Vintage Clothing - A guide to Buying Online
In this guide to buying Vintage Clothing online we will first look at the main periods of vintage clothing. These can be defined as follows;
Pre 1901
A wide category that includes everything from the high-waisted dresses of the early part of the 19th Century to the bustle gowns and lace tea dresses of the Victorian era. If you like your vintage clothing from way back, search for items described as Renaissance, Regency,Romantic,Victorian,Antique, or 1800s.
1901–1919
Mainly described as Edwardian or World War One, this era reflected the influence of Eastern fashion and the designer Paul Poiret. Examples include embroidered Edwardian blouses and corsets and garments made of linen and lace. Search for Edwardian or by date.
1920–1938
A time when fashion radically changed, these two decades moved from the extravagancies and excesses of the Roaring ’20s (the flapper dress and cloche hat) to the more reserved clothing of the Depression era and 1930s. Search for items by date and style such as Deco or Art Nouveau influenced fashion.
1939–1946
During World War Two fashion ranged from chiffon dresses and fitted jackets to taffeta and lace evening wear.Hats were also popular and the Hollywood influenced high style of the 1940s. Track down items listed as WWII, 1940s, and Glamour.
1947–1964
Clothing style changed once again, as women took their fashion cues from Jackie O. One and two-piece dresses and the boxy jacket and skirt suit. Knee length pleated skirts eventually gave way to miniskirts, mini dresses, and hot pants. If you are a fan of this era, seek out clothing that’s labelled new look, rockabilly,swing,1950s,early 1960s and 1960s.
1965–1976
Natural and ethnic styles, bright colours, floral and psychedelic patterns, denim, and bell-bottoms were all the rage during this period. Look for clothing from Gunne Sax, or that’s described as mod,boho,Renaissance,hippie or disco.
1977–1989
This most recent period shows the punk rock and new wave influence. Leather jackets and leather skirts,ripped jeans and T-shirts, and so on. If you like to walk on the wild side of fashion, look for items marked as punk, New Wave or 1980s.
Vintage Clothing Condition
Vintage clothing by definition is not new. It is important that you properly understand the condition of a garment. Some sellers rely on a naming system that will help you assess what you can expect when you buy vintage clothing and accessories online.
Here is a typical condition summary but remember every sellers interpretation of this range will be different.
Mint
An item is as perfect and pristine as when it was originally made and shows no sign of wear (mint condition is of course rare for vintage clothing).
Near Mint
An item shows only the slightest signs of wear and could be considered to be almost in new condition.
Excellent
An item shows typical signs of wear consistent with occasional use.
Very Good
An item is considered wearable but has some surface flaws (staining or soiling, for example).
Good
An item is wearable but cannot be returned to excellent condition even if repairs are made.
Logically the older a piece of clothing is the more likely it will display indications of its age. Signs of wear should be expected. Although condition ranks as a main buying consideration for vintage clothing, it’s not as crucial for older items.
Do not be tempted to buy something that you consider inferior just because it has a well known brand name. Ask the seller to specify any damage or irregularities a garment may have. Do not rely solely on a condition term if you are unsure of the quality of a garment.
Sizing Vintage Clothing
As for size we would recommend buying a little big. If a piece of vintage clothing is particularly old it might not withstand stretching. Do not rely on modern sizing.
Because vintage clothing is from past eras sizes will vary from decade to decade and from manufacturer to manufacturer.
You will find a size guide on our site for converting USA, Europe and United Kingdom garments but this mainly applies to more recent items.
Buy a tape measure - we can never stress enough the importance of checking the measurements you see on the description to those of a well fitting item of your own. You will be able to gauge the fit far more accurately by using your own measurements for comparison.
Another useful tip is to measure similar items,for example,if you are looking at a t-shirt, measure one of your t-shirts, if you are looking at a jacket, measure a jacket. If sizes are vague or confusing ask the seller to take additional measurements for you.
The tag size may not be an accurate representation as to the items actual size, clothing size guides have changed drastically over the past few decades and manufacturers now produce to a completely different size scale than that of 20 or 30 years ago. So again,check the measurements!
