If you’re anything like me, for example, not only do you enjoy learning about classic menswear but you enjoy wearing it as well and while it is possible to assemble a classically styled outfit using only more contemporary pieces, turning your attention to consignment stores, second-hand shops and so on to look for vintage pieces will also be a fantastic option. Still, buying vintage isn’t always a breeze.
Benefits Of Vintage Clothing
1. You May Find Garments That Are Not Commonly Produced Any More.
If you do find garments like these, they’ll allow you to stand out even from other well-dressed men; you can be a true dandy in head-to-toe vintage if that’s your thing, or you can mix vintage and contemporary pieces for a look that’s still classic and harmonious. Whatever the case may be, having a few vintage pieces in your wardrobe will allow you to be truly unique and inventive with your outfits.
2. Prices Are Often A Fraction Of What You Would Pay For Something New.
Our founder, Sven Raphael Schneider has had good luck purchasing things at European flea markets especially in the off seasons. For example, he once found an overcoat in the summer that no one else was looking at because it was out of season and got it for a real bargain.
3. Vintage Garments Can Generally Be Tailored Just As Easily As Something New.
This depends on the individual garment, of course, and whether it’s got excess fabric to let out or remove. As an example, you could find a sport coat for $15- 20 dollars, spend another $30 or so on tailoring and end up with a vintage piece that fits you like a glove for just a fraction of the price of what you would have paid for a new garment and that’s one that probably wouldn’t fit you as well right off the rack anyway.
4. Vintage Garments Are Often More Durable.
In a similar vein, older methods of clothing construction were often more durable both in terms of the raw materials used and in the detail of human construction. Conversely, a lot of modern clothing made for the fast fashion world that we live in is frankly designed to fall apart in the days when durability was prized over having the newest and latest garments of the season. You could get a great deal more wear out of your pieces.
5. You Will Be Supporting Your Local Economy.
Another plus by shopping at a vintage store or similar establishment, you’ll be supporting your local economy rather than some giant corporation; this isn’t to say that we’re suggesting you swear off Macy’s, of course, but it is nice to know that in some circumstances, you’re supporting small businesses in your area.
6. Buying Vintage Is A Greener Way To Shop.
In a similarly conscious frame of mind, buying vintage garments is a particularly green way to shop since you’re essentially recycling old garments and giving them a new lease on life. Furthermore, because you’re not buying a new garment and therefore contributing to that supply chain, you are theoretically reducing the amount of raw materials needed to produce more similar new garments.
7. You Might Not Have To Buy At All.
If you’ve got older relatives who are looking to downsize their wardrobes, family heirlooms like watches, for example, or friends who just know that you’re on the lookout for vintage items, you might be able to come up with some vintage finds at no cost to you.
8. Vintage Pieces Make For A Great Conversation Starter.
Finally in the positives category, buying and wearing vintage provides a great conversation starter for those who might be especially curious about what you’re wearing. For example, a comment on your vintage tie might get another gentleman the path of dressing stylishly and as we all know in the vintage menswear community, the more the merrier.
Drawbacks Of Vintage Clothing
So as you can see, there are a lot of potential positives when shopping for vintage menswear. With that said though, you should also be aware that there can be some potential downsides.
1.Limited Sizing Options.
Firstly, you might not always find the size you need especially if you’re a larger man in terms of both height and weight. The average man has just gotten bigger around the world in the last 100 years. As such, if you’re looking for vintage garments, you might not always find something in your size.
2. Tags & Labels On Vintage Garments Can Be Misleading.
3. Vintage Clothing May Have Some Form Of Damage.
Here’s a drawback you may already have thought of, some vintage clothing may have issues with odors, stains, or other damage, however, even if this is the case, there are workarounds available to you. Also, a good tailor can sometimes remedy structural damage to vintage garments depending on the severity of the damage in question.
4. Vintage Garments Are Irreplaceable.
Speaking of damage, though that is another potential downside, if you do damage a vintage piece irreparably or lose it for that matter, you might not be able to find another one quite like it. That old item you found might truly be one-of-a-kind at this point or at least rare enough to basically be such. Even so, in the case of a sartorial emergency, because they do happen to all of us from time to time, there are solutions there too.
