How To Shop For Vintage (IN Person)

Today I am going to teach you how to shop for vintage clothing. This will be a little lesson in what to look for in your future purchases. Mostly, this will be your beginner guide to shopping for vintage. These key factors I’m going to present to you will be things you will look for while shopping for your goodies in person. I know a lot of you shop online for vintage, and that will be another blog about “How to shop for vintage online”.

If you plan on wearing your vintage finds all the time, make sure you buy sturdy pieces that will not be damaged by normal use. So skip on any of those frail pieces, unless you plan on wearing them a couple times. I myself find those pieces are a waste of time and good money.

CONDITION of your vintage finds are very important. You want to find clothing that is durable and in good repair. I have been known to buy pieces that have needed extensive repair and cleaning. This is only good if you are buying for yourself and not to resale(Unless you got it for dirt cheap and it is worth A LOT more).  But most of the time it is another waste of time and money. Rarely will you find antique pieces that are in mint condition. If you do find mint pieces be ready to buy and pay a pretty penny for you find. Here is a checklist for checking the condition of your vintage.

*  General wear and tear- You will have to check your item in good light!  Make sure the hems are still reinforced, the collars are still connected, the elbows and knees are still strong and not thinning.  You will want to check the backside of all of your garments as well.  Think about it, if you are sitting or leaning, these are areas that are prone to wear and tear.

*Tears and holes- Tearing in any other area besides the seam is a problem.  If there is a tear on the seam you can sew it up and in most cases it can go undetected.  Tears in other areas are hard to hide.  Holes depending on how big can sometimes be repaired and hidden.  Unless you have a giant hole and you decide to be creative and use a patch or if its on the arms or on a long dress that you can cut and recreate your vintage item.  If your holes are from moths most of the time they are irreversible.  If there is moth damage you are going to want to wash item in hot water immediately. This will prevent moth larve from infesting the rest of your wardrobe.  

*Mildew- Do not buy any garments that have mildew damage.

*Odor aka Stinky Smells- If you get your item from the thrift store its is highly likely it hasn’t been washed in a very long time.  This kind of odor can be removed.  Mildew ordor not so much… 

*Stains- Ok this is a big one.  I have not bought so many pieces because of stains.  Over time you will learn what stains come out and which ones won’t go away no matter what you do.  I have once removed a stain from someone writing the person's name in sharpee on the collar of a dress. (I will tell you how to attempt this in another blog).  Perspiration and mildew stains will not come out.

*Hardware- Make sure all of the buttons or snaps are attached.  If it snaps make sure the snaps work.  If a couple buttons are missing you can always put new vintage ones on if you need.  Make sure all zippers are in workable condition.

*Details-  If your items has embroidery, make sure there are no loose ends and the design isn’t coming apart.  Check all beading, appliqués, and sequins. It is good to make sure they are all in tact and are secure.  Always make sure if your item is missing belts, ties, or any item that is supposed to accompany your article of clothing.

Now that you got your check list and you are ready to shop, there are a few more things you will want to look for when purchasing vintage goods.  You want to check for the last few details. 

*Size matters- Make sure you buy items that fit with a bit of ease.  You do not want to buy skintight items that you want to squeeze into!!! These are old textiles and you don’t want to tear or damage them.  It is better to buy a tad too big and you can get them tailored to fit.  Remember vintage clothing measurements are different to today’s measurements.  So try it on! If buying online check the measurements.

*Labels-  This is a key factor in vintage.  It is always good to have a label on your vintage.  There are collectors that will not even purchase an item without the label.  Labels started in the 1880’s.  There will be a bunch of little details to look for besides the labels.   Is the item hand sewn?  Are the buttons covered?  Does it have bound buttonholes?  Are there metal or handset zippers?  Is there a silk lining? Are the seams piped or are there bound seam allowances?  These are all signs of QUALITY CONSTRUCTION of any era.

*Fabric- some fabrics hold shape better than others.  Check and make sure the fabric is of quality. 

*Prints- different prints are significant of different eras.  (Yes this will be the topic of another blog)

Hopefully this was an informative  piece for you to take in consideration the next time you go out to find your next vintage treasure!!  


XO, Playhouse Vintage