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The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping: How to Buy, Fix, and Keep Secondhand Clothing
From fashion boutiques to flea markets, the hunt for vintage clothing is on! With this savvy guide tucked in your handbag, you’ll be ready to hit the streets.
Vintage clothing offers couture quality at a fraction of the price. But how can you spot a Dior original in a rack stuffed with Little Black Dresses? Vintage-clothing dealer Melody Fortier demystifies the entire process so you’ll know just what to look for, what to avoid, and what to pay. The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping shares insider tips for evaluating quality, selecting problem-free pieces, ensuring the perfect fit and silhouette, and caring for your unique finds.
Vintage clothing offers couture quality at a fraction of the price. But how can you spot a Dior original in a rack stuffed with Little Black Dresses? Vintage-clothing dealer Melody Fortier demystifies the entire process so you’ll know just what to look for, what to avoid, and what to pay. The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping shares insider tips for evaluating quality, selecting problem-free pieces, ensuring the perfect fit and silhouette, and caring for your unique finds.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
6 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 23, 2011
Cute and helpful. This book was my primer on vintage shopping. I put what I learned into practice during my first vintage shopping trip a couple of weeks ago. It was easy to read and will also be a useful reference in the future.
June 2, 2020
Such a helpful purse sized book rammed with tips and information on getting started on vintage shopping. I especially loved the care section and all the tips on cleaning. Fascinating.
November 19, 2022
Focus is on women's clothes and accessories. Could use more photos.
February 10, 2014
If you are new to vintage shopping this book will be a huge help in making sensible purchases.
If you already buy a lot of vintage clothing this book has some fine tuned details to make your purchases a success.
It is great for getting a handle on the sizing of clothing and shoes over the decades. Shoes were once sized by length as well as width. Knowing that, you can possibly purchase a size smaller than you currently wear in a wider width at make that lovely vintage shoe fit. Clothing sizes are a real puzzle with the garment industry forever reinventing the sizes. The change in size is "approximately one full size every decade." So when they tell you that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 10 or 12, it isn't today's size 10 or 12.
This book gives you guidelines for the silhouetted of each era so you should be able to roughly estimate a vintage dress's age.
Some department stores offered great quality and design under boutique names. For example, Nordstrom offered a specialty section labeled 'Brass Plum.' This book gives you an entire list.
And of course, you will run into dirty, stained, ripped or torn apparel. This book walks you through how to clean for example, the verdigris- greenish spots coating or crust on metal. Or five steps, increasing in intrusiveness, to get rid of stains. Ever watched Big Fat Greek Wedding? Windex is one of the cleaners here!
And that smell!! That old second-hand smell is what keeps my husband from ever going with me on one of these forays. Odor is one of the most common problems you will encounter when dealing with vintage apparel. This little books gives you the help you need to clean, fresh vintage clothing.
So no, Melody Fortier will not be accompanying you on your next vintage shopping excursion, but her little (5"X7") book can be tucked into your bag for easy reference.
If you already buy a lot of vintage clothing this book has some fine tuned details to make your purchases a success.
It is great for getting a handle on the sizing of clothing and shoes over the decades. Shoes were once sized by length as well as width. Knowing that, you can possibly purchase a size smaller than you currently wear in a wider width at make that lovely vintage shoe fit. Clothing sizes are a real puzzle with the garment industry forever reinventing the sizes. The change in size is "approximately one full size every decade." So when they tell you that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 10 or 12, it isn't today's size 10 or 12.
This book gives you guidelines for the silhouetted of each era so you should be able to roughly estimate a vintage dress's age.
Some department stores offered great quality and design under boutique names. For example, Nordstrom offered a specialty section labeled 'Brass Plum.' This book gives you an entire list.
And of course, you will run into dirty, stained, ripped or torn apparel. This book walks you through how to clean for example, the verdigris- greenish spots coating or crust on metal. Or five steps, increasing in intrusiveness, to get rid of stains. Ever watched Big Fat Greek Wedding? Windex is one of the cleaners here!
And that smell!! That old second-hand smell is what keeps my husband from ever going with me on one of these forays. Odor is one of the most common problems you will encounter when dealing with vintage apparel. This little books gives you the help you need to clean, fresh vintage clothing.
So no, Melody Fortier will not be accompanying you on your next vintage shopping excursion, but her little (5"X7") book can be tucked into your bag for easy reference.
July 24, 2014
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
What I love about this book is that it fills a hole that is such an issue for those who love vintage or antique clothing: it goes into the actual realities of owning the clothes. Most vintage shoppers start out knowing they love an era but stumble along the way when it comes to actually owning the clothes. Issues such as choosing the right item for the right price, how to care for that item once it has been bought, and where to find the proper accessories are all covered neatly.
I've bought and sold antique and vintage clothing for 12 years now and always there are the buyers who know they have a love but don't know about the actual items they are buying. The needs for proper storage and care, detraction that cannot be fixed and therefore ruin the item, and why sizing and styles may not be suitable for actual use. This book can easily make its cost back in savings from making even one poor choice.
It is quick and easy to read and use as a reference - it's not meant to be a reference encyclopedia full of vintage terms. Rather, it is meant to be a reference when actually shopping for vintage items.
Save yourself heartbreak and lost money from buying a fake, a poor quality, or an ill fitting item.
August 9, 2014
This is an awesome guide to understanding the different eras of vintage clothing and knowing what to look for when purchasing. Vintage garment sizing, pricing, and care are all essential aspects that Fortier provides in just enough detail to understand the basics, and then gives further online resources if you need more. Lots of online shopping guidance, but for me, the hunt needs to be in person, which she also helps guide with her USA and international vintage shoppe names and addresses for each listed city. I was especially pleased to see how much I had already known, but there was a lot of gaps filled as well. A great source for anybody who loves vintage wear, whether it's just appreciation or wanting to add to your closet successfully1
July 23, 2016
Since I'm starting a vintage clothing etsy shop, I turned to this valuable little book to be a very helpful resource in terms of determining quality, value, and how to spot rare and vintage finds at thrift stores, resale shops, flea markets, and yard sales.
I will most likely be purchasing this book for future reference since there were a several guides and lists that I would like to be able to have access to when I need them.
I will most likely be purchasing this book for future reference since there were a several guides and lists that I would like to be able to have access to when I need them.
March 30, 2012
Excellent vintage shopping resource for tips, advice, and inspiration for the hunt.
November 15, 2014
A pretty good primer for beginners, though it would've benefited greatly from some useful illustrations.
February 10, 2015
Helpful. Even as someone who's just somewhat interested in vintage, it had some great information and good ideas.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews