https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:58:42 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2118259 Mon, 04 May 2020 04:44:26 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 2118259@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Vintage is my jam, so you're getting a looooong reply.&nbsp; &nbsp;Sorry, not sorry.</p> <p>Two things about vintage:&nbsp; </p> <p>#1:&nbsp; True, older 40s and 50s clothing can be fragile, and for the most part, did not have any stretch, unlike today's garments.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>Which brings me to... </p> <p>#2&nbsp; If you have a good foundational knowledge of the style elements of 1940s/50s clothing, you can recreate a lot of looks from contemporary clothing - which if often easily found at thrift stores, if you really know your 40s and 50s style elements.</p> <p>For 1940s:&nbsp; I look for strong/padded shoulders, nipped-in waist.&nbsp; Tweeds and woven heavier fabrics.&nbsp; Calf-length skirts that are a-line, have a kickpleat, or are pleated.&nbsp; &nbsp;Lace-up brogues or heeled shoes with a thicker cuban heel.&nbsp;</p> <p>For 1950:&nbsp; slim pencil skirts or very full skirts you can wear a crinoline under.&nbsp; &nbsp;Fitted blouses and sweaters.&nbsp; Pedal pusher, capri pants, cigarette pants, and daintier shoes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><b><u>Great sources for vintage/vintage-looking clothing:</u></b></p> <p><i><u>1) Your grandma, great-aunt, or mom's closets.</u></i>&nbsp; &nbsp;Seriously.&nbsp; &nbsp;You might have to beg and wheedle a little bit, but eventually someone realizes "wouldn't it be nice if I could empty out this drawer/closet rail?" and suddenly they're shoving all their vintage castoffs at you, and it's wonderful.&nbsp; &nbsp;(Then you realize they were very tiny, and most of it doesn't fit you, but you hang onto it and hope).</p> <p>2)&nbsp; Estate sales</p> <p>3)&nbsp; Local&nbsp;community, professional theatres and opera companies will sometimes sell off costumes to make space for new production wardrobes.&nbsp; </p> <p>4)&nbsp; Costume rental shops sometimes do the same.</p> <p>5)&nbsp; Goodwill&nbsp; &nbsp;(my #1 all-time fave resource)</p> <p>6)&nbsp; Any charity shop that sells clothes</p> <p>7)&nbsp; Etsy</p> <p>8)&nbsp; Poshmark (this can be an unexpectedly good resource because a lot of sellers are willing to bargain)</p> <p>9)&nbsp; eBay&nbsp; (my #2 all-time fave resource)&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>10)&nbsp; Vintage reproduction sites:&nbsp; Modcloth, Pretty Dress Company, Stop Staring!, Heart My Closet, Secrets in Lace, and Bettie Page Clothing.&nbsp; &nbsp;Some of this can be pricey, so stalk eBay, Poshmark, and Etsy for these brands.</p> <p>11)&nbsp; &nbsp;Actual vintage shops.&nbsp; Some of these can be expensive, but if you're lucky, they'll eventually give up and mark stuff down.</p> <p>12)&nbsp; &nbsp;Consignment stores occasionallly yield up surprises.&nbsp; &nbsp;I've found two blouses there that are distinctly late 1930s/early 40s, by modern brands.</p> <p>On a side note, older Kay Unger, Tracy Reese, and Anthropologie brands from the early 2000s </p> <p>(Moth, Guinevere, Louis, Knitted + Knotted are a few), has a lot of great stuff that translates well to 1940s/50s.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>Photos 1-2 are of an older purple/blue Kay Unger suit I found at Goodwill about a year ago.&nbsp; &nbsp;I bought it specifically because it looked vintage '40s, and wound up wearing it in a WWII-era show.&nbsp; &nbsp; The suit was around $14, the belt was $3.&nbsp; &nbsp;The white blouse was my grandma's, so, free.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Photo 3 is a vintage repro dress, by Stop Staring!&nbsp; that I found, again, at Goodwill.&nbsp; &nbsp;I paid $7 for it.&nbsp; &nbsp;It said dry-clean only, but I took a chance, and hand-washed.&nbsp; &nbsp;Crinoline was free, passed along from my mom.</p> <p>Photos 4-5 is an Ellen Tracy coat that I found at - you guessed it, Goodwill.&nbsp; &nbsp;It's a larger size than I normally wear, which made it ideal as a duplicate for one of my all-time favorite fashion films, "Vertigo".&nbsp; &nbsp;I wore it over a black skirt and turtleneck, with some nude shoes.&nbsp; Coat was around $9-10, plus another $10 to dry-clean.&nbsp; &nbsp;Gloves are from the 1950s,&nbsp; I think I paid around $40 on eBay, which was a huge splurge, but they are spectacular gloves and very warm in winter.