Photograph by Sarah Carmody
With vintage shopping so hot this fall, designers are repurposing vintage clothes, ripping them apart and weaving them into new collections. Vintage concert T-shirts hang in every boutique, and you can find the paradoxical “new vintage” everywhere: Neiman Marcus is selling vintage-logo Dior purses, True Religion “vintage” jeans—even a “vintage” Dolce & Gabbana tweed jacket. If you want to do a little treasure hunting yourself, though, here are tips from three local experts: Madeline Meyerowitz, who sells upscale vintage nationwide on www.enokiworld.com; Jennifer Stauber, manager of Alice’s Vintage Clothes; Alonzo, hair stylist and wardrobe consultant; and Jeff Binch, manager of Marquard’s Cleaners.
Strategy
“Since vintage has been popular for a while, the trick is to try to find pieces that don’t look like the contemporary pieces that look vintage—or else you’re just going in a circle.”
—M.M.
“Start with accessories: jewelry, scarves, maybe even a blouse, if you are ready. Vintage is not about practicality; it’s about accessorizing your style and your body.”
—J.S.
“Vintage is essentially fancy trash. You can get a vintage Rolex for as little as $750, but most of the designer jewelry’s costume—you shouldn’t be paying more than $150.”
—A.
“Try everything on, because vintage has no standardized sizing. If it doesn’t fit your body like a glove, move on to the styles and cut of another decade. Note that most vintage clothing runs small (smaller pieces survive longer). Fuller-figured women should try the bias cuts of the ’30s and ’40s.”
—J.S.
“Vintage is not like retail; there are no [price] guidelines. With some owners, you can negotiate. With others, it’s ‘Buy it or get out.’”
—A.
“Look online at boutiques in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and see what kind of stuff goes for what prices. There are common threads in pricing, even though it can be all over the board.”
—M.M.
How To Choose
“You can find lots of cool stuff at resale shops—they put a lot of vintage stuff out that they don’t even know is vintage. Vintage dates to the mid-’80s or earlier. Anything before the 1920s I’d consider antique—and more of a costume.”
—M.M.
“Unless you’re a design student, buy [garments in good] condition. There are so many vintage things in gorgeous unflawed condition; you shouldn’t spend your money on something that’s damaged or doesn’t fit perfectly.”
—M.M.
But if you’re really in love with it: “Torn seams and alterations can usually be handled by your tailor. For dry cleaning, fancy trim and lace are very difficult to salvage if stained, and damage to satin weaves, silks and velvets is often permanent.”
—J.B.
“Be careful with stoles—they are old-lady furs. They can be cut and updated to make collars and cuffs for a coat already hanging in your closet, but the stole they’re making now isn’t the stole from the ’50s, which is what you’ll find in vintage, and you don’t want to walk into a room feeling cool and looking like Grandma.”
—A.
Beware of dry rot: “If you touch it and it starts turning into powder, it’s dead. It’s not coming back; don’t pray for it.”
—A.
To avoid being overwhelmed by the miscellany: “Have one item in your mind: Today you are looking for dresses. Or a color: Today you are looking for pink.”
—A.
Why Bother?
“Because manufacturers paid more attention to detail in earlier decades, so you’re getting better quality—and because vintage gives you more options to play with, not to mention a chance to actually be what everyone else claims to be: unique.”
—J.S.
