No series on Sustainable Style would be complete without looking at buying vintage clothing. In this feature Finlay Mcdermott of True Grit Vintage gives some tips on buying vintage (looking at denim in particular as I happen to have become rather keen on the patina of old denim). I also recommend some of the sources of quality menswear I've tried (links below).
Why am I exploring vintage?
Why am I exploring vintage?
The main theme of this blog and my Instagram account has been my search for style. Without the support of many brands I'd be unable to try out and show the wide range of clothes needed to pursue this theme. I simply could not afford to buy them myself and I'm grateful to those brands who lend, give or let me have items at cost so that I can try out their products.
However, even this support doesn't enable me to find the variety I need to explore a wide range of styles and it was something of a revelation last year to discover the pleasures of vintage. I found some interesting and affordable pieces at my local charity store, Mary's Living & Giving and I was also helped and advised by Bill Hornets of Hornets Vintage in Kensington in West London. I also send time browsing True Grit Vintage and other online stores.
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| Vintage - from top left clockwise: True Grit Vintage Levi's jacket, Mary's Living & Giving, Hornets Kensington |
Vintage: affordable and sustainable
Quite apart from the financial advantages of vintage, it's clearly a sustainable way to shop as it throws little demands on shrinking resources - and that's why this feature is part of my recently started series on sustainable fashion.
Quite apart from the financial advantages of vintage, it's clearly a sustainable way to shop as it throws little demands on shrinking resources - and that's why this feature is part of my recently started series on sustainable fashion.
Of course, buying vintage isn't perfect for everyone; the choice isn't always wide and a few don't like wearing others' castoffs. However, from my point of view, I found a whole new source of style that I hadn't explored before - vintage denim in particular. Buying vintage is also about the thrill of the hunt and ending up with a piece that is well-made and often unique
Interview: the business of vintage
Interview: the business of vintage
I recently came across Fin McDermott who is building a quality vintage business, True Grit Vintage, on Etsy (link below). He's clearly passionate about the vintage market and I asked him for his views and advice. He loves vintage denim and some of the advice focuses on that:
GF: Please introduce yourself and your business.
FM: My Names Fin McDermott, I'm 27 from Leeds and I run an online Etsy shop called ''True Grit Vintage''. I also post on instagram and Facebook - though the bulk of my stock goes straight onto the Etsy page.
I started True Grit just over a year ago, and as the name suggests, it was mostly a desire to sell proper authentic vintage. I was a bit fed up and tired of having to scour online retailers to find people with real gems and I just thought 'I could do that'. I've always collected bits and traded with people or sold the odd thing, but it sort of just snowballed into becoming a business.
I sell men's, women's and little knick knacks or anything I find interesting that I generally enjoy! I've managed to run it successfully as a hobby in-between holding down a 40hr + job in retail management, but its definitely a labour of love more then anything else. Like most people who love their job all the pieces seemed to fit because I had a big back ground in vintage collecting and the scenes involved with that, then the customer service skills retail had taught me, along with all the stuff people wouldn't think of like how to fold a suit jacket properly, or measure things. It just works for me!
"... I think vintage has changed because people are realising that actually all this old stuff is of a supreme quality compared to cheap mass produced modern bits, it's saving the environment, and you can mix and match and style it in a way that doesn't have to feel like fancy dress to a lot of people".
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| From top left clockwise: Wrangler leather jacket from 60s. A 1968 Wrangler Bluebell cord jacket. A rare Wrangler suede jacket. An alternative to denim, cord trousers from Levi's and Wrangler to match jackets, 60s. |
GF: When and how did you get into selling vintage?
FM: I got into vintage because when I was about 14. I became a skinhead (thats the 60/70's smart, reggae and soul loving kind, not the much later scruffy 80's Neo Nazi bunch Joe public associates it with) and I was hanging around with loads of different subcultures, all with their own unique dress sense which was all vintage clothes for the most part.
I know this seems trivial to a lot of people, but I think its a key point because I would definitely say the type of people who predominantly buy vintage now has change drastically in the last 15 years or so. I think from speaking to older vintage traders they'll agree that you had your set 'niche' of people that would buy: your rockabilly guy who wants authentic 50's Hawaiian shirts, your 30-40's pin up after a fur coat, a 60s mod type wanting a button-down shirt. Now I think vintage has changed because people are realising that actually all this old stuff is of a supreme quality compared to cheap mass produced modern bits, it's saving the environment, and you can mix and match and style it in a way that doesn't have to feel like fancy dress to a lot of people.
I still get a real kick out of finding pieces I know that only the real connoisseurs of that decade will appreciate, but I also get a huge kick out of converting people who shop at retail high stores into the joy of old things. I walked into a high street store for the first time in years a few months ago (I can honestly say I haven't bought anything modern made for years and years now, bar socks and undies) and just seeing rails and rails of the same cheaply made tat made me feel sad. Its unnecessary to have child labour camps producing a t-shirt that is going to look like crap after one wash in the machine, when there's so much great stuff out there we can already wear.