5. Sellers Might Overcharge You.
Now regarding pricing, while many vintage shops and online retailers will often be offering things for great prices, there is the occasional chance that a seller might be trying to overcharge you after all. Once you become a more frequent and savvy vintage shopper though, you’ll develop a better sense of what truly makes for a good deal. As with most things, practice makes perfect and experience is the best teacher. Also along this line though, the market is getting more and more saturated by people who aren’t as knowledgeable about either what makes for a good deal or about garment quality in general. This is particularly true online, therefore, developing a sharp eye for materials, construction, sizing, and
6. You Have To Make Time To Scout Out Vintage Stores.
While the online space is becoming more crowded, physical storefronts are becoming a bit more scarce. So if you’d like to go that route, you’ll probably have to put in a bit of additional time to scout out locations in your area. It may take more time than you might otherwise prefer to actually go out and track things down. As such, you really should enjoy the process of shopping vintage as it will be something of a treasure hunt.
7. Poor Fitting Room Conditions.
The lighting may be substandard and you might not find a three-way mirror so
8. Limited To Zero Returns Policy.
This may translate into a monetary loss if you end up not wearing or liking a garment barring additional financial outlay for tailoring.
Taking all of these factors into consideration then, the required effort may ultimately result in you falling prey to the so-called “This will do” phenomenon. Since you might only find one sizing option for a particular garment, for example, you may decide to lower your standards a little bit and buy it even though it might be too loose or too tight and even if a garment does fit you well, you may be willing to buy something that you don’t truly love or think you’ll wear often just because you are getting a deal. In short, just don’t settle for something that you’re probably not going to wear. There will always be other vintage finds out there that will suit you better.
CONCLUSION
So there’s our list of the pros and cons of buying vintage menswear in general. Though the question remains, do we recommend that you actually try it out? The short answer is absolutely yes! There is a bit of work involved and granted you may not hit a home run with a great vintage find right away but if you’re looking for a unique way to add a distinct flair to your wardrobe at an economical price, the benefits of buying vintage are clear.
Another disadvantage is that sometimes vintage clothing has mother or even worse bed bugs. I have heard a few horror stories.
Moth not mother
I love classic jackets, suits and evening wear from times, which already have passed by and so I’m a vintage treasure hunter and I never had any problems with vermins. After buying the garment, it is placed into a bag, together with the appropriate chemistry which is hermetically closed for two weeks. This procedure is followed by dry cleaning. After that, the garment is clean and free of any bugs. Then the vintage garment is ready to get into my closet. There lots of lavender and red cedarwood oil keep “unwanted guests” away. This practice works perfectly already for years.
One of the best and cheapest deals you can get vintage is the purchase of designer ties. Fit isn’t a problem, there are no moving parts, you can tell condition in a jiffy, and look really spiffy. Thrift stores, in the proximity to the “right” neighborhoods sell these for a few dollars, and I have purchased, over the years, major names for a buck. Best way to tie one on!
Jiffy, spiffy and seldom iffy! So true, be as cavalier as you like on these. Left behind after a cocktail party? Forget about it..! Spot on Adam, and there’s never a worry you’ll be seen in it twice. Built an entire “Archie Goodwin” ( Nero Wolfe’s henchman ) collection.
Adam is correct! I found a beautiful pair of $500 Italian shoes in my Goodwill (surrounded by affluent neighborhoods). You have to know what you’re looking for, check in often, and try them on regardless of the indicated sizes.
I have returned to vintage clothing treasure hunting since the beginning of the year, when I quite accidentally came across a pristine vintage tailcoat. Minor alterations to the sleeve length are all that is really required. The pants being missing were a problem, but just last week I turned up a beautiful pair of high-waisted pants that closely match the tailcoat, and all they need is to be hemmed. In between these two, I turned up a vintage black tuxedo from 1967, tailored-to-measure here in Canada and sold locally, which has the same silhouette as today’s outfits. Sleeve and pants lengths are perfect for me as they are. Total cash outlay for all three pieces? About $35!
