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How to Shop for Vintage

How to Shop for Vintage

Love vintage dresses, but scared to shop for them?    Guest blogger Chrissie Eden Vazquez gives you the 411 on how to find the right dress, and what to do once you get it home.

Springtime is just around the corner, and with it, the beginning of Celebration Season. You know what I’m talking about–that stretch between April and September when everyone you know seems to be getting married, having a baby, graduating from clown school, whatever! By the time invitation #3 shows up in your mailbox (or in your inbox, if your pals are eco-savvy enough to skip the paper), your first thought isn’t “Awwww”, it’s ” #&%@, what am I going to wear!?”.

Fear not. You can get a fabulous vintage gown for each occasion without breaking the bank…but you’re going to have to work for it a little, sister. The advantage (and the fun) of going vintage is that you get a unique garment that is not only beautiful, but also green because it keeps that fabulous old dress out of landfill! Why battle it out with half of the City at Bloomingdales or Neiman Marcus and still risk walking into an event in the same dress as some other gal? How embarrassing!

60s Vintage Gown, $270 @ DorotheasClosetVintage.com
60’s Vintage Gown, $270 @ DorotheasClosetVintage.com

Skip the big stores and re-think your shopping plan. Vintage gowns can be found in any number of places, from estate sales to flea markets and thrift stores, but the internet offers the widest selection. Some tips for buying a vintage gown online:

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  • Before you even begin looking for a vintage gown, find a tailor in your area that you can trust to handle any alterations or repairs necessary. Keep in mind that an evening gown can be a rather large and labor-intensive project. If you’re going all out for a black tie type of event, you want to allow time for proper handling of delicate fabrics, as well as any detail work like beading. A rush job might cause irreparable damage to a one of a kind piece, leaving you scrambling last minute to find a back up dress.
  • Size it up. It pays in saved aggravation and tears to have your measurements handy while shopping, especially online where you can’t try before you buy. Some resellers of vintage attire will list their gowns according to what modern size the item fits, while others will list according to the original size. Most will provide you with hip, bust, and waist measurements, along with recommendations on bra cup sizes and shoulder widths that will fit into specific pieces.
  • Measure over your clothes so that you have enough wiggle room for alterations.
  • Give yourself LOTS of time to shop, especially if you’re tall or curvy because if you find a gown you love but it’s not in your size or big enough to be altered–sorry, sister, gotta move on.
  • Dare to think about underwear. Vintage silhouettes were very heavily shaped by the wearer’s undergarments (think about the bullet bras of the 50s and the tiny corseted waistline that defined Dior’s New Look). {EDITORS NOTE: YOU CAN FIND AUTHENTIC BULLET BRAS ONLINE ON BULLETBRAS.NET} The dress may look different on you than it does on a mannequin or on a model wearing period undergarments to complement the style. If you’re determined to keep it authentic by wearing a vintage or vintage inspired corset or bra, ask the seller if they have any recommendations. However, if you value free breathing or don’t like the idea of wearing someone else’s undergarments, relax, and remember that it’s your dress. You can have it restructured or changed any way you want! As long as you’ve followed tip #1 and acquired a good tailor, you should be able to rework the gown so that it is more flattering to your body without the use of bionic underwear.
  • Ask direct questions about the condition of the dress! Reputable resellers of vintage clothes disclose any minor damage or discoloration up front, but if you can’t examine the dress in person, get clear, high-resolution images of the damaged areas to make sure that you can live with the imperfections. If you see a gown with great bare bones potential but want to make serious changes to it, ask if the fabric will hold up to your ambitious plans. A delicate piece of material over 50 years old will fall apart even in the hands of the most careful and skilled tailor.

With a little investment of time and effort, you can expect to save some cash and still be the belle of the ball, with everyone clamoring to find out…Where DID you get that dress?

Chrissie Eden Vazquez lives in NYC in an apartment full of clothes and furniture made and used years before she was born, along with her rescued pitbull Franklin and her rescued-from-the-suburbs boyfriend Gino. She got her first taste of vintage thrill from her Mom, who happily indulged her young daughter’s tastes for shiny brooches and little clutches from the 40s, unknowingly starting an obsession with all things made before the Nixon era. Mother & daughter continue to try to out-do each other with the perfect vintage score…with Chrissie currently ahead by one set of dining chairs.