//Dress: Vintage//Shoes: J Crew//Purse: Betsy Johnson//
I’m a sucker for vintage dresses…especially vintage dresses that look like THIS! Isn’t this dress just a whole lot of amazeballs? The Fringe! The Lace! The Color!
Dare I say it’s perfect!
Sometimes it’s really hard to find the perfect vintage pieces, so today I thought I’d put together some tips for shopping vintage. Thrift stores can be downright confusing and sometimes kinda gross, so it’s hard to navigate around in there! I love shopping second hand though, just because sometimes you can find the coolest pieces from other decades which are in great shape. I created this list of 10 ways to find the coolest vintage and thrift store pieces out there. I hope this helps you with your thrift shopping and finding some awesome pieces with a ton of character!
Lauren’s Tips For Shopping Vintage
1. Research where your local vintage shops are. Dallas has a ton of vintage and second hand shops around, and you can usually find some pretty sweet stuff! Google search for your area to see what you can find!
2. Etsy, Etsy, Etsy! If you don’t have any awesome shops in your area, you can always shop for vintage pieces on Etsy! There are so many shops that do all the hunting for you, it’s crazy! They usually list the measurements of the garment, but if they don’t, always ask…so you know it will fit!
3. Once you find a garment you like, inspect everything carefully! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found an awesome blouse to find holes or tears in the shirt! It’s so disappointing! If the item is missing something simple to fix (like missing buttons, broken zippers, etc) though, get it if you are willing to put in a little extra elbow grease.
4. Try EVERYTHING on! Don’t ever assume that since a garment is in your size, you don’t have to try it on. Sizes differ so much during different decades, so always try on everything!
5. Before you buy, think of how you’d actually style it. I’ve bought some pieces before that looked really cool, but once I got home, I couldn’t figure out how to style them at all! They didn’t match anything I had, so they just sat in my closet. Make sure you can visualize what you’d wear your garment with before you buy. Sometimes vintage shops don’t accept returns.
6. Smells usually can get washed out. Don’t let funky smells necessarily deter you, they can usually be washed/dry cleaned out. If the smell is too much to handle though, don’t get it.
7. Look for vintage designer items! One of my favorite things to buy vintage is designer items! First off, designer items are classics, and they will always be in style! I bought my Louis Vuitton purse vintage and restored the metal so the gold pieces looked brand new! And I paid a fraction of the cost for it! Some areas even have stores that specialize in vintage designer items, so try to hunt those down too!
8. Bring a friend or significant other to give you an opinion. This applies to all forms of shopping, but it’s always smart to shop with a friend of significant other that will give an honest opinion. I love bringing my husband along for this reason. He will tell me if I look great in something, or vice versa. This usually saves me a trip back to the store later to return something.
9. If you aren’t into buying clothing from past decades, try second hand stores that sell past season’s items. I love checking out Plato’s Closet, Buffalo Exchange and stores like it because they sell current brands for the fraction of the cost! Most clothing from those stores don’t have any deformities, so you know you are getting good pieces. Sometimes they even have some designer items (they always have designer jeans I have found!).
10. Have Fun! Thrifting and vintage shopping is a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to save money! You also get to find pieces that are one of a kind, which makes for some GREAT outfits! And sometimes it’s kind of nice to take a break from the regular prices of Nordstrom :).
I hope these were helpful tips!
Do you have any vintage shopping tips? Share them below!
xoxo
Shop This Look:
Great tips and super CUTE outfit….love those heels!
What an awesome dress! I love to shop vintage but usually not clothes….just household goods 🙂
That purse is seriously fantastic! I am definitely a sequins kind of girl 🙂
Searching for vintage is my fave! Great tips and I love your cute outfit. Fringe is great!
I wish my town had some great vintage shops. Instead I will just live vicariously through you!! Great find!!
This dress is everything, girl! The tips are definitely great to keep in mind. Cheers to vintage shopping =)
That is such a fun outfit! I love it!
Chloe | Wanderlust in the Midwest
Your outfit really makes me want to party! I am in LOVE with that purse!
I absolutely love your style!
I have found some great pieces at used clothing stores thanks for sharing your tips
Great tips! I wish our thrift stores here weren't so dang expensive and the vintage is really not that great.
I am a thrift store shopper, for sure. I love going into vintage stores but never convince myself anything is going to fit. In my mind women were so much smaller back in the day, even though I know that's not true. You've inspired me to try things on the next time.
Thanks!! I totally feel the same way…but its just how they made clothing back then.
It is hard to find good stuff sometimes…but just keep hunting!
Thanks Sarah!! xoxo
Thank you so much Nicole! You are so sweet!!
that is so awesome!! Arlington is close, so you should totally head down here! I haven't explored too many of the vintage shops around here, so it could be fun to go together! What are you favorites down in Arlington?
Thank you so much!!! The purse is actually out right now, it's by Betsy Johnson! The second I saw it in Macy's I NEEEEEDED it haha! xoxo
Thanks so much Chloe!! You are so sweet!
Thanks girl!! xoxo
haha thanks Ricci! You should check out etsy and ebay though! They have great stuff!
Thanks girl!! xoxo
haha ME TOO (but you probably already new that from my blog haha)
I love vintage household goods too! It's fun to paint and polish them up!
Thank you Danita!! xoxo
What an amazing dress and I love these tips! I love that fab purse. too!
It would be so fun! There actually aren't a lot of vintage places in Arlington (that I know of), but I have great luck at the thrift shops in the Mansfield area. And there are a few great antique malls that sell some amazing vintage accessories that I'm always drooling over. Fort Worth also has some great antique/thrift/vintage shops, too. My Fort Worth favorites are McCart Thrift and Montgomery Street Antique Mall.
I live in the Dallas area but have no idea where to shop for vintage clothes, any suggestions?
let's see. Always hit up your local goodwill stores…they have great stuff. Here's a good article on some great ones in the area: http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/mixmaster/2014/08/dallas_10_best_thrift_stores_and_vintage_shops.php?page=all
thanks Laura!! xoxo
Thanks!
Hi! I'm in love with this bag. Wow! The dress looks super cute on you too. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you Natalie! xoxo
awesome! Thanks for sharing those! I'll have to check those out!