Melody Fortier - The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping: Insider Tips, Helpful Hints, Hip Shops

Copyright 2009 by Melody Fortier

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

CREDITS
All photographs courtesy of Melody Fortier except the following: .

The publisher wishes to thank The Vintage Connection, Philadelphia Vintage, and Sugarcube for their participation in the photography on .

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Number: 2009926682

ISBN: 978-1-59474-404-4
eBook ISBN: 978-1-59474-811-0

Designed by Jenny Kraemer
Embroidered cover artwork by Caroline Hwang
Illustrations by Swan Park
Production management by John J. McGurk

Quirk Books
215 Church Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
quirkbooks.com

v3.1

CHAPTER 1
VINTAGE DEFINED

CHAPTER 2
ON THE MARKET

CHAPTER 3
STYLES OF THE TIMES

CHAPTER 4
THE DATING GAME

CHAPTER 5
SIZING IT UP

CHAPTER 6
LABELS & PRICING

CHAPTER 7
CONDITION & CARE

CHAPTER 8
FINISHING TOUCHES

CHAPTER 9
ALTERED STATES

Vintage. The word itself evokes curiosity from most people. When asked what I do for a living, I reply, Im a vintage dealer. I often hear responses like, That must be so much fun or Ooh! I love vintage! Yes, it is fun. But more than that, it is my passion. I have watched the world of vintage fashion evolve from youthful experiment to a full-fledged fashion niche, attracting fans from every age group and walk of life.

Why? What is it about vintage that holds the interest of so many? The reasons are myriad. For me it began as a love of creating from textiles. I was a hat maker and dressmaker first, with a background in sculpture. I found vintage to be a rich source for studying unique design, beautiful materials, and skillful techniques. I also learned early that beautifully crafted clothing is a joy to wear, and vintage is often superior in this regard. Vintage also provides an intimate connection with our history, an element of nostalgia. It is a rare area of fashion where the person on the street creates the trends instead of following them.

Vintage is filled with choices, and there are lots of great places to find it, so buying just the right piece can be overwhelming and at times a little confusing. This little guide will help you through the process and answer all your questions. It will address the what, why, where, and how of vintage shopping. Along the way, Ill explain how to make smart economical purchases and how to care for your treasured vintage to make it last.

Everywhere I go I meet vintage enthusiasts. Some are seasoned old timers like me, but many are eager newcomers. This book is intended for both. I hope you enjoy it and learn from it, but most of all I welcome the chance to share my passion!

VINTAGE IS A LOT OF THINGS. Its classic and stylish. It can be fun and campy. Its even practical and green. Is it old? Yes, to a certain degree. Is it previously worn? Very often, it is. What, then, differentiates vintage from just plain-old old clothes? Why do celebrities and models proudly grace the red carpet in vintage gowns? Why do major fashion magazines regularly feature vintage wear? Trendsetters and fashionistas consider vintage to be an essential element in their wardrobes. So what then is vintage, really?

ANY SUBJECT ASSOCIATED WITH FASHION is fraught with intense opinions, and vintage is no different. Definitions vary widely, and some can be quite extreme or rigid. I once read an interview in which a high-end collector insisted that true vintage must bear an important designer label. I think its safe to say that very few people would concur. I challenge anyone who claims that an authentic 1950s circle skirt or 1920s flapper dress is not really vintage, simply for lack of a designer label.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the broadly accepted idea that vintage is simply fashions from the pastanything thats at least twenty years old. As a professional vintage dealer, Im uncomfortable with such a vague and arbitrary classification. Vintage is not just about age. It has evolved to become a fashion term. It is about essence and style. There is a lot of clothing on the secondary market that is more than two decades old but that I do not include in my personal definition of vintage fashion. As a dealer I pass over volumes of such nondescript clothing, mainly dating from the 1970s to the 1980s. I think we can all agree that not every piece of twenty-year-old double-knit polyester deserves to be resurrected. It may meet the age requirement, but thats about all.

Conversely, there are a few styles that are not very old but that I do consider to be vintage fashion. Certain wonderful designs from the early 1990s are being revived today, such as poufy mini cocktail dresses and Madonna-esque bustier tops. So, the true definition of vintage has something to do with age and previous popular appeal, but thats not everything. For me a key concept is what I like to call Enduring Style. That can mean several things. It can mean classic, like the boxy tweed suit made popular by Chanel, or it can be something innovative, like the sensuous bias cuts that Madeleine Vionnet created in the 1930s. Be they old or not so old, vintage fashions are about styles that are pioneering, classic, or iconic as well as reflective of their era. And although their day may have come and gone, there is renewed interest in wearing them. That, for me, qualifies them as vintage.

Antique and Retro

Occasionally I hear people confuse the terms vintage and antique . These are really two separate categories, and its useful to know the difference, especially as you venture into the marketplace. ).