I have been buying at thrift and op-shops on and off for many years – ever since I left home at 17. At times when I had money, before children, I bought new, and designer – if only I had kept them, but I just knew I would never fit into that size 12 Perri-Cutten suit again!
Now I buy vintage because I love it – the style, the quality, the different look – and of course eco-friendliness is also a motivator. Now when I can afford to I buy from real vintage retailers rather than thrift shops - they have done most of the hard work for me and have the really good stuff!
Living as I do in the middle of nowhere, I usually buy online – but let's face it, without seeing the salesperson face to face, or having a physical location to try on garments, shopping online can be a leap of faith.
Here are some tips I have picked up over the years:
1. Check the store or sellers's return policy.
If one is not clearly given, email and ask. Any good seller will offer some sort of return policy, even on ebay (depending on price – if you get something cheap probably not). Return polices will be mandatory on ebay in Australia by August 2011.
2. Are they affiliated?
Find out who the store is affiliated with, either organizations or other vintage stores, etc. These can be very telling. If they have reliable and reputable vintage stores on their links pages, chances are they are reliable too. A good place to find reliable stores is through http://members.vintagefashionguild.org/.
3. Descriptions
Are the descriptions clear, with photos of labels, fabric type, estimated year of manufacture, and measurements – sizes have changed over the years, and US and European sizing is different to Australian sizing anyway, so check measurements carefully. Make sure you have measured yourself in inches and centimetres. Don’t forget that up until the 60′s women wore foundation garments such as girdles and corsets under their clothes – that’s how they got that hourglass shape. Maybe try and find some vintage underwear, or even modern body shapers (I know I have!).
4. Payment
What type of online payments do they accept? If they do not accept credit cards, move on! Credit cards and paypal are a good source of protection if you have the unfortunate experience of dealing with someone that is not playing fair.
5. Questions
Does the online store answer your emails quickly? Unless there is an emergency, you should receive a response within 24 hours.
6 . Feedback
Check for feedback. Often, online stores will have a feedback or comments page. Sometimes, a link to eBay feedback will be provided and they can provide valuable information about the seller and their service. Don’t risk it if the feed- back is poor.
7. Will you wear it?
Pick pieces you are going to wear, unless you are a collector. Is your colour? Do you love it, or does it just fit? Or, does it fit but you don’t really love it? I generally wear one vintage piece with modern pieces, so it’s not too much- I don’t think my family is ready for the full vintage look! If you are, by all means go the whole way.
If you are lucky enough to live near or visit a vintage store in the flesh, there are a few other tips that might help:
1. Try it On
Does it fit? Vintage pieces are often a much higher quality than what you will find today, but they will be older and more delicate that you may be used to. Some pieces may be hand stitched, and will tear easier than their modern counterparts. If something doesn’t fit properly, and give you room to breathe (check your foundation underwear- see above), it may give you problems.
2. Is it wearable?
Is everything working? Does the (metal) zipper zip? Are all the buttons there? Are there any stains, tears, weird smells? A broken zipper can be fixed by a tailor, or some dry cleaners may do it. Missing buttons may be replaceable or moved from one place to another. If you are a crafty one, then great – personally I find zips a bit tricky. As for smells, mothballs are commonly used in storage of vintage pieces before they find a new home, and the smell doesn’t always come out. Mildew is another thing to look (and smell) for.
Of course if you can’t find what you are looking for you could try buying vintage patterns and make your own clothes with vintage fabric. That is my next job, when my new vintage sewing machine arrives! I just bought it on ebay for $36 – a1959 singer – just have to wait for it to arrive, next time someone is driving the 1000km from Brisbane!
Have a happy vintage day!
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