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2118088 Sat, 02 May 2020 22:24:40 +0000 vintagetomboy 2118088@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you so much everyone for all the answers! Also I live in the US if it helps. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2118058 Sat, 02 May 2020 18:49:57 +0000 rachylou 2118058@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wait... add pockets you say?!! Now I’m all excited! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2118038 Sat, 02 May 2020 15:51:11 +0000 brooklynsparrow 2118038@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Check out eShakti.com also, they give you the option of changing aspects of the clothing, like a different neckline, sleeve length, adding pockets (Rachylou!). Quality is 'decent' in the 4-5 items I bought. But be sure to add a few inches to the measurements or you'll have a 2nd skin, lol. Found that out the hard way on my 1st item! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2118026 Sat, 02 May 2020 14:08:26 +0000 BlueJay 2118026@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Veronica Popoiacu of Bittersweet Colours frequently shops for vintage items (dresses, bags) on Etsy.&nbsp;<br />Unfortunately, the link she made to Etsy is no longer active, but here is what she wrote:&nbsp;</p> <p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://bittersweetcolours.com/?s=vintage+shopping">https://bittersweetcolours.com/?s=vintage+shopping</a></p> <p>If memory serves me correctly, she narrowed down choices to "dresses" and "1950s" also "vintage."&nbsp;</p> <p>Good luck! Happy hunting!&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2118024 Sat, 02 May 2020 14:01:03 +0000 Zaeobi 2118024@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't know where you're based &amp; what you class as 'affordable', but have you tried Lindy Bop? They have some cute 50s &amp; rockabilly style clothes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2118016 Sat, 02 May 2020 13:29:06 +0000 Anonymous 2118016@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You might try Estate sales. They are hit or miss. In those days people had fewer clothes and wore them out. You might look for old patterns and have some made. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2117990 Sat, 02 May 2020 10:57:51 +0000 April 2117990@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I will ask Little Mr. April when he wakes up.&nbsp; He might only know where to get menswear of this sort, but this is a passion of his and he may have ideas.</p> <p>Speaking as someone who used to shop exclusively at thrift stores in the 1908s, I can tell you that they used to have abundant vintage items, sometimes shockingly high quality at shockingly low prices.&nbsp; Then people started opening shops that specialized in vintage clothes, and guess where they got their inventory?&nbsp; You guessed it, by raiding the thrift shops, paying the low low price, then making the price high in their own shop.</p> <p>As business models go there's nothing wrong with that, just saying be aware that you may find it rather hard to find true vintage pieces at low prices nowadays, especially online where you'll be competing with (wealthy) international buyers.</p> <p>Your best bet might be to haunt church/synagogue rummage/jumble/tag sales and hope for a bit of good luck.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2117980 Sat, 02 May 2020 09:10:33 +0000 louterrence 2117980@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nice to know that you are fascinated with vintage clothes, love to look those in old fashion mag of a friend who have a tailoring shop. You can check for designs and have it tailored for you.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2117979 Sat, 02 May 2020 07:25:01 +0000 AStyleofOne'sOwn 2117979@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>For vintage-inspired fashion, you might try ModCloth: <a href="https://www.modcloth.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.modcloth.com/</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/where-can-i-buy-affordable-vintage-fashion-online#post-2117953 Fri, 01 May 2020 23:55:09 +0000 vintagetomboy 2117953@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Do you know any online stores that have vintage fashion or vintage inspired fashion that's affordable? </p> <p>Clothing that looks like 1940s and 1950s fashion? </p> <p>The thrifts stores where I live don't have really old clothes which sucks </p>