Love VINTAGE items: Guides to Find, Buy Authentic Items.
I LOVE vintage! Everything about it, from the styles to the materials. Finding it, authenticating it, buying it and selling it... I LOVE IT ALL! I wanted to do a blog about vintage so we could talk about just VINTAGE! Why do we love it and what's so great about it? Besides talking about what we love, I thought maybe we could help some people. There are lots of reproductions out there and some people really don't know how to tell the difference. I thought maybe we could help each other out and in the process recruit some people over to the vintage side of life, while we're at it!
Vintage Items
VINTAGE.Vintage items can be found just about anywhere! In your attic, your grandmother's attic is a great place, garage sales, church bazaars, estate sales and yes, even in thrift stores!
* So how do you know if it's AUTHENTIC vintage or a newer reproduction? *
Since the 'vintage look' (also called Old School, Boho, Hippie, etc.) is really in right now, most designers have created reproductions in the last few years and it can get really tricky trying to figure out whether something is old or new. The vintage look is everywhere from clothing to household appliances and furniture right now. First we'll need to define
For an item to be vintage it's technically supposed to be at least 20 years old. However, that definition is only loosely applied to things on Ebay. Basically, if it's more than a decade old -that's ten years or more- it's called VINTAGE on Ebay. Now with that in mind, let's take a look at the eras of the past decades; what was going on then and what were the lifestyles like:
1930s
This was the era of the Great Depression; the Land of Opportunity becamd the land of desperation. The Great Plains farmers who lived through the Dust Bowl followed by the Great Depression, headed to California in the hope of starting over again. Instead, what they found was a life of transience, as they struggled to maintian a steady income and traveled around the state following the harvest. The American income between 1929 and 1932 dropped 40% from $2,300 to $1,500! Social Security and the right for workers to unionize started in 1935. Many of the nation's most famous skyscrapers were finished in the early 1930s: the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center. The Dick and Jane books came out for children during this time, who were lucky if their communities could afford to keep their schools up and running. It's funny that during this time of poverty, the movies were packed! People were looking to escape and this was considered Hollywood's Golden Age! (Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Gretta Garbo, Errol Flynn and Shirley Temple all became popular at this time, as did the funny acts of the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields and Bob Hope.)
MEN: Vest sweaters worn over a button up shirt and wide high-waisted pants were worn. EVERY well dressed man wore a hat!
WOMEN: Only the very rich could afford the clothing of the Paris designers. Most women had only one set of clothes, for all seasons. Skirts worn during the day came to mid-calf, during the evening to the ankle.
HOUSEHOLD: Art Deco & Modern -Sleek, Smooth & Polished- streamlined geometric style, with rounded fronts on furniture, mirrored accents and wood furniture with chrome accents and glass tops. Colors for accessories and fabrics were neutral tone-on-tone. The modern sleek look of Scandanavian furniture came into style at this time, in light blond wood. Because people were poor, they gathered together and played parlor and board games. Monopoly came out in 1935 and sold 20,000 sets in one week. People also gathered around their radios and listened to the Yankees play; especially loved were Lou Gherg and Joe DiMaggio (who later married Marilyn Monroe)!
COLORS:
1940s
First let me say, if you love 1940s and 1950s fashion, you should take a look at The Fedora Lounge online. They are a great bunch of guys (mainly guys anyway) that are so knowledgeable and so willing to offer information that I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better source of help and resources! That said, the 1940s were dominated by WWII (World War Two). Women went into the work place; rationing took place with food, fabric and ALL materials, even those needed to manufacture children't toys. Here's a little more interesting info: The average salary was $1,299; a teacher's salary was $1,441 (Obviously lots of emphasis was placed on education and those doing the educating. What a shame that we've lost that today) Minimum wage was $0.43 an hour! Movies took off in the 40s and people made icons out of many of them, their Moviestar status remaining even today: Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Marlin Brando, Bette Davis, Katherine Hephburn, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Ginger Rogers, Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner and of course Marilyn Monroe.
MEN: The Zoot Suit was worn by daring young men, until the war started and fabric was rationed. During the war fabric use was rationed in clothing and regular suits lost the flap on the pockets, pants became narrower. Post war suits were heavily padded at the shoulders, extending down to the upper back and chest area; these gave that big shouldered look! Pants had thinner pant legs during this time too.
WOMEN: The war saw working women adopt the wearing of the convertable suit (a short skirted suit that could be used during the day and then the same suit used with a fancier jacket at night); women also started wearing slacks in the work place, as they did the jobs of the men that were serving in the War. During this time, silk stockings were unavailable so women used their eyeliner to draw a straight line up the backs of their legs, in order to look like they were wearing seamed stockings!! Post war women went to long, tight waisted, skirts again and traded in the earlier low style heels for high ones. Women wanted to dress with both glamor and style! Hairstyles had the hair curled up high in the front of the head and then down straigt, shoulder length, in the back (think Rita Hayworth). Feminine drapey chandelier earings and drapy necklaces, sparkely brooches, all of them were worn prominantly and adorned with LOTS of rhinestones.
