A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (17 page)

Once “vintage” had a more specific meaning than it does today. Generally speaking, it meant something at least twenty-five years old, usually older. It was the turf of the eccentric and bohemian. The idea of wearing old clothes was simply not mainstream. Certain groups—fans of rockabilly music for instance—made vintage clothing a large part of their culture, but it wasn’t until the early ’90s and the ascendancy of grunge that vintage really hit the mainstream. Kurt Cobain may have done more for the cardigan sweater than anyone since Fred Rogers. The look actively rejected the shiny and new in favor of the ratty and recycled. Until the fashion world caught up, the only place to get the look—assuming your grandparents hadn’t thoughtfully saved a choice selection of beat-up togs for you—was the thrift or vintage store. Grunge as a fashion moment passed, but the doors of the vintage clothing shops had been thrown open, never to close. Subsequent trends meant interest in vintage has waxed and waned, but just barely. It has successfully permeated the red carpet, and instead of suggesting eccentricity, now suggests taste, a good eye, and subtlety.

Back to the intense regret that you didn’t buy that
15 YSL
le smoking
when you had the chance. The world at large is now so entirely aware of the worth of vintage
clothing that most of the affordable things one finds today were home-sewn. You can find boutiques of gorgeous, beautifully edited collections of vintage designer clothing, of course, but what you will not find there is a bargain. Does this mean that you should despair of ever finding some hidden treasure? No, but you may have to adjust your idea of “treasure.” Although vintage clothing often encourages a desire for the zany, the classic pieces are your best bet. Camel hair coats, Fair Isle sweaters, and printed summer skirts are looks that do not date. You want the clothing to delicately allude to another era, not shout that you are recreating the look your Great-Aunt Mildred wore to the USO dance where she met your Great-Uncle Fritz. Also be wary of the nostalgic mist that may dim your eyesight and trick you into thinking a beaded cardigan or net swimsuit cover-up is a good purchase. That is, of course, if you live a life that does not require a heavily beaded sweater or net cover-up. According to the laws of vintage shopping, if you do lead such a life you will be inexorably drawn to the faux-fur vests instead.

Since designers today borrow liberally from the looks of even the immediate past, buying vintage can be an excellent way to wear a trend without investing too much. However, often the “real thing” just doesn’t look like the newfangled version when you try it on. First, as we’ve discussed, sizing has changed. Second, what proportions are appealing to the eye change with time as well. Third, since any vintage shop typically has only one of the item you are trying on, the odds of it fitting you well are slim. Beware of the desire to be dishonest with yourself. If
you find yourself saying, “I think these sleeves are long enough,” they aren’t. With a rueful sigh, put the piece back on the rack and move on. When you do find something, promise us you will always wash or dry clean your vintage purchase before wearing.

The idea of ordering clothing sight unseen is not new; catalogues have been offering the opportunity for eons. However, for sheer breadth and accessibility, the Internet has no equal. It has changed every category in this chapter and the way we all shop. As customer service in many stores has become a rarity, the human-free shopping provided by the Internet grows ever more appealing. There are a few rules which must be observed in order to make returning whatever just arrived a bit less likely.

Be aware of pinning. This is a shopping rule that should always be followed, since many brick-and-mortar stores are guilty of the exact same thing. Here’s how it goes: You see a boat-neck sweater online—or in a window—that hugs the curves of the form it is on. Perfect! Just what you want to go with your fuller skirts. You click and it’s yours. After a few days of happy anticipation your sweater arrives, and it’s a flour sack. Yes, it’s the same sweater but some crafty merchandiser realized that no one would want such a shapeless rag so, using binder clips or some other such device, pulled the excess fabric taut on the mannequin and snapped the picture. There are a couple of ways to get around devious pinning. One, if you are shopping in a store, compare the pieces in the window to
the same pieces on a hanger. If they look curvy and fitted in the window and boxy and loose on the hanger, you are among pinners. Keep this in mind the next time you shop in this store or its online counterpart!

If you are shopping online, pay extremely close attention to the description of the fabric included with the item. This often indicates the snugness of the fit. By doing a little research in your own closet you can gauge how much 5 percent spandex in a pair of jeans will affect the fit. Then apply the knowledge to your online endeavors.

Oh, how these stores have changed the way we shop! What Ikea did for furniture, H&M has done for clothing. Namely, offering forward-looking design at extremely low prices. After becoming a mainstay in Europe, the chain is slowly spreading across the US. Those Swedes must love a bargain! We are continually,
continually
surprised by how much good stuff is available for so little money at these places. Now, is this a paradise of uncrowded peaceful browsing in which every item is beautifully constructed? No, it is bedlam, with racks so jammed that it is difficult to see what is actually on them. Nor will you find the same things if you decide a week later to go back for that sweater you regret not buying. It will be replaced by swimsuits, or parkas, or shiny tunics. H&M reduces shopping to its most instinctual: you hunt, you stalk, you pounce. All that hunting and pouncing can lead to your system becoming absolutely flooded with adrenaline. Once the heart starts pounding, judgment can be blurred,
and the next thing you know you are the proud owner of a washed silk tube-topped jumpsuit or three. The key to shopping these bargain Ngorongoro Craters is to have a plan. Let us stay with our crater metaphor for a moment. The Ngorongoro, by the way, is in Tanzania, adjacent to the Serengeti. All sorts of animals live in or pass through the crater: It is a busy place, much like H&M. The question you must ask yourself as you prepare to shop is this: Am I an ungulate or a big cat? We, personally, use the big cat approach. It favors speed and focus. That way you’ll have made your purchases—or at least be in line—by the time your nerves start to go from all the stimulation. Perhaps you are of a calmer temperament, more of a wildebeest than a cheetah. The wildebeest takes longer to shop than the cheetah, but her chances of finding something great are higher since she can patiently paw through the piles. Wildebeests have hooves, not paws, but you understand . . . .

Really, there are so many places to shop and so much merchandise available that the most important part of your expedition should take place before you leave home. The salient question to ask is: “Why am I shopping today?” This should not be an exercise in self-mortification, simply a little question-and-answer with the self. Maybe you’ve had an absolutely infuriating week at work and need to blow off some of that nervous energy. A walk will do you good. Promise yourself that you will pick out a treat—yes, you’ve made it through a bad week, you deserve it. The key is to make the treat something that will make you happy as you finish the day browsing, without stressing your budget or adding another piece of clothing/pair of
shoes/handbag to your stuffed closet. That can only lead to more nervous energy followed by more shopping and . . . you see the pattern. Opt for something you can use up and throw out, a luxurious body cream or new bath product. Maybe some cosmetics? A new lip color can be a tonic for the soul. The Calvinists out there may shudder at such a shallow thought, but even another
25 lipstick is a better deal than a
250 sweater bought out of frustration, boredom, or unhappiness.

The Blind Spot:
This whole “you deserve it, lip gloss is a tonic for the soul” business does not mean that you should consider a weekly lip gloss bill in the three figures appropriate. If you do find that you are constantly tempted to shop for emotional release, take a harder look at what is making you feel stressed. Problems that seem absolutely insurmountable can often be quickly—or at the least, more effectively—surmounted than you might guess. Next time you feel the “must-spend money mania” coming on, invite someone you trust to do the shopping with you. Use the opportunity to talk about what is bothering you. Afterward, you may very well feel satisfied with going home and trying on the clothes—and lip glosses—you already own.