Not skips: How to choose and buy vintage and second-hand
In the issue of environmental friendliness and informed consumption one of the surest decisions is to buy vintage clothes and second-hand. Vintage is usually called things that are embedded in a particular fashionable context, selected by professionals according to certain criteria and which are more than twenty years old. Clothing, created before the 20s, is considered to be antique, but in the sekondy get any items with any service life. And although throughout the world buying discounted things has become commonplace (and among those interested in fashion, and among ordinary people), the idea of "don for someone" in Russia is still perceived skeptically. We decided to ask the experts what to look for when buying a vintage and a second.
The question of what should be an interesting vintage item cannot be answered. There are those who collect archival haute couture of certain eras, there are sellers of Victorian things, there are art deco collectors, there is a huge community of clothes forties-fifties, there are people who are historically significant and documented in the fashion press of those times, there are people just selling and buying vintage leather and hippie sundresses. And all the answer to this question will be different. I do not have a principle according to which I select models for myself. There is more likely something that doesn’t really interest me: things are in very poor condition, the mass market is from the 60s to the 90s.
Holes and scuffs on clothes are acceptable, but you should always understand if you can fix them. For frankly antique fabrics - the 20s, for example - sometimes even a specialized atelier will not undertake. I do not take things with lost buttons or beads on embroidery: it will be almost impossible to pick up something to replace them, and changing the set of jewelry buttons with a coat is not a good idea. Velvet things - most of all these were sewed in the 30-40s - you need to study very carefully, because over time they wear out, and in the photo without an increase all the problems are often not visible. But there are perfectly normal moments: a battered lining, inconspicuous punctures from the brooch or a faded stain on the fabric.
In order not to overpay for branded vintage, it is useful to know what happened to the fashion house in the era when this thing was made. For example: Chloé of the times of Karl Lagerfeld is interesting, Chloé without him is not too much and not much money. There is a lot of Dior in the 80s in vintages, but you should be more careful with him: at that time, the license of the fashion house was sold to a large number of clothing manufacturers, he was almost bankrupt, and Bernard Arnaud then spent a huge amount of energy to buy out all the manufacturers license back. Because they sewed under it is unclear what. It is also worth seeing how much similar items cost on Etsy and eBay. A jacket or a blouse Yves Saint Laurent is easy to buy for two or three hundred dollars, but many sellers specifically designate prices twice or three times higher.
You see clothes of the 30s marked FOGA (Fashion Originators Guild of America) - it means it’s worth the money: it will most likely be of very good quality and cut. This guild was not accepted by anyone, only very worthy designers got into it. Dior 50s-60s cannot cost cheap either. But there is also a much more budgetary version - the American brand Suzy Perette, which in the same years altered the couture models of Dior and sold for more affordable prices. Almost always be expensive things Halston (after all, this is one of the most important brands of the 70s), as well as any old Japanese brands (most often Issey Miyake). Jewelry of the Edwardian era and accessories of the 20-30s, small embroidered handbags, wallets can be rather affordable.
A ridiculous paradox: for things created while Saint-Laurent is alive, you often have to pay far less than things that Anthony Vaccarello does under his name, and the first one is much cooler. Plus, I much more like the feeling that the historical context is behind the thing, as opposed to all the tons of instant clothing that the fashion industry throws at us every year. And it seems to me that because of the difference in the standards of beauty, vintage items sometimes sit much better on those whose parameters differ from the model ones.
In Moscow, I don’t buy vintage, because either this is an uninteresting selection for me (only eighties, fairly ordinary things, most often strongly oversized), or these are huge prices. But in Petersburg I can advise the shop More is More Vintage (I personally know the owner, super service, purchases in Los Angeles, a good selection of jewelry). Mandatory points are Featherstone Vintage and Shrimpton Couture. And on Etsy - Guermantes Vintage and Fab Gabs.
Vintage thing should reflect the spirit of its time and at the same time be relevant here and now. I'm interested in vintage YSL, Balenciaga, Dior, Montana, Mugler. I like to find in certain periods significant things for fashion houses. When buying, it is important to look at the material, the seams, if all the buttons are in place, and whether scuffs are permissible on things, everyone decides for himself. I am fine with such nuances, as I understand that almost everything can be restored if you really want to.