HOUSEHOLD: 1940s decor actually went back to the mid 30s and continued into the mid 50s. Fainting couches, doilies. TV and the Refrigerator came out during the 40s, as did the frozen dinner, tupperware and aluminum foil! Big band music played in people's houses, with special tribute to the bands of Glen Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Duke Ellington. This was also the time of the 'crooner' and singers like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Kate Smith and Dina Shore were among the most popular singers. Penicillin was first used sucessfully in 1941
COLORS:
1950s
This era celebrated the end of WWII with a bang! This was the Era of Retro: Think Leave It to Beaver and Happy Days! This, by the way, is my FAVORITE era!! Speaking of Happy Days, Juke Boxes are a cool thing to have in your house but you have to have some 45 records to play in them (45 records are records that are smaller than the larger albums of that time and played at the 45 speed setting on record players). If you don't know what a record player, ask your parents... chances are they'll get a dreamy look in their eyes as they recall the time of REAL music! The average American's salary was $2,992, up considerably fro mthe 1940s!. "Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance, as religion was seen as an indicator of anti-communism! Fashion was very conservative during this time. After the war in the 1940s, when fathers had not been home and mothers were at work, teenagers became a force to be recconed with and thus began the marketing specifically to that target group. American Bandstand became popular, as did drive-in movies. The Beatnick hep cat generation started during the latter part of this era, in an effort to go against the values of the middle class.
MEN: Men wore gray flannel suits to work, kind of boxy shaped. After work, the businessman husband relaxed in looser clothing: loose pants and shirt, with no tie. This man probably had a Crew cut. About this time jackets of tweeds and patterns became popular, as man made fibers are introduced. The trend from wearing vests to cardigans took place during this time. The tough guy James Dean look was in also and it went well with the wildly popular Ducktail haircut (Remember The Fonz?).
WOMEN: Fitted dresses, about knee length, with flared skirts and pinched in waists, were worn with high heels. Gloves, hats and handbags were definitely 'must haves' when you went out. Hairstyles were short, with soft waves. Poodle haircuts, and polytails, Poodle skirts, bobby socks and saddle shoes were definitely IN with the younger crowd. Crinoline slips went underneath those poofy skirts and of course then you had to wear a swing coat (wide draped / swingy bottom) to fit over everything. Honestly though, those swing coats are gorgeous, usually with nice big buttons down the front!
HOUSEHOLD: Stainless steel percolator coffee pots; furniture with thin legs that were wider at the top than at the bottom, like long thin triangles. Kitchen sets with chrome sets (I have a nice big one in my dining room!), Chenille bedspreads were in every home and are very desired, collected and shown today again.
COLORS: Aqua & Pink
1960s
The era of MOD, then the HIPPIE! Think Mary Quaint, then the Beatles!
MOD is short for Modern which originally meant minimalist, although MOD fashions were not at all minimal! The fashion trends from this Era definitaly were set by England! The Mod look was in style in the earlier part of the 60s.
HIPPIE style came in somewhere near the latter part of the 60s, '67-'68? and was meant to rebuff all the conformity of the 50s and early 60s. GoGo boots made their appearance then; they sort of looked like the colored stockings of the Mod fashions but don't tell a hippie that! Bell bottom jeans and wide leather belts were 'cool'! Oh yeah, Nudity was in then too! Remember Woodstock? That was TOTALLY in!
MEN: MOD - Turtlenecks, skinny pants with super thin legs, sweaters/jumpers.
HIPPIE - Grungy jeans, T-shirts -especially tie-die ones, fringed leather vests, peace sign necklaces. Longish to very long hair, uncombed and unkept was fine too! Jesus leather sandals were all the rage!
WOMEN: MOD - Short dresses: the mini skirt started in the 60s, worn with colored stockings and of course the Bob hairdo. Capri, clam digger, pants were only worn for casual occassions. The same is true of culottes.
HIPPIE - Turtlenecks, more tightly fitted clothes, lots of suede and of course the long straight hair, with or without flowers in it! The Hippie style was mostly seen on the younger people. The 'back to nature' look was everywhere, from peasant shirts to long loose skirts and hemp handbags. Gunne Sax prairie dresses were worn for special occasions, like proms!
HOUSEHOLD: MOD - a lot like the 50s but not quite as stiff. Op-art furniture was in. There were these neat half circle chairs that had cusions in the bottom, so you could pull you legs right inside the circle and curl up in there; some even had phones inside on the walls!
HIPPIE- Macreme hanging lamps, hanging beaded room separaters (hung in doorways), candles and insence. Comfy couches and chairs. There were inflatable chairs too and even plastic ones! And we can't forget bean bag chairs and lava lamps!
