Generally, clothing that dates prior to the 1920’s is considered antique clothing, and from the 1920’s up until 1980 is vintage. Vintage clothing is basically used or second hand clothing. However there is a limited amount of vintage that is called “dead stock”, which means in dealers terms, never worn. And as you can imagine, these pieces are in great demand and much more valuable. Some even have the original tags.
Vintage is a term that was borrowed from the wine industry.
There has been a tremendous resurgence of interest in vintage clothing, which got wings in the early 1990’s.
Celebrities, like super model Kate Moss, a devoted collector, have helped bring it into public awareness.
Hippie vintage skirts are all the rage. A pieced together look, of homemade, and handmade patchwork styles. One good example of hippie vintage is the patchwork wrap skirt. These are usually very colorful cotton skirts. Another would be the Pakistan bohemian hippie chic wrap.
You can also find great vintage clothing for men, like the hippie vintage Dashiki shirt. These shirts slip over your head, and are loose hanging, boxy, with angel wing sleeves, and come in colorful ethnic prints. In the 1970’s the men’s hippie shirt was popular. Some people called them Nehru shirts. These were also loose, usually with long sleeves. Many with nice floral embroidery, a pull over with baggy sleeves.
Hippie purses are another example of hippie vintage. One of the best known is the tooled leather flower purse, usually with a matching leather woven strap. As these age, the leather turns almost golden.
Vintage clothing can also be fun to collect. Searching and finding these unique pieces is all part of what attracts so many people to vintage clothing.
They are also attracted to the high quality of these garments, the fine materials used in manufacturing, and the value you receive for reasonable prices. Much of this clothing has unique appeal as well, with unusual buttons, hand embroidery, lace and beading.
To purchase new clothing of comparable quality would be extremely expensive.
So…keep your eyes on the lookout for those hidden treasures. Some good places to check on a regular basis would be; flea markets, estate sales, auctions in your area, vintage clothing shops, and of course online auctions.
One last tip….always consider size, condition, and the correct way to store your items.
Happy Hunting!
Article by; D.A. Grosshans
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Photo Credit: Minako Bracken
