How to tell the difference between Repro and Real Vintage

[Deleted member 12480]

Alright so i'm VERY new to vintage,

the only definitely real vintage i have is from a shop in Birmingham,

a sequin covered top/poncho type thing, and a leather jacket.

I only really own repro

I'm also a fan of ebay but am very hesitant to buy anything, so i was wondering how do you tell whats vintage and what just looks convincingly vintage?


or at least, where can i find some more information (books, sites etc) on the 40s-50s kind of dress, so i can tell myself?

Any help would be veeerry much appreciated.

 

[Smuterella]

I found reading this site and looking at other peoples purchases on here really useful.

visiting good vintage shops and examining clothes helps too.

A lot of real vintage from the 40's / 50's is handmade so you can often tell from the stitching and the finishing.

Look for metal zips too, and labels - the style of a clothing label can often give you an idea of age.

 

[LizzieMaine]

1. Fabric -- if it feels polyestery, it probably is. Polyester started showing up in the fifties, so that doesn't necessarily mean it *can't* be vintage, unless you're looking for pre-fifties material.

2. Labeling -- keep a close eye on the style and typography of the labels. Modern labels *look* modern, and you should spend some time at the Vintage Fashion Guild Label Resource to get a sense of how vintage labels would look. Even if the exact label you're looking for isn't there, you'll get the feel for it.

3. Construction -- a modern garment will likely have a nylon zipper and serged seams. A vintage garment will likely have a metal zipper and pinked seams.

These are just general guidelines, but they'll give you an idea of some things to watch out for. Mostly it's just practice -- the more actual vintage you handle and examine, the easier it'll be to recognize repro.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

brilliant, thankyou. thats so helpful xxxx

 

[Foofoogal]

Know your vintage dealer and the main antique and vintage malls online like Rubylane, Tias, GoAntiques and Trocadero have money back guarantees.

 

[Lady Day]

One thing Ive noticed when looking at modern vs vintage is that in a lot of vintage garments, the stitch length is a lot shorter, almost like dots, compared to the longer dashes of modern stitch construction. Thats often a good tell.

LD

 

[Lauren]

Care labels are often a sign a garment is newer. If it says where it's made, what the fabric content is, and the way to launder it's most likely not older vintage.
Look for serged edges, too. Although the overlock machine was patented in the early 1900s it didn't get used as often until the late 60s, 70s, and newer. Although I have seen several 50s and even some 30s garments that use it, so it's not a tell-all sign.
I hate to say it, but if an item has condition issues it's usually vintage. It's super rare to find a vintage dress in as good as new condition. Even if it's old store stock it will sometimes have dry rot or stains on the fold lines. All depends on how it was stored.
Read all descriptions carefully. There's a gal that makes awesome repros but often has them listed in with authentic vintage on ebay. Her description says it's repro, so I guess I'm just saying not to go by the title alone and be sure and read thoroughly.
Don't always take a seller's word that something is the age they say. I think many of us have seen dresses listed as the wrong vintage and the seller honestly doesn't know they're making a mistake.
Plastic zippers are newer. I've seen dresses that totally look 30s, but then they show a big zipper up the center back. That screams 70s to me. Zipper placement went through trends, too.
Hope that helps.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

yes, it did, i can't wait til i've saved enough to get shopping! Xx

 

[MarieAnne]

My local Value Village has amazing vintage shoes and accessories, I think. I'm never sure and that often stops me from picking something up. Are there any things to look out for with shoes and purses?

 

[m_luvsartdeco]

you can usually tell by the labels...also by the zippers and material/fabric....all my vintage skirts have these heavy metal zippers and if I own any repro they are usually the light plastic kind.

 

[KittyT]

Remember, once you learn more about vintage, you'll learn how these are just guidelines and not rules. I have 50s dresses with serged seams, I have vintage dresses with nylon replacement zippers....

 

["Skeet" McD]

The EYES have it...

Dear Annie,
You've already had--and I'm sure will have--plenty of detailed and good advice here.

At the end of the day, only experience really counts: the more material you handle, and the closer you learn to look at it, the easier it will become.

When I began reenacting (long before you were born!) I distinctly remember begin unable to tell linen from cotton, nor hand from machine stitching; now I can more or less do it looking out of the corner of my eye from across the room .

Look, look, look, look! If you find a collector who you trust, take every opportunity to see (and handle, if possible) original material. There are many signposts that you will learn to show you the way: but there is also a "sixth sense" that is formed by the sum total of things you've seen.

None of us are born with this! All of us have developed--and hopefully still ARE developing--it. The day you think you "know it all"....is the day you've fallen off the wagon from truth to untruth.

Enjoy the journey! It can last your entire lifetime--and if you stay interested in this stuff for that long--should!

Best wishes,
"Skeet"

 

[Deleted member 12480]

Skeet - How inspiring!

 

[Gracie Lee]

If it's practical for you, I've found that my time working at JoAnn's Fabrics was incredibly helpful. I can now tell the main fiber content of nearly any material, old or new, by touch, hand, texture, and sheen, and I know how to care for all of them. I can tell a machine chain stitch, more common in turn of the century sewing, from a machine straight stitch, and I know what modern trims, buttons, eyelets, coat hooks, and zippers look like from 50 paces. I collect mainly antique clothes, pre-1900, but the things I learned just being around fabrics and notions have helped me out a lot. Learning both ends of the spectrum can never hurt you And the discount is deadly

 

[Deleted member 12480]

i'm not sure if a Joanns exists in the UK?
and there are very few textile shops around me, and i thoroughly doubt that they are looking for new employees (they are mostly market stalls or family run)

but its a brilliant idea!

Thankyou xxxxxxx

 

[Gracie Lee]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. There aren't any JoAnns over the pond, but I don't know what sort of structure your community is, or where ladies find fabric for their sewing. No big fabric stores? I might go mad You might also see if your local vintage shops need occasional help... unloading boxes, cleaning merchandise, helping with small repairs, changing displays, and the like. Just something to get your hands on the goods while you're learning. Best of luck to you

 

[Deleted member 12480]

uh oh... local vintage stores?
the nearest is a train-ride away and only stock 60s + -_-
apart from a teeny weeny tiny antique shop that i have begged to give me a part time job but they too are family run.


ARGH
its times like these i wish i lived in the US

xxx

 

[December]

The south is pretty good for fabric and vintage shops.

I know this is annoying to hear, but as you build up your vintage collection you will come to tell what's vintage or repro without too much difficulty. I always look at the inside to see how it's been made. Like Lauren said, condition is normally a dead giveaway.

 

[Deleted member 12480]

the south.... any particular places? xx

 

[maisie]

I wouldn't suggest you buy off ebay unless your totally sure its vintage, it cheap or you just love it!
I would recommend going to vintage fairs (not really the cheapest place to buy, espcially down here in London!) but the are great to look around and it will give you a good idea of fabric, cuts etc.
Also looking at old pictures is really helpful, the 1940s are alot different to the 50's clothes, and likewise with different decades, so just study pictures and you will get to know what sort of shapes and fabric patterns were around then.
Now I can look at a rail of clothes and see by the fabric if its what I'm looking for! With the 1940s in particular patterns were popular, espcially in Britain with rationing. I have a few dresses that I knew were utility before I searched through the dress to reveal a CC41 mark! A lot of patterns in the utility scheme were repeated in different colour schemes, so this is something you come to recognise.
Good luck with it and I'm sure you'll quickly pick things up !