Talking about vintage is never easy. Always controversial, vintage has changed its original meaning referring to wines, to mostly clothes, accessories, anything that goes back a long time and it’s still wearable or usable, especially when its vintage value is skyrocketed by wearability.
Ordinary, some like to call it second hand, some prefer the “vintage” reference because it has a certain ring to it, a fashion-mystery that instantly puts you on a pedestal when in front of an ignorant audience. However, real vintage comes with a heavy tag. And I’m not talking only prices. I’m talking designer signature. Because of this, in time, real vintage-treasure-hunters appeared. They find vintage pieces, recover, reconstruct them and sell them to the highest bitter for the love of cash only.
Rare items are sold in auctions, some of them for amounts far from the estimated (a crocodile Kelly Hermès bag raised $60,000 from a $30,000 departure). But away from the spotlight, vintage is far more seducing than new clothes for more and more fashion addicts. I don’t really know if it’s the thrills they get from the actual hunting, or the prey itself, but more I look around me, more I see people blinded by the second-hand mirage. I stand before you today proudly saying that I’m off vintage. Or at least the ordinary “second-hand-type”. I had my days when thought that present day fashion was not adding quality to my style. Those days are long gone now. I’m past the thrills of searching (and, sincerely, I have no longer the luxury to spend long days or weeks in searching the perfect something to fit in my wardrobe like it was made for me) and I’m far more demanding. Now, after all those years, I could search and settle for no less than “vintage” instead of second hand.
What are your feelings about vintage? Have you ever tried it? Felt drawn to it? Had a crush on something that wasn’t new just because it wasn’t new? I’m curious about your experience with “vintage clothes” and how far would you (did you) go in that direction.
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I used to love vintage stores. When I lived in a beach town, there were a few scattered shops tucked away where mostly locals ventured to. But mostly, I’ve found gems at estate and garage sales. I purchased my husband a very old slide rule, some artwork, china pieces and accessories.
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