Whether you channel Marilyn or Madonna, scoring the perfect vintage piece is all about the thrill of the hunt. And patience. And knowing a great find when you see it.
By Maureen Mancini Amaturo
Whether you channel Marilyn or Madonna, scoring the perfect vintage piece is all about the thrill of the hunt. And patience. And knowing a great find when you see it.
You never know what you’re going to find, and the magic happens when a to-die-for piece appears, just happens to fit, and you fall in love.
When you fall in love with a vintage find, it’s deeper than the Forever 21 infatuation. Vintage catches your eye like a pretty face, flirts like a calendar model, then steals your heart like a future husband. Vintage pieces have a story. They’re rare. They’re elusive. They let you create looks no one else will have. If you don’t embrace your vintage piece when you find it, it will be in the arms of another woman before you can say, “On second thought…”
Vintage can be a path to a designer wardrobe. Contemporary couture carries prices that look more like zip codes. Prices for vintage Chanel, Pucci, Gaultier are more affordable, if not inexpensive.
A few things to know: Vintage is anything at least 30 years old. It will likely need alterations. You and your pieces from the past will have a very happy future.
Dressing by the Decades
>Thirties
Tall, slim women look great in clothes from the 30s because most of the fabrics were cut on the bias (the grain of the fabric is diagonal and the fabric clings to the body).
Look for: Floral-print day dresses and sundresses, chiffon, long skirts, elegant gowns.
>Forties
The styles are great for curvy girls because the tailoring is more defined at the waist, and the clothes are cut more generously. Padded shoulders give the waist a smaller appearance, which accents the hips making for a curvy silhouette.
Look for: High-waisted pants, flared hems. Amazingly tailored suits, jackets, and skirts.
>Fifties
Great for voluptuous women. The cut and shape of dresses, jackets, and sweaters from this decade were created for fuller bust lines, a la Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Jayne Mansfield. This era was all about the hourglass figure.
Look for: Cocktail dresses, strapless and sweetheart necklines, halters, midi-skirts with full volume, sweaters and blouses with rounded collars, slim-cut “cigarette” pants. Swing coats. (Initially designed to cover the full skirts, the swing coat served 50s expectant moms by covering up the baby bump.)
>Sixties
Tent, shift, and baby doll dresses, Jackie-O pencil skirt suits, Twiggy mini-skirts, lots of color and patterns (especially orange and pink.) This is another era of great cocktail dresses. Square-toed shoes and square chunky heels.
FYI: You’ll start to see fabric content labels on clothes made in the 60s. Prior to this they were not used.
>Seventies
Maxi dresses, disco-influenced looks, crocheted tops, skirts, and vests. Glam garments with lots of shimmer and sparkle. Jumpsuits. Empire-waist and halter dresses and coats. Denim. Pants suits. Jersey and rayon fabrics.
Sizing Up Vintage
Over the past 20 years, American fashion has moved to “vanity sizing.” We the people have become larger, and so our clothes are now at least two inches bigger in each size than they were 20 years ago.
Today, women’s sizes start at zero or two, depending on the brand. Most clothing made before and during the 1970s started at size 8, 10, or 12, and it was a very small 12. In recent decades, manufacturers have lowered the size number so single digit sizes became the norm for adult women. Bottom line, when shopping vintage, shop by your measurements rather than your dress size.