The vintage market in principle is not very transparent in terms of prices, but it’s possible to understand whether the price is adequate or not, just by Google. When choosing, you need to be guided by your own taste - you cannot give a clear recommendation. Cheap non-brand clothing or clothing of unknown designers; cheap should be the second line of famous brands, but everywhere there are exceptions.
For me, vintage is more of a professional interest. Hundreds of objects passed through my hands, and thanks to that I know for sure what label with what marking was in each period at the fashion house. Beginning your story with vintage should pay attention to how the label is sewn. If it is attached crookedly or in other threads than in the seams, it is possible that in front of you is just a fake.
In Moscow, unfortunately, there are not so many vintage stores. One of my favorites is What Goes Around Comes Around in Los Angeles, where both clothes, bags and jewelry are presented. I also like Catherine-B in Paris. In this shop there are only two brands - Chanel and Hermès - and you can find classic Chanel jackets, rare editions of Hermès shawls and Kelly bags.
I bought my first "worn" thing about two years ago in a regular second-hand in Sevastopol. Then I went to Cape Fiolent to live in a tent alone, and on the second week of my retreat, the nights became noticeably colder. I didn’t have enough money, so I took the shuttle bus to the nearest market and bought an excellent blue sweater for twenty rubles in an unmarked second-hand. I remember that it was a real discovery: it turns out that it is possible to take a thing for mere pennies which is no worse than clothes from “normal stores”. Since then, I began to regularly rummage around in second-hand and vintage-style prints, mixing my finds with items from the mass market. At some point, it turned into a hobby: to find interesting and unusual clothes among the mountains of junk. I especially like to explore new podium collections, and then go to second and find something similar for five hundred or seven hundred rubles.
Somehow it happened by itself that over time the mass market ceased to interest me: since last fall I have never bought anything there. Now, if I need any clothes (except for shoes and underwear), I just go to one of my favorite seconds. There you can easily find anything from elegant dresses, jackets and blouses to sweatpants, T-shirts, jackets and accessories. You just need to know where to go and be able to search.
It doesn't bother me that the things I buy, someone put on to me. I do not see any reason to disdain. Well, another girl wore this skirt or blouse - so what? On the contrary, it's cool - all of these things already have a story. Plus, I am concerned about environmental issues: humanity only does that it buys new clothes and throws out old ones, when it is often still worn and worn. Very few people think about the fate of a discarded one, and yet nobody needs junk to dissolve into the air, but will lie in landfills for centuries. In general, I am in favor of wearing clothes as long as possible, buying second-hand things, exchanging them in swaps, donating to those in need, and not throwing them out.
I have developed a very simple shopping system. For cheap everyday things, I usually go to the "Capital wardrobe" near the house. He replaces all the mass market at once. In my telegram channel, I even published a great guide on it for beginners. This is a huge network of second-rate franchises. Therefore, different stores have different owners, a different selection of clothes and even different prices per kilogram (things are sold by weight). I really like the point in Aptekarsky Lane: I never left empty-handed. But in general, any “Capital wardrobe” is a big store in which things are sorted into types, which facilitates the selection process: rails with skirts, rails with blouses, rails with pants, rails with dresses. I put many of my friends on this network, and from time to time they write me something like: "I just bought a great jacket, look!" - and send photos. I am always very happy, because what is sold in the mass market for thousands, in the “Capital wardrobe” you can buy for hundreds.
But you need to understand that buying clothes in large seconds is not easy, this is a real search operation: there are many things, sometimes they hang very tightly, a lot of unattractive junk, each item is in the same size, you need to methodically and patiently rummage. And yet there are no helpful sales assistants who carefully hung the clothes on the compatibility of colors and styles. In the mass market you came, saw, tried on, bought. And in second-hand, you came, as you should rummaged, tried on, rummaged again, tried again, then another and another. That is, shopping in such a shop is a labor, but very creative. And yet this is a search for excitement: sometimes you find this that you can go crazy. I always advise you to go shopping for at least an hour, go light and tune in to the monotonous study of rails.
