7 ways to spot top quality bargains in a vintage store

One of the comforting things about shopping in a mall and its sprawl of stores is that you kinda know what you’re in for. Sales aside, you have mastered the triangular relationship of price, quality and label. After all, you wouldn’t have the same price and quality expectations when you step into the Saks as when when you stop at Macy’s, would you?

The tricky things about vintage shopping is that all these pre-conceived notions about price, quality and labels no longer hold.  The type of store that you shop in can also play a large factor in the pricing.  More info on various permutations of vintage stores can be found at Guide to Type of Vintage Shops.

When you hold up a piece of resale garment, some expert assessment is needed to determine if a label is really worth the price. And sometimes, if that jaw-dropping price is really too good to be true. So what to look for? Quality of fabrics and workmanship. Labels don’t always point to smart purchasing decisions, but quality fabrics and workmanship usually does. To break it down, here are seven ways to spot some top quality bargains.

 

1. Fabric is a window to the soul of the garment. Fabric is usually the first indicator of quality, and you should not hesitate to touch it to get used to its next to your skin. If it feels grainy and rough, or if it chafes or itches, then that’s a good sign that this is probably not the best thing to wear, day in and day out.

 

2. Seams speak volume. Constructing garment is all about measuring, cutting, joining and sealing different pieces of fabrics, so the finished product looks like it’s meant to be. Therefore, it’s imperative that one checks not only the exterior, but also the interior of a piece to determine its desirability. An expert shopper knows that fraying seams indicate shoddy merchandise, and won’t waste time trying it on. It is always a plus when a more time-consuming and refined seam-finishing technique is employed, such as French or bound seams. On the other hand, the more efficient over-locking technique may indicate that the manufacturer was more interested in getting the garment out as cheaply and quickly as possible.

 

3. Buttons, beautiful buttons. Those bright and shiny things do not only look magnificent on a piece of garment, they also give off great signals as to the quality of the garment they adorn. Eccentric buttons made with real brass, pearl, horn, or those that were specific to a designer house, probably all deserve a bit of your time. The quality of the buttonholes are just as important. Bound slits and hand-stitched button holes indicate that somebody invested some serious time into making the clothes.

 

4. Good lining is like icing on the cake. Lining is my favourite part of a garment. Since a beautiful piece of clothing is mostly seen and appreciated by others when worn, quality lining is something that I can enjoy all to myself. Check the colour and the material for some telltale signs of the amount of love given by the makers. I have a trench coat lined with lime green acetate and the label embroidered on it. I also own a dinner jacket with silk leopards linings. Linings do not lie, the quality of both pieces are impeccable.

 

5. Pockets and zippers. Now delving deeper into the details, it’s always wise to examine pockets and zippers to make sure that the quality is consistent. Pockets should hang at the same level, flapping-free, and add aethetic points to the overall effect of the garment. Zippers, on the other hand, serve a practical purpose and should be thoroughly examined. The raw edge of the tape should be hidden from the eye so as not to attract unwanted attention. And more importantly, the teeth of the zipper should never come into contact with bare skin. A zip guard should be present on all quality skirts and pants.

 

6. Check the label. This is actually more of a directive to check the tag itself than what is written on the label. Sometimes in our eagerness to see the writings on the label, we forget that the labels are constructed, much like the garments themselves. How well the label is put together – both its workmanship and materials, can be an accurate mirror of the quality of the garment as a whole.

 

7. Flaws. There are acceptable flaws, and there are unforgivable flaws. Things like wrinkles, missing buttons, broken zippers, offline hemlines are generally acceptable. As long as you don’t mind the extra work, a bit of ironing and sewing, or some change dropped off at the tailor should fix the problems. On the other hand, anything that requires repeated and expensive trips to the tailor or the dry cleaner turns me right off. Torn linings, stains and odours, pilling wools and moth holes (ewww) are simply not worth the bother.

 

So there, seven quick and easy tips to bring with you when vintage shopping. Remember to examine garment fits and styles the same way you would scrutinize a new piece of clothing. And happy vintage shopping!

Tagged as: guide, how-to