How to Thrift for Vintage Clothing Online

How to Thrift for Vintage Clothing Online - The New York Times

How to Thrift for Vintage Clothing Online - The New York Times
‘Part of destination’: Deja Vudu Vintage draws treasure-seekers to New Milford - Torrington Register Citizen
Dart: Three generations run Canal Street Gallery - Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper | Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper - Natchez Democrat

How to Thrift for Vintage Clothing Online - The New York Times

Posted: 12 Mar 2021 02:00 PM PST

I want to stop buying fast fashion, but most slow fashion brands are light years out of my price range. Thankfully thrift stores exist. Do you have any tips on finding good pieces in either a brick and mortar or online secondhand store? — Julie, Portland, Ore.

Welcome to the age of re-commerce. It's one of my favorite new terms.

Thrifting — indeed, the whole secondhand market — is probably going to be one of the biggest fashion phenomena of the 2020s, whether it takes the form of vintage shopping, upcycling or swap meets. According to a report from GlobalData Retail and thredUP, the secondhand clothing site, the market will grow from $28 billion last year to $64 billion by 2024.

The drivers are multiple: the growing cost of both designer fashion and independent fashion, in which companies can't achieve any economies of scale; the environmental and human cost of fast fashion, now broadly recognized (even by fast fashion companies themselves); and a new generation of consumers that finds creative and political satisfaction in reinventing old stuff.

It's no accident that Depop, the social secondhand shopping site, has 27 million users in 147 countries — and 90 percent of them are part of Gen Z. Or that brands like Stella McCartney and Gucci are getting in on the game with their own shop-in-shop on TheRealReal.com.

As you point out, though, it can be hard to navigate this brave new world, especially when you can't feel or try on a used garment for yourself. So for some concrete suggestions, I turned to two expert advisers: Brynn Heminway, the founder of Display Copy, a magazine dedicated to covering used fashion as if it were new fashion; and Sarah Sophie Flicker, the artist and activist — and one of the most stylish proponents of vintage fashion I know. Here's what they said.

Brynn recommends skipping eBay "unless you know what you're looking for. Etsy is easier and has amazing hidden gems, but you still have to like the thrill of the hunt." She suggests you search by brand or specific item type and make sure to include "vintage" in the search "so you know you're getting pre-owned." She also recommends Depop.

Then, she emailed, once you've found something you like, look at all available photos and ask the following questions: "Are there any stains or tears? Can you see a close-up of the stitches? Does the thread look synthetic and thin and poorly sewn? You can see good craftsmanship in the stitches. Same thing with notions/hardware."

Also check the label. "You can often determine an impostor by how new the tag looks," she wrote. "It shouldn't be too bright and shiny. There should be a bit of discoloration and age."

And finally, she noted, "a general rule for finding quality pieces is to look for natural materials over synthetic."

Sarah Sophie favors sites like the RealReal, Depop and Poshmark, as well as vintage fairs like Pickwick and A Current Affair, which have now gone digital because of Covid. She also suggests combing through flea markets and Goodwill. "That's where the best deals are," she emailed. "And garage sales are always great too," especially ones outside urban areas.

Finally, she suggests that you record your measurements properly and keep them written down. "Vintage sizing is often wonky," she wrote.

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‘Part of destination’: Deja Vudu Vintage draws treasure-seekers to New Milford - Torrington Register Citizen

Posted: 13 Mar 2021 08:12 AM PST

NEW MILFORD — When a retail space on Route 202 in Northville opened up in 2020, vintage clothing collector and antique dealer Susan Snow knew she had to grab it.

The resulting store, Deja Vudu Vintage, opened last fall, and has remained open on weekends, attracting a growing group of customers and antique dealers seeking unique treasures. In spite of the restrictions of the pandemic, Snow said her store is a success.

"I had a very casual opening in September, and I thought, if I can make it through this whole time, I'm golden," she said.

Snow, a New York state native who has lived in New Milford since the 1990s, has years of experience in antiques and vintage clothes. She plied her trade on the road for years, traveling to shows around the northeast with her collections, and ran several retail shops in the area including Bank Street.

"I've been an antique dealer since the 1990s, and after I had my daughter, I switched gears. I bought a mini-school bus and went mobile," Snow said. "When the pandemic shut the shows down, I worked online, but I liked running a retail space. When I found this space, I had a sense that it was the right thing for me."

