Germophobe Seeks Advice for Buying Used/Vintage

[Kane]

Hi folks, I am a little embarrassed to post this as I know that people’s love for vintage clothing is a big part of this site. But I know how helpful and good-hearted people here are, and I need some tips and guidance to put my neurotic mind at ease. I need to acquire a few sport jackets and slacks for some upcoming travel, and I like high quality stuff, Harris Tweed and what not, but I’m on a budget and there’s no way I could swing shopping at a Brooks Brothers or other nice shops. So, I figure to start hitting the thrift stores and Goodwills and see what I can find. I have never done thrift shopping and I am a bit squeamish with the idea of wearing used clothes. I am not even sure how well dry cleaning will put questionable pieces back to hygienic purity. I am ignorant and a little germophobic about this, but I know there is great used/vintage stuff out there.
I could really use some guidance, good practices, and rules of thumb for shopping for used clothing, particularly jackets, slacks, and suits.
Thank you!

 

[belfastboy]

I have not shopped Goodwill for personal items but used it a lot when I was a costumer for a theatre company. on the days I searched the racks of clothing I came home dirty and needing a shower. I have purchased a lot of clothing from TweedyDon (he now has a website). He carries only top of the line items in very good to excellent condition at incredibly good prices.
My practice is to dry clean them if necessary. I always give them a thorough steaming with my Rowenta hand steamer. This works to clean and kill any cooties that may have hitched a ride. My rule is to never buy anything with moth nibbles and always keep separate initially until a thorough steaming is completed.
I have also bought vintage on Ebay and find the vintage sellers to be forthcoming about the condition of the items. I recently picked up a Mackinaw wool jacket with a terrible odour that did NOT come out in the dry cleaning process. I gave it two thorough sprays with a 50/50 diliute cleaning vinegar solution and hung to dry for days in the garage. It worked really well. The buyer refunded 1/2 the purchase price to compensate my expense and my labour.
Check out TweedyDon's website he gets two thumbs up from me based on multiple purchases.

 

[belfastboy]

Hi folks, I am a little embarrassed to post this as I know that people’s love for vintage clothing is a big part of this site. But I know how helpful and good-hearted people here are, and I need some tips and guidance to put my neurotic mind at ease. I need to acquire a few sport jackets and slacks for some upcoming travel, and I like high quality stuff, Harris Tweed and what not, but I’m on a budget and there’s no way I could swing shopping at a Brooks Brothers or other nice shops. So, I figure to start hitting the thrift stores and Goodwills and see what I can find. I have never done thrift shopping and I am a bit squeamish with the idea of wearing used clothes. I am not even sure how well dry cleaning will put questionable pieces back to hygienic purity. I am ignorant and a little germophobic about this, but I know there is great used/vintage stuff out there.
I could really use some guidance, good practices, and rules of thumb for shopping for used clothing, particularly jackets, slacks, and suits.
Thank you!

I erred, the website is WaterHollowTweed. TweedyDon is the fellows name here in the Lounge. He is also on Facebook

 

[Kane]

Thanks so much! Great info, very helpful. I’ll check out TweedyDon.

 

[MondoFW]

Yeah, to come across clean, high quality vintage or used stuff you're going to have to target trusted collectors or curated shops. The latter is usually a pretty expensive but worthwhile route, and if you're lucky the former can be very beneficial to your wallet! Since your search sounds relatively short term, I'd look to people like Tweedydon on here for some high quality, relatively modern garments. If you're looking into older vintage (pre-1950's), average means like Salvation Army and Goodwill are a lost cause, and require looking into shops curated for clothes that old, or avid collectors.

Out of curiosity, where do you live? Trendy areas in the States typically have a few great vintage shops where you know what you're getting.

 

[GHT]

One trick that I learned from others, here on The Lounge, is to put any purchase of used garments into a bag and then leave it in the freezer for 24 hours. It kills anything and everything. There are traders who take hygiene very seriously, they have to, so as to protect themselves as well as their customers. One such trader here in the UK is called Savvy Row, so called because he buys original, made to measure suits, that were tailored in London's Savile Row. He ships worldwide, and as you are out of the UK, you won't pay the 20% tax. Here's the link.
https://www.savvyrow.co.uk/

 

[tweedydon]

Many thanks to everyone for your *very* kind words!