I also think that if you're truly into being uniquely stylish and having some form of personality then it seems lazy to grab something from a rail when there's 300 of them hanging up there. I've never been into 'fast fashion' and I cant understand it, a magazine telling you what's cool this week only to be put in the bin four weeks from now is not my thing and if that's whats deemed being stylish then count me out. I do spend good money on well made new products that last, for example tailor made things or handmade shoes, but the rest of it is just big companies rubbing there hands together because people are really sheep and will do as they're told !
Anyway, hanging around all those scenes I learnt a lot about different garments and the collect-ability. I would sell my own old clothes to people, and I got really good at finding bits for a bit of pocket money. That just built up and up then a year ago I knew I had to do something because I had too much stuff !
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| A favourite source of vintage clothes: Hornets Vintage, Kensington - link below |
GF: Many see the sustainability and ethical advantages of buying vintage but are reluctant to plunge in - are there any general bits of advice you can give?
FM: I actually think one of the points if we are being honest that puts a lot of people off is also the same reason it's collectable - it's old. No offence, but why do I want to spend loads of money on a coat someone might have died in? And I get that, it's a fair argument, but to those people I have one word and one word only - Deadstock.
Deadstock is the term for new old stock, or NOS, which is just an item that's vintage but has never been worn. So that might mean an original shirt in the wrapper, a coat with the tags on or just a jumper that's folded and minty fresh! It's a speciality of mine and I love collecting and selling it because it pretty much overrides that argument [that vintage is old and used].
I'd also say that you need some basic understanding of clothing generally that you like and your own sense of style before rushing in at the deep end. Most vintage traders don't offer return. Again, that is off-putting to people - but really if you want to return a garment it's because it doesn't fit .
My Key Advice is to get a really good understanding of your own measurements, how to measure a garment that fits you well, and to compare it with what the person is selling you. If it's a general 'look' of it, ask the seller to take pictures of the garment on someone. It all seems basic advice but I can't tell you how many times I get ''I'm a medium, will this fit ?'' and ''I'm 6 foot 2 and between 92kg and 95kg. Will this fit?'' and all the rest of it.
Also understand that a size 8 dress from 1972 will not be the same as the size 8 dress you bought from Topshop last week. I'm glad that I sell quite niche stuff that's handpicked, because it means most the people who buy from me are fairly clued up on that stuff, rather then the people who claim to sell vintage but it's 2010 River Island stuff. Phew!
"My Key Advice is to get a really good understanding of your own measurements, how to measure a garment that fits you well, and to compare it with what the person is selling you".
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| I wear a vintage 'Big E' Levi's jacket from the late 60s early 70s and an indigo scarf from The Well Worn |
GF: I've very recently begun to enjoy vintage denim - I love the texture, colour and lived-in feel of denim clothes, but feel a bit daunted. What advice can you give to anyone thinking of buying old and vintage denim pieces?
FM: I think denim is a particularly tough one to get into and in the world of vintage it does live in its own category to me. You've got those guys who generally dress pretty poorly but have outstanding denim collections and are all a little bit nerdy with it. I think because it's one of those which has the largest pool of buyers too, like you've got all the authentic 40s and 50s guys who want original jeans, all the different subcultures, then you've the guys who really do just collect it as museum pieces (and I'm talking original 1800's miners' jeans here), then the bearded hipster double-denim guys. Selvedge denim has seen a massive resurgence in the last few years, and its really strange but fascinating to me to see how very few people wore it ten years ago to H&M now are doing their own version.
I would say to really successfully buy good vintage denim you need an understanding of basic vintage giveaways - by that I would say read up on brand history and how to spot older bits. For me, there's really three main collectable brands for denim - Levi's, Lee and Wrangler. There are offshoots of them and if you're into a particular decade of vintage like 40s, or a style like workwear, that might change - but those are the main three brands to me.
With that said, take a brand like Lee. The Lee logo that is on the breast pocket of all modern jackets features the letters 'LEE' with a 'MR' and a 'R' Trade mark. That means the jackets made 70's or later. If it was just a 'LEE' with a 'R' then its 1960s, and finally if its just 'LEE' with nothing else its 50s or older.
People out there on the internet will do a much better job than I could of explaining bits, but teach yourself some basic knowledge too like spotting zippers. A talon 42 zipper in a jean is going to a quick easy give away when you're flicking through a heap of jeans that it's an older piece. Every single brand out there has ways to spot and, like most things in life, you've just got to keep hitting the Google search button repeatedly to be confident enough to know what's what.
Again - measurements. Understand that most denim has changed in terms of the actual fabric we use now. Sanforized denim (denim which doesn't alter or shrink much with washing) is common on everything now (post 1980's) with the exception of a few modern brands wanting to do raw denim jeans or replicate older styles. Back in the day it was unsanforized denim, which would shrink 10% or so with your first wash.
