Miss X: “Where did you get that gooorgeous dress? Is it Prada?”
Miss Z. “No, it’s vintage daahling”.
Miss X loved miss Z’s skirt so much that as she asked miss Z the question she had one foot leaving the party to hot-foot it down the road to get one herself. and then she was hit with the Vintage stick. “It’s vintage”, roughly translates to “Haha bitch you can’t dress like me because I scored this piece myself there are none more where it came from.”
For all those not yet into vintage shopping, do you now see the appeal? Well that, and the fact that when you wear vintage you are wearing a piece of history. and that you really feel like you deserved it because you had to hunt for that perfect piece – you had to scramble about through racks and boxes and ‘discover’ it. and because the quality of vintage (particularly the pre 1950′s era) is so magnificent.
I was in Dunedin yesterday and happen upon a deloitful vintage store called Raspberry Beret. Situated on London Street just off the main drag, it opened up just a few weeks ago and is the sister store of Dunedin’s rather famous Purple Rain. What’s cool about Raspberry Beret is that it not only stocks vintage gear, they also sell their own in-house designed clothing. this in-house brand (also named Raspberry Beret) is made of vintage fabrics with a vintage-inspired-but-modernised-for-our-taste. Shirts, shorts, skirts, dresses, cardigans and pants for both guys and girls (Well not the dresses for the guys, but alright, if you insist).
I’ll show you some of the lovely menswear another time, but right now I’ve used the yummy (vintage) stock at Raspberry Beret to illustrate this post. Because what you really want to know is how do you shop vintage right?
Make your swoops wide and varied. It’s not only fancy vintage boutiques that have great pieces. You can often pick up amazing vintage items tucked away in yard sales, op shops, and school fairs and sometimes antique stores that usually sell furniture have clothing hiding out the back.
What to pay. Depending on the quality, brand name and era you could end up paying next to nothing or heaps. big name brands will always cost more, but remember you are paying for quality.
Accessories make great vintage buys as they can be easily worked into your existing wardrobe. and it just so happens that this style of frames is trending right now.
Check the quality. Check that the item is lined, cut well and structured properly. Check the seams – that they are sewn well and none have worn or come loose. Check for insect and environmental damage. Check for odour, stains and loose or lost embellishments or tears. and then weigh up how much you love it versus how damaged it is. Can you fix it? Is it worth it?
Look closely at the seams and stitching. the inside of a blazer is the place you find the brand name.
Moth, beetle, and other insect damage to clothing can create nasty holes that might not be recoverable. some odours can be difficult to remove – especially if it is mothball scent or pet wee. Check and see if the stain can be easily removed. Realistically it probably can’t because it’s likely to be very old. But if the stain be covered or isn’t glaringly obvious then you can make the choice whether it’s worth shelling out for. Check the fabric’s fragility. some fabrics are more fragile than others, particularly when aged. this is fine; you’ll just need to treat it carefully. in terms of tears or rips, are they repairable?
Delicate fabrics such as silk chiffon and lace need to be well looked after – especially if they are fragile and aged.
What to look for.
The cut. Silhouettes and cuts vary dramatically from era to era. some may be more dramatic than others (therefore harder to work into your existing wardrobe), but as fashions come and go you might find a 70′s dress that seemed hideous a few years ago but will fit right into this summer’s trend. But as with all clothing, the cut of the clothing on your body is paramount. Does it fit properly? Does it suit your body shape? If something is a little on the large size then it’s generally pretty simple to take to a tailor for alterations. same goes for adjusting sleeve length, hemlines and trouser width. But if you’re looking to overhaul the whole item then you might as well buy new in your desired cut.
Look at the cut of the clothing.
Footwear can be fun, just look for wear and tear on the soles and the sides.
There’s nothing like an awesome vintage swimsuit.
Crazy vintage prints are a great way to liven up your wardrobe.
A vintage dress like this one above could easily pass for a modern frock as it slips in well to current season trends.
Vintage bags are always a good buy.
If you’ve picked up something heavily embellished, make sure it’s not missing too many of its bits.
Vintage jewellery is stunning, and there’s a huge movement towards vintage-inspired jewellery right now. Know what you’re buying (is it pewter or gold?), and check closely for any loose stones.
The eras. Having a general idea of what we wore when is very beneficial when vintage shopping. Different eras had different silhouettes, different fabrics, colour ways and styles. in order to be deemed vintage, clothing has to be over 30 years old (or 50, depending on who you talk to). therefore anything prior to the 1980′s is considered vintage. Prior to the 1920′s and you’ve got antique clothing on your hands. Pick up a good 20th Century fashion book and have a nosey through, because knowing what eras you like will aid your shopping muchly. Here are a few major points from the eras:
1900-1918: this era heralded the beginning of haute couture, major changes in clothing and rather severe styles during World War I.
1920s: the flapper fashion era and the era of Coco Chanel. thanks to her the fashion was after a thin silhouette, longer lengths, drop waists and boyish cuts, and lots of beading, intricate work and extravagant fabrics.
1930s: Parisian couture was rife and glamourised looks were popular. a new craze for movie stars meant that evening gowns, posh fabrics, and a focus on the feminine silhouette was popular.
1940s: The onset of World War II forced a focus on durable and utilitarian clothing. Solid suits, clean and slimline cuts (to minimise fabric wastage) and heavy duty good-and-proper fabrics like wool and heavy drill featured. Simple colourways were made lively with costume jewellery.
1950s: The teenager was invented (or realised) and with it came rock and roll. a huge focus on youth brought out full swinging skirts, sundresses and halterneck dresses in floral prints, cocktail dresses, pretty cardigans, jeans and capris and gorgeous evening wear. big brands from this era include Balmain, Faith, Givenchy, Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, Norell, Claire McCardell, Mainboucher, and Galanos.
1960s: Jackie O rules the style roost, as does Twiggy with her teeny miniskirts. Mod style, clean lines and A-shaped silhouettes were common and bold colours like orange and pink. Patterns were polkadots, psychedelics, paisley, and stripes. later on the hippie look began to creep through. big brands from the 60′s include Mary Quant, Paco Rabanne, Biba, Yves St. Laurent, Chanel, Balmain.
1970s: the hippie era was in full swing. Long flowing dresses, disco-inspired looks with crazy floral and psychedelic prints, knitted anything, flares and a strong interest in other ethnic cultures. Punk and disco were strong sub-groups. big names include Ossie Clark, bill Gibb, Thea Porter, Zandra Rhodes, Gina Fratini, Jean Varon, Jean Muir, Rae Spencer-Cullen, Calvin Klein, Diane von Fürstenberg, Ralph Lauren, Halston.
How to wear it. Unless you’re theme dressing for a party then head-to-toe vintage is baaad. take one (or two max) vintage items and mix them with contemporary pieces. for example I love mixing my drippy vintage costume jewels with a striped Breton tee, skinny jeans, a pair of great heels and a vintage Chanel-style tweed jacket. for some great examples of how to mix vintage with modern fashion, check out the blog Karla’s Closet.
– © Fairfax NZ News
I love vintage shopping and I’ve recently discovered Raspberry Beret too – such a lovely lady, she even offered to make me a dress (I have great difficulty in fitting some dresses due to wide back).