Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette! In today's video, we'll be discussing the
benefits and drawbacks to purchasing vintage menswear and whether or not such
a tactic might be right for you. If you're a regular viewer of the
Gentleman's Gazette channel or a reader of the articles on our website, it's
probably safe to say that you don't only enjoy our content on a purely
informational level. If you're anything like me, for example, not only do you
enjoy learning about classic menswear but you enjoy wearing it as well and
while it is possible to assemble a classically styled outfit using only
more contemporary pieces, perhaps a topic for a future video, turning your
attention to consignment stores, second-hand shops and so on to look for
vintage pieces will also be a fantastic option. Still, buying vintage isn't always
a breeze. As such, let's get into a comprehensive breakdown of the pros and
cons of buying vintage menswear starting first with the positives. Firstly, you'll
be able to find garments in styles that aren't commonly produced or available
anymore. If you do find garments like these,
they'll allow you to stand out even from other well-dressed men; you can be a true
dandy in head-to-toe vintage if that's your thing or you can mix vintage and
contemporary pieces for a look that's still classic and harmonious. Whatever
the case may be, having a few vintage pieces in your wardrobe will allow you
to be truly unique and inventive with your outfits. Next, prices are often just
a fraction of what you would pay for something new especially if you're
shopping in places like Goodwill, for example. Also, our founder, Sven Raphael
Schneider has had good luck purchasing things at European flea markets
especially in the off seasons. For example, he once found an overcoat in the
summer that no one else was looking at because it was out of season and
got it for a real bargain. Also, vintage garments can generally be tailored just
as easily as something new. This depends on the individual garment of course and
whether it's got excess fabric to let out or remove. As an example, you could
find a sport coat for 15 to 20 dollars, spend another $30 or so on tailoring and
end up with a vintage piece that fits you like a glove for just a fraction of
the price of what you would have paid for a new garment and that's one that
probably wouldn't fit you as well right off the rack anyway.
In a similar vein, older methods of clothing construction were often more
durable both in terms of the raw materials used and in the detail of
human construction. Conversely, a lot of modern clothing made for the fast
fashion world that we live in is frankly designed to fall apart in the days when
durability was prized over having the newest and latest garments of the season.
You could get a great deal more wear out of your pieces. Another plus by shopping
at a consignment store or similar establishment, you'll be supporting your
local economy rather than some giant corporation; this isn't to say that we're
suggesting you swear off Macy's of course but it is nice to know that in
some circumstances, you're supporting small businesses in your area. In a
similarly conscious frame of mind, buying vintage garments is a particularly green
way to shop since you're essentially recycling old garments and giving them a
new lease on life. Furthermore, because you're not buying a new garment and
therefore contributing to that supply chain, you are theoretically reducing the
amount of raw materials needed to produce more similar new garments. Here's
another cost conscious point about vintage, you might not actually have to
buy at all. For example, if you've got older relatives who are looking to
downsize their wardrobes, family heirlooms like watches, for example, or
friends who just know that you're on the lookout for vintage items, you might be
able to come up with some vintage finds at no cost to you.
Finally in the positives category, buying and wearing vintage provides a great
conversation starter for those who might be especially curious about what you're
wearing. For example, a comment on your vintage
tie might get another gentleman the path of dressing stylishly and as we all
know in the vintage menswear community, the more the merrier. By the way, if
you're more generally curious about the best ways to get to know someone, you can
take a look at our video on that topic here. So as you can see, there are a lot
of potential positives when shopping for vintage menswear. With that said though,
you should also be aware that there can be some potential downsides. Firstly, you
might not always find the size you need especially if you're a larger man in
terms of both height and weight. The average man has just gotten bigger
around the world in the last 100 years. As such, if you're looking for vintage
garments, you might not always find something in your size. At the same time,
though there are a lot of modern and current retailers who don't necessarily
cater to larger men, so in those circumstances if you were shopping at
the mall let's say not only would you be potentially limited in terms of size but
also in terms of these Styles currently available on a similar sizing. Note tags
and labels on vintage garments can be misleading as sizes for certain types of
garments have changed somewhat over the last 100 years or so. Though this isn't
as true for men's garments as it is for women's, still the bottom line is trying
something on for yourself to see just how well it fits is always going to be
your best course of action. Here's a drawback you may already have thought of,
some vintage clothing may have issues with odors, stains, or other damage,
however, even if this is the case, there are workarounds available to you. You can
take a look at our video on odor removal for vintage clothing here and stay tuned
for an upcoming video on stain removal. Also, a good tailor can sometimes remedy
structural damage to vintage garments depending on the
severity of the damage in question. Speaking of damage though that is
another potential downside. If you do damage a vintage piece irreparably or lose
it for that matter, you might not be able to find another one quite like it. That
old item you found might truly be one-of-a-kind at this point or at least
rare enough to basically be such. Even so, in the case of a sartorial emergency,
because they do happen to all of us from time to time, there are solutions there too.
