Vintage clothing: when is enough, enough?

[NicolettaRose]

I have always been a vintage clothing fan, but with the discovery of cheap items of Ebay, my vintage clothing collection is growing by leaps and bounds. Also I have expanded my eras, once I was just 20's, but it slowly expanded into the 1930's, and Edwardian, then with the great style of the ladies on this message board, have inspired me to go into 1940's and 1950's. but now you open my closet and vintage is the dominant thing that pops out. I'm like a 1940's teenager with all of her mom's and grandmother's clothing. I find that I take much more pleasure out of buying a unique vintage dress, then out of buying some modern dress at Nordstroms and I find myself now only excited about shopping for vintage, now I have expanded into hats, gloves, purses, shoes etc etc. But my question, when does enough become enough keeping in mind that as females we easily fall victum to the love of shopping...

 

[pigeon toe]

I have definitely gone INSANE with the shopping. I used to be the most frugal gal in the world, now I'll easily drop $80 for a vintage dress, for no reason other than I love it. I'll even splurge on modern clothes.

To me, there's no such thing as enough vintage. I'm far from owning a complete vintage wardrobe, but until I'm at least 75% vintage, it'll never be enough!

 

[Elaina]

You know, my mom just complained at me today. she asked what size I, my husband and son were and I replied (with the adults) the PATTERN size.

I haven't bought anything new, save for shoes, in about 3 years. My one pair of poor jeans needs to be replaced, but I can't stand shopping anymore.

Enough is enough? When they pry my cold, dead fingers from my fabric stash. Since my mom will likely be dead by that time, it'll include hers, the few pieces of my Aunt's she has, and probably some I'll inherit from a friend here soon. My problem is sewing machines. They're like stray dogs. I can't stand to see one neglected or abused, so home they come. I have 5 of them here, 3 I need to go pick up tomorrow, and one treadle that I'm trying to fix so the lady can use it, but doesn't really want it (which means I'll wind up with it), and another 7 I need to go get here in about 3 months.

Now to be serious: enough is enough when it interferes with your day to day life and quits being an enjoyment, but an obsession.

 

[Lady Day]

I am having that happen to me now. I need to weed out my closet, but its not new stuff from vintage, its made vintage from purchased vintage :eusa_doh:

Making my own clothes is taking over my wardrobe. Its awesome sauce, dont get me wrong, and I have a lot of vintage items that I wear, but I dont wear them enough to keep it all, so back to the thrift store many may go.

I need to get rid of a lot of cardies as well (and I remember a thread i did on NOT HAVING ENOUGH CARDIES).

I have narrowed my vintage to mainly 50s and not too much 40s (too boxy for my figure). Im also leaning more into dresses instead of separates. But as long as my sewing machine is working, Ill be addicted. Sadly sadly addicted.

Sewing a button,

LD

 

[RetroModelSari]

Can there ever be enough? I buy and buy and buy and started to sew sew sew so the only clothes going back from my wardrobe to ebay are things that got to small. I hve vintage clothes and vintage inspired laying around all over the home lol

 

[Laraquan]

I've only just begun to learn, to find, to buy, so if ever enough is enough, several years will pass before I get there.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Well, for me the threshold was reached when I couldn't afford to buy anymore. Which is just as well, because I live in a house with two tiny closets, and I was running way out of space to store things. When I noticed one day that I could no longer see the chair in my bedroom because of all the stuff piled up on it, it was time for me to acknowledge that I'd passed the point of reason.

Occasionally I'll go thru a weeding-out cycle. Several years ago I realized I had a lot of vintage that I simply couldn't wear anymore due to the onset of middle-age-spread, and I ended up consigning it at a local shop (this was pre-eBay), and hopefully it all ended up in good homes. I got rid of a few things then I wish I hadn't -- but I keep telling myself that I'll never again see the days of a 27 inch waist, so what's the point?

 

[Fletch]

A lot of the fellas probably wish they had this problem. For us it's about finding enough that is wearable and suitable. Altho I, too, have small stuff around, and I stopped kidding myself about climbing back into a 40 reg years ago.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I clean out my closet regularly and don't usually spend more than $30 for vintage on ebay, so it helps me keep the volume down. But buying a couple dresses a week is probably overkill, and super expensive!!

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I have always been a vintage clothing fan, but with the discovery of cheap items of Ebay, my vintage clothing collection is growing by leaps and bounds. Also I have expanded my eras, once I was just 20's, but it slowly expanded into the 1930's, and Edwardian, then with the great style of the ladies on this message board, have inspired me to go into 1940's and 1950's. but now you open my closet and vintage is the dominant thing that pops out. I'm like a 1940's teenager with all of her mom's and grandmother's clothing. I find that I take much more pleasure out of buying a unique vintage dress, then out of buying some modern dress at Nordstroms and I find myself now only excited about shopping for vintage, now I have expanded into hats, gloves, purses, shoes etc etc. But my question, when does enough become enough keeping in mind that as females we easily fall victum to the love of shopping...

It's never enough. I know, I hate shopping in retail stores now. Good thing I don't use eBay. I just go to one thrift store, I keep saying I'll borrow the car and hit all the ones around town, but a huge laundry bag full each shopping trip proves that unneccessary. And still I want more! I hang my stuff on the backs of doors now, got a device from the hardware store. Obsessive? I think so. My wish: all us gals lived in a big house together and could share! That would be so fun.

 

[ohairas]

I collect everything from 1860's on up. I think for right now, I am trying to get all I can before the prices go up more on ebay.. they're already quite a bit higher than a few years ago. Not only that, but how long with the good vintage stash last? I mean, there are only so many old attics and such to be gone thru over the years and I'm sure much of it just gets pictched. There's just not going to be as much vintage left to buy later so I'm stocking up now, and even now we have to fight the big dogs for them, such as big retailers or film makers.

I have however grown much more picky on what I buy. I used to buy things just because they were cheap. Now I try to think, do I really like it, where will I wear it, can I/will I resell it later? Do I already have something that color?

I have three dressers, 4 armoires, and one closet full. Also two or three totes full of clothes. Vintage and modern. I suppose some of the modern stuff is going to have to go.

Nikki

 

[LadyDeWinter]

Well, I think you can't have enough but yes, the problem is that the closets are too small. I sold some stuff on ebay recently. But in parallel I always see so many beautiful things and often buy them. So I always end up with a full closet.

 

[Grace]

Enough is never enough!!

Vintage is my passion, my livelihood, my income....I would die without it! I live and breathe vintage. I never want to stop buying, and chances are I never will. I only get rid of contemporary clothing when it's tattered.

 

[NicolettaRose]

It's never enough. I know, I hate shopping in retail stores now. Good thing I don't use eBay. I just go to one thrift store, I keep saying I'll borrow the car and hit all the ones around town, but a huge laundry bag full each shopping trip proves that unneccessary. And still I want more! I hang my stuff on the backs of doors now, got a device from the hardware store. Obsessive? I think so. My wish: all us gals lived in a big house together and could share! That would be so fun.

Ahhh yes, that sounds like a reality show in the making. It could be called "That 40's House".

 

[Lauren]

Enough is enough when you can't see anything outside of it- when the only thing you're thinking about is what you're going to wear or what you need to have in your closet it's time for serious self-evaluation (speaking from experience). Enough is also enough when you're paying with plastic money for things you can't actually pay outright for.

 

[NicolettaRose]

Enough is enough when you can't see anything outside of it- when the only thing you're thinking about is what you're going to wear or what you need to have in your closet it's time for serious self-evaluation (speaking from experience). Enough is also enough when you're paying with plastic money for things you can't actually pay outright for.

I think your quite correct. I have come to the point where vintage is the only thing I am thinking about and I am watching Ebay like a hawk and the Vintage store owners in the area not only know me by first name, they know my whole life story and can predict even before I can what I should buy from thier store.

 

[Lady Day]

... I have come to the point where vintage is the only thing I am thinking about and I am watching Ebay like a hawk and the Vintage store owners in the area not only know me by first name, they know my whole life story and can predict even before I can what I should buy from thier store.

*raises eye brows*
Wow, that is something. Nicoletta, is there something you need to tell us?


I guess Im glad it has not come to those types of extremes for me. I dont eBay, and Id rather make my vintage. But they do know me at the local fabric stores by face, so I guess I still have some anonymity. Fabric will be the end of me.

*I found this fab black cotton gabardine....*


LD

 

[Lauren]

Oh, fabric will be the end of me, too. But I have a monster stash so I have been restraining myself. Besides, sewing has been a more innocent diversion for me than vintage- vintage patterns, though- that's another story

 

[Elaina]

After my parents moved and my husband and I had to go through 23 large boxes of fabric (not the 10 boxes from the attic I got) for my mom, he basically said "Look, I don't care if you buy fabric, go for it, spend as much as you want, but you can't EVER have this much lying around for no real reason."

He bought me a shelving system, and as long as I can fit fabric on it, I can buy fabric (I've gotten clever a couple of times with draping and vaccuum sealing fabric for room). I still have a good sized stash...but NOTHING like my mom's.

I'm fabric poor over here *grumble*

 

[NicolettaRose]

*raises eye brows*
Wow, that is something. Nicoletta, is there something you need to tell us?


I guess Im glad it has not come to those types of extremes for me. I dont eBay, and Id rather make my vintage. But they do know me at the local fabric stores by face, so I guess I still have some anonymity. Fabric will be the end of me.

*I found this fab black cotton gabardine....*


LD

Yes...*stands up* My name is Nicoletta C, and I am a vintageholic....

I wonder if there is a 12 step program for recovering vingtageholics? My guess it would probably going shopping at the gap.