5 Tips to tell if it's True Vintage

Would you like to know how to tell a true vintage clothing item from an impostor wanna-be item? Here it is, a very short-and-sweet and to the point list of quick tips to remember when shopping. Read further to get a more extended version of the list with all the juicy details. (Tip 3 and 5 are vital!)

1. Where are you shopping? Thrift stores, antique shops, boutiques, online vintage shop, and estate sales are usually great places to purchase true vintage items.
2. Take in the items personality. Stop and take a moment to look at the fabric type, the fabric design or pattern, the style of the garment, and even yes the smell of the item. Is the fabric not common for today? Are the colors and design foreign to today's fashion style? Is the style nothing like you have seen in retail stores? Does the item have an old smell like it's been stored for a long time? It's more than likely vintage.
3. Google the Tags. As you're scrutinizing the item try to find tags or brand names and bust out your phone and type in Google “vintage brand name/tag info” If it's true vintage, Google will have item of like brand and style for sale online or web pages with it's history.
4. How is the item made? Look at the inside of the item and see how it was made. Is there a metal zipper instead of a plastic? If so the item was made pre-1970's. Is there a basic sewing machine sewn seam instead of a serged seam? If so it was made pre-1960's. Photos and more details shown further down this post.
5. History 101! Talk, talk, talk with the seller! About 80% of the time you can find out the history and story behind the item (sometimes even photos of the person wearing the item during it's original era) which guarantee’s the authenticity and further inspires a connection with the item.

So now we have some very basic tips to go by when shopping for vintage. But even then we may need to be a bit more specific. So here is an extended version of the listed tips.

Where are you shopping? The listed places you may find vintage clothing is always a good start but remember, just because you are at an antique store or boutique shop does not always mean all items are guaranteed to be true vintage. So read on to brush up on your vintage identification markers.

Take in the Personality. So here is where research, instinct, and knowledge play a big part on you and where you begin your homework. The more research you do, and the more aware you are of different decades and time era's the more you will become a pro at identifying a true vintage item. 

For instance, start by getting to know your decade color palettes, popular patterns and designs of the time, and of course styles and fads.Colors changed so much over the years. Just a quick search on pinterest gives a vague idea of what colors were popular throughout the decade.....

Notice above how contrasting the earthtones of the 1970's are compared to the bright and groovy colors of the 1960's. The decades are so close together but the color palettes are worlds apart.

Style of different times era's are vital to know. The more you study fashion, styles, and fads of each time era the more power you have to judge whether or not the item was made in a specific decade. A very basic idea of trends in fashion throughout the years look below at this image.

Taking it a step further, look at the different styles of fashion alone within the 1960's. One could never learn enough when building your knowledge of time era fashion. 

Put two-and-two together! Always be on the look out for wanna-be items. I've been shopping in an antique store and seen a dress that was sewn in a 1940's style (higher hem line, sweetheart neckline, etc) but was made of fabric from today's fabric manufacturer and was being sold at price claiming it was a WW2 era dress. Yes it may have been the style of that time but it was not authentic. Always be on guard, pay attention to every detail. Is the style true to the time? Does the fabric colors and pattern match the time era of the dress. The more you know the more you can be certain of your purchase. The more you get to know your time era's the quicker you can be a judge of an item. I've learned to look at an item and be able to tell in seconds. Once it passes a visual inspection then I look inside the garment for more proof of age.

3) Google the Tags or Google a Description.  This step is so simple yet such an important one. If you question anything or simply want to be reassured of your gut instinct, or even want to have a better idea of an items worth then type it all in google and see what you get. Google, google, google! Google is your friend! What if there are no tags to enter into the search bar? That's okay, then type in a good description. (This is where your knowledge of style comes in, be descriptive!) What if you type in blue vintage dress and don't find the dress that yours looks like? Type in the era you think it is with more detail. " Blue 1950's high waist dress with scallop neckline" and see if that's closer to what you have. Google is your friend and let it help you find what you need. The more you type in the more likely it is to find the item you are looking for. 

4) How is the item made? Step four is so important! It runs hand-in-hand with step three. Get to know your era's, the trends, and how things were made during each time period. I'm going to add a link -----> HERE <----- for you to click on and it'll take you to a blog that gives some really quick and easy ways to dissect how a garment was made during each time period. Facts to know like if a garment has a metal zipper than you know it was made on or before 1963, or if it has a Union Made tag with ILGWU on it then you know it was made between 1974 and 1990, or if you look inside and see jagged edged seam lines (term: pinked seams) you know it was either hand made or manufactured from the 1950s, etc. Knowledge is power and the more digging you do in research on the how items were made, and what the history of brands are, the more power you have to make a confident and certain purchase of you vintage item.

5)  History 101! I cannot emphasize this step enough. Talk, talk, talk with the seller! About 80% of the time you can find out the history and story behind the item (sometimes even photos of the person wearing the item during it's original era) which guarantee’s the authenticity and further inspires a connection with the item. 
This step is probably one of the easiest and most validating. I've come across this a few times where family members are selling a lifetime of collected items for one reason or another and when they are able to tell you the story behind different items it builds such an emotional connection to the item. Not only is there a better connection, but there is also validation that this item is infact a true vintage item. I've built friendships out of these kind of acquaintances and through this I've added items to my own personal connection that I will never part from because of the story, connection, and history behind the items I've purchased or been given. These kinds of connections are a rarity, of course, however it goes to show that there are opportunities out there that allow us to find these little pieces of history and keep the story going, keep the history a reality and a part of the present day. In this way history lives on and the quality and story behind these items are practically immortal.