7 tips to buying vintage clothing for the first time
What goes around, comes back around!
That is what happened to vintage clothing! It has made a huge comeback, which has resulted in everyone wanting to have a piece of vintage designer clothing in their wardrobe. With today’s ease of availability of classic clothes on various online stores — especially during the global pandemic — it has become easier than ever to buy one quickly and safely in an online vintage clothing store, right?If you have been following by my blog @ut_vintageclothing for a while now, you probably are aware of my my love for clothes — especially anything second-hand/vintage. Now that we are into lockdown, I want to talk about the buying online particularly. This can be tricky! I can tell you, I have made some serious fashion mistakes over the last few years in vintage stores and online shopping!
To prevent you from making the same mistakes I have made, I wrote this blog post with 7 ‘personal’ tips/experiences on how to buy vintage clothing successfully for the first time!
- Know your right vintage shops and online stores
Not all vintage shops are the same! Important is to ensure, before you even begin shopping vintage clothing, to find your best online store. This depends on you; where you live, your personal preferences, your style. Always remember to not just start shopping on the first and best website you find; always check reviews on their site, reviews on the internet in general, collections and brand associated with them.
2. Choose the Right Online Store
The first and foremost thing to ensure before you even begin shopping vintage clothing is to find the best online vintage clothing store for you. There’s no one fixed answer that we have here. Depending on where you live, you can look for the best vintage clothing store in your country with a quick Google search. Just don’t start shopping on the first website you find. Check their reviews, collections and brands associated with them. Tip, have a look at this list of online stores:
3. Look As Modern As Possible
The biggest mistake you can make is when buying vintage clothes is to look retro or period. Focus on the modern styles on the high street and dress your decade. Personally, I avoid wearing hear to to vintage as I can look like a cartoon character.
4. Do not Get Seduced By The Label and Pick The Best Brands
Do not be tempted by popular designers that have made the item. Look at the shape and the way it fits you — and it is happens to be designer, then great! Win win. But it is not the main reason why you should buy the vintage clothing.
Also, important to realise is that not all that is being offered is vintage; some are just plain old clothes, nothing more!
5. Do a Quality Check before purchasing
Pay attention to possible stains, marks, holds, sweet stains, broken zips and missing buttons. It will be hard to get stains out…. You need to invest in vintage clothing that is worth buying. Also, always make sure to check the soles of shoes you are buying second-hand. Never buy shoes that need a lot of repair; you may be better off buying a new pair.
6. Do Not Rely On Size Tags
Vintage clothing has been throughout some time and sizes keep changing. In the past, women where a lot smaller and so a size S from the 80s really could be a size M today, but it could easily be the other way around as well. So, make sure to try on clothing before finalizing your purchase!
I tend to buy clothing that is oversized — I personally love that style!
Look at this picture of one of my favourite blouses from Hugo Boss — It is in fact a blouse for men! Just simply roll up your sleeves and you are good to go to wear it casually.
In case you do go to a physical vintage shop, try clothes on!
Sometimes an item of vintage clothing can look not sit well on a hanger, so try it on.
I usually try to look for cottons, silks, linens and denims which I can wear all day long and I always touch the clothing to make the piece still has life in it :).
Online you will never know the fit though and it could sadly enough be a costly mistake for which you have to take extra effort returning it.
7. Experiment With Bold Vintage Accessories
There are so many vintage accessories, including hats, rings, scarves, socks, necklaces and more, that can give you a a classic retro look even without the vintage clothes. It gets you out of basic style and has a making giving you a distinctive look.
