Easy Ways To Clean Vintage Clothing

Because vintage clothes have been around for many years, they are more prone to disintegration. One act of negligence and you are likely to jeopardize their condition and value. But how do you actually maintain and clean vintage clothing? Many people end up ruining their vintage clothes because they know little about the fabric, cleaning chemicals and solutions, and procedures. If there’s one thing you have to keep in mind when cleaning vintage items it is to be extra careful.

Some are not naturally good at washing; they cannot even be trusted with their ordinary clothes. If you are one of them, it’s better not to attempt washing your vintage items. It would do you better if you bring them to a cleaning specialist. Washing vintage clothes is unlike washing your ordinary clothes, for one, because they require special effort—you need to handwash them one at a time. Remember that the fabrics have aged and weakened considerably and subjecting them to rigid rotation inside a washing machine may cause damages. Same is true with the dyer, so to be on the safe side, consider air or drip drying your garments. Only make sure to use padded hangers instead of wood and metal, as these kinds may cause stains.

Take note, however, that washing is good only to certain fabrics such as cotton, nylon, and some wools and silks. Others may shrink, lose their body and finish, and get distorted, thus requiring dry cleaning. Examples are rayon and lace. In some cases, though, they only need to be aired. For instance, if the garment is relatively clean but has a persisting odor, hang it outside. But keep in mind that some fabrics, such as white and cream wools and silks, may be prone to discoloration if put under direct sunlight. To preserve their color, hang them in a room with a bowl of vinegar for some days to remove the odor.

For some reasons, stains and undesirable marks manage to settle in vintage clothes, and usually they appear in the most exposed areas. Whether they are caused by storing conditions or constant use, you need to get rid of them. To remove stains, you can either use commercial cleaning solutions or simple household ingredients. Lemon juice and white vinegar, for instance, can work well in removing deodorant, rust, and mildew stains.

For deodorant stains, use pure lemon juice or white vinegar and dab the stained area with a clean white cloth. Rust stains, on the other hand, can be removed with a mixture of salt and lemon juice. For mildew stains, mix lemon juice or white vinegar and water in equal amounts and spray the mixture on the stain. You are likely to kill the mildew this way and therefore prevent it from reappearing.

Check the care label of your garment to see if there are additional or special maintenance procedures. After cleaning your vintage clothes, make sure to store them properly. You can even put moth holes in your closet to prevent moth damages.

Cleaning vintage clothes on your own assures you they receive proper care, but you should also know when it is more appropriate to bring them to a cleaning specialist. It may cost you some amount, yet doing so guarantees you not only clean vintage clothing pieces but also pieces that are in undeniably good shape. In the end, it’s a good investment.

Vintage Clothing Tips

Vintage clothing is the hottest thing that came to the shores of fashion since the leather jacket. People from all walks of life have been searching high and low for the best find in vintage clothing. From celebrities that shine on Hollywood to the common folk that run up and the streets everyday, they are finding common ground when it comes the kind of clothes they want on their back.

It is not really hard to find vintage clothing nowadays. There are a lot of good sources of vintage clothing almost everywhere now. Thrift shops are one good place to find vintage clothing. There are a good number of selections that will greet you in a thrift shop. Though most of the items here are not that "vintage" and dates back to the recent years, it's still worth trying to get a good look in to. One of the things you have to remember though when you are in a thrift shop is to be ready for the different kinds of clothes you have to rummage through. Since the items are just stocked by the different kinds, expect yourself spending a good number of hours looking through all their items.

Another good place to look is a second hand store. Here your chances of running into a piece of vintage clothing are far better than anywhere else. This is the place where people dig in to find rare items that are considered gems of vintage fashion. Don't forget to wash them though who knows what you could get. Other places like a surplus corner, a garage sale, specialty stores and even antique shops are good places to find vintage clothing. There are other places where you can get vintage clothing, all you have to do is keep your eyes peeled and your cash ready because you may never know what you might find and how rare it is.

Aside from looking for your pieces it's also important to know exactly what image or style you want to project, so there are key considerations like how vintage is your style, who are you trying to look like, key pieces for your look and new school used with vintage twist. Let's look into that a bit more.

How vintage do you want to get- It's important to know exactly how vintage do you want to get. When we talk about vintage these are the styles dating back from the 1920's to the 1980's, so hitting the right year for your look is important. Mixing and matching pieces from the same year or era is the best way to go.

Find an example- Just like drawing a portrait, dressing up vintage also needs an example. Try a look around in magazines or on the internet for a person that you could pattern your style after until the time you are comfortable enough to experiment on your own style.

Find your pieces- Make a list of the pieces that you would need to get that vintage look that you want. You have to remember the places where you can get your vintage clothes.

New school vintage- Mixing the old and the new is one good way of integrating the new styles that we have with the vintage clothing that are so in demand today.

