tips for thrifting and vintage shopping...

yesterday i blogged about shopping for the best of what's old...and as i had mentioned...shopping in vintage or thrift stores takes on a whole new strategy...so i thought i would share some tips...

- buy quality...educate yourself on sniffing out top quality as well as spotting poor quality....always look at labels...for words like "hand-made" or "hand-woven"...for designer or brand names...for fabric content (cashmere, silk...etc...) check to see how seams are finished...how hems are sewn...how linings are made...all clues to quality...value...and durability...

- know what you can fix/what you can't...don't expect to wash or dry-clean stains out of vintage clothing...it may come out...most-likely...it won't...you are taking a chance there...on the other hand...don't reject something you love just because it's got a defect...buttons can be replaced...pockets can be relined...beads can be resewn...

- check for trouble...always examine fabrics closely for moth holes...small tears...wear at the collar or cuffs...and pulling or shredding at the seams or in the lining...check buttons and buttonholes...look for stains...especially on cuffs and lapels...instead of assuming the garment is perfect...as you would when buying something new...assume it's not...and then decide...depending on price and how often you'll wear it...whether you can live with its flaws...

- reconsider fit...when buying vintage clothing...try everything on...size standards have changed throughout the years...so you can't count on wearing a size 8 in a 1940's dress...even if you always wear a size 8 in modern clothes...if you love something that doesn't fit quite right...consider alterations...they may cost more than the item itself...but can make a thrift store special look like an expensive hand-tailored prize...side note...even if the garment is not vintage...get in the habit of trying it on...you never know if the previous owner had it altered...

- reconsider price...you have to readjust the way you think about prices at most vintage clothing stores...at expensive...top-quality ones...don't compare value to other used clothing but to what a similar piece would cost new...while $150 might seem steep for a fifty-year-old evening dress...for example...consider that you couldn't buy anything like it new...a great quality piece would easily be triple that price...and the fact that the piece would truly be a one-of-a-kind...and at thrift stores...beware of lowering your price standards too far...when most things are priced for a few dollars...an item for $20 can start to seem outrageous...remind yourself...what the item is...and how much it would cost you at the department store...

- don't skip the men's section...men tend to hang on to clothing longer...so items are apt to be older...more classic or appealingly funky...and better quality...great finds would be anything from great tweed sports coats...raincoats...and slouchy cardigans straight from "father knows best..."

although this isn't everything...these tips are a great way to get started...if you are a thrifter...please feel free to share your tips in the comments section...

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shopping for the best of what's old...

you love bargains...you love quality...you love distinctive clothes...even if you hate anything retro...even if you've always turned up your nose at secondhand clothes...vintage clothing or thrift stores may be worth exploring on your next shopping trip...

vintage clothing stores are the tonier half of this category...often...they're set up like sophisticated boutiques...offering the most interesting styles of old clothing and accessories...the owners of these shops usually have a passion for vintage clothing and an educated eye...which is passed on to you in the form of a well-edited group of merchandise as well as higher prices...

thrift stores...on the other hand...make no pretentions to style or quality...they're simply places that sell..usually for charity...anything that anybody gives them...thrift stores offer the ultimate shopping adventure and the ultimate payoff...if you know your stuff and paw assiduously through the racks...you can come up with some pretty sweet "quality" pieces...at $2 to $10 a piece...

if you've never shopped at a vintage clothing store...don't reject them out of hand...you can find pieces there that work perfectly well with a modern wardrobe...but you also have to have a good eye...you don't want to walk out looking like a picture of your mother in 1949...head-to-toe vintage "costumes" don't work...but mixing a few interesting old pieces with your new clothes can be a sensible way to dress and shop...

at thrift stores...you can find items that no one would ever guess were old...never mind that they cost little to nothing..but it takes a lot more work and a much keener eye...they can be great fun...however...as well as an educational experience...and if you buy somthing that's a mistake...you're out only a few bucks...

keep in mind...thrift stores are always best in those out-of-the-way places...thrift stores in bigger and trendier cities have usually been picked through by those in the know...who snap up all the "good" stuff the minute it hits the racks...

any vintage or thrift store shopping has to be approached from the viewpoint of fun...you're not going to buy your winter wardrobe or complete an outfit...but you might chance on one wonderful something that will make you feel great whenever you wear it...and remember how little you spent for it...

and...because the nature of the clothing and the stores themselves differ so markedly from any kind of store selling new clothing...your shopping strategy has to be different...too...tomorrow i will post some tips...

so...are you a thrifter? if so...share one or two of your treasures that you've found...

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