HOW TO IDENTIFY, BUY AND SELL VINTAGE CLOTHING

Buying everyday clothes can be a daunting but pleasant experience, but finding good Vintage clothes is something which takes a lot of extra skill and knack. You may have to dig deep through the numerous 'vintage' and 'retro' listings on ebay, to find that special something. Unfortunately many people list things as vintage or retro when they are not, the trick is to KNOW YOUR VINTAGE.Vintage garments require a lot more care, they may need to have special cleaning or alterations done to them before you wear them. So make sure you ask everything you can about a garment before you place that winning bid!There are debates about what is retro and what is vintage; as a basic guide, here is the most common definition;ANTIQUE - anything earlier than the 1920'sVINTAGE - generally anything from 1920's to 1960'sRETRO - 1970's to 1990.How to tell what era your potential sale/purchase is from;Peter pan collars - small rounded collars found on jackets, coats and blouses. Were popular in early 1960's.One shouldered dresses and tops are charactersitic of the 1970's disco eraBracelet lengt sleeves on jackets and coats are typical of the late 1950'sUneven and jagged hemlines (what we call 'hankerchief hem' today) were at the height of fashion in the late 1920's evening wear and reappeared in the late 70'sThe empire line - dates a garment to the early 1960's.Halter neck dresses and tops are a distincitve 1950's shapeSweetheart necklines are generally 1940'sIf a dress has it's waistline at the hips it may well be the Roaring 20's.Do your research to check that it is indeed that era!TOP TIP - The care labels (eg washing instructions)we see inside today's clothing were introduced in the 1970's. so if you have one of these inside your garment, you can be sure that it's 70's or later. Although do be careful, check that it has not been cut out, easy to tell by material remnant.Most clothes made in the 50's were made by the wearers themselves or by dressmakers, so dont be surprised if they dont have a label in them. Generally only the top-designers had clothing labels. Looking at the labels themselves can be a good indication; eg 1930's was art-deco style lettering and the 1960's had bright and playful designs.have a good look at the zipper or other fastenings. Zips were rarely used before 1940's, plastic zipper dates to the 1960's. So any clothing before the 60's is likely to have a metal zipper.make sure you get accurate measurements as a size 12 from the 60's may be a size 8 by today's clothing standards!THE 1920'S - WHAT TO LOOK FORbeaded flapper dresseslong strings of pearlsgeometric design knitted sweaterscloche hatsmesh evening bags (GLOMESH)emboridred shawlsfeathers and sequinslow waistsDesigners such as -Lousie Boulanger, Coco Chanel, Elsa SchiaparelliTHE 1930'S - WHAT TO LOOK FORbias cut gownschiffon tea dressesbelted day dressestwinsetswide legged trousersfrilled blousestailored suitsshoulder capespeep toe shoesberetsDesigners such as - Cristobel Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, Coco Chanel, Nina Ricci, THE 1940'S - WHAT TO LOOK FORwide shouldered jacketsfitted skirtsfloral print dressestrench coatshand knitted twin setsplatform shoespillbox hatswide legged trousersnarrow beltsDesigners ; Christian Dior, Jean Desses, Coco Chanel, IreneTHE 1950'S - WHAT TO LOOK FORprinted cotton circular skirtsfitted suitsbeaded cardiganspoodle skirtshalter neck dressescapri pantsopera coatscats-eye sunglassesstilettosdesigners - balenciaga, coco chanel, christian dior, hubert de givenchyTHE 1960'S - WHAT TO LOOK FORa-line shift dressesmini skirtspop-art printspillbox hatspsychedelic printsknee-high bottsafghan coatsmaxi skirtstrouser suitsmetallic knitsvinyl dressescrochet dressesDesigners - pierre cardin, givenchy, pucci, lily pulitzer, yves saint laurentTHE 1970'S - WHAT TO LOOK FORkaftansflaresmaxi skirtswrap dressestupe topstiered skirtspeasant topsmaxi coatsplatformsponchosdisco dresseshot pantsbondage trousersplaysuitsvictorian blousesDesigners - pierre cardin, CHLOE, Elio Fiorucci, Anne Klein, Calvin Klein, Missoni, Emilio Pucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne WestwoodTHE 1980'S - WHAT TO LOOK FORpower suitspuffball skirtslycra mini dressesleggingsslogan t-shirtspie-frill blousesrah rah skirtsbodysuitsharem pantsnovelty print sweaterswide beltslogo print bagspuffy prom dresses!Designers - Giorgio Armani, Chloe, Escada, Calvin Klein, Christian Lacriox, Ralp Lauren, Gloria Vanderbilt, Vivienne Westwood.Well that's it from me, I dont claim to be a complete expert, but i do love vintage and read up on as many fashion and vintage clothing books as i can. So i hope this has helped you in your Vintage buying or selling on Ebay!!Thanks Princess_VintageThis guide has been compiled in reference to 'Viva Vintage' by Trudie Bamford, Penguin Books 2003.