For years we've stalked estate sales and visited mom and pop flea markets in hopes of finding vintage treasure both for our personal collections and more recently for our shop. In 2010 we purchased a fully stocked 12,000 square foot vintage store. At Red Velvet we love vintage! If you're thinking about making your very first vintage purchase, read this article and pick up some tips about buying vintage. ♥
Q: What is considered vintage?
A: Technically anything 20 years and older can be considered vintage. At Red Velvet we specialize in mid-century vintage, meaning we focus on the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s! We carry a few extra cute early 1990s and 1980s items too and a sprinkling of more antique items. Our passion is for the mid-century eras, so we spend lots of time sourcing pieces from those decades.
Q: What are the advantages of wearing vintage?
A: The biggest perk of wearing vintage is it's one-of-a-kind style. We've seen thousands of dresses in the past few years and very rarely do we meet the same face twice! Wearing vintage is a great way to ensure uniqueness and that you'll be the only one wearing 'that dress' at a party.
Another important advantage of wearing vintage is that it's the #1 most environmentally friendly way to dress. It reduces waste and the carbon footprint. You can feel good about what you're wearing.
Quality is another huge factor. Without naming names, I've had many mall store dresses fall apart or not last though the first few washes. When you purchase vintage pieces you can rest assured that they've already survived at least one life and lived to tell. In comparison to new clothing vintage is often times a much higher quality for the price.
Q: What can I expect when buying vintage?
A: When you purchase a vintage piece from Red Velvet, you can expect a garment in good or excellent condition with tons of charm and style! Items are used, so small signs of wear are to be expected. We clean, alter and restore all of our vintage in our studio!
Q: What is buying process for vintage?
A: We own a large warehouse full of vintage that we pull from weekly. We also visit estate sales and buy directly. Our workflow as is follows (on a case-by-case) basis... Purchasing, cleaning, stain removing, altering, repairing and photography + listings! XO.
