How Has the Economy Effected Vintage Clothing?

C

ctiberio19

Registered Guest
Hello all,

I am a journalism student at Seattle University and I am doing a blog project at school about how the economy has effected vintage and second-hand clothing. If your could please respond to my questions below that would be much appreciated. Also if you answer and own a business (boutique, website, etc.) that sells or trades vintage clothing I will provide a link to your store on my blog. Thank you!

1. Do you think that runway fashions reflect vintage styles?
2. Have more people been shopping in vintage and second hand stores lately?
3. Has the clientele for these stores changed at all?
4. Has there been more of a demand for vintage clothing past 2008?
5. Have sales for vintage and second-hand clothing gone up in stores?
 
Hi, and welcome to the forums.

I get many similar requests and I'll happily answer your questions but first, I would like to request something of you - can you please tell us your name, and the course you are studying, eg is it a Journalism degree or something else?

Also - a link to your blog please, so we can tell something about you.

thank you!
 
Whoops! I didn't introduce myself, journalism failure 101.

I am Christina Tiberio, and my major is Journalism. The course I am taking that requires these questions is Introduction to Media Writing. My assignment is to create a blog with a topic of my choosing and report back. I have just created the blog and have yet to post or personalize it. Although I am not reluctant to pass on the link:
Code: 
http://vintagetiberio.blogspot.com/
 
Thanks Christina,

Firstly I'd like to mention that there is an ocean of difference between vintage and second hand clothing - vintage is not necessarily second hand and much second hand clothing is not vintage.

I deal in vintage, and most of my stock is second hand, but about 12-20% is not. I do not sell clothes simply because they have been worn before: I sell clothes that are beautiful, glamourous and interesting - if they have been worn before, it has the benefit of making them more affordable, and I can pass that cost benefit onto my customer.

Here are some quick responses:

1. Do you think that runway fashions reflect vintage styles?
Over 99% of all fashion - not just runway - reflect vintage styles. It is very rare for a designer to come up with a new style, and when they do it is seized upon. An example of this is the large, clumpy shoes that Alexander McQueen introduced to his shows - we all laughed and said "how ugly!" and yet for some time now the fashion has been for large and clumpy shoes. Thankfully, the fashion is now changing.

2. Have more people been shopping in vintage and second hand stores lately?
Awareness of the value, style and environmental sustainability aspects of vintage has been rising since the year 2000. Many young people increasingly view vintage as an easy way to express their creativity and individual style on a budget.

3. Has the clientele for these stores changed at all?
I've been collecting and restoring vintage fashion for over thirty years - demand is increasing and the customer base is becoming more diverse as vintage becomes more acceptable.

4. Has there been more of a demand for vintage clothing past 2008?
Since the GFC, fashion has been hit by a reduced customer demand but the demand for vintage is stronger than mainstream fashion as we offer good value and quality.

5. Have sales for vintage and second-hand clothing gone up in stores?
Please see my previous response: demand = sales in the commercial world.

Good luck in your research Christina!
 
1) I think for the last few seasons fashion has become less academic in its recreation of past styles, but from the mid 90s until the end of the 00s, it was often nearly impossible to tell the difference between original vintage and modern clothes - some of those little princess line sleeveless dresses, platform shoes, and cardigans looked like originals from the past. Fashion now seems a little more self-consciously contemporary, not as retro.

2) I only sell online and at at special event sales and its often hard to tell if there are more buyers because there are a LOT more dealers than there used to be.

3) The actual people have changed but the overwhelming majority of buyers are still college-aged women (18-25) - the same demographic that were buying funky vintage twenty-five years ago - prom dresses, stiletto heeled shoes, vintage bras... Older women (25-40) have generally focussed on more classic and collectable pieces - designer purses, jewellery, silk scarves and antique shawls, couture...

4) I can't say I have noticed an increase, its hard to compete with cheap Chinese made clothes from box store retailers, and there has been a massive swell in the number of dealers in the last decade, plus more women have been buying recent vintage from the 80s and 90s, which ten years ago you couldn't give away (the thrift stores are packed these days), but buyer's won't spend a lot on recent vintage but for specific items (certain designers.)

5) I would say prices have softened due to competition on low-end vintage and levelled off on all but the very top end of vintage.
 
1. Like movements in the fine arts, I believe current fashion trends either build on the past or are an antithesis to past trends. Either way the past is still an influence.

2. Yes, I've seen an upswing in the number of people in the vintage and second hand stores. It will be interesting to see if this continues as the economy improves.

3. I know many more professionals are shopping at 2nd hand stores. Not necessarily looking for vintage, but for quality clothes to build their wardrobe.

4. Can't answer this one. Wasn't in business then.

5. Not sure what you mean by "sales gone up". Are you referring to volume sold or are stores asking higher prices? If you are talking about volume sold, I would have to guess yes, I see many more people shopping and buying at second hand stores. I have also seen an increase in the number of 2nd hand stores opening in my area. Another sign that business must be good. Here again, I think it's a reflection of the economy and not necessarily for vintage but for good, inexpensive second hand clothes to build their wardrobe. If you are referring to the asking prices of items being sold, Store managers are becoming more savvy about the value of vintage items and have increased their asking prices at 2nd hand stores, but the price of non-vintage clothing has remained pretty much the same of the past several years.
 
Have sales for vintage and second-hand clothing gone up in stores?

From what I can see these sales have declined in the recent years in second hand clothing store , this I feel is a result of high street shops reducing there own price, I can buy a brand new dress for £10 or pay £7.00 for one in a second hand shop and I think a lot of people have also worked this out.

BTW there is a words of difference between Vintage Clothes and Second Hand clothing shops
I hope this comes through in your blog or you might upset a lot of people.

A spin off with vintage clothing becoming popular has opened up the marked for vintage household items which once's and not too long ago just seen as junk now collected and used again in the own right.
 
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