I am a dedicated thrifter, packrat and collector of vintage clothes. I started by following my grandmother around the Canton, Texas, First Monday. This was in the days before Canton's First Monday Trade Day's became an enormous and popular affair. Back in those days, the event was only held on Monday and took place round the town square. My grandmother was never one to throw money to the wind. She was sharp eyed, though uneducated in the finer details of antique shopping. She, however, did well for herself and for me. She taught me how to tell cut glass from pressed glass and presented me with a 25 cent vase of cut glass that I still have today.
My grandmom was also a seamstress and, though I had absolutely no intention of learning to sew, I was fascinated by the feel of fabric in my hands and the colors and patterns. I loved buttons which she kept in a small button jar. And, I loved fashion with a passion. It didn't matter that I lived in the sticks of East Texas. I watched tv and saw fashion shows on women's shows and came to love Jackie O's sense of style beyond all others. Jackie, before she was Jackie O, was my first style role model (except, of course for my mom). Personally, I like the Jackie O look ala the days Onassis when she was casual and hip and a bit bohemian.
Back to my thrifting. Sorry I got carried away on a Jackie O jag for a moment. As I mentioned, I lived in a small Texas city that thought it was the center of the world. It wasn't and it damn sure wasn't the center of fashion. I cried everytime mom and I shopped for school clothes. I looked at Glamour, Seventeen, Cosmo, and Vogue and had pictures of what kinds of clothes I wanted pasted in my head and, believe me, they weren't to be found in our little spot of East Texas. It was maddening.
To further add to my clothes anguish, I was skinny as hell. I grew to my full height of 5'6 by 6th grade. The rest of me remained as the body of an overly skinny preteen with braces and pimples. It was awful. We couldn't find cool clothes that fit me (I doubt there WERE cool clothes in our town).
With the advent of Twiggy my fashion life took a giant step forward. It was my moment in the sun. I was built exactly like Twiggy..right down to the freckles on my nose and the big staring eyes. Mom took pity and let me buy Yardley and Mary Quant makeup and took me to Neiman's in Dallas to buy my school clothes. I was in bliss upon discovering Neiman's. I looked at the super chic women shopping there and the saleswomen and vowed to one day possess an element of European chic rather than redneck chic.
Into this awakening I had the further good luck of finding a good friend who had just moved from Austin and she told me all about how we could go to Goodwill, Salvation Army, and various thrift shops and find really cool things . Now, of course, I moan when I think of all the things we passed by. But, we not only scored Big E Levis and western shirts and cashmere sweaters, but we'd also buy 40's and 50's dresses and 30's bias cut nightgowns. We grabbed 40's platform shoes, cowboy boots, and evening shoes. We also picked up navy sailor's pants at the Army Navy store, old military full length coats, and olive drab pants and jackets. We embroidered our military things with peace signs and flowers and added all manner of things to our jeans. Meanwhile, I found out that I loved kimonos and began buying these along with any 30s, 40s, and 50s things that struck my fancy(a lot I passed up and that makes me want to whack myself over the head today).
By college in the 70s, I was a dedicated thrifter, packrat, embroiderer, and follower of my own particular brand of fashion. By the 70's I had a large collection of 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s goodies. What can I say? There were the gas shortages and the recession and Watergate. I needed money to pay the rent on my attic apartment and to finance my weekend trips to Austin. So, in a moment that haunts me today, I sold the whole collection to a Dallas vintage store for pennies on the dollar.
However, I didn't stop thrifting. In fact, a new boyfriend who shared my love of thrifting, facilitated my shopping habits....mainly because he had a car and I didn't. We would prowl every weekend at Canton Trade's Days and every Goodwill within a 50 mile radius of the town where we went to college. This time around, I was shopping armed with a good bit more knowledge than I had in the past. I spent a whole summer taking a costume course in college and reading every fashion book in the university library. I also spent long hours in the library looking at old copies of Vogue and Vanity Fair. I didn't know it then, but I was educating myself for the future.
I'm now past 50 and thrifting is a part of my life that has not gone away. It has little to do with money now and much more to do with the thrill of the hunt and a genuine love of the well crafted clothing before we became a throwaway culture. I've done the ebay thing and the vintage store thing. I am not ready to be curator of the Fashion Department at the Met, but I rate my knowledge as somewhat higher than most. And, I often have people ask: how do you find these things and what do you know what to buy?
