2020 was not an easy year for vintage lovers. For many of us, browsing the racks of charity shops or hitting up car boot sales for hidden gems has been only briefly possible since March. Though it may now be easier than ever to buy vintage clothes online, the sheer volume of stuff can be overwhelming to sort through.
More guys are turning to vintage not just because it’s better for the environment than buying new, but also to find things that nobody else has. To avoid expensive mistakes or, say, a cashmere sweater perfumed with stale cigarette smoke, the solution is a rather traditional one: work with a vintage dealer who knows the history of clothes better than anyone and can find you that perfect, rare piece.
You don’t have to go to London’s vintage market on Portobello Road to find one — since the pandemic began, many vintage dealers have moved their businesses to Instagram, so all you need to do is send a direct message.
“People who never wore vintage are now more and more interested in it because it’s special, and no one else is going to have it — and that’s like the ultimate flex,” says Brian Davis, owner of New York vintage brand Wooden Sleepers.
Before Covid-19, Davis often hunted down rare gear by special request (his Brown’s Beach vest was the subject of many inquiries). Since closing his shop in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a destination for military surplus, workwear, and rugged Ivy Style, he’s been bombarded with questions about sourcing pieces. We speak via Zoom from his dining room/logistics centre.
Though it can be time-consuming, Davis prides himself on going the extra mile for his clients, scouring his own archive and contacting his network of pickers and other sellers; for a recent client, he tracked down a rare LL Bean puffer from a seller in Malaysia.
“If somebody asks for something, I’m going to always try to figure that out for them, whether that’s sourcing it, or providing something similar that they might like,” he tells me. Expect the process to take time and be open to something from a different brand but with a similar vibe, he says.
Know Your Size
Davis has a few recommendations for guys looking to work with a vintage seller, starting with “know your measurements”. This will save you a lot of heartache and awkwardness (plus the cost of postage) if something isn’t right.
Following accounts “that speak to your sensibility” is the best way to connect with the right dealer. Get to know their products and their point of view. A guy like Amechi Ugwu, who runs Torch Sportswear and specialises in collegiate apparel from historically black universities, will be able to find you a mint condition leather Howard University cap. But if you’re after an exquisitely faded and patched M-65 (for a cool $75), head to Paris-based Brut Archives.
“Shoot them a DM, see if they’re responsive,” Davis advises. “That’s gonna tell you a lot about the level of service that a person’s willing to offer.”
Think Local
Even though you can find vintage dealers anywhere in the world, it’s also worth checking out who’s in your area. Since moving to the UK in September, I’ve started following a vintage seller on Instagram called “True Grit Vintage”. Based in Leeds and operated by Finley McDermott, the account specialises in 1950s-1970s Americana, with some great English boots and corduroy trucker jackets.
“The secret to finding good stuff is that you have to look,” says McDermott. “What you’re really paying me for is my time and knowledge.” He’s most thrilled when he comes across an item he knows a particular customer will be excited about. “That black book of contacts who’ve just got a set style and you think, ‘That’s definitely him.’”
Though instant communication can make buying and selling easier, McDermott and Davis both warned would-be clients not to take advantage of a seller’s time.
No Lowballing
And unless you’re buying multiple things, “don’t haggle”, says McDermott, who’s received offers one-fifth of his asking price. “It would be like me giving you money.” Finally, once you agree on a number, and the dealer goes to the trouble of finding you the thing you’ve always longed for, “don’t back out”, says Davis. “That’s sort of a gentleman’s agreement.”
“I think that’s the difference between having a customer and having a client,” Davis went on. “A client is that recurring person who you’re helping to develop their personal sense of style, and really help rounding out their pre-existing wardrobe.” You’re investing not just in your wardrobe, but hopefully, in a relationship.
Jenny Tsiakals, owner of LA vintage showroom Please and Thank You Store, says that “the clothes that I tend to buy are not ‘on trend,’ they’re not typical vintage clothes — they’re stuff that people ignore every day, and continue to patch.”
For this reason, her showroom’s style is hard to pin down, but the items she buys tend to have eccentric details and visible signs of wear. Most of Tsiakals’ business comes from fashion and Hollywood costume designers, but she finds vintage pieces for private clients as well. (Her most well-known regular is Miranda July.)
Often, her favourite items wind up with these clients, such as a “bizarre sweatshirt that I found. Somebody sewed a Raiders bandana on it and had added a fringe detail.” Designers who visited her showroom “never gave it a second glance”, but when she showed it to July, there was an instant connection. At its best, a relationship between vintage buyer and seller is a creative collaboration, she says.
If you don’t want to spend hours parsing the differences between old styles of Levi’s, or have been trying to track down a beloved wardrobe item that’s gone missing, why not ask an expert for help? It might just be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
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