How to Value Vintage Clothing
Vintage clothing can be both a fashion statement and an investment. Highly collectable items, such as high end designer gowns,original Hawaiian print shirts and bowling shirts from the 1950s can be quite valuable and providing they are in good condition will continue to grow in value.
How to Value Vintage Clothing
Vintage clothing can be both a fashion statement and an investment. Highly collectable items, such as high end designer gowns,original Hawaiian print shirts and bowling shirts from the 1950s can be quite valuable and providing they are in good condition will continue to grow in value.
If you like to pick up a fun, funky vintage item every now and then for pleasure and the outlay is minimal you may not be concerned about value. On the other hand if you are more serious about vintage clothing you really need to know about value.
The best way to ascertain the value of vintage clothing is to do some research.
Take the time to educate yourself by reading articles or buying vintage clothing books and magazines. Many resources including auction house prices are available especially online.
Get to know the particular clothing styles and characteristics of the era that is of interest to you.This way you know what to look for and perhaps most importantly, what to avoid such as reproductions or fake garments.
For many serious vintage clothing collectors a piece must have a label (although a lot of vintage clothing will not have labels). Condition and quality count when buying for investment or resale purposes. You might fall in love with a dress or purse,but if there are too many flaws the value may be lost.
Looking after your Vintage Clothing
Once you purchase a collector piece of vintage clothing you will want to ensure its value does not diminish.
Here are some tips for keeping your vintage clothing in tip top condition
Clean your vintage clothing properly. Be sure to follow any instructions listed on the care tag (although care tags are of course a recent innovation). Fabrics such as cottons, acrylics, and polyesters should be hand washed with mild cleansers.
To avoid shrinkage and fading, air or drip-dry your vintage clothing instead of using a dryer.
Wools, silks,delicate or embroidered pieces,suits and gowns should only be cleaned by trusted professionals.Always remove your garments from the plastic dry cleaning bags before storing.
Never hang knits or delicate fabrics and never use metal hangers for any type of vintage clothing. Hang clothing on padded hangers only.
Store your vintage clothing properly. Keep clothes away from light, smoke, and animal hair. If the items are valuable,heavy and older keep them in acid-free paper and boxes.
Wools and furs should always be cleaned before storing. In addition to cleaning, many cleaners offer free summer storage in ideal conditions for furs.
For home storage of wool items place them in a cool dry place with mothballs and cedar.
Finding Vintage Clothing Online
Finding Vintage Clothing Online
Once you know what type of vintage clothing you want go to our home page.
We are the largest online store for vintage clothing in the World and include all the items listed on Ebay. Bookmark our site and you will have the world of vintage clothing at your fingertips.
The store categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You will find links for Men’s Clothing, Women’s Clothing, Men’s Shoes, Women’s Shoes, Men’s & Women’s Accessories, and more. As you dig deeper into the site you will also be able to narrow down your choice by era.
Use the search box for specific words. For example,if you want to find a vintage dress, type vintage dress into the Search box at the top of the page.
Buying Vintage Clothing Online
Before making your purchase or placing any bids, make sure you know exactly what you are buying .
Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.
Check how long the seller has been selling vintage clothing. Check the seller's feedback rating ? How many transactions have they completed ? What percentage of positive responses do they have ?
What do buyers say in their Feedback ? Did the seller receive praise ?
Some sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee ? What are their terms and conditions ? Can you return the item and get a refund if the description was inaccurate ?
Carefully read the details in item listings. Calculate delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money make sure the seller will insure the item when they send it to you.
If you want more information, click the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile. If in doubt ask before you bid or purchase an item.If you get no response to your query, what does that tell you about the sellers level of customer service and would they respond if you purchased an item and were not happy ?
Never pay for your item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.
On Ebay paying with PayPal is a popular choice. With PayPal you can pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact PayPal protects against unauthorised payments being taken from your account. With PayPal Buyer Protection your purchase can be covered up to a set amount (see individual Ebay sites for details of the level of this protection and the conditions).
We hope that you have found this guide helpful and that it will enhance your experience of buying, wearing and enjoying vintage clothing.
copyright 2008
Jane Ravens BA Hons
www.vintageclothing-store.com
