Part I: How I Fell In Love with the World of Vintage Fashion
I didn't start out thinking I would have a vintage clothing business. It's just that I have always loved beautiful fabrics and designs, buttons of faceted Czech glass or hand-painted baked porcelain, antique silk trim and ribbons, yards of heavy, sumptuous silk satin from the 1920s and earlier in peacock green, robin's egg blue, shimmering silvery-grey, midnight blue, deep rose red, cream, that falls in heavy, liquid waves from your hand.
I started collecting vintage clothing on eBay around 1999. It was slow at first, just a matter of curiosity. I thought, "Wow, I can't believe you can actually buy a laced, velvet bodice from the 19th century right here on eBay or a 1940s power suit or an amazing Carnaby Street mod 1960s minidress." At first I just browsed page after page, homing in on things that caught my eye and looking at more detailed photographs, reading about the features of the sewing and tailoring techniques, looking up bias cut, accordion pleats (like), ruching, (depends), passementerie, soutache (not a fan.)
Then, inevitably, I told myself it wouldn't hurt to buy just one or two special items, just for a lark. But I kept falling in love with things. I was tempted by many things that while beautiful, turned out to be fairly common (velvet opera capes from the 1930s, Edwardian wedding dresses, "Emilio Pucci-esque" wild 1960s print dresses (but unfortunately none by the master himself or any of his proteges, like Averardo Bessi, and therefore not worth more than thrift store prices), driving dusters and goggles from the 1910s, Brooke Shields era late 1970s Calvin Klein jeans (that I didn't get to have when I was a child!), 1950s mink fur swing coats (don't go all PETA on me here - they're antiques.)
I started to buy things. And then I started noticing that certain designer names were often highlighted and seemed to be important, so I began to research them. Each time I found a spectacular item from the past with a designer name attached I would go research that designer, their career, how they started out and what their primary design periods were. On impulse I bought a few items that I didn't absolutely love based on the name of the designer on it, like Paul Cardin, Pauline Trigère, Jeanne Lanvin, Halston, only to find out that they each had periods when their clothes were considered highly desirable and collectible, but outside of that the name meant nothing the and clothes were of no interest to vintage fashionistas.
Wow...sounds fun to collect vintage stuff...and google the history behind the items and great photos ....thanks for sharing :) :) kayleigh
Thank you! It really was. But it was a bit too consuming and I became obsessed. I don't regret any of it, though
As well you shouldn't that was an awesome chapter in book of life :) :)
Do you still own these dresses?
I wonder how much money these vintage dresses cost you. Do you still collect them?
I collect rare coins and books. And over the years this little hobby of mine has cost me a lot of money. But it is not always about money. I guess you know that, it about the way these vintage things makes us feel.
I have a few left, but I forced myself to part with most of them. There were too many for my small apartment and it was becoming an unhealthy obsession.
Yes, I know what you mean about the way they make us feel. I have collected a few other things since then (mostly smaller items that won't fill up my apartment!) and they are real treasures from the past.
I also love rare books and dream of living in a house with a giant library that I can slowly fill up with favorites! What sort of books do you collect? What sort of coins?
I have almost stopped collecting books, they cost a lot of money. I use to collect rare books like I have an English dictionary that was printed almost a century ago. And also have a 70-year-old book that teaches the art of Short hand writing.
And regarding the coins, I still collect them. I collect antique coins, I coins that are about 4-5 centuries old. I collect modern special edition Indian coins, and I collect foreign currency.
A major part of my coins belongs to the time when India was ruled by the British and the East India Company.
Interesting story. I have an amateur's interest in vintage fashion, mostly for swing dancing, though if I could, I would totally go old-school Victorian gentleman, it really appeals to my sensibilities.
That would be wonderful! I have dreamed about creating a Victorian Supper Club where we would meet in costume and eat at a formal table designed to replicate as closely as possible the table at a particular Victorian dinner and would serve menus recreated from famous recorded menus from specific dinners from the 19th century. So each event would send a formal invitation in the mail with a date such as, "July 18, 1861. The Victorian Supper Club kindly requests the company of Mr. Cupid Zero at a dinner to be held at Such-and-such location."
By the way, I am still an amateur. I have never formally studied these periods of clothing (thought I've thought about taking classes) and I really only hit the tip of the iceberg in terms of my sales.
I am in...love that era....
Melissa
Me, too. And in these increasingly informal times I am in love with formality. There is a huge lack of it in today's society that I think a lot of people crave.
I so agree...need to have you over for dinner just to use my mom's china :)
Sounds great. What pattern is it?
You are the aficionado sweet girly, I have no idea...just think it is pretty! we used to go to the Bahamas a lot for labor day or memorial day many years ago when I was a little girl and she would always get a new place setting while there as I guess it was less expensive...It is ivory with gold trim..The gold trim has a swirly design...She also bought it at Jordan Marsh, probably before your time.
Have a great day!
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Thank you for your post. The buttons are very beautiful. You are a fashion designer?
Thank you! No, I am not a designer. I would like to learn to design and make my own clothes - it's one of my bucket list items! There is a six month intensive dress-making course here in New York taught by a 79-year old couturiere from Paris. It is 8 hours per week plus homework on the weekends and you learn how to make every type of dress, shirt, skirt, and trousers. It costs $3,000. The best part is that at the beginning of the course you create a dressmaker's dummy that matches your exact measurements so that everything you make in the course will fit you perfectly! Some day I will save the money and will have the time to take this course.
You will get there on Steemit hopefully! Pretty neat that you would make the dressmakers dummy and all of the items they coach you to make in you own size....sweet!
Have a great night!
Melissa
Thanks! I am shooting for September 2018 to start that course.
Great job, goal set, the rest will fall into place!
Ha! Well thanks. I also have to have a lot more in place by then, but I will.
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Thanks!
great business plan, Do you still do this?
Thanks! No, it became a bit overwhelming and I ran out of space. And the taste of the buyers is very fickle so it's hard because you can end up with a lot of inventory that doesn't sell. I am going to post a Part II tonight that goes over some of this.
It was just a ton of work for the amount of money I could make and I think the only way to succeed is to go really big, get a storefront and a website, carry a ton of inventory which you switch around a lot, and work hard at getting publicity and free traffic.
I love vintage items. It's as if the each have their own story to tell. I enjoyed both your writing and seeing some of the items you have bought over time! :)
Thank you so much! Yes, each one has a story. I'll be posting Part II tonight. It ended up getting way too long yesterday, so I decided to cut it in half.
nice
nice post
THANK YOU