things to do. Rework vintage pieces with DIY projects. If you are an experienced sewer then, this is a great way to make vintage clothes more modern if you feel that suits your style better. I love vintage fabrics, and the quality of the items, but sometimes the shapes can be unflattering. With a few nips, snips and tucks, you can turn your vintage item into something completely new, and totally unique. I usually do this with items from the thrift shop. If you are planning to do this on the vintage investment piece you just bought, then please make sure you know what your'e doing.
Ok, so I hope you enjoyed these tips and that they help you to get started vintage shopping. Once you shop vintage you can't stop!
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