5 Tips For Buying Vintage Clothes | CBC Life

Hi, Stephen and Chris. My name's Sarah Megwood. Today, I'm going to show you the five things to consider when you want to buy a great vintage piece. The first thing to consider is, of course, authenticity. Vintage is generally anything from the 80s or back, though I would really say the golden age of fashion was from the 20s to the 60s. So a quick and easy way to determine the era of a piece is to look at the closures. In the 20s and 30s, they would have been on the side seam, and it would have been either buttons, hooks, or snaps. Moving into the 40s and 50s, it would have been zippers on the side seam that were metal. In the 60s, there were zippers that were metal, but in the center back, and into the 70s, they were center back, but nylon zippers, which are the plastics that we see today. Next, we want to consider quality. Two pieces might showcase similar features, but on closer inspection, they're done quite differently, and that's what determines the value. Fabric is definitely the most important, because if it's a natural fiber, like this beautiful raw silk, you'll be very comfortable, and it'll breathe. Synthetic fabrics, on the other hand, don't breathe, and they're going to be very uncomfortable on a warm day. When you're considering a piece with detailing on it, make sure to properly assess how it's done. Here you can see that it's all beautiful glass beadwork that's custom designed, and it perfectly complements the cut of this dress. On the other hand, here you can see that the trimming is mass produced, the beadwork is sparse, and the pearls themselves are plastic. In the 60s, custom design work was still quite popular. Women either went to a seamstress, or they would sometimes even make it themselves at home. But what this means is that sometimes they'd cut corners, and the first place this would happen is on the inside of the dress. So really take a look at the lining. The third thing to consider is condition. When you're out shopping, a great trick is to take the item into natural light and look at it thoroughly front and back. Here for instance, we have two 1950s needlepoint bags. This one is in pristine condition. The surface is beautiful, the hardware is lovely, and even the stones are in the class. This one, however, shows water damage, and you can start to see that the brass is coming through the gold finish on the handle. The next thing to consider is fit. You'll notice that when you're in a vintage store, the sizing is all over the map. So an easy way to get in and out of the change room quickly is to use this trick. Take the garment and align it two inches above your belly button, which is generally where your true waist is going to be. Take the rest of the garment and pull it taut around your body. If it touches your spine, you know it's probably going to fit. Finally, you want to think about versatility and how your purchases are going to complement your existing wardrobe. Crystal jewelry is fantastic. It transitions easily from day to night, it's neutral enough that it works with anything in your wardrobe, and they make beautiful heirloom pieces. Roaches are my favourite because you can wear them on anything. They look amazing clustered, like I have here on my lapel. They look so chic if you wear them on a scarf around your neck, or even on a hat, they look fantastic. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you learned something about how to find a great vintage treasure for your collection.