Where's your favourite place to buy vintage wardrobe online?

[Velma Kelly]

So, dear ladies, time to chat a bit more.

Where's your favourite place to buy vintage wardrobe online?
What do you buy?

I'm collecting corsets but I have to admit that I usually buy them new. Shame on me! (Although they always have to 'look' vintage!) I love to browse Versatile Fashions - www.versatile-fashions.com - every now and then. I'm also checking the website of Pinup Girl Clothing - www.pinupgirlclothing.com - regularly. I especially love their shoes. And last but not least: Stop Staring! - www.stopstaringclothing.com - They have lovely dresses.

Unfortunately all those sites currently feature a couple of sweet items I'd really love purchase and that I can't find anywhere here but I can't really afford them right now. It's such a shame! I'm from Germany and in addition to the regular sales price comes the price for shipping to Europe. My birthday is coming up in a few days, maybe I should make a wishlist for my family and friends.



Love,
Velma

[Art Fawcett]

Hi Velma,
I'm sorry for this shameless plug but have you stopped in here?

Vintage Silhouettes

[Velma Kelly]

Oh, Art, no I didn't know this website but they dresses are absolutely wonderful!! Why don't we have shops like this in Germany, too? Absolutely dreamy gowns. I already found my favourite piece, it's probably one of the most beautiful authentic vintage gowns I've ever seen in an online shop. Lovely, lovely, lovely. Thank you for the link!


Velma

[Velma Kelly]

I just made my myself a pre-birthday present and bought me a lovely black satin corset with a neckholder. I found it on Ebay for as little as 50 $ and couldn't resist. I've always wanted a corset with a neckholder because it flatters my shape and this one seemed perfect. (I mean, if it doesn't fit I can still re-sell it on Ebay or something.) I can't wait until I get it. I also found another neckholder corset made out of golden silk brocat but this one costs around 100 $. I'll wait until the auction ends and then decide what I will do. I know that 100 $ for a new corset is nothing compared to what you usually pay, for example at Versatile Fashions. But I still have to save my bucks for the perfect corset I found at their store a couple of months ago. So, do I spent 100 $ for the nice golden one from Ebay which I could combine with my modern-day wear and which I could easily wear on a night out without feeling overdressed? Or do I wait until I have enough money saved, so that I can purchase one of the most beautiful corsets I've ever seen from Versatile Fashions although I won't be able to wear it other than for photos or stage? I guess, I'm on the horns of a dilemma...

[The Bingstress]

Okay, I have to plead ignorance. What is a neckholder corset? I know what a regular corset looks like, and I can't imagine what else could be added to it to hold one's neck!

I actually tried on my first corset in a shop in San Francisco about two years ago and was amazed not just at how comfortable it was (relatively speaking), but at how powerful and secure it made me feel. It's like super-sexy body armor. Now I know where Wonder Woman must have gotten all her confidence!

As for vintage shopping online, there are so many stores I could recommend. In addition to the aforementioned Stopstaringclothing.com, I also like www.Revampvintage.com and www.mybabyjo.com (which I think actually sells Stop Staring designs). Look forward to reading suggestions from others.

Hugs & blessings,
The Bingstress

[VintageSwank1]

Well if you haven't stopped in lately you should. We got over 15,000 pieces now!!

www.vintageswank.com

enjoy

[swinggal]

I buy a lot of my vintage pieces from ebay. It's a lot cheaper than most of the specialty on-line shops and there is more to choose from.

[MissTayva]

Velma, my dear! Good to see your lovely face here!

You should check the vintage clothing thread on here. I posted all my favorites there :-)

Here is one European site you might like:
http://www.reprovintageclothing.com

It is in the Netherlands... one of the very few reproduction lines that uses actual gabardine and other material used "back then"... unlike all these American brands that use stretch poplin and polyester instead.
She also does custom work and is VERY reasonable. I had a very complicated western outfit (wool gabardine, intricately stitched) and she only wanted 150 Euro for it.

Tell her Jeroen from the Ranch Girl's wife sent you! ;-)

[elsewhere]

One thing I've noticed about a lot of reproduction clothes is that for some reason they just "weren't right".

I think I've finally pinpointed what it is... it's the hem. When they make these repro 40's & 50's dresses, the hems are like that of today's clothes. Virtually nothing there. So they don't hang right. In order to faithfully reproduce real vintage, a dress or skirt needs to have at least a 3" or 4" hem. (unless of course it's a wartime garment, I suppose)

Just my 2c.

I'm looking forward to being able to BUY from some of these lovely sites, soon. Sadly, though I SELL vintage myself, I'm too much of an Amazon to actually wear most authentic vintage.

[jitterbugdoll]

I'll agree with you on that point, Elsewhere, and add that modern fabrics don't have the right weight either. Even when dealing with 100 percent silk, modern fabrics simply don't drape or lay correctly, and the effect is not the same as the original. So, it's great when you can whip up a pattern using old fabric!