To answer the OP's question, I'll offer a few general observations on acquiring used/vintage items, and then a few specific tips that I hope are helpful!

General:

Thrift stores vary a LOT in quality; this is partly driven by location and partly by the organization. Goodwill and Salvation Army and other big chains draw from a wide area, and so their stock varies a lot... Their staff also have no incentive to do any real quality control on what they offer. This means things could be unwearable; stained, torn, and so "distressed" even the most hipster of Etsy sellers would blush to resell. On the flip side they also don't care much if they are putting out items that are new with tags attached or in mint condition and selling them fairly cheaply. This means that they can be good sources for incredible deals, such as hardly used 1960s tweeds that were always kept "for best" and so worn maybe a dozen times.

Smaller, more "local" thrift stores (especially those run by churches or local charities) often have smaller stock, but it's usually in much better condition. This is because the donors know the people in the store, at least by name or face, and so only donate items they're willing to be associated with. (You don't want to be known as the person who donated stained t-shirts at the Episcopal church!) Plus, the staff are motivated to keep up the good name of the store, and so are more read to cull poor condition items.

Also, don't overlook rummage sales. These vary HUGELY in quality, from those that only offer stained workclothes from Wal_Mart to those that expect their patrons to dress up for them. (I know of one that informally makes it clear that ties are encouraged if you're shopping in the menswear section, and a suit wouldn't be amiss. This is unusual... But I wait in line for three hours or so before tickets to this go on sale, as you can imagine what the clothes are like.) I treat these like large thrift stores--poor quality control is standard, even at the best sales.

Bottom line: Check everything *carefully* in the store, but you'll have more luck in smaller local stores.

Specific:

1) Check, check, and recheck EVERYTHING before you buy it! Hold half-lined jackets up to the light to check for holes in the back, check the cuffs and elbows for wear, check the lining of the sleeves for tears and staining by turning each sleeve inside out. Bury your face in the jacket and smell it, deeply. (Really.) Turn back the collar and check for staining. Turn up the collar and check for holes; check under the arms for holes, too. Check the lining of trousers for markings. Unless something is really desirable (like, a 1960s Langrock tweed) reject if there are any flaws at all. Reject ANYTHING if there is any moth damage.

2) Once you have your items, check them again under bright light. (Sometimes I used a flashlight in the store!) Do this BEFORE you take them into your house; items for personal use from thrift stores should stay bagged in your car until you've had them drycleaned, to prevent any possibility of contamination.

3) If you're not buying something for personal use, then freeze it for 48 hours (I use a cotton or linen bag for this, as I don't like items being in plastic.) This should eliminate anything invisible it might contain. Then, steam it--leaving it in a bathroom with the shower full on for a couple of house should refresh it and eliminate wrinkles. Remember, you won't be bringing in flawed items, so these precautions are really just to make sure that the item is suitable for storage.

4) On hygiene... I think there's very little difference between buying something off the rack at a department store and wearing it, and buying something used, having it professionally dry-cleaned, and wearing it. In both cases you'll be wearing something that's been worn by someone else previously: department stores items get tried on by many different people before sale, touched by a lot of people, maybe even sneezed on if you buy after 'flu season, and sometimes have been worn a while and returned. Indeed, if you wear a used item after dry-cleaning it's going to be *cleaner* than a dept store item worn straight from the store!

5) Buying from re-sellers (like me!) As someone noted above, we are REALLY careful with the cleanliness of items. Occasionally I get consignment items that I didn't realize would have issues such as mothball smell; these I avoid as best I can but if they do appear they're kept sealed away from everything else, and the odors noted in the description. But typically this is NOT the case; I'm more careful with re-sale items than I am with items for my own use! But, I always advise dry-cleaning when acquiring something from a re-seller.

6) Good people to buy from! The nice thing about re-selling vintage clothing is there's no real competition between sellers, as the nature of the business means that everyone's stuff is unique. So, I'm always happy to recommend people! For luxury contemporary items Spoo (Luxeswap) is the top of the game, bar none. For a wide selection of current menswear mensaman on eBay is incredible, too.

