I love keeping up with the latest trends don’t get me wrong, but there is nothing better than finding the most beautiful vintage piece, trying it on and finding that it fits like it was made for you. As I’ve said before the fashion industry is so cyclical that often times when you can see a trend comeback around pulling from the past and put together a really fantastic vintage look, is the best way to welcome it back.
When I find a trend I’m loving that I know was pulled from the past the first place I always go for vintage pieces is my mom’s closet. My mom kept so many of her old clothes from the 80s and 90s, I love going through her pieces and trying on all the fun clothes. Often times the new versions of these trends are poor quality or have a cheap twist whereas the pieces she kept are classic and still great quality.
If my mom doesn’t have quite what I’m looking for the next place I visit are vintage stores. I especially love hitting up vintage and consignment shops in cities I’m visiting. You can really get a sense of the type of people in the area. Just remember you also need to understand the locals and get a sense of their styles before you hunt for something. Every city has a different style and you might not find exactly what you’re looking for but it’s such a blast seeing what gems you can uncover.
To go along with vintage stores places like Goodwill and Salvation Army are also amazing places to find some really unique pieces. But with these places unlike the curated vintage stores, they are a little harder to dig through. The name of this game is patience. Make sure you have plenty of time and the right mindset to just dig through the racks. I especially love doing this with a big cup of coffee on a rainy afternoon. Here as well you really have to know the people who live in the area and what they might be wearing and discarding. I have a different shop depending on what I’m looking for. For clothes, I go to one, for homeware I go to a different one. It’s so fun to see what you can find and often times people have no idea what they have and you can get a beautiful piece for less than ten dollars.
If local shopping isn’t fruit full there is always online. For vintage, I always hop on eBay, to search for exactly what I’m looking for. There are some amazing sellers with insane collections of pieces. If you’re shopping online you also need to be patient and the biggest key here is to know your measurements. Often times these vintage pieces don’t have your generic sizing and if they do because the piece is older the sizing has definitely changed. So just do some quick measurements bust, waist, hips are the most important. Finding what you’re looking for will definitely take time but is well worth it.
Finally, when looking for those vintage luxury pieces I have found a lot of luck with Poshmark, Depop and The RealReal. These apps and sites have a great selection of pieces and you can get some beautiful pieces in great condition for just a fraction of their retail value. Depop has so many amazing sellers with beautifully curated collections, it’s like a virtual vintage shop you can access from your couch. Poshmark and The RealReal are known for their luxury, you can find some great deals and The RealReal is awesome because they authenticate the pieces before they are sent to you.
Where did you get your favorite vintage piece?
1 Comment