It's Lacroix darling!!
Second-hand, preloved, pre-owned, used... a rose by any another name would smell as sweet...
Secondhand clothing is still hot.
Cynthia Nellis from About.com Guide to Women's Fashion talks buying high qulaity designer fashion - Smarter
The reasons for the surge in
popularity in recent years are varied -- from the bargain aspect to the
thrill of the hunt -- but according to
Secondhand Chic author
Christa Weil, one reason is that vintage goods are distinctive.
"One
of my favorite buys ever was this vintage Chinese embroidered silk
jacket, bright red, with a fake-fur lining.," she said. "How I look from
the neck up doesn't matter when I have that one on -- it does all the
work for me!"
While some of the pieces for serious connoisseurs,
such as red-line selvage Levis (around $3000) or a Charles James evening
gown (est. $10,000 to $15,000) can set you back a bundle, many resale
items are a bargain.
It may sound chic to call your new secondhand
find vintage, but here's how it really breaks down:
- Vintage
- Apparel from past eras -- everything from Victorian looks in the
1800s to disco in the 1970s.
-
- Consignment - Usually recent
(1-2 years old) apparel in good condition -- owners sell clothing
through a store, which keeps a percentage of the sale.
-
- Thrift
- Term includes storefronts like the Salvation Army and Goodwill, as
well as cheap "anything goes" venues such as flea markets.
-
- Resale,
Secondhand, Used - Encompasses all of the above.
You
can buy used clothing many different ways, including physical stores,
online stores, online auctions, expos or high-end auctions. But whatever
method you choose, there are general guidelines you should follow.
Buying
vintage
Weil, a resale connoisseur and author of the excellent Secondhand
Chic, a guide to resale shopping, offered these tips for beginning
resale shoppers:
- Find a good store - Use the yellow
pages. For consignment goods look for: Consignment; Women's Clothing,
Used; Secondhand Clothing Stores. For thrift items: Thrift; Clothing,
Used; Charity stores. For vintage: Vintage or Retro stores. Other ways
to find a good store include using a directory (call your library to see
if they have one), using a search engine on the Internet, or find one
good store and ask a fellow customer if she knows of any more -- people
are usually happy to share info.
-
- Spot a great deal - If
you're new to vintage shopping, look at the price, the style level and
quality of workmanship. The last two should be MUCH BETTER than what you
could get in a garment at the same price at an ordinary retail store.
Once you become an experienced vintage shopper, you'll get even better
at finding fantastic, way underpriced clothes. The key thing, though, is
not to buy because it's a great deal--buy because you absolutely love
how it looks on you.
-
- Find your size - To get a quick
reading on an unsized garment, hold it against your body and see how it
hangs relative to arms, legs, bust and waistline. But you MUST try it on
to be sure. Don't EVER buy a piece, even as simple as a tank top,
without trying it on. Finally, with vintage clothes, put them on gently
at half speed--it's sad to have to buy something just because you ripped
it a new neckline.
-
- Recognize quality garments - Great
buttons, beautiful interior seams, unusual details (like cuffs of a
peculiar shape), welted buttonholes (the kind that look like mail
slots). . any detail that looks like it took some thought and effort
rather than run-of-the-mill.
-
- More tips - The more
experience you get shopping at secondhand stores, the better and wiser
you get. Also, try not to blow a couple dollars here and there
constantly buying stuff -- it's much smarter to save up for a really
great, high-quality piece that you'll wear and wear for years.
Buying
consignment goods
If you're looking to pump up your wardrobe with
designer clothes, consignment may be a great, cost-effective way to do
it.
Irene Mylan, owner of consignment mecca Clothes Circuit in
Dallas, Texas shared these insider tips:
* Find a good
consignment store by searching in an affluent, fashion forward
neighborhood. Expect to save about 70%
off retail.
* The
best time to buy current merchandise is halfway through a season; you
can find items brought in by style mavens
who are already through with
them.
* The best bargains are usually the most expensive -- it's
difficult to get 30-40% off retail for an Armani.
* Look for core
pieces, such as a Calvin Klein pantsuit, which can be purchased for a
few hundred dollars. You can build
from there and accessorize.
* Shop
by feel -- you'll appreciate the better fabrics.
* Once you start
wearing better cut clothing it's hard to go back!
Go to Miss Money Penny darling...
"Everybody's there, everybody! Big names, you know. Chanel, Dior,
Lagerfeld, Givenchy, Gaultier, darling. Names, names, names. Every rich
bitch from New York is in there. Hockwenden, Ruttenstein, Vandebilt,
Rothschild, Hookenfookenberger, Dachshund, Rottweiler, sweetie." ; - )
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