I have picked up many great garments, thanks to Sven, from jeans that would retail for $300 and purchased for less than $30 to two Gaetano Aloisio sport coats for a couple hundred apiece. I’ve also bought some dogs, but who cares, when you score on $3000 dollar sport coats for less than 10%? You can easly sustain the loss on the bad finds by giving them away to charity and write them off as tax deductions. My wife calls them my ‘dead mens’ clothes’. I love them!
John,
Well said. Sure, I buy dog STOCKS ( ouch! ) once in awhile too? I got over it… When it comes to working the VM, it’s almost like you’re playing w/ OPM anyway? At 10% of the orig. price, you can make a lot of mistakes. Fortunately my nephew is the same size and hipsters seem to gravitate to the ‘irony’ of wearing high-end apparel w/ ratty jeans.
Insofar as dead mens’ clothes, not sure that’s necessarily true any more? A 70’s polyester sports coat ( probably! ) But living in a gated, upscale golf course retirement community, most of the older retirees dress awful. Jeans and sneakers in the Winter, jeans and shorts in the Summer. If this is how affluent retirees “dress”, I don’t want to know what passes for ‘decent’ in a trailer park?
Almost all of the dress shirts I buy come from second-hand or thrift shops. Of course you have to try them on, as sleeve lengths vary, they can have wear/stains on collars and cuffs, etc., and you end up rejecting far more than you buy. But I get fabulous shirts for about $8 – $12. I have also found sports coats, ties, shoes, etc., at true bargain prices. By the way, I thank Marie Kondo for the recent influx of used items!
Ahem, Preston isn’t wrong. Vintage sizes are an issue. Your online searches are going to be infinitely more productive if you narrow it to that which will actually fit you. And as much as it pains me to admit it, the further back you go, the less likely you’ll find a 46R. Seems most of the chaps in the 20’s & 30’s were a 38? At the same time, generally shorter too!
If you’re strictly a vintage dresser, the vintage market CAN be frustrating. And as I near ( or surpass ) a fully stocked wardrobe, ultimately my additions are going to be new purchases. But just like golf, it’s those few memorable shots that keep you coming back!
I’ve picked up new winter and fall coats from Canali and Corneliani that retail in excess of $1,500 for less than $10 each, as well as Italian linen sport coats with partial canvas (not glued) also for less than $10 bucks. Vintage or thrift is well worth the time.
Thanks for sharing. :)
Hi, great article.
I’m relatively new to Vintage shopping – can anyone recommend stores/markets in UK please.
Many thanks,
Adrian S.
I would love to have a 3 piece pinstripe suit right about now. :-)
Many thanks for your advice, time and effort, Preston. I wish I could compliment you on being the first one to get me interested in buying vintage, but your boss beat you to it. Sven Raphael’s video on Duffle Coats got me started with a nice Gloverall that I got off ebay for 50 GBP, a steal. However, I second every of the points you made, and I would humbly like to point out another pro – which you mentioned in passing of course.
Folks, treasure hunting in vintage stores is such an experience that you at least ought to give it a try once, or, even better, several times. Once may disappoint you, as scoring the perfect ten on the first try is not exactly likely. Keep trying. While this kind of shopping may not be for everyone, it still is something that goes well with the other recommendations like ‘save up’, ‘plan trips so that they include time at interesting shops’ and ‘get the relevant addresses before setting out’. A good place will also have people to talk to, people you otherwise wouldn’t meet and who may offer you some more advice. The people running shops that do vintage clothing may either be volunteers with some good cause, so you will do something good there, or somewhat specialized traders. In any case, they will be local people, people that will tell you where you can get a nice meal or where you can spend a nice afternoon – maybe on a budget to make up for the purchases you made at the shop.
‘This will do’, a very dangerous trap… I am speaking from experience. Second best is just not good enough when buying vintage as it defies the whole point of the exercise.
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You’re correct when you said that I might be able to find clothing that is not commonly produced anymore if I shop for vintage clothes for my husband. I suppose it’s a good deal because I’d be paying for the fraction of the price it once had. Since they can be tailored into something new, I might consider buying some for my husband if I see some online.