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Vintage Clothing
How To Buy Vintage
Clothes
Undeniably, there are vintage clothes
that don’t look appealing at all, but
that doesn’t necessarily mean everything
vintage looks old, soiled, and worn out.
There is an unbelievably great number of
vintage pieces today that still look
pretty and are wearable despite the
passage of time. The question, however,
is how to spot them. There’s no
guarantee it is easy, but if you
carefully study your options, you might
bring home a vintage treasure. Here’s a
list of vintage clothing buying tips to
help you in your search.
1.) Locate a good store. You can use the
ever helpful yellow pages or the
Internet. The truth is, a lot of good
vintage stores are found within the
country. Sometimes you don’t even have
to leave your own neighborhood to find
one. But one thing you have to keep in
mind is to look for a store in an area
where people discard their articles that
are almost good as new to dealers and
consignment stores; typically these are
affluent neighborhoods.
2.) Make sure there are no stains.
Though there are stains that are easy to
remove, there are those that are
permanent such as mildew. The problem,
however, is that you usually find they
are irreversible only after you’ve gone
home. To be on the safe side, choose the
clothes with no stains at all or if your
choice of piece has one, make sure its
size and position won’t catch attention.
3.) Check the vintage piece for any
damage. Are the buttons snugly attached?
Is the design missing a recognizable
number of beadings and sequins? Does the
zipper work properly? Are there traces
of mildew? While buttons,
embellishments, and zipper can, in most
cases, be replaced, any signs of mildew
are permanent. Tears and holes are also
sometimes present in vintage clothes, so
be extra meticulous. The rule of thumb
is not to get an item that is
irreparable.
4.) Pay attention to the areas that are
most prone to wear. Examples are elbows,
knees, and collars. Take note if the
fabric is overstretched or sagging. Make
sure also that the fabric is not nearing
deterioration since vintage clothes,
which are typically made from natural
materials, have the tendency to tear
overtime.
5.) Mind the size. Take note that
vintage clothes were made in the periods
where people were smaller in sizes, so
they don’t conform to modern sizing.
This is the reason you might find the
piece indicating your size quite
smaller. Therefore, it is always wise to
try the garment on. Remember: don’t go
to the cashier without first going to
the fitting room.
6.) Don’t be discouraged by the smell.
True, there are vintage clothes that
have off and soiled odor because of the
length of time they have been stored
somewhere. But the smell can be easily
dealt with. You can have the vintage
items dry cleaned or you can wash them
on your own, provided you do so with the
fabric’s age and material in mind.
7.) Choose the clothes you would
actually wear. There are clothes in
vintage stores that are temptingly
attractive and one-of-a-kind. But the
question is, can you wear them in
day-to-day or special occasions? Or will
they sit in your closet for no one knows
how long? Keep in mind that all the
other vintage clothing buying tips are
useless if you don’t get to wear your
piece.
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