Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2000 | 10:05 a.m.
Muriel Stevens' shopping column appears Wednesdays. Her dining column appears Fridays. Reach her at [email protected] or 259-4080.
The current rage for vintage clothes has nothing to do with a desire to save money. Used they may be, but retro clothing from top designers is the hottest trend going.
The October issue of Vogue devotes many pages to a story on vintage, along with wonderful photographs. Its take on the most wanted vintage? Anything designed by Yves Saint Laurent.
A new book, "Secondhand Chic" by Christa Weil, talks about "The vintage advantage." Novice vintage-fashion hunters can learn all about the fine art of vintage with this interesting trade-size paperback.
I love the quote from Donna Barr of Victorian Elegance (victorianelegance.com) -- "Vintage clothing is to me much more than fabric and stitches. Each garment represents the woman who originally owned each piece. I often wonder where she wore the garment, what her life was like, what her thoughts were, what her family was like, and who she was as a real person."
We do have a few shops specializing in vintage clothing -- designs from the Victorian era to the '70s -- including Viva Vintage and the Attic. And a selection of consignment shops that offer top-notch designer clothes and accessories. The oldest and the first consignment shop here is ReFinery the Resale Boutique on Park Paseo. Some of our best-known local women of fashion send their designer duds here to be sold. For a complete list of vintage and consignment shops look in the yellow pages.
Designer consignment shops are not to be confused with secondhand clothing stores run by many charities and thrift shops. Clothes at consignment shops usually reflect the original prices of the designs.
I have fashionable friends who have long been collecting vintage clothing. Most of their purchases were made years ago at vintage stores in California. The workmanship is remarkable. Hand-finished seams, fine fabrics and all the fine details that go into a fine garment. "Secondhand Chic" says, "A garment's true value lies not in its label, but in its workmanship."
The key to detecting bargains, Weil says, is to arm yourself with information -- "Knowledge is power." Her book is powerful and fun. The bibliography is a source for other volumes about vintage clothes.
With such a hot trend, prices of vintage continue to rise. It's a good time to sell your own vintage clothing. They have to be in excellent condition and have labels such as Chanel, Pucci and Gucci.
It takes time, patience and stamina to discover worthwhile vintage, along with knowledge. I recently shopped the antique mall at West Tropicana Avenue and Jones Boulevard with a visiting friend. After hours of wandering the various booths she was thrilled to discover lots of things she wanted. I wouldn't have bought one, yet I could see why she loved her purchases.
The crocodile bag she purchased for $25 was in good condition except for the hinges -- the bag wouldn't close. My friend lives in New York City where it is no problem to find someone to replace the hinges and clean the skin. Never buy anything that needs to be repaired unless you have a source to fix it.
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