When the two of us first decided to open up a vintage shop, we had no doubts that we could spot a vintage dress a mile away. After all, when you spend nearly your whole life immersed in fashion and the art of design, you learn a lot about vintage garments. However, we realize that while we know we offer you quality, authentic vintage clothes, you may find yourself in a shop somewhere wondering if the skirt you're looking at truly is from the 70's. There's no Beatrice and Nadia there to help you decide. That's why we compiled this guide.
Here are a few things you should look for:
1. Find a tag. We find that if you come across a garment with a single tag labeled with "Lot" followed by a number, it was most likely made between the late 50's through early 70's. Another tag to look for is the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union or ILGWU. The use of this tag was prominent from the 1900's through the 70's. If a size label is found- before the 1960's, the number was the hip size in inches, but after the mid 60's the numbers were the better known size 8, 10, 12, etc. numbers. Care labels, if you find one, popped up in the mid 60's and became very common in the 70's. If there are no tags, the item was most likely homemade. This is very common in garments from eras before the 1970's.
2. Examine the construction of the garment. Look at the seam finishing. While serged seams have appeared on garments as early as 1900 and 1910, you can trust that the serging will look significantly different from modern-day serging. As time went on, more and more threads were used in a serged edge. They did not become very commonly used until the 70's, but remember that you can find garments from the 40's, 50's, and 60's with serged edges. If the seam edges are pinked, they were probably either homemade or from the 50's or earlier. Handsewn hook and eye closures and snaps are another indicator of vintage garments. 50's dresses usually had internal bra-straps and underskirts made of net, tulle, or muslin.
3. Look at the zipper. Metal zips were widely used before the 1970's. There's nothing like the satisfaction of zipping up a heavy metal zip, so you can't miss it. It was not until the late 60's when vinyl zips were common. The location of the zipper is also important. Before the 1950's, zippers were typically on the side of the garment. In the 50's and 60's, the zip slowly moved towards the back.
4. Feel the fabric. It's typical that vintage fabrics had a much better quality than modern fabrics. In vintage garments, there is more heft to a heavy fabric, a more delicate feel to a piece of lace, a finer smoothness to a length of silk. It would be a good idea to spend time in a reputable vintage shop, touching the fabrics so you can develop a feel for it. If you find either a fabric content tag, or are able to identify fabrics, the type of fabric is a good indicator of the garment's age: In the 50's- taffeta and rayon were used, in the 60's- polyester and nylon were popular, while in the 70's- polyester ran rampant. Eras earlier than the 50's typically used natural fibers such as cotton, rayon, and wool. Remember, Lycra didn't come about until the 80's.
5. Judge the style. This should be the most obvious way of identifying a vintage piece. Of course, given our perchance for bringing back styles- shoulder pads were popular in both the 40's and the 80's, 50's style shirtdresses are popular right now, ballet flats popped up in the 60's, then the 80's, then the present time again- it is not a surefire way of dating a garment. However, if you are able to successfully find a vintage garment using other indicators, the style will easily help you pin a date on it. Some quick tips on lesser known facts: wiggle dresses featuring fitted hourglass shapes were popular in the 50's along the full skirted dresses; miniskirts and shifts came into vogue in the 60's, and maxi dresses and skirts along with tight fitting styles and low necklines were popular in the 70's. As you spend time at estate sales, vintage shops, and the like, you'll start to gain a feel for what is vintage and what is not. The best part of finding vintage clothes is the thrill of the hunt. What will you find in the very back of that rack? Are these gloves truly 1930's gems? Did you just get your hands on a gorgeous 40's blazer with padded shoulders and a nipped in waist? There's truly nothing better than finding a piece of wonderful history, except maybe discovering that it fits you perfectly!
We love helping people find vintage gems. If you have any questions or additional tips, feel free to comment or e-mail us at LaCaravaneBoheme@live.com.
Of course, happy vintaging!
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