Remember when I mentioned the groundhog didn’t see his shadow? I wore this coat the other day because I thought that winter was almost over. I wanted to get just one more wear out of the coat before putting it away for Spring. Welp, I jumped the gun; it’s blizzard-ing right now in Chicago. So good news is, I can wear my fave chic winter coat again, probably multiple times. Bad news is, ughhhh more snow.

My sister gave me this vintage coat for Christmas last year and I absolutely love it. I always get compliments on the color as I’m usually in a sea of black, grey and tan coats. (Not going to lie, my other coats are black, tan and grey.) I’m pretty obsessed with the green fur collar, too. Side note: I don’t feel as bad wearing fur if it’s vintage. Someone else bought the coat new, not me. It was already existing in the world before I got it. That’s how I justify it to myself, anyway.

Being vintage and all, the coat did need a little TLC before wearing it: the hem in the back needed to be mended and it needed to be dry cleaned. The dry cleaning was a bit of a process because the fur collar is sewn on, so it needed to be taken off to clean the wool coat, and then sewn back on. I decided it was worth it. 🙂

So what is considered “vintage”?

The word is actually meant to describe wine, and any definition pertaining to clothing does not exist in the dictionary. So with regards to clothing, accessories, collectibles, etc., vintage is a loose term. It pretty much means anything that is “retro” that is now back in style. According to the Urban Dictionary, vintage is anything that is too old to be modern and too new to be antique. Great, glad they could clear that up for us. 😉

I’ve always thought of vintage as anything between 10 and 100 years old. (Anything over 100 years old is an antique.) I’m assuming not many people are in search of a lacy Express tank from the early 2000’s or any type of clothing from the early 1900’s, so when looking for quality vintage clothing to wear on a day-to-day basis, my advice is as follows:

Make sure the item is good quality.

You can find some amazing vintage pieces that were either lightly worn (or never worn) in impeccable condition. Yet, some vintage items have been loved so much by the previous owner, they are threadbare, stained, etc. Take a look at the seams, underneath the armpits, and study the material closely to make sure the item is worth purchasing.

Be prepared for any mending and cleaning.

If you do study the vintage clothing item and find that it is in need of some repairs, such as missing buttons, a fallen hem, or a musty smell, make sure you are prepared to mend and clean it. In most cases, I’d recommend professional dry cleaning. Sometimes it’s not cheap so think about whether or not it’s worth it to you.

If the item doesn’t fit properly, consider the cost to alter it.

Like I mentioned above, sometimes alterations are expensive. Consider the amount of work that would need to be put in for someone to alter an item that doesn’t fit you – or if it’s even possible to alter. Many times vintage clothing sizing is different from the modern day sizing we are used to, so try everything on, and pay attention to measurements if you’re online shopping.

Make sure the vintage item is timeless, or accept that you might look a little quirky.

We all know that 50’s diner look that some people are into. That’s great, as long as you are going for a little bit of a quirky, “out there” look. If your “look” is more classic and timeless, choose vintage pieces with classic silhouettes; steer clear of trendy pieces. For example, shoulder pads were popular in the 80’s, but would not look modern or classic if you wore them today. On the other hand, a shift dress from the 60’s might pass for a shift dress of today. If you want to dress a little quirky, but still look chic, go for the crazy print in a classic silhouette.

Best of luck “treasure hunting” for those vintage pieces! As always contact me or comment below with any questions or for help shopping!

Shop the look

Coat {similar} | Purse {vintage, similar} | Booties {old, similar} | Sweater| Jeans | Necklace {purchased here} | Sunglasses