If you are into vintage dressing, how did you start and what are your tips?

[NoHangoversToday]

I really love how some women and men dress. I will call it 'vintage' but like the 1950s style which is quite popular right now. Although tbh i admire anyone with a distinctive style they have taken care over

I follow a load of blogs and youtubers. But if you dress in a very careful and considered way I would be really interested to hear about your motivation, what got you started, how you find clothes, what top tips you may have. I'm quite frumpy and very very keen to develop a look for myself that I feel great in.

You've picked a great decade - fifties clothes are fabulous and still very wearable.

I know you're not just interested in vintage but that's my thing so I'll stick mostly to that. I got into it in the mid '70s when I was 18 or 19 and wandered into a second hand clothes shop (they weren't called 'vintage' then) and was hooked. I've been into Edwardian, 1920s, '30s and '40s too but they're getting very hard to find now so I now focus mainly on 50s and early 60s. I love the tailoring from that time and seek out mostly jackets and coats which I wear with jeans - I don't do the whole 1950s look but, if that's your thing, go for it.

I used to buy from vintage shops and charity shops but they mostly sell Y2K now so I reluctantly (because I much prefer a real shop) signed up for Vinted and Ebay which is where I mostly buy now. I find that vintage Ebay has more professional dealers so prices are slightly higher but they're generally also more reliable e.g. about giving garment measurements and some of them even accept returns. Vintage Vinted is total chaos but quite good fun. I stick to the lower priced stuff - my most recent jacket was £5. 1950s sizing was very different to today - on average about 2 sizes smaller. You need to know your measurements and check garment measurements. If the seller doesn't give them, I ask (unless it's a fiver or less in which case I might take a punt if I like it).

One of the biggest risks of buying this way (especially from non-dealers) is that sometimes the clothes smell. I'm not talking about that musty mildew smell - I can normally fix that. It's those perfumed conditioners or laundry sprays which some sellers use heavily (possibly to cover up mustiness) and which absolutely stink and can be really hard to shift. It makes the whole thing a bit of a gamble which is why I avoid the higher priced stuff.

It helps to learn to spot genuine vintage, either by the style, the fabric or often by the labels (e.g. if there are fabric and care labels, it's probably not 1950s). I've picked up most of what I know by trial and error but, if you enjoy reading up about it, I think the most useful book I have is 'Vintage Fashion, a Sourcebook' by Nicky Albrechtsen and which covers the 1920s-1980s.

Hope some of that is helpful - ignore anything you don't need and, above all, enjoy.

@Floisme Thank you so so so very much for your post! It's totally inspiring!!

I'm looking out for the Nicky Albrechetsen book, thank you. I asked DH to put an alert on ABE books for it.

I joined vinted last week as I needed to get cheap clothes for DS1 for his school play. I may have developed a slight addiction now so have been looking right through it carefully. The prices mean I feel more confident about going slightly outside of my comfort zone and see what works. My main issue is that I am quite overweight with a large stomach. I never tough I suited jackets, but like you I just love the tailoring. I plan to experiment, have fun and sell on anything that doesn't work for me. (Plus I have fairly recently undergone a huge lifestyle change so expect the weight to come off gradually anyway).

I'm also just loving looking at you tube videos I started playing it really safe with videos o how to dress for women over 50. But actually, although I am picking up tips I want something more stylish and signature I have literally never paid attention before to what I wore or how I looked beyond ensuring I looked neat and presentable. This is a whole new ballgame- and I am SO excited about it!!

Thanks so much for the tip that Vintage Vinted is about 2 sizes smaller than sizes today. That's a great tip.

Thank you!

Oh- and I have a huge collection of vintage brooches that DH bought for me as a job lot in a deceased estate years ago. I have started wearing them on jumpers and coats and find that I actually really enjoy them. A few compliments.... brooches are not really 'in fashion' anymore but I am enjoying putting them together.

You're welcome, I love a brooch and because they're not particularly fashionable, you can still pick them up reasonably cheaply in charity shops (and Vinted too).

I'd recommend trying to get to a couple of vintage fairs, not necessarily to buy but just to look and try things on and get a feel for sizing. Vinted can be great but it's no substitute for seeing the clothes first hand and feeling the fabrics and, as you say, it's addictive!

I hadn't realised how expensive the Nicky Albrechtsen book is now - I got it for Christmas several years ago. World of Books have it at the moment with 26% off but it's still £25.99. I've also bought quite a few fashion history books on Vinted - and you don't have to take a punt on the sizing!

There are also retailers that sell repro / retro clothing. I'm not so well up on them and some have closed down (although again they'll probably be on Vinted / Ebay). The main one I know is The Seamstress of Bloomsbury although they're more 1940s style. (They do a beautiful post WW2 style coat that I drool over every year but haven't bought yet.) I'm sure other posters will have more names.

Right- I have just gone a little mad on vinted! Everything was under a tenner (and sometimes half that) so hopefully no real buyers regret.

i bought high waisted cropped trousers in a very small houndstooth check (beige and brown). A muted burgundy and cream knitted blouse. A burgundy and cream silk scarf and brown laceup loafers.

I am absolutely sure that it's all trial and error. This is my first trial!

Very similar to @Floisme I started with charity shops and jumble sales as a teenager, as well as raiding my mum's wardrobe! I think I have a love of mixing different stuff up, so vintage pieces with more current styles. I still do go in charity shops, but also there are local vintage/antique places as well as Vinted and eBay.

Some older style things I have are a Harris Tweed jacket, Maxmara herringbone, wide-legged trousers, a vintage, velvet blazer, wool, baker boy cap, probably more. I agree that it's a matter of trial amd error.