Even someone like me, who dabbles in vintage selling, often wonders: why do people opt for vintage clothes when these days it seems easy to find "vintage inspired" look-alikes everywhere, from urban outfitters to walmart.
I figure fans of vintage style must ask themselves, "why would I buy this
'used' when I could buy it for the same price or cheaper brand new?"
Well, there are all sorts of reasons to buy vintage and each retro dresser probably has their own set of top 5. Maybe it's an authenticity thing, or being into "the story" behind an item once loved by a stranger. Whatever the reasons, all you have to do is look around
Etsy to discover there is no shortage of shoppers who believe "real" vintage is the way to go.
Here's my top 5 list. What's yours?
5. Quality
When grandpa says, "they don't make'em like they used to", the man speaks the truth. I'm sure you've heard this one time and time again. Back in the day, things were just made better. Clothes were made with sturdier fabrics, stronger stitching, and more conscious design.
Nowadays, clothes are made to deteriorate with just a few wearings and washings.
And why not? The powers that be want you back in the stores, buying up the latest trends faster than you can say "high-wasted-geometric-neon-romper."
4. Thrill of the hunt
Shopping should be fun. You know what's not fun? Trolling though rack after rack of the same shabbily-made crap, searching for anything but "this season's" colours that flood every store and offer no alternative to the mainstream. At least,
I don't find that all too enjoyable.
What I do like is going into a store and hunting down the perfect item. I like feeling that I've discovered a treasure, like I'm getting away with some devious deception by getting my hands on a good deal.
Though many vintage shops are well-organized spaces, they still offer that thrill by having something unexpected on every rack. You never know what you might find at the back of the store or on page 456 of your
Etsy search.
3. Be original
Speaking of the same crap in the same colours, I've never understood why people want to dress alike. I understand trends, but why you would want to wear the exact same dress/shirt/hat/tiny mustache necklace as your best bud is beyond me. Isn't it supposed to be embarrassing to walk into a party wearing the same dress as someone else?
It's true that vintage has become an unstoppable trend, but that doesn't mean you can't make your look original. Sure, when all your friends saw your super-cool leather-fringe bird-vest, they all rushed out to buy the modern copy at the mall. But, does theirs have the original, authentic native beading? Does theirs have a grateful dead patch where a hole has worn through? Does theirs smell sweetly of tobacco and suede? No, they do not. And therefore, you, and your vest are totally way cooler.
2. Shop local
You like to buy local vegetables, right? So why not local clothes too? Sure, the vintage you buy probably wasn't made in your town, but if it's being sold at a local vintage shop, that's almost as good. Many independent vintage shops source their goods locally, so you know it hasn't traveled from China any time recently. And for that matter, it likely never traveled from China at all, since clothes used to be made on the home front a lot more often than today.
What's that? You don't have any local vintage and that's why you shop on Etsy? Well, be happy that your doing your part to support a small business and help
their community thrive in the meantime.
1. Support the little guy
Speaking of supporting small business, what's most appealing about this for me is not supporting some soul-sucking, money-grubbing, human-rights abusing, all-round-not-very-nice corporation. Guess what! There is a reason that leather bag at urban outfitters is only twenty bucks. It's because it was made by small hands for almost no pay and marked up about five hundred percent.
Don't get me wrong. I am no saint when it comes to this stuff. Sometimes, you can't resist the sale. Sometimes, you have to shop at the dollar store. But, if you choose to buy "real" vintage from independent sellers who actually share your passion, it's a win-win for everyone.
