At what price, vintage?

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):

It's elementary, my dear Watson: The Modern Dandy

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.



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Plaid lads

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.

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Hot ski sweaters

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":













You can enjoy the whole scene here:



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The girl can't help it (wiggle dress)

"If she walks by, the men folk get engrossed,
(she can't help it, the girl can't help it)
If she walks by, the bread slice turns to toast,
(she can't help it, the girl can't help it)"
-"The girl can't help it", Little Richard

The "wiggle" dress is a dress with a tight, tapered skirt that doesn't allow for normal-sized steps, forcing the wearer to "wiggle" as she walks. Popular among blonde bombshells like Jayne Maynsfield and Marilyn Monroe, the dress enhanced a sexy hourglass shape. The dress is experiencing a resurgence in popularity because of shows like AMC's Mad Men. Its appeal is no surprise if you look at Jayne's wiggle in "The Girl Can't Help It":


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Granny chic

Now, I don't want to anger the villagers of Cougartown, but when I grow older, I hope to dress and act my age. I find it strange to see 40+ year old women in college bars, or Facebook pictures of girls on their 21st+ birthdays taking shots of tequila with their mother in a Las Vegas night club. I've always imagined myself at that age wearing cashmere suits and pearls with kitty heels, not sequined Cache dresses, cake makeup and stilettos.

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A short aside: frugalista

The term "fashionista" has produced some evil wordspawn in the form of "recessionista", "frugalista", and "Maxxinista" (referring to fashionable TJ Max shoppers) to name a few. One Miami Herald blogger has even trademarked the word "frugalista" and is sending letters to other bloggers instructing them to cease referring to themselves as frugalistas. Hopefully that's where this word will die. If I hear another person other than these marketing geniuses refer to themselves or anyone else as some kind of value shopping-ista, I will go bananas.

I'm waiting for someone to coin a term for vintage enthusiasts. How about vintageocrats? Or vintagiennes?

For all you bargain-hunting vintageocrats, you make like: