Over the past year, as I’ve started sharing my passion for vintage fashion more openly, I’ve had many friends come to me with questions about vintage fashion.
As soon as I began to receive frequent propositions for advice, I realized that they were all asking the same question: “How do I get into vintage fashion?”
Whether they were someone who stuck to trends and staple pieces or someone who seemed to wear their personality on their skin, diving into the world of vintage fashion seemed equally vexing for everyone.
I figure there are other people out there with similar questions, so if you are one of those people, have no fear.
Here are some of my “dos and don’ts” for diving into the world of vintage fashion.
Do: Gather information and do some research
When I say research, I’m sure the vision that comes to mind is you slumped over a desk in Mugar, pouring over dusty papers in crumbling manila folders. However, researching vintage fashion can be much simpler than that.
Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok are all your friends.
These platforms are free and full of visual content that makes learning about the past fun and easy. Plus, they all have some sort of a “save” feature so you can easily refer back to images that inspire you.
If you want to learn on the go, there are some really awesome podcasts out there about fashion and fashion history in particular. One of my favorites is “Dressed: The History of Fashion.” The episodes are relatively short yet they manage to pack in so much niche information.
Take time to not only understand a bit about style trends over time but also what items or styles you would like to emulate. Learn what eras jump out to you and focus on learning about what was going on in the world at that time.
Don’t: Break the bank — it’s not always worth it
Until you have a better understanding of the vintage clothing landscape, I suggest staying away from any price that makes you raise an eyebrow. Trust your gut. If a price seems outrageous, it just might be.
The sheer rarity of vintage pieces can cause sellers to jack prices up. Sometimes, these price bumps are fair and take into account the quality of the garment and its original price, but other times, these high prices are a bit of a scam.
When I look back at pieces I broke the bank to buy — to be honest, my parent’s bank — before I was more knowledgeable about vintage, I see some hits and some major misses.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spent a pretty penny on an item just for it to arrive in the mail, looking like it survived nuclear winter.
Don’t end up like I did.
Instead, focus on cheaper pieces that seem appropriate compared to the contemporary clothes you wear. I’m not going to suggest a set price range since we all have different personal budgets, but try to get vintage pieces that are only nominally more expensive than their modern counterparts.
Do: Focus on something that isn’t fashion
What I love about fashion is that it is a perfect reflection of the sociopolitical context it emerges within. It’s hard to fully appreciate the prominent styles of a time period if you don’t know much about what else was going on to make those trends emerge in the first place.
If you are too busy trying to perfect your style, you will turn a blind eye to other forms of cultural education like art and history — or even the history being made around you.
Besides, watching old movies and listening to old music is yet another way to glean more inspiration for your style. Movies from past decades can expose you to more of the daily fashion of the time. In fact, music has always shaped many of my style decisions.
Become a more well-rounded person, and your style — vintage or contemporary — will reflect that.
Don’t: Think you have to be perfect
It can be really scary to try something new, especially in an area where it seems there are so many experts. I can assure you that no one, not even those who hold a doctorate in fashion history, knows absolutely everything.
Just like you can call yourself a piano player and only know how to play chords — well, that’s what I do at least — you can call yourself a vintage fashion lover or collector without knowing everything about the fashion of yesteryear.
For me, learning new things about clothing construction and fashion history is one of my favorite parts of being a vintage collector. There are always new things to learn, and that is exactly what makes it so exciting.
Even when I date items for my business, I am not perfect. Oftentimes, my estimates for an item’s age are super broad, spanning two whole decades — a fact I’m sure to note prior to sale.
So, take a deep breath and trust yourself. Personal style is always a work in progress — especially when you are diving into a whole new branch of fashion culture. Try the things you like and see what sticks.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it so much you end up writing your own vintage fashion column.
