If you’re a regular reader of the Gentleman’s Gazette, you’re surely aware of how much we adore anything vintage related to menswear. We decided to share with you our top vintage items that are definitely worth every penny.
Overcoats
Raphael has a paletot, a double-breasted British warm, fur coats and all of them are vintage. They were really inexpensive and really warm and he was often complimented when he wore one of them. Preston echoes that sentiment, as well. He has two colors; one is a camel hair color, the other one is navy. He got them both in second-hand shops for a fraction of the price of what you would get for a new overcoat so they were both really steals. They’re both longer than typical overcoats you would find today and that keeps you warmer.
Watches
Vintage watches can be an excellent find but it comes with a caveat. You have to know what you’re looking for and also in terms of making sure that the watch can actually run, you can get it repaired if you go to a competent watchmaker but you have to consider several factors when buying a vintage watch. The number one thing most people underestimate is maintenance. Just having a watch cleaned costs you $250, at the minimum. If you go to the official Rolex dealer, it’s $700, maybe even over $1000. So if you buy this watch that is cheap but doesn’t run, it may end up costing you a lot just for repairs.
Rings & Jewelry
Raphael loves rings while Preston, on the other hand, simply did not get in the habit of wearing them. As for cufflinks, you can find a lot of it, even on eBay. So if you know what to look for and the pictures are good, you can find all kinds of vintage jewelry for just a couple of dollars. The story and personality behind each vintage jewelry make it all the more interesting. Plus, It’s going to cost you a fraction of what you would pay for a brand new one.
China & Silverware
First of all, most people don’t want to have it anymore and rather than eating out of plain IKEA plates, it’s nice to have beautiful China. They are rather inexpensive; you can get gold plated edges for the price of an IKEA plate or even less. Having statement pieces like that is not only fun; if you happen to have company, you can actually break out some awesome vintage China that you’ve got and your guests are going to think it’s that much more special too. You don’t have to go for those earlier Victorian styles; there are those with a mid-century modern feel as well.
Ties
Preston got a few of his vintage ties with micropatterns from Goodwill for only a dollar or two. Luckily, for him, his relatives and friends had some great vintage ties that were given to him. So, if you know who to talk to, you can get them for free! Raphael got most of his ties from Goodwill and he used them for inspiration to design Fort Belvedere ties. One little tip here, just pay attention, oftentimes, they’re stained or they have moth holes. If you go to a vintage store, they charge you $20 for a tie and sometimes, that’s not worth it because the thread is coming apart. So definitely make sure to inspect it. Also, tie it because vintage ties are often a lot shorter so they may not work for you.
Waistcoats/Vests
Especially in England, you find them a lot. What’s great with odd vests is that you could probably get them resized fairly easily, you don’t even have to worry about sleeve length which is a big plus! They usually have adjusters in the back so you can easily put them on. You just have to cover your waistband, basically, and they’re just a great way to change the look of your suit or your sport coats and some people even wear them without a jacket.
Furniture
A lot of the furniture that Raphael and his wife got is vintage or semi-vintage. They bought a Chesterfield sofa from Craigslist from Phoenix and had it shipped over and at the end, it cost them 15% of what a new sofa would have cost in the area. So not only was it a bargain but it actually fit better into the style of their home decor. The same is true for rugs. A lot of people now don’t like rugs and you can find some patterns at IKEA or like Big Box stores but there are really cool Persian rugs, sometimes for $300. They help dampen the sound, keep your room easier to walk on, the temperatures more comfortable, and overall, they can look good if it’s part of your style.
Decor & Lighting
Raphael is also fond of vintage paintings, lightings, and chandeliers. A gilded bronze chandelier, which sells for a few hundred dollars, will stand the test of time while a cheap light from Home Depot, will cost you the same but it’s made of a composite material that will just age very poorly.
Brimfield Flea Market Finds
If you are into vintage at all, the best place to go to is a flea market called Brimfield in Massachusetts. It is ginormous! There are hundreds of vendors. Raphael went there with his wife for a whole week and they would go every day and still didn’t manage to cover the entire market. You can find super cheap stuff, super expensive stuff, very unique stuff, clothes, jewelry tweed jackets, and it’s just overall a fantastic experience.
Hats
A great thing about vintage hats is the quality of the felt and they have a lot more colors. Hat bands can easily be replaced with your color of choice if you know a local hatter. By doing so, it changes the look of your hat entirely. The other thing to consider is most of them have these leather sweatbands inside. You could always exchange them and put in new ones. If you want that 1930s Fedora style, on eBay, that can be really pricey because that’s super popular. Other hats, on the other hand, are a lot less.
