There is something really unique about vintage clothes. A timeless look that stands out from the crowd can make you feel strong and confident. However, vintage clothes have other benefits because they are made to last longer and are simply better for the environment. Vintage fashion has a massive range of styles and looks that give options for those that want to mix and match and make their style theirs. However, vintage fashion at vintage stores is expensive, which can be intimidating for those who don’t know what style works for them. How do you incorporate vintage into your look if you have no idea what sort of vintage works for you? You will have to go to a thrift store. But the massive surplus of clothes and things can overwhelm the new shopper. How does one navigate around that? Vintage shopping at a thrift store can be easy if you understand fabric types, structure, and tags. Knowing how to look for the specific fabric types, materials, and tags in vintage clothes will jumpstart anyone’s shopping experience and make them great vintage shoppers.
Finding vintage in a sea of clothes could be hard for any new thrifter. Thrift stores receive an obscene of textiles and clothes every day. In the blog Green America, they state, “On average, 700,000 tons of used clothing gets exported overseas… Goodwill [reports] roughly five percent of donated clothes are directly sent to landfills, largely due to mildew issues, which can contaminate entire bales of clothing. The rest remain in the 3,200 stores for four weeks before being moved to Goodwill outlets, found in 35 states, where items are sold for 99 cents per pound.” The abundance of clothes donated to thrift stores leaves stores overwhelmed with the number of products they have, unable to sort anything for classier better items. The amount of clothes we throw away is obscene, so trying to find something specific tends to feel nearly impossible at a thrift store.
When searching for vintage fashion, looking for a standard vintage fabric will be your best and easiest asset. While looking for a style might help a bit, sometimes some of the most unique things I have found were found because I was looking at the fabric. In the sea of cheap-looking navy and blacks, aim for a faded pink, a bright yellow, and patterns that seem one of a kind. As capitalism has gotten out of whack with no regulations to keep it in pace, quality, especially fabric quality, has shifted dramatically. Even designer companies suffer from terrible quality of clothes and materials. Designer companies are a joke compared to their companies from 10-50 years ago. Most textiles you face are now blends utilizing certain words and terminology to make you feel you are getting higher quality. However, these blends generally incorporate organic fabric with plastic fabric like polyester because it is cheaper. Looking for vintage fabric might be hard at first, but looking for clothes that don’t have a sheen is an excellent way to start. Even vintage clothes that were designed to be shiny, they tend to have less of a plastic look compared to recent garments. With the clothes being older, they also have a more muted look than something newer. Even with the darkest colors, they are not as dark as newer ones.
Another way of discovering vintage clothes is by looking for the standard patterns of what you expect vintage garments to look like. Vintage clothes aren’t generally going to have derogatory words like “slut” or “Bitch” unless you are aiming for the Y2K vintage. Anything from the 1980s or older would be more conservative. Plaids and polka dots are classic patterns we have repeatedly used since the dawn of time. Even though we still use those patterns today with cheaper materials, there is a way you can see the difference between the two. It takes time to spot it, but it can be done. One of the ways to differentiate patterns is to look for the color. Since the item is older, the fabric dye is more muted, which would obviously differ from newer ones. Also, generally vintage clothes won’t fully stretch if they are 1970s or older. If you see something that looks like they were made in the 1950s but they’re stretching, they’re a remake.
If you are fortunate, you can find a patterned circle skirt. Those generally involve either a standard pattern or, this one is the one to look out for, a scenic design that circles around the bottom of the skirt. The design generally looks like it was watercolored, and those skirts can go for hundreds of dollars. If it looks old and unique, grab it.
When it comes to thrifting, you can look at the clothes rack to see if there is something vintage. However, if you still question if you found something truly vintage, look at the tag. The easiest tell to see if something is vintage is if you see the ILGWU tag. The ILGWU (or International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union) is a union label tag placed on clothes from 1900-2004. They range in look, but it does seal the deal that this item is vintage. Sammy D Vintage has a great article discussing the different kinds of ILGWU labels.
https://sammydvintage.com/vintage-style/union-labels-ilgwu/.
Understanding the materials of an item helps the stopper as well. Researching vintage stores to see what vintage clothes look like also helps train your eye for what you need to look out for. Nine times out of ten, if it looks old, it probably is, but knowing the feel and style of something old generally helps. A zipper will indicate if a dress is old because metal zippers are rarer now than they were back in the day. Also, dresses with a bow on the back of the dress are part of an older style that hasn’t translated to now. If you find a bow on the back of the dress, check the tag, it might be vintage.
Even with ‘the cheapest at the time’ vintage item, you still get a high-quality item made by the best human design. Vintage brings a unique look that cannot be compared to anything else. It becomes one of a kind because it was either saved in someone’s closet or saved as deadstock over the decade. Finding vintage at a thrift store might seem daunting because there are so many things. Still, with patience and a little knowledge of what to look for, you’ll find the best items possible.
