What is vintage exactly? Sure, there are pricey secondhand shops in every respectable artsy pedestrian-only part of town. But are nighties owned by grannie and dollar bin items from your neighbourhood Salvation Army count?
By definition, any clothes produced before the 1920s are considered antique, and clothes produced from the 1920s to 1980 can be considered vintage. Although in recent years, new clothes manufactured with a certain wash or style are sold as “vintage inspired” or “vintage reproductions”. All those vintage related items find themselves in your neighbourhood thrift, consignment, and vintage stores.
Thrift Stores
To make things clear, the majority big-box giant thrift store chains such as Salvation Army and Goodwill offer a myriad of goods, from housewares, furnitures, books to clothes, usually at very low prices. The merchandise is obtained mainly through individual donations, sometimes by special arrangements with retail stores or manufacturers. A number of charity-affiliated chains such as TVI/Value Village are making headroom in the marketplace by appealing not just to hard-core thrift shop connoisseurs, but middle-class customers.
The biggest advantages to shopping in a thrift store are probably the price and the head-spinning selection. The best bargains can be found there. And the selection is so vast that you can probably walk away with a complete outfit for under 20 bucks. On the flip side, you better set aside a few hours to fully rummage through the merchandise, or you’ll walk away with nothing decent. But that’s still better than walking away with too many things, because the prices are sometimes too good to resist. Bottom line is, when shopping thrift, bring time, patience, and an uber-critical eye. You don’t want to go home with half a dozen items that only half-fit you, or only look good under certain lightings because they are too worn already. Your closet space is too precious for that.
Consignment Stores
To be precise, consignment stores are a subset of vintage stores. But the practice of consigning and consignment shopping is important enough that I will break it out as a separate category. This is a place where people take their no-long-wanted items to. The store owner will have to make sure that the item is suitable for the store’s perspective clientele, is relatively clean and free of damage. The store will then display the item for between 1-3 months. If sold, the consignor takes an agreed-upon cut. If not, the items is either marked down or donated to charity.
I find that consignment shopping can be interesting as you can be the consignor and the shopper at the same time. I have taken clothes to a consignment store, and used my store credits towards my purchases. So if your wear-no-more clothes are still in fashion and in good condition, taking them to a consignment stores could mean that you get a free shopping trip once in a while. The stores themselves are usually sized in between a thrift and a vintage store, usually with clothes neatly sorted by either colour or size. The clothes themselves are most likely in markedly better condition than those found in a thrift store, making selection a tad less time-consuming.
A vintage, or retro store should specialize in fashion items of bygone eras, or costumes of a certain type. Merchandise may differ depending on taste of the owner and the clientele. Store owners generally purchase their stock from vintage-clothes wholesalers, individual consignors, estate sales and perhaps other faraway vintage places.
Vintage shopping is my one of my favourite weekend activities. I have stepped into some vintage stores that specializes in tribal/exotic jewelry, accented by unisex tees and jackets. I’ve also been to a basement vintage store that stocks punkish 70s fashion and all kinds of piercing accessories. Some also mix some new with the old. I’ve seen stores that have thrown in their own line of vintage vests or tees, while others carry vintage-inspired apparels to complement their vintage selection. And of course, there are also large, all-inclusive vintage places that sell everything from 40s hats and buckle shoes to Dutch flower girl dresses for Halloween, and all kinds of vintage sweaters and dresses in between.
All in all, whether you decide to shop in a thrift, consignment, or vintage store, be prepared for an adventure! The stores are usually tastefully decorated, the clerks cheerful, the prices oh-so-attractive, and whatever items that you pick up one-of-a-kind. So be prepared to roll up your sleeves and dig right in. But buyer beware, this can become addictive.
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