vintage clothes: why you should buy them!

Hey everyone! I'm Sarah and I'm writing here today while the lovely Sarah you all know and love does some house renovations. I sat and thought for a long while about what I should write about. Sarah's blog is such a great mix of so many different topics: home decorating, fashion, children's posts, and DIYs! And while she is so great at writing about those topics, I thought perhaps I should leave that all to her and talk about my favorite thing! I'm a vintage seller, and so I think it's perfect we discuss vintage clothing.

 

Vintage clothing popularity has been steadily rising since the 1980s and demand has skyrocketed in the last ten years. One question that gets asked frequently is "Will the trend last?" and my answer is "of course!" Vintage is one thing that I believe will never fade from style because it is constantly evolving, covers so many facets of style, and there is an abundant supply! So let's talk about why vintage is a great choice.

1. It's Green - Before we even talk about aesthetics or cost it's important to remember that buying vintage is a sustainable eco-friendly thing to do. While buying new clothing isn't a crime against humanity (who doesn't love Target?), it's good for the planet to reduce the demand for new clothing, reuse the clothing we already have floating around, and recycle the clothing we already have (i.e. give it back to the Goodwill you bought it from!)

2. Affordable - While you may think vintage is reserved for fashion editors or New York "it girls", you should know that vintage is not only fashionable but can be affordable too! I wrote a piece on how to find vintage over at my blog where I give tips on how to discover inexpensive vintage in your own hometown. Another thing to know that we will discuss in the next bullet is that sometimes buying a piece from a vintage seller may be more expensive than traditional clothing, but the piece you buy will most likely last you longer in the long run. And when using the cost per wear ratio (Total cost of the item/estimated number of days you’ll wear it), you will find you are actually saving money.

3. It's Durable - Let's use a great example I tell everyone when I'm talking about the durability of vintage. I own two pairs of jeans (I'm more of a dress girl). One pair is from Target, and the other is a pair of high-waisted 1960s sailor jeans. I've owned the target jeans for about a year now, and while I love their cut and color, they've acquired a certain rip in the thigh area caused from too much friction. On the other hand, my 1960s jeans have been traveling about this planet for 50+ years now and even survived a previous life on a ship with nary a tear nor stain to be seen. The reasoning for this is two things:

A) Clothing from previous eras were simply made better. I see this primarily in dresses. There is an attention to detail in a vintage dress you normally don't see in a modern piece such as bust darting, bra clips, and extra clasps at the waist for a perfect fit. This attention to detail and higher level of quality makes for a more durable piece.

B) Clothing was made on a much smaller scale than it is today. Modern clothing lines make thousands of pieces daily which leads to a throwaway mentality in our culture. Vintage pieces are usually found in great condition because the previous attitude of our culture was to find quality pieces, save for them, and care for that piece once they had it so it would last.

4. It's Timeless - A couple of seasons ago the fashion industry did a bit of a throwback to 1950s style. Blame it on Mad Men if you will, but every waist I saw was nipped and every skirt was flared (which made for very good shopping). My point is this: fashion is evolving, yes, but it also borrows from the past which makes a lot of vintage clothing, if worn the right way, to appear new, edgy, and on the cusp of what is in right now.

5. It's Unique - Like I mentioned before, vintage clothing was made on a much smaller scale than clothing today. How many times have you gone to work and someone is wearing the same thing as you? While that's not exactly a tragedy, it certainly isn't ideal. When you buy vintage you will be the most unique person in the room. And if you do happen to stumble upon someone with the same piece, it will be a marvel--not a faux pas.

Thanks everyone for reading my little take on vintage clothing! I hope that if you were a previous lover of vintage things I only strengthened your love for it! And if you are new to the world of vintage, I hope I inspired you to find some unique pieces of your own.

And a special thank you to Sarah for inviting me to share this post!

Have a fantastic day everyone!

xoxo Sarah

 

Comments

[Kelly Jones]

You just nailed all of the factors I look for in clothing on the head. I never considered vintage clothing being green or affordable. It looks like I will have to start searching for some great new clothing finds. Thank you for opening my eyes to a new fashion style! I will also have to check back more often for some DIY hints.

[LeeannG]

Couldn't agree with you more, excellent reasons and explainations for buying vintage. Really great blog with some very good articles, thanks Sarah.