That's always the question: Teach me how to thrift for vintage. I look them in the eyes and say, I can give you pointers, but it has taken me 40 years to accumulate the knowledge I have and most of this has been self taught. You can't become an expert overnight. And you must have a passion and zeal for fashion. There are, however, a few simple things I tell the new collector to head them on the right path. And they are listed below:
1. Never judge a store by it's looks or even what you find on the racks. You have to DIG to find the goodies. I estimate I look at 100 things before finding something I want to buy and 10000 before I find something amazing. So, take your time. Look at everything. Don't be fooled by categories. People tend to hide their finds until they have the money to buy and you'll often find cool stuff hidden in the childrens' department or men's tee shirts. Dig through all those purses, shoes, costume jewelry and scarves. And don't think you can do this without getting dirty.
2. Be willing to go into the "bad" parts of town and some pretty strange stores and shops. My personal best finds come from my secret favorite thrift that's in a downright dangerous area and where most of the people snarl at me. To avoid being snarled at, please underdress. This is not a place to bring your Louis Vuitton Speedy. I always wear a tee shirt and skirt and sandals. This makes it easier to slip things on and off without the hassle of the dressing room. Don't give up. I once was ready to give up when I saw a bright orange and green nightgown ahead of me....score!....it was a Pucci for Formfit Rogers and cost 95 cents. This is when I had the rare but pleasurable "thriftgasm"..when I find something really, really great like a 1950's New Look Dior Suit. I become lightheaded and giddy and it's a rush.
3. Sizes are notorious unreliable. Women used to wear corsets and girdles to suck in their bellies and it's hard to find things to fit today's waist size. A vintage (50's or 60's ) size 12 is about a size 6 today. This can be discouraging and is one reason I gravitate to shoes, purses, scarves, and jackets and blouses...not to mention jewelry and coats.
4. Do not buy something because it seems vintage. Do you like it? Does it speak to you? I've bought 80's clothes because I see that they are iconic. Don't hold yourself to any strict timeline. You aren't going to find the 20's, 30's and 40's things, most likely, today, at a Goodwill etc. But keep your eye open for 80's and 90's items that speak of that time. A designer name is great but not the be all and end all. The question is : Is this something interesting, unusual, and something I like? If so, buy it.
5. READ READ READ . Go to the library and check out every book on fashion you can find. Just look at the pictures and absorb what you see. Then, go back and read about the designers. Take notes. I always wrote down the names that I was most interested in. I can't emphasize this enough....to READ READ READ.
6. Go to Saks or Neimans and look at the couture clothing. You can then get a feel for real quality and will be more likely to recognize it when you see it.
7. When thrifting use your senses. Touch and feel the fabric. Is it soft and luxurious? That's a hint right there. Read the labels. Learn to recognize the feel of cashmere (personally I liberate all cashmere that I find in thrift stores except the most moth eaten). Look at the designers label (if there is one) and figure out if this is a couture item are from a secondary brand (nothing wrong with lots of the secondary lines). You will find that really fine clothing has satin labels that are hand sewn into the item. Another tip.
8. Metal zippers are a sign of age. And, zippers on the right side are an almost sure sign that something is older. Look at the fabric content. You'll learn in your studies that certain artificial fabrics were not invented until the 60's or 70's.
9. Check for damage. If it's for your personal use, as mine is, you may decide those tiny moth holes don't bother you and you buy the sweater. If buying for resale, then a whole other mind set is in order. You want things in good shape.
10. Nine times out of ten, when I see a faded dry cleaners tag, it's a tip off that the item has been taken care of and worth a second look.
11. Don't expect every day that you will find a treasure, and yes, the dedicated thrifter makes the rounds every day. Some days the thrift gods smile on you and others they don't. The answer is to be flexible. Keep an open mind. So, if you are looking for something specific, good luck. You probably won't find it. But, you might find something you never dreamed you'd find like a old Vuitton trunk from the 50s . Gasp, sigh........
12. Pay no attention to the inflated prices that are seen in vintage guides. These prices are usually the prices charged in a specialized vintage store. You are unlikely to see such returns.
13. Love what you are doing. You must. You may spend a lifetime learning but, if you enjoy the hunt and the quality of older clothing, then it's a hobby that is rewarding and worthwhile.
Go forth and thrift.
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