Some of your readers of a certain age might remember sitting in the bath with their Levi's on - the denim would shrink around your waist and legs and give a nice fit. What this means of course, cut to the modern day, is that the size tags on those older pairs are fairly meaningless. Most jeans would shrink 2'' in the waist, but I've actually picked up really old denim bits which are tiny compared to their stated size. They have been washed that many times and a 34'' waist jeans from 1960 won't equal a modern 34''. So be extra careful with the measurements on what you buy, make sure on the listing you are reading the actual measurements of the jean, not just the ticket size and comparing it to a modern pair you own.
Some of your readers of a certain age might remember sitting in the bath with their Levi's on - the denim would shrink around your waist and legs and give a nice fit. What this means of course, cut to the modern day, is that the size tags on those older pairs are fairly meaningless. Most jeans would shrink 2'' in the waist, but I've actually picked up really old denim bits which are tiny compared to their stated size. They have been washed that many times and a 34'' waist jeans from 1960 won't equal a modern 34''. So be extra careful with the measurements on what you buy, make sure on the listing you are reading the actual measurements of the jean, not just the ticket size and comparing it to a modern pair you own.
I'd say above all else as well, if you're feeling lazy and reading up on zips and brand history just bores you, then buy off someone who's clued up and done the hard work for you. A lot of people who buy vintage aren't all gurus and you have to trust your gut and hope that the person selling you things knows what they are doing. I do see some shocking examples of people trying to palm weird stuff off as vintage, so flick through their other listings and interrogate them a bit on messages until you commit to any big purchases.
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| From top left clockwise: A 50s Levi's suede shorthorn jacket. 'Valencia' Levi's Vintage Clothing deadstock jeans and 555 button (see text). 1969 Levi's 502 with single digit button showing its age. |
GF: I've noticed that some brands, like Levi's, relaunch very old vintage pieces, often artificially distressed to look like the originals, how can a buyer looking for genuine vintage avoid being fobbed off with a recent recreation?
FM: Yeah - so most brands have finally taken notice that they were much cooler 30 + years ago, finally! Haha. The most obvious thing to look for on any garment ever that you suspect might be a reproduction is a wash/care label. If it's got one, it's modern, or at least post 70's. Levi's Vintage Clothing [Ed. LVC is the arm of Levi's that reproduces old pieces] will simply have a label in it stating it as such (with the exception of a few much earlier 90's pieces). Also, factors that are just common sense in any purchasing: if you're looking to buy a genuine vintage 50's jacket and someone offers you one for £20, my guess is it's not an original.
It depends on what brand as to what to look for, so, like I say, read up on zips, buttons, and labels. For example on a pair of Levi's jeans, if someone sneakily cut out or removed a Levis vintage label and said they were authentic 60's, you can take a look at the stamp behind the waist button. Each Levi's jacket and jeans are stamped there, and if it was a single digit stamp then its an early one (sometimes even plain), whereas if it's stamped 555, 525 , or mostly three digits then it would be LVC or a later jean. That's not to say some of those aren't great jeans either, but they're not as rare and collectable as the true early ones.
In my shop at the minute I have a pair of 1993 '555' stamped Valencia dead stock Levi's Vintage Clothing jeans. I would say they were the best reproduction copies of Levi's that they ever made, in the best quality denim with all the correct details. They are called 'Valencia' by collectors because they were made in the famous Valencia Street factory in California by Levi's. Today, all of Levi's vintage line is made in Turkey and I would say is not quite the same quality! So I wouldn't always fob off reproductions as poor, there are some really good ones worth getting.
GF: What sort of clothes and styles do you wear yourself?
FM: I really enjoy mid-century style and 60-70s stuff, particularity American and this is evident when you look at what I sell mostly. I'd still call myself a skinhead (you'll find me at lots of northern soul and reggae nights round the country) but I haven't worn boots and braces together for a long time and I would say most of that subculture along with mod really is just classic menswear.
A fly-fronted Mac, a pair of long wingtip brogues, Levi's Staprest trousers, and a button down shirt: all pretty timeless and that's what separates that as a subculture from something like teddy-boys. I'm not saying teddy-boys aren't cool, but it looks a lot more obviously dated and sometimes a bit comical.
I've drifted more into 60s American Ivy League stuff in recent years, which was a big influence on that first wave of 60s British skinheads back in the day. I've actually seen that take off a lot with loads of people on social media. Again it's odd to me because I've collected original 60s button down shirts for years, and now I see everyone loving Brooks brothers and J Press again, and Drake's starting up the whole 3/2 roll jackets and all the soft roll button down collars. I've been really enjoying it actually.
GF: What do you see in the future for the business?
FM: Maybe one day I can hopefully make it a full time thing. People have been really encouraging and supportive, which is great. I'm a pretty small fish in the big pond of vintage clothes but I've managed to do my own spin on stuff, which is cool. You have to enjoy what you do end of the day and I absolutely buzz off selling old clothes, so I won't be stopping anytime soon!
Links
Vintage Recommendations (ones I've used)
True Grit Vintage on Etsy
Markkt - not always vintage, but here are used, preloved, secondhand clothes of the highest quality.
Read more from my series on Sustainable Style here.
