Vintage Clothing Buying Guide

Find a fashion style that’s right for you with vintage clothing. From a stylish cocktail dress to a nostalgic concert T-shirt, going vintage is a great way to enhance your wardrobe. Sure, styles may come and go, but eBay remains a shopping mainstay for people who seek something different from what everyone else is buying at the mall or department stores.

What’s considered “vintage” can be partly a matter of personal taste. However, certain agreed-upon qualities define clothing as vintage:

The age

First and foremost, vintage clothing is clothing from another era, usually classified by decade. It represents a time period, serving as a cultural expression of that time.

Vintage includes garments from the Victorian era and earlier, but generally encompasses anything from the Victorian period through the 1960s. Clothing from the past 15 years is considered contemporary clothing, and some vintage purists contend that any clothing made after the ’60s should be classified as retro as opposed to vintage.

The look

Just because an item is old, however, doesn’t necessarily mean it can be labeled vintage. A piece of vintage clothing also possesses an aesthetic quality that makes it stand out.

In short, vintage clothing can consist of unusual examples of an era’s fashion or, more often than not, typical clothing from a particular time period that possesses a style and design that appeals to collectors and buyers.

Vintage clothing offers a number of options for both women and men. Remember: Shopping for vintage is not only about style and price; it’s also fun to track down those fashion blasts from the past.

• For women: You’ll come across an array of vintage dresses, blouses, sweaters, jackets, pants, skirts, suits, coats, and lingerie. Moreover, you can purchase couture/designer garments from top designers.
• For men: Choose from an assortment of vintage shirts, sweaters, jackets, pants, suits, coats, and more. Popular vintage brands for guys include Polo, Levi’s, Izod, and Lacoste.    
• Shoes: Everything from cowboy boots and go-go boots to pumps and platform shoes fall under the category of vintage shoes. You can also pick up vintage Nike and Adidas tennis shoes.     
• Accessories: Don’t forget about vintage accessories such as handbags (beaded bags, for example) and scarves (such as Pucci scarves), as well as purses, shawls, fans, gloves, hats, sunglasses, belts, ties, and handkerchiefs.

Although there is some occasional crossover, connoisseurs generally group periods for vintage clothing as follows:

• Pre–1901: This broad category includes everything from the high-waisted dresses of the early part of the 19th century to the bustle gowns and lace tea dresses of the Victorian era. If you like your vintage clothing from way back, look for items described as Renaissance, Regency, Romantic, Victorian, antique, or 1800s.
• 1901–1919: Designated primarily as Edwardian or WWI, this era reflected the influence of Eastern fashion and the designer Paul Poiret. Examples include embroidered Edwardian blouses and corsets, and garments made of linen and lace.     
• 1920–1938: A time when fashion radically changed, these two decades transitioned from the extravagancies and excesses of the Roaring ’20s (the flapper dress and cloche hat) to the more reserved clothing of the Depression era and ’30s.   
• 1939–1946: During World War II, fashion ran the gamut from chiffon dresses and fitted jackets to taffeta and lace eveningwear. Also popular: hats and the Hollywood high style of the 1940s. Track down items listed as WWII, ’40s, and glamour.     
• 1947–1964: Clothing style changed once again, as women took their fashion cues from Jackie O: one- and two-piece dresses and the boxy jacket and skirt suit. Knee-length pleated skirts eventually gave way to miniskirts, mini dresses, and hot pants. If you’re a fan of this era, seek out clothing that’s labeled new look, rockabilly, swing, ’50s, early ’60s, and ’60s.    
• 1965–1976: Natural/ethnic styles, bright colors, floral and psychedelic patterns, denim, and bell-bottoms were all the rage during this time frame. Look for clothing from Gunne Sax, or that’s described as mod, boho, Renaissance, hippie, or disco.     
• 1977–1989: This most recent period exhibits the punk rock and new wave influence—leather jackets and leather skirts, ripped jeans and T-shirts, and so on. If you like to walk on the wild side of fashion, look for items marked as punk, New Wave, or ’80s.

Because vintage clothing is not new, it’s important that you properly understand the condition of a garment. Some sellers rely on a naming system that will help you assess what you can expect when you buy vintage clothing and accessories on eBay. Here’s a listing of terms from the Fashion-Era Web site.

• Mint: An item is as perfect and pristine as when it was originally made and shows no sign of wear (mint condition is rare for vintage clothing).
• Near mint: An item shows only the slightest signs of wear.
• Excellent: An item shows typical signs of wear due to occasional use.
• Very good: An item is considered wearable but has some surface flaws (staining or soiling, for example).
• Good: An item is wearable but cannot be returned to excellent condition even if repairs are made.

Of course, the older a piece of clothing is, the more likely it will display indications of its age.