Introduction
Many people are confused about the difference between the terms vintage and old. In other words, what makes an item like clothing qualify to be called vintage? Well, the standards are different for different things. Let us try to explain the term in terms of clothing.
Clothes made before 1920 are considered not fit for daily wear. These are considered antique and classy clothes of this category are museum worthy. It is clothing made between 1920 and the late 1970s that are generally considered vintage. Some people may extend the latter limit to the middle years of 1980s.
Vintage Categories
Some people use the term ‘retro’ in place of vintage. However there is a school of thought that takes only the clothing of the 1960s and 1970s to be retro. Also, clothing made after 1980s are not taken as vintage. These are usually sold at bargain prices.
One-of-a-kind designs from top designer labels like Halston and Versace are usually taken to be vintage within three years of their making. Vintage in general denotes clothing that have appeal despite their age, due to their exceptional quality and aesthetic appeal.
Vintage Prices
Unlike usual clothing, vintage clothes do not decrease in value with time. In fact, they might be more expensive than contemporary fashions. A pair of retro jeans from the late 1960s or early 1970s in good condition may cost you double the price of a good pair of contemporary design.
However make sure that you are visiting a genuine vintage store before you shell out the money. Vintage stores are different from thrift stores in that vintage stores keep only clothing items in excellent condition and carefully restored. Vintage stores also make sure that the stuff they sell is the original brand and steer clear of cheap imitations.
Real vintage clothing can resell for good value in the collectibles market. Items like original Hawaiian print shirts, bell bottom jeans of the 1970s etc are in hot demand. You might as well view these as investments as well as a style statement.
Fashion historians have many different views about the future of vintage clothing. Some people are of the view that clothing items that define an era are very well likely to enter the vintage class. There are others who say that a dress piece should have something more than that to qualify as vintage. They equate vintage with what may qualify as classic in literature or art- in other words, the dress should have lasting appeal for it to be labeled vintage.
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