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A Basic Guide to Vintage Clothing

Vintage clothing.

Ten years ago, the words conjured up images of clothing worn by your grandmother when she was your age. But in the last few years, vintage has become hot, hot, hot as celebrities, socialites, and more and more ordinary women clamor to resale shops to take part of this trend. Why is it so popular? And why should you care?

Because vintage means value. You can get great, unique clothing, often at bargain-basement prices. All you have to do is act fast and keep your eyes open.

The word "vintage" is bandied about so much these days, you'd think that anything that isn't current season is vintage. That's not technically true. There are several distinct categories of secondhand clothes, including:

• Antique--Generally, anything prior to 1920. These usually run small in size and are made of delicate fabrics. These are often bought as investment pieces to display and not to wear.

• Vintage--Clothing from the 1920's to roughly the mid-1970's.

• Consignment--Current or near-current styles, usually less than three years old. Some vintage pieces can and do end up in consignment shops, particularly handbags, jewelry, and shoes.

• Thrift--A term usually applied to clothes donated for charitable resale at such places like Salvation Army and Goodwill. May also apply to inexpensive goods sold at flea markets.

• Resale, Secondhand, Used--Catch-all phrases for all of the above.

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Diana Pemberton-Sikes is a wardrobe and image consultant and author of "Wardrobe Magic," an ebook that shows women how to transform their unruly closets into workable, wearable wardrobes. Visit her online at www.fashionforrealwomen.com

All articles are copyrighted by Diana Pemberton-Sikes.