I usually buy more elegant things (dresses, blouses, jackets and skirts) in Strogo Vintage - this is a vintage shop on Pokrovka, I have a whole bunch of clothes from there. I also love Mix & Match Vintage - a vintage little shop in Khokhlovsky Lane. They sell stunningly beautiful vintage dresses and trouser suits in excellent condition. True, they are expensive, but sometimes I allow myself. I have a pair of dresses from there: both the fabrics and the silhouette are lovely. By the way, neither in Strogo Vintage, nor in Mix & Match Vintage will not have to dig: there is a careful small selection here and there, there are no bad things, everything is very beautiful. And from the favorite - wandering pop-up-second "Window". There are cool things, including for boys, as well as an interesting selection of glasses and jewelry. I go to almost all pop-up-second from the first and always try to catch up to the opening - until everything is disassembled.
Today, in the second, it is no longer possible to meet outrageous and elegant clothes. I go there only for the base: sweaters, T-shirts, pants. Sometimes, though, it happens to find shoes. Infrequently, but there are theatrical outfits: for example, in the winter I took a starfish costume with me - my friends call him a shark costume. But now this happens less and less. In Russia, the second-rounds have deteriorated and become scarred: they have more and more mass-market, fewer rare brands and high-quality things.
The idea of wearing things has attracted me since childhood. I always took mother's dresses, grandmother gave me her bags and hats. Wearing clothes for strangers is doubly intriguing, you can fantasize anything that I do when I buy items from the 20s and 30s.
Original vintage is a thing older than twenty-five to thirty years. Distinguishing a vintage model from a modern one is no longer difficult for me. The simplest is the label, but if it is not there, you can pay attention to the fabric, the silhouette and the execution. For well-known brands, the same rules apply as now: you need to carefully check the quality of performance, especially the seams - they are smooth, tight and tidy, not too large in the original - fittings - all metal parts should look perfect, often they are decorated with a logo - and Of course, the barcode, the first three digits of which are the number of the country of origin, and if everything is correct, there is nothing to fear.
Vintage clothing has more advantages than it seems at first glance. For a start, it is unique: it rarely happens to find two identical things, in my memory there were such two or three cases. She is almost always of good quality. Twenty or thirty years ago, even the most budgetary brands were very attentive to the quality of fabrics and production, so vintage clothes are kept for fifty years or more without losing their appearance. Things from the past help to feel special and involved in some unknown and beautiful history. Such clothes allow you to express yourself and talk to the outside world. And a small but significant plus - vintage clothes are economical. For example, a YSL suit can be found for ten thousand rubles, while any new thing of the same brand costs at least a thousand dollars.
There is no such vintage item, whether it be jewelry, clothes or shoes, which I could not get along with. I advise you to buy only what speaks to you. It happens that you put on the most beautiful dress of Laura Ashley and immediately want to take it off as soon as possible - I don’t know if this is connected with something mystical, but this really happens. In such cases, you need to really take off and try on another beautiful dress.
My favorite vintage store in Moscow is Strogo. There are collected the most beautiful vintage projects in the city. I also like Gentlewares. As for the world’s vintage, I like Adored Vintage, Dear Golden, Recollection and Devore Vintage.
As a rule, when going shopping, I clearly understand what I am following: for example, if today I ended up in a vintage store in Stockholm or at a flea market in Forte dei Marmi, I would look for summer trouser suits, Victorian blouses or varnish handbags with plastic handles. At one point, I almost completely switched to shopping in vintage stores and second-hand shops. I still occasionally take new shoes, but just now I completely lost my head from vintage models, although finding the right one is not easy.
On the other hand, vintage shopping is beautiful with unexpected finds. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I did not even think about buying flawless shoes on a low square heel Ferragamo, but having met them, I could not pass by. Such things are hard not to notice: high-quality material, noble color, rare style, special, unique character of a thing, as a rule, stand out against the general background. I prefer natural fabrics: silk, wool, cashmere - things from them look more expensive and serve eternity. For me personally, one of the greatest pleasures is to feel the lightness and chill of natural silk on your body.