I hope this helps!

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

I worked in the health industry. I have since become a germaphobe etc. Also, like many here, I love old clothing and footwear. I particularly like wool. One of the best things about some modern front-loader washing machines is the handwash and/or delicate cycles. I don't like frontloaders wholesale, but in this instance, they are a preference. No violent or crude agitation. They are incredibly gentle on clothing. There are specialty cleaners for wools, like Eucalan, but from digging and digging through old forums, I found baby shampoo to be a godsend. Inexpensive. Effective. Low suds and easy to rinse out. Gentle on natural oils, but yet acts as a detergent and cleaner. When I buy an old, used wool, I run it through 3-5 handwash cycles. It depends on when I hit my comfort level, because let's face it, this is all about finding that comfort zone with our phobia. I've found that once you've committed to hitting wool to water, one cycle or five is of very little difference, if any at all. You can also add white vinegar to the cycle to help retain colors (especially reds), though I've seen no visible color loss or bleed from washing in this manner without it. I used to do it all by hand in the bathtub. It's a heck of a lot easier in a frontloader. BE SURE THAT ANY CYCLE YOU USE IS COLD WATER ONLY. Towel roll dry and then flat dry only to finish. No hang drying. Treat wool like wet rice paper, and you'll be fine.

As evidence, I helped with a basement flood where a whole closet of vintage wool shirts were thought to be lost. A couple shirts at a time, through 2-3 handwash cycles each, every shirt was salvaged without any damage at all. No bleeding or stains. No shrinkage according to the owner. I trust my method through experience.

And if you are wary of hitting wool to water, which I completely understand, be sure you dry clean at a cleaners that uses an old solvent method and not modern methods. I can't remember the differences, but dry cleaning many years ago vs today is not the same process. With luck, you'll find a local dry cleaner that still uses older methods. Newer methods are said to be much harsher on both the clothing and on the environment. Ask questions. A new cleaner won't know what you're talking about, but an old dry cleaning business will immediately know what you are asking and wanting. Those are the kind of people you want to trust with your wools. Be warned: this old method is also usually more expensive.

As for footwear, that's a whole other ball of wax I'm now too lazy to write.

 

[Mathematicus]

It really depends on your standards of hygiene. For me if the thing has an alien smell, it is not clean. I know of many people that would wear smelly clothes with no problem but to me odour elimination is fundamental if I want to wear the item.

Also I suggest to eliminate odours (or at least reduce them at the minimum possible) before sending the item out to dry-cleaning. In my experience dry-cleaning nowadays will do little-to-nothing when it comes to odour elimination. Some dry cleaners use scented detergents, which is better but indeed they only cover the smell and does not eliminate it.

To remove bad smells I have several techniques.
- Hang the garment outside, possibly during a windy day. It doesn't really matter whether it is sunny or not, although I would avoid direct sunlight for long periods for dark wools. Frosty cold wheather is very good too. It is also worth to hang the garment inside out under direct sunlight during warmer months; this works very well.

- The above technique can follow a long "steam session", where the garment is hung in a steamy room like a tight bathroom until it is really soaked with steam. This will help accelerate the process.

- If the odour is particularly stubbord, one could mix some sodium bicarbonate with distilled water in a pray mist bottle and nearly soak the garment while hung. Smells should go away while the garment dries outside (under the shade). It can be repeated as many times as one wants but be warned that sodium bicarbonate will leave traces when dry; they are easily removable with a brush but could be a bit tougher on buttons (they always come away, however, it is just like a patina).

- Same as above but with white distilled vinegare in place of sodium bicarbonate. Possibly less effective but still working.

- If the garment has musty smell and we are in the middle of winter so there is no way of getting it outside to air out, a first good solution is to stuff it all around with newspapers. Then place it in a sealed bag for a couple of days - the smell of mustiness will be absorbed by the papers leaving the garment much more acceptable. If not satisfied one can repeat with new papers; the distinctive smell of newspaper which is left (which I frankly would prefer thousands times to any hint of musty smell) will evaporate if the garment is hung outside even for a while.