Vintage Clothing

Many people are currently wondering what the word ‘vintage clothing’ means. This is because many collectors are now scouting the market for such items. Vintage cars are those old-modeled vehicles that are aged 50 years and more. What about vintage clothing?

The term ‘vintage’ was originally associated with the year oil or wine was bottled. In reality, wine and oil get better and finer as they age; hence when they get ‘vintage’ their quality is magnified. The word got into general usage when old cars were marketed to novelty collectors, who indicate interest to pay how much it would take to own such collectibles.

Years passed by and dealers of old or second-hand clothing used the word to relate to their own merchandise. Initially, the term vintage clothing was used to refer to old clothes. Currently, numerous buyers and sellers use the word vintage to describe previously owned or second-hand clothing aged 25 years and more. With the advent of Internet, vintage clothing has further become more popular.

Many online clothing sellers are now selling 1980s-styled clothing and accessories. They call such items vintage clothing. While the market for such items gained profile, more people has become further confused. People who have lived through the 1970s could hardly find 1980s styled clothes as vintage.

Technically, some people assert that vintage clothing should refer to clothes that belong to a previous era. They should be scarce not just because of limited supply, but because they are not produced by any garment maker anymore. Thus, clothing that belonged to the 18th, 19th, and even 20th centuries that are still intact and are still in good condition are technically called vintage clothing.

Today, the word is now widely used to refer to more recent designer garments. It could also refer to items that are not new fashion items or accessories and are still of good quality. Most vintage clothing items are still exhibiting excellent flair and are still capable to create an original statement of style. Purists are logically unhappy about this. They are warning the public against being misled to buy fashion apparel and accessories sold as vintage clothing.

In general, even non-haute couture items could be currently sold as vintage. More often, good and reliable custom made garments and brand names are either taken as unusual examples of different eras’ fashion. They could also be taken as typical items identified with eras for specific design value and style. Thus, such items are considered the staple vintage trades of today.

Vintage clothing are said to contain elusive quality, which makes them very desirable especially during their heyday. You could be surprised to learn that most collectors today are buying and using vintage clothing that could be categorized as vintage 70s or even vintage 80s. Again, purists are disagreeing with this custom. They assert any item that are designed and made just within the last 15 years should be identified, described, or described as ‘contemporary.’

Quality, uniqueness, novelty, and desirability truly make vintage clothing worth buying and owning. However, be reminded that not all old items could be desirable and could be described as vintage items. Take note and be watchful of quality. Real vintage clothing should be of high quality and should always shine through. Any damage in the item should not be overlooked as well.

What is Vintage Clothing?

People everywhere are caught up with one of the hottest fads to sweep the planet since sliced bread, and it is not even something new. Vintage clothing is making a big comeback everywhere and people are raving about how old can be so in and new. What is it about vintage clothing that people cannot get enough of and why is it so popular?

For us to better understand what vintage is and how to spot vintage clothing we have to first know the story behind its slow rise to the fashion scene. Typically, vintage clothing is something that was created back from the 1920's to the 1980's. Items of clothing like shirts, pants, tops, vests and other clothes worn in those eras are considered vintage. Other items like boots, shoes, accessories and other materials that were created for the purpose of being worn are also vintage items.

Fashion trends back in those days influence the slow rise of vintage clothing to the modern fashion scene. Some notable personalities have contributed to the comeback of vintage in the modern fashion scene. One of them would be the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. If we remember during the height of his career as a music icon, he bravely sported the Napoleon look with his military uniform inspired coat and gloves. He was the main influence of people when it comes to the maverick fashion that he had.

Though he later settled down with less flamboyant color schemes, he nonetheless made an impact.  While it is true that a lot of celebrities have tried their hand in bringing back a certain period in vintage clothes, there are also some that really didn't work out well. After all, not everyone or anything for that matter, which makes a comeback, is readily accepted by the people. Still, there are some that really made an impressive mark in the vintage fashion scene.

If we trace back the roots of the rise of vintage, we will find ourselves in the shores of Japan where some of the most eccentric and iconic fashion statements have been made in the last century. After being closed to the influence of the outside world for centuries, the Japanese have made a big comeback in terms of fashion.

The young and talented Japanese designers have tapped into the years of fashion trends and have put on a certain degree of ownership to the design. For example, corsets were a main fashion must have back in the 20's and 30's, the young Japanese designers put a twist to it and helped give the corset a comeback. Though there would be a few disputes as to where the corset comeback really originated, it is still undeniable that the Japanese have helped a lot in the resurrection of an antiquity.

Aside from eccentric designers and mavericks that bravely delved in to the past t look for viable designs that could be brought back, one of the  main contributor to the rise of vintage clothing to the modern fashion scene would be the second hand stores that could be found almost everywhere. These stores have an abundant supply of Vintage clothing that dates back to the civil war.

So if you are out to find that perfect vintage look don't be afraid to look into these stores and get a great find.