I am not afraid of little holes - this is the story of a thing. I, on the contrary, are more likely embarrassed by new, flawless models from stores, to me they already seem boring. With stains, the situation is slightly different: I would not advise buying a thing with a fat spot. If the spot looks like a trail of dust and dirt - this is often the case with things moving from warehouse to warehouse - there is nothing to worry about, it can be solved. I am also not at all confused by small traces of rust: on jeans and leather jackets it looks brutal, and on old clothes (for example, nightgowns, which are ideal as summer dresses), like moles on the body, this is their story, their individuality. However, here everyone decides for himself. For the store, I try to select things in immaculate or almost immaculate condition, and completely different clothes fall into my personal wardrobe.
For example, recently, when I was in St. Petersburg, I bought a beautiful milky-colored raincoat made of good, super dense cotton at a flea market. He was covered in spots of very different color, and almost all the buttons were chipped. After cleansing, he became simply stunningly beautiful, but many minor spots remained. So, for me it is perfectly normal - whether they are or not, it does not matter, because I found such a luxurious thing!
Vintage is always about unique things, excellent quality and rare, interesting models, selected with love and awe. The price tag for such clothes most often does not exceed the highest standard of prices in the mass market. But it all depends on the store, there is, of course, very, very expensive vintage shops, but often the prices in them are also justified. In Asia, as well as in Europe, sometimes things with obvious jambs are expensive: "It's vintage," explain the sellers. But I still don’t want to overpay for damaged clothes, so it’s better to have a good look at them: as a rule, returns and exchanges in vintage shops do not work. If the expensive branded thing, you can google the line, figure out how the price is justified.
Usually I buy T-shirts and men's cotton shirts for my wardrobe at a very cheap price - they have no special value, they can be found in almost any second-hand shop. For expensive, I take rare things that sink into the heart. For example, recently I bought from a colleague in Moscow a stunning Rochas trouser suit made of linen and viscose on a silk lining. This is the thing. It cost sixteen thousand, and, in my opinion, it is even cheap for him. Когда качественная, уникальная вещь садится на вас - думаю, её стоит брать без промедлений, ведь она прослужит годы, и шанс встретить её на знакомом сводится к нулю.
Мне кажется, когда ты в курсе, чем обходится для нашей планеты обычная футболка из масс-маркета - здесь мы говорим об огромном количестве пресной воды, необходимой для хлопка, истощении почвы для выращивания монокультуры, условиях труда рабочих на фабриках, их заработке, а также о сливе отработанной воды с краской для ткани в открытые воды, - ты дважды подумаешь перед тем, как эту футболку купить. Ведь не так сложно зайти в секонд или поискать на Avito что-то подобное - наша планета буквально забита вещами! Мне приятно думать, что я не вкладываю свои пять копеек в безжалостную машину массового производства одежды, так расточительно потребляющую природные и человеческие ресурсы и отравляющую экосистему. When I buy things at a flea market from private traders, I give this money directly to people, when I buy at a charity shop, I know that money will be spent on charity, and buying things in vintage stores, I help people and projects, which in turn will send this money in the first two sources.
In Moscow, everything is simple: you can go to our vintage market Vintage Marketplace and choose from hundreds of participants those to whom you will then go. My two main addresses are Pokrovka, 17, and Mix & Match at Khokhlovka. In Berlin - Calypt Berlin in Neukölln and Sing Blackbird in Kreuzberg, in Copenhagen - Studio Travel, in Stockholm - Emmaus and Humana, in Milan - Humana, in London - Portobello Road.
In Russia, everything is just beginning, and it’s great, people are discovering a new format of shopping and relationships with clothes in general - this is a very exciting process. Due to the shortage in the USSR, we almost did not have our own cool vintage, as in Europe, - and what was left formed an attitude as if something smelled of naphthalene. Therefore, the tradition of wearing vintage in our country is much less developed than abroad, where there has always been an abundance of clothing. But now everyone is tired of the mass market and disposable things and they want something special.