COLORS: MOD- Bright, Bold, Geometric Shapes
HIPPIE- Earth tones - Red, Orange, Green, Cream, Brown
1970s
Ahhh, the DISCO Era! Think John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Also Dr. Scholl sandals, earth shoes, flag bell bottomed pants, Frye cowboy boots, cream colored Painter's pants,
Smiley Faces (on clothing & jewelery), terry cloth clothes and bathing cover-ups, rainbow toe socks (eegad these were uncomfortable),
MEN: fitted shirts, usually Quana, which was a new synthetic that was super thin and shiny and it looked and felt like real silk; they had really broad collars and cuffs, so they stood out really well under your disco blazer -I've sold a few of these on Ebay! High waisted pants, especially fitted around the tush, with super flared pant legs -pinstriped hip hugger bell bottoms were really in -as I remember my dad wearing them with his platform shoes -he looked a little like Sonny Bono and my Mom looked like Cher! Every disco man had to have a pair of platform shoes. Shiny satiny short jackets were worn everywhere, from the school yard to the disco club. The sportsman wore short Adidas shorts that only came up to the upper thigh area, usually white, with 3 colored stripes down the sides. Adidas sneakers, white again, with 3 navy blue stripes on the sides, were worn by just about every man and boy in the 70s; Converse All Star sneakers were very popular too, in high-tops, in a cream color or black. Anti-shark bracelet: a cream colored braided bracelet that had no opening; it was loose when you slipped it on but once you got it wet, it shrunk to fit snugly on your wrist. These were terrible to try and cut off because they were so tight! Oh, Army jackets and Army pants were a cool thing to wear, in the plain green fatigue colors only -that's all we had back then! Corduroy 3 piece suits and blazers were everywhere! Just about every college professor owned a corduroy blazer with either fake or real leather buttons on the front and cuffs AND suede elbows. I still LOVE that look! You could wear them with jeans or dress pants and they're still popular today, thanks mostly to men that don't throw anything out!
WOMEN: Accordian pleated mini skirts (like modern day tennis skirts); Angel sleeve shirts, gauze embroidered shirts (I had my 7th grade school picture taken wearing one of these!);
Converse All Star sneakers were popular, in high tops, but in cool colors. I had a pair of purple ones that I wore until they got holes in the soles that made my socks wet every time it rained!
Anti-Shark bracelets -see description in the men's section -these were popular after everyone went to see JAWS and then we were all afraid to go in the ocean! Big circular loop earings were a must and tube tops were worn with everything! What is a tube top? It's a piece of fabric that has elastic rows on the back, making it stretchy, and it was shaped like a tube; these were treacherous if you did anything other than a slow walk! Candies shoes were VERY popular; they were these high heeled sandals that you slipped on, with wooden heels... actually they were really cute and have made a come back recently! Clogs were really in too! Wow, I almost for gauchos -those half pants that came to about your knees and were wide on the bottom like bell bottoms; those were worn with knee high boots, which once again are very IN! And who didn't own a mood ring; a ring with a stone that would change colors depending on the heat of your skin, blue and you were a cold person, red and you were super HOT etc!
HOUSEHOLD: Natural materials to high tech design and extreme industrialism; this was an experimental time. Inflatable furniture was in. Everyone had a shag carpet and modular sofas were something everyone strived to own! The tackiest thing of the 70s would probably have to be the paintings on velvet! The last supper and Elvis were favorites, of course though not in the same painting!
COLORS: Orange, Avacado and Turquoise
1980s
You know what I remember about the 80s? BIG SPRAYED hair, for men AND women. All the rock bands during this era had big hair and are referred to as the 'HAIR BANDS'! MC Hammer danced across staged in his silver, baggy crotch pants and everyone knew what Break Dancing was. We all tried a Rubik's Cube at least once! Wrestling and Hulk Hogan were at it's hottest and every little girl had to have a Cabbage Patch Doll. Doc Marten's became popular at this time for men and women. As for TV, we had VHS and Beta tapes to watch! For live action, we had Madonna rolling like a virgin all over the stage and Michael Jackson had 31 weeks at the top spot of record sales. Then came the Mullet... New Wave and Punk was not only the sound of the latter half of the 80s but it was also the look!
MEN: Members Only windbreaker jackets; black nylon parachute pants with TONS of pockets all over; Swatch Watches were these neat watches from Sweden I believe and they came in lots of cool colors -of course Swatch protectors came next and they were these rubber 'X' shaped things that sat right on the top of your watch and hooked on the watch band. Acid washed jeans, the washed out area was only white, usually done with bleach!
WOMEN: Tight jeans were in; I remember that they had to be so tight that you needed to lay on the bed just to zip them up and sometimes you had to stick the end of a hanger into the end of the zipper so you could even pull it up! Sheesh, how did we sit down or even breath? Moon Boots were these odd astronaut looking boots; they had platform bottoms and were really cushy along the calf, like a child's snow boot and they were brightly colored. Liz Claiborne clothing was really IN and it was pretty expensive (I worked at Macy's in the 80s and one time used up almost an entire check, with my employee discount, just to buy a Liz dress!), oh and HUGE shoulder pads were in every shirt and jacket, with the idea of giving you that upside down triangle look -I think it was more like a linebacker look though! Also, these little scarf/bowtie atrosities were in and were worn with every button up shirt. Acid washed jeans were COOL to wear!
HOUSEHOLD: Mauve decor; everything from sectional couches to painted walls. Chrome and Mirror decor was really IN, as was glass and 'brass'. Flowers and plants, real and fake, filled every crevase of the home and everyone had stacks and stacks of VHS of Beta video tapes.
COLORS: Mauve, Gray & Peach
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