You can take a look at our video on surviving sartorial emergencies here. Now
regarding pricing, while many vintage shops and online retailers will often be
offering things for great prices, there is the occasional chance that a
seller might be trying to overcharge you after all.
Once you become a more frequent and savvy vintage shopper though, you'll
develop a better sense of what truly makes for a good deal. As with most
things, practice makes perfect and experience is the best teacher. Also
along this line though, the market is getting more and more saturated by
people who aren't as knowledgeable about either what makes for a good deal or
about garment quality in general. This is particularly true online, therefore,
developing a sharp eye for materials, construction, sizing, and price will be
the best way that you can get ahead. Don't make foolish mistakes and buy
something you won't wear just because the salesperson talked a good game. And
while the online space is becoming more crowded, physical storefronts are
becoming a bit more scarce. So if you'd like to go that route, you'll probably
have to put in a bit of additional time to scout out locations in your area. It
may take more time than you might otherwise prefer to actually go out and
track things down. As such, you really should enjoy the process of shopping
vintage as it will be something of a treasure hunt. Another potential downside
to physical locations is that they may sometimes have poor fitting room conditions.
The lighting may be substandard and you might not find a three-way mirror so in
other words, you might not get the best look at how a garment fits you from all
angles. Some stores may not even have fitting rooms at all which can leave you
in a particularly awkward spot if you'd really like to try something on, which of
course, you should. And perhaps the biggest drawback many vintage sellers
whether online or in-store will often have no returns policy or a very limited
one. This may translate into a monetary loss if you end up not wearing or liking
a garment barring additional financial outlay for tailoring. Taking all of these
factors into consideration then, the required effort may ultimately result in
you falling prey to the so called "this will do" phenomenon. Since you might
only find one sizing option for a particular garment, for example, you may
decide to lower your standards a little bit and buy it even though it might be
too loose or too tight and even if a garment does fit you well, you may be
willing to buy something that you don't truly love or think you'll wear often
just because you are getting a deal. In short, just don't settle for something
that you're probably not going to wear. There will always be other vintage finds
out there that will suit you better. So there's our list of the pros and cons of
buying vintage menswear in general. Though the question remains, do we
recommend that you actually try it out? The short answer is absolutely yes! There
is a bit of work involved and granted you may not hit a homerun with a great
vintage find right away but if you're looking for a unique way to add a
distinct flair to your wardrobe at an economical price, the benefits of buying
vintage are clear. On that note, stay tuned for an upcoming video featuring
some of the best vintage finds that both Raphael and I have in our own personal
wardrobes. Which of the arguments we laid out today did you find most compelling?
and if you haven't tried it before, are you tempted to try shopping for vintage
menswear now? Let us know in the comments section
below and as always, don't forget to subscribe to the gentleman's Gazette
channel and hit the little bell icon so videos like these come right to your
inbox in today's video I'm wearing several
vintage pieces from my own collection we'll start with my brown suit which is
in a dark shade commonly referred to as charcoal Brown and also features
alternating subtle pinstripes in both tan and light blue
I believe the suit dates to the early 1980s hence the power shoulders even
though I'm not crazy about them I do like some of the other details of the
suit such as the ventless back on the jacket and the fact that the pants are
pleated and contain both belt loops and buttons for suspenders similarly these
suspenders I'm wearing today are also vintage and I picked them up from a
local menswear shop for just a few dollars my tie is also vintage and it's
a printed silk featuring both stripes and florals it has colors of Burgundy
navy tan and grey and as such it harmonizes particularly well with my
suit my pink pocket square is also vintage and it features a subtle check
around its border in white rounding out my vintage pieces today is my tie clip a
gold one I believe from the late 50s or early 60s that works particularly well
with the thin tie I'm wearing today the cufflinks I'm wearing today aren't
vintage but they are gold and they're inset with ruby colored stones so they
harmonize well with my tie in particular they're actually from a set that go with
warm weather black tie and if you're curious about that dress code you can
check out our article at the newly renovated Black Tie Guide here the other
pink elements in my outfit today are my shirt which is a French cuffed model
from Charles Tyrwhitt as well as my socks which are also just in plain pink my
other gold accessory is my lapel pin which was given to me by my alma mater
Gustavus Adolphus College and rounding out the outfit are my tan
wingtip Derby shoes which feature heavy broguing.