Phallic symbol? Mark of corporate oppression? Men were tying cloth around their necks at least as far back as the Thirty Years War in 1618. But what can I say that Wikipedia hasn't already: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necktie. Some thoughts:
Whether lawyer, banker, rocker, spy or hipster, ties can be sexy.
The act of tying a man's necktie for him is impressive and sweet.
Unless you're Orville Redenbacher or Peewee Herman, wearing a crazy bowtie on a regular basis is douchey.
Colonel Sanders wore what is known as a string tie, or a bow tie with long strings once popular in the southeastern United States.
The weeks leading up to Father's Day are the busiest time for tie shoppers.
A tie is a subtle way to reflect your style, personality and mood.
With the decline of formal dress, tying necktie knots is a dying art.
Last night I came across an interesting phenomenon on etsy.com. Search for "pay it forward" and 664 results pop up at list price ($0.20) or less, plus shipping. The idea is if you purchase a PIF item, "you are making a pledge to perform a random act of kindness for someone else." So you can get a bar of handmade buck soap for $0.20 plus $3.05 shipping:
And it isn't just one seller, but several, like sunnydaycreations or corilightfoot. Something tells me this idea is unique to etsy and is telling about its handmade community. People who create art inherently want to make the world a better, more thoughtful place, and this is another way of doing so. When my fiance and I source for our etsy store, we pick items that we want to see people wearing and styles we think are cool - not just what we think will sell. In that sense, we're not just sellers, we're stylists. And many of us truly enjoy searching for lost treasure - that rare vintage piece that's really going to make someone's day.
To compare, I used the same search term on ebay and only found 106 copies of the film "Pay It Forward", many of them listed over $0.20 plus shipping.
We received an interesting inquiry the other day regarding the material of a vintage item. Because of the customer's vegan beliefs, she preferred synthetic materials to natural ones. Eric suggested saying that whatever animal was affected in the construction of the garment died a long time ago, and probably doesn't hold a grudge - this coming from a vegetarian who only ate fish and soy based meat substitutes for over a decade.
I've thought about this subject before, because I was interested in purchasing a fur coat. I don't know if it's a holdover from my little girl days of dress up, but there is something luxurious and soft about the feel of mink or rabbit fur. And while a similar texture can be achieved with synthetics, it's just not the same thing, is it? But what happens when you add "vintage" into the mix? Does animal cruelty factor into a fur coat that was made 50 or even 60 years ago? Here is PETA's official stance on the subject, from their website FAQs:
Is it OK to wear used or “vintage” fur?
Fashion should be fun … and wearing a coat made from an animal whose skin was ripped off, even if it was decades ago, just isn’t fun at all. Whether you purchased it from a consignment shop or got it as a hand-me-down gift, vintage fur sends the same unacceptable message as a new fur—that it's OK to crush animals’ bones in traps, to stomp on their heads and snap their necks, or to anally electrocute them for the sake of vanity. Stylish faux furs are hip and humane, plus they are easier on your wallet and your conscience. To find fabulous fakes,click here for PETA’s “Shopping Guide to Compassionate Clothing.”
Indeed, I have seen high quality faux fur that looks and feels close to genuine. Another question to ask is whether the environmental impact in the creation of synthetic fur outweighs the negative message sent by wearing a vintage fur. Whatever the answer, fur does not seem to be walking off the catwalks anytime soon, if Prada's winter line is any indication.
Here's Stephen Patrick Morrisey's stance on vegetarianism.
I appreciate vintage clothing for its authenticity, style and durable construction. It is an eco-conscious choice and it seems like today's clothing in a similar price-range is disposable and destroyed after a dozen washes (I'm looking at you XXI and H&M). Obviously, vintage clothes in good condition are more rare than a garment that is manufactured today.
So how do you price it? A quick search on etsy.com will yield a range of prices for the same clothing / brand. When it comes to pricing a vintage item, there are many factors to consider, such as:
Brand. A strong brand like Christian Dior will fetch a good price. However, a brand such as Pierre Cardin (who worked at Dior) has damaged his brand over the years by extensive licensing and is therefore less valuable (more on this later). No brand makes the item a more difficult sell; for myself, an object's provenance is calculated into the price.
Age. Older is usually better. There is a trend toward 1940s, 1950s and 1960s clothing because of shows like Mad Men. The 1970s is more common (polyester lasts forever) and less desirable (polyester has a bad rep, see post "Polyester is King.")
Condition. This one is obvious.
Retail price of item. This takes research and guesswork. For fashion houses that still exist, you can compare to similar clothing (good for high end or luxury brands). Or look at old ads and adjust for inflation.
Market price for similar garments. Related to retail price, and probably the most important. Why pay twice as much for the same thing?
Style. Can someone wear it without feeling like they're in costume? Is it a current fashion trend?
Rarity.
Reproductions. How much will someone pay for the real thing versus a reproduction?
You think that Montgomery Ward shirt is cool? Or maybe that Sears Men's Store tie? Price it anyway you want, but the bottom line is, an item is worth what someone will pay for it.
You may like (one of the following Pendleton wool shirts):
Sherlock Holmes - fashion icon? For hipsters and stylish gentlemen who favor three piece suits, houndstooth and magnifying glasses. An interesting article in the New York Times observes a modern men's fashion trend toward Victorian dandyism - possibly influenced by costumes in such films as "There Will Be Blood", "The Prestige" with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman and the upcoming "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey, Jr, Jude Law and Rachel McAdams. The look includes "tweedy vests, woolen trousers, henley undershirts, dark wool ties, scratchy cotton shirts." You can read the full article here.
Tartan or plaid fabrics consist of criss crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors. They are especially popular for the fall, perhaps because of its association with woolen and flannel clothing. Tartan has close associations to Scotland and Scottish kilts. Famous plaid wearing men include:
From left to right: Grunge rocker Kurt Cobain, Groundskeeper Willie (Scot) from the Simpsons TV show, actor Ewan McGregor (Scot) and alt country rocker Ryan Adams.
I love pretty 1980s knit winter sweaters. They make me think of ski lodges, drinking hot cocoa and the fantasy scene in one of my old favorite movies, "Dumb and Dumber":
Freshpick Vintage is a vintage fashion and lifestyle blog. We scour the web for fresh vintage finds so you don’t have to. We also provide information for finding, identifying and dating your own vintage clothing.
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