The store at 285 Litchfield Road, is the former home of the Enchanted Forest, a popular gift shop, and more recently, a gift and wellness store. When Snow began preparing the space, her daughter Aurelia, 14, was a tremendous help. "The two of us spent a very hot and sweaty August painting the entire space with no power," she said. "She's been a giant support and is here with me most weekends."

When she opened the store, Aurelia was a great support for her mother.

"Aurelia is the official Deja deejay, and keeps the records spinning, which helps keep it upbeat and sunny, even on rainy days," Snow said. "She also redoes the outside blackboard for me. She understands the value in honoring the history and the past and she appreciates antiques and vintage things. I'm extremely grateful to her."

When a customer walks through the door at Deja Vudu Vintage, they are greeted by a glimmering collection of antiques ranging from vintage jewelry to kitchen items, mid-century modern furniture from the 1950s and 1960s, cabinets, chairs, tables and framed pictures and paintings. A small room is dedicated to Snow's vintage clothing collection — dresses, jackets, shoes and boots. The collections are easy to peruse and there's plenty of space to walk around inside.

Other displays feature a round leather chair made in the style of designer Milo Baughman, a glass topped table by designer Adrian Pearsall, and an old-fashioned Victrola, accompanied by a collection of vinyl records.

"People sell (Baughmans) for thousands of collars, but I don't think this is an original," Snow said. "But it's a great chair ... young people seem to gravitate towards the mid-century modern furniture. They like the minimalist look."

Snow does no consignment, and buys her finds outright from estate sales and property cleanouts. "I go to other stores and see what they have, too," she said. "I find it wonderful to repurpose people's treasures, not let them end up in a landfill. I've found beautiful things in dumpsters, that people don't realize are valuable.

"When I opened last year, I had an extremely realistic view of how I would do," she said. "I knew it would be tricky with the pandemic."

New Milford is home to a number of consignment and antique stores, as well as the Elephant's Trunk, an outdoor flea market that attracts thousands to town every weekend. Snow is looking forward to warm weather and more customers, and is glad to be part of the antiques community.

"The more the merrier," she said. "I like the idea of being part of destination; all businesses should be working together."

On a recent chilly morning, Deja Vudu was closed, but a dealer stopped by and purchased three pieces. Snow was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected sale.

"There are always new people coming in," she said. "I want people to find something to go home with, that will make them happy."

Deja Vudu Vintage can be found at www.facebook.com/DejaVuduVintage/, www.instagram.com/dejavudu_vintage/?hl=en, or https://hey-vintage.com/026492820/Deja_Vudu_Vintage. Snow also has an Etsy shop.

Dart: Three generations run Canal Street Gallery - Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper | Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper - Natchez Democrat

Posted: 13 Mar 2021 10:01 AM PST

Sherry Hanson runs the Canal Street Gallery with her mom Stella Sharp and her daughter Sarah Hanson at 657 South Canal Street close to where the dart landed Friday.

Sherry Hanson said her mom is the owner, and her daughter Sarah does the online and social media marketing.

For the last 45 years the antique and gift shop has moved from location to location, Hanson said, originally it was on Franklin Street. The shop features a collection of jewelry, art, silverware, vintage clothing and fine china.

"We all contribute ideas. We are always trying to help each other," Hanson said. "Sometimes we think we can do it better than each other. It is wonderful to get to share it with each other."

The gift shop was once a restaurant and still has a bar today. It was also the house of a drayman in 1852, Hanson said. A drayman was the FedEx delivery driver of the day.

She said the gift shop is typically only open by appointment or during tourist season, which gives her time to focus on her massage therapy business. The gift shop sells items through Etsy as well.

Hanson said each person has a specialty. Hanson does the books and jewelry, her daughter does the vintage clothing, and her mom does all of the collectibles.

Hanson said she first moved to Natchez when she was three years old from Jackson. In college, she went off to Dallas, Texas to study Medical Anthropology at Southern Methodist University before coming back to Natchez.

Hanson said her mom, daughter and she has different outside interests when they are not working at the gift shop. Her mom is semi-retired, she said, and her daughter works with costumes in the film industry.

"I'm a big advocate of natural healing," Hanson said. "Stress management is a true important part of our lives. I'm helping people to relax and be better. It is a niche I have found for myself."