All thse methods have been tested by myself and have all worked to my satisfaction. After odours have been successfully removed, the item might be sent to a reputable cleaner (if needed).

I don't know about the difference between old dry-cleaning systems and modern ones. I have always had disappointing results with most cleaners here in UK, especially from the pressing department where items seem to be carelessly handled.
I think that a good finish makes a huge difference. A garment which is hand pressed with good ironing water will be much fresher than if machine pressed at unbelievable temperatures.

I have also always wanted to try a wet-cleaning service, which claims to fully replace dry-cleaning chemicals with water and gentle detergents in a special machine that kind of sprays the garment instead of pouring liquid on it. The nearest service to me is in Birmingham and I might want to try some time.
People report that garments come out fresher, cleaner and completely devoid of any unpleasant smell. It seems the most hygienic cleaning system, put in this way.
What I am concerned about, however, is how do they account for the unavoidable loss of shape that would incur on a tailored garment if made wet?

 

[tweedydon]

Those two posts above this are PACKED with great advice!

 

[Seb Lucas]

I don't think there's a recorded case of anyone catching a disease from a pre-owned coat or shirt.

Like millions of others I have bought second hand clothing from thrift shops, flea markets garage sales and stalls for 40 years. I'm not quite sure what it is exactly you're concerned about but phobias - if you have one - are not logical. I just make sure I buy things that are unstained and not smelly.

You can do the whole steaming and cleaning thing but I have never bothered.

I've probably dry cleaned about three coats in that time.

 

[Kane]

Hi folks, thanks very much for your input and advice. Really helpful and great info here! With the help of tweedydon (thank you, sir!) and some good vintage EBay sellers I have begun a modest wardrobe of a few nice vintage jackets and pants. It was actually pretty fun looking at the garments and figuring out sizing. A few pieces have arrived and I am really pleased with the quality and condition. I certainly have all that I need for my travels, but now that I’ve taken the leap I see no reason not to continue to shop vintage! Thanks again for your assistance.
Now I am trying to find a good place to go for a few alterations and dry cleaning. I have heard some cleaners use bettter techniques than others, and I’m sure that alterations run the gamut from so-so to finely done. I live in south Los Angeles County, close to Whittier and Orange County, and I am in Santa Monica a couple of times a week.....any recommendations for good places down here?
Cheers!

 

[MondoFW]

Can't help with your alterations/cleaning problem, but I would love to see some of your purchases!

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

I'm not quite sure what it is exactly you're concerned about but phobias - if you have one - are not logical.

The sky is blue. Thanks for the illumination. It's amazing. Nobody with a phobia has ever realized that. We're all better now. Phew.

 

[Seb Lucas]

The sky is blue. Thanks for the illumination. It's amazing. Nobody with a phobia has ever realized that. We're all better now. Phew.

No need for the snarky tone and condescension, Ernest. I was just making conversation and, as it happens, I have worked as a therapist for 30 years and have found that people often find it helpful if this is stated. And if they already know this, no harm done. But I was not trying to teach anyone to suck eggs if that's your interpretation.

 

[doggieboy]

I'm glad that this thread was started. I am looking for some nice vintage sport coats and I'd much prefer to purchase from someone who is on FL. I looked at TweedyDon's site and need to have the missus measure me. About a dozen years ago I purchased a nice Borsalino from Tango Yankee from FL. He bought it for his father, but it didn't fit and did me a great favor by selling it to me for what he had in it. I bet I have put that hat on my head close to 1000 times. (I only have 3 felt hats that I wear, so they see plenty of action).

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

I'm glad that this thread was started. I am looking for some nice vintage sport coats and I'd much prefer to purchase from someone who is on FL. I looked at TweedyDon's site and need to have the missus measure me. About a dozen years ago I purchased a nice Borsalino from Tango Yankee from FL. He bought it for his father, but it didn't fit and did me a great favor by selling it to me for what he had in it. I bet I have put that hat on my head close to 1000 times. (I only have 3 felt hats that I wear, so they see plenty of action).

Go to Men's Wearhouse, or even a tuxedo rental shop to get measured. They measure people all day long at those places, and then you can try on a coat or two to see what type of fit you like. You might not like how your measurements feel and would want to go up/down a size.