Just so long as you can pay attention to the pictures if you’re shopping online or just doing a thorough check if it’s in person, make sure that it’s in good condition and you’ll get a lot of use out of it. If you go with a bowler hat or a top hat, you have to try them on because they’re in a stiff shape so if the hat is size 60 or 7 ½ and that’s what you usually have, it may still not fit and you get a really bad headache if you wear them because they just push on your brain.
Bow Ties & Pocket Squares
Raphael is also a fan of vintage bow ties and pocket squares. He once went to an Estate sale in Minneapolis and he stumbled upon a rich collection of bow ties from Paul Stewart that were printed in England. If you go to Google Maps or just look elsewhere, even word-of-mouth, find some of those little hole-in-the-wall establishments that you might not normally look for, they might have some great finds especially if they’ve got something like a bargain basement.
Jackets & Suits
A vintage suit often has interesting details, silhouettes, styling, and on top of that, it has the advantage of a heavier fabric that just drapes better more naturally so even if it doesn’t fit 100%, it looks very neat. They are usually made of hard-wearing fabrics compared to the modern suits produced today. So if you are a fan of thin and flimsy suits, maybe vintage is not ideal for you.
Evening Wear
Back in the day, people had more use for those garments so you see a greater variety of tuxedos, dinner jackets, and tailcoats.
I purchased a 1960’s model stainless steel Omega on etsy.com. It had an ugly black strap but I could see it was pure James Bond! I then bought a brand new factory chocolate lizard strap. Strap and all I have less than $600 invested. I get more complements on it than anything I own. I have a gold Rolex, white gold Tank Cartier and an Omega divers watch all purchased new for way to much. Goes to show you class and style is not about price!
“pure James Bond” Which from this day forth we will refer to simply as: PJB
I’ve had mixed luck with Etsy but there really aren’t all that many online options for vintage shoppers. Personally, I get the sense a lot of the thrift stores grade their donations and anything upscale goes to their website? True “barn finds” are few and far between these days.
Congrats btw!
Vintage is the way to go for quality…if you know your clothes. Thrift stores near upscale neighborhoods are probably the best bet for the sartorially minded. Designer ties are usually the best deals. If you are a forty jacket you often have a wider selection available.The hunt is a big part of the fun.
Brimfield is next week! Here is hoping for some nice weather!
Definitely a nice new format and seeing both of you in dialogue with one another as well with us watchers is definitely an upgrade. So keep up the good work.
You asked for viewers’ opinions about the format. I prefer the more planned and organized videos, but as long as there is an adequate supply of those (and there are already more than I have been able to watch), I see no reason why you should not allow yourself a few “cheapies” like this one.
I really like Preston’s golden stingy-brim fedora with the teardrop indentation. I once bought a new hat just like it through the Web site of a hat shop, and when it arrived, it was beautiful and fit me perfectly—but I found that it looked all wrong on my head! (My head is shaped very differently from Preston’s.) So I had to send it back, with many regrets.
Great content; thank you. I’ve recently embraced the idea of vintage pieces and found this both timely and interesting.
I encourage you to utilize this format for future videos. I get a better sense of who you are, more than a structured, rehearsed and edited format. The conversationality punctuates your personalities as gentlemen.
Congrats! Everything you say is spot on. I know.
My best vintage tips are: 1. Buy an odd waiscoat. 2- Buy a hat. 3. Buy welted quality shoes. All second hand or vintage of course.
#vintagemannen
I enjoyed this video. The conversation is fine, no better than your your usual, but we do get to learn a little more about both of you somehow. I like to buy items in thrift stores so that I can expand my wardrobe without too much expense. Nice tweed jacket Raphael, but the collar gap was obvious.
Vintage hat buying tip: don’t rely on the size label on older hats. They sometimes shrink or expand depending on use and how they have been stored. Check the inner circumference before buying.
The casual chat format worked ok for this subject but I prefer the more scripted video format.
Enjoyed the interchange/discussion format. Was in an antique shop with my 13 year-old (at the time) daughter a year or so ago. She fancies vintage clothing, and found an tuxedo, suit, and sport coat in my size, which is somewhat smaller than the norm. She “advised” the purchase. I now have a ridiculous quantity of eveningwear. I gave away about 13 suits when I retired 12 years ago. Wish I had them now. Saved several, but can’t have too many!
Although the Vintage Rolex Watch looks good I would prefer a new one.