Fashion
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

How Do I Choose the Best Cheap Vintage Clothing?

Patti Kate
Patti Kate

Choose your vintage clothing according to the decade that featured your favorite styles. If you grew up in the late 1960s, you might prefer bell-bottom jeans. Consider pairing vintage clothes, such as trendy go-go boots with a 1960s style mini-skirt. If you shop at a specialty store, you might spend considerably more money than if you buy cheap vintage clothing at a flea market, thrift store, or auction. Look for cheap vintage clothing at neighborhood garage sales as well.

If you live in a metropolitan area or near a major city, you might be able to find inexpensive vintage clothing stores. Often you'll find 1970s fashion or 1980s fashion styles. Finding vintage clothing from the 1950s or 1960s may be more difficult or more costly. Keep in mind that a specialty boutique will generally not offer cheap vintage clothing unless it is on sale.

Clothing and styles from the 1950s is often thought of as vintage.
Clothing and styles from the 1950s is often thought of as vintage.

Shopping over the Internet may offer you possibilities for buying retro style clothing at an affordable price. Many online stores feature options to shop by era or decade, as well as gender and fashion style. If you buy most of your clothing in one transaction you might save on shipping costs.

Choosing cheap vintage clothing for special occasions doesn't have to be a challenge. If you are looking for a vintage-style wedding gown, for example, use keywords while performing your Internet search. Urban vintage clothing can be found the same way and will save you time.

If you're looking for cheap vintage clothing for a retro-style costume party, try party supply stores that sell costumes. Often you can find a good deal on retro clothing at large chain stores. This is also good option for Halloween party apparel.

Vintage clothing can be found in boutiques and thrift shops.
Vintage clothing can be found in boutiques and thrift shops.

Regardless of the styles you choose, your vintage clothing should be authentic. Keep in mind that cheap vintage clothing might not be in the best condition. If you buy cheap vintage clothing at a thrift store, inspect the items carefully for damage. As a rule, thrift stores do not offer exchanges or returns. If you're looking to save money, it might be worth the effort to mend a minor rip yourself.

Vintage or used clothing is an example of environmentally friendly fashion.
Vintage or used clothing is an example of environmentally friendly fashion.

Auction websites are a good place to look for cheap vintage clothing, but keep one important thing in mind. When buying retro dresses or suits, use measurements as your guideline, rather than clothing size. Clothing sizes may have changed since the 1950s, and if you shop by size you might not obtain the proper fit.

Discussion Comments

OeKc05

@lighth0se33 – Sometimes, the best place to look for vintage clothing is in your grandmother's attic. My grandmother saved lots of dresses from her younger days, and she has been kind enough to let me have several of them.

There's no cheaper way to get vintage clothing than to borrow it from a relative. My grandmother was particularly stylish, so I lucked out.

Wearing vintage clothing that has been in my family for decades makes me feel connected to the past. It feels familiar yet mysterious at the same time.

lighth0se33

I love clothing from the 1980s. I remember wearing it back then, so whenever I see it for sale, I get all nostalgic.

Luckily, I have several vintage items in my attic from the eighties. I was a kid then, but my sister was nearly grown, and we saved a lot of her old clothing. Sometimes, I wear it to costume parties.

Fashions come and go, and it is good to know that every time eighties style clothing comes back into fashion, I will have something stylish to wear. This is why I save lots of my old clothing through the years.

healthy4life

If you order retro Halloween costumes, you are actually buying something that has been made recently specifically to look like it came from an era of the past. If you want actual vintage outfits, you will have to look somewhere other than a costume store.

There are places online that sell the real thing. You can create your own costume by buying the vintage outfit from one store, vintage jewelry from a site that focuses on that, and vintage shoes or hats from another place.

If you are lucky enough to find a place that sells all of these things, then be sure to double check their authenticity. It's kind of rare to find a lot of vintage stuff in one location.

StarJo

I was surprised to find just how much sizes have changed over the decades. I found a vintage dress from the 1960s online, and without even thinking, I ordered the size that I wear today.

It was way too small. Though I could fit it over my head, I couldn't zip it up. The waist area was much too tight!

I don't know if people were made differently back then or what, but today, I don't know anyone with a waist that narrow! I had to return the dress and order one that was two sizes larger.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Clothing and styles from the 1950s is often thought of as vintage.
      By: Deseronto Archives
      Clothing and styles from the 1950s is often thought of as vintage.
    • Vintage clothing can be found in boutiques and thrift shops.
      By: adisa
      Vintage clothing can be found in boutiques and thrift shops.
    • Vintage or used clothing is an example of environmentally friendly fashion.
      By: PhotoSG
      Vintage or used clothing is an example of environmentally friendly fashion.
    • Tie dye was very popular in the 1960s and '70s.
      By: bellemedia
      Tie dye was very popular in the 1960s and '70s.
    • Vintage clothing can often be found at garage sales.
      By: Alexey Stiop
      Vintage clothing can often be found at garage sales.