Wearing Your Personality On Your Sleeve - Confidence That Shows by Gloria Lintermans

Wearing Your Personality
On Your Sleeve

*A Guide To Fabulous Vintage and Contemporary Resale Shopping in North America and Online

Gloria Lintermans

Ready to look like a million bucks? Ready to show the world you are a fabulously unique woman with great taste who treats herself to the very best? Well, you can fly over to Europe, spend a king's ransom and pick up a gorgeous couture ensemble, or for mere pennies on the dollar, shop vintage and contemporary designer resale right in your own hometown and on the Internet. Confidence is the name of this game. And first impressions being lasting impressions, designer duds are the answer. With their perfect workmanship, fit, and luscious fabrics, they sweetly whisper, "I'm worth it!"

According to Vogue Magazine, "Vintage items are being hoarded by trendsetters in Hollywood and all across the country." And there's good reason for this. Although today's designers often turn to the past for inspiration, the original fabrics and workmanship cannot be duplicated today.

Some of the most precious pieces in my wardrobe are amazingly beautiful vintage blouses. One of my treasured finds is a black silk 1920's Chinese blouse of luscious, butter-soft silk. In fact, it was probably a man's shirt, as the sleeves were very long and had to be altered. Paired with soft trousers or a long skirt, it makes heads turn when I walk into a room. Another favorite is a fine linen and lace white blouse from the turn-of-the-century. Worn with a tailored business suit, it turns an ordinary outfit into a knockout.

When shopping vintage, expect some wear and tear on a garment, but to be wearable the flaws must be relatively minor and fixable. Before buying, hold a garment up to the light to inspect it for moth holes, rips, stains, and frays. Check the buttonholes, underarms, cuffs, collars, and shoulders (where fade marks may have been left by hangers). Gently pull the fabric. If you feel weakness or hear a cracking sound, the piece is not going to last much longer. If the garment has a lining, make sure it is not pulling apart, stained or split. Then check the entire garment for missing buttons or belts. Just as with my Chinese silk blouse, alterations may be needed. Do keep in mind, though, that it is much easier to make a garment smaller than bigger. Hems can be shortened, but seldom lengthened without having the original hemline show; the same for sleeves. Bodices can be taken in, but are hard to let out.

Keep the word "proportion" in mind. Respect the intended shape and original design of the garment. For example: a '40s jacket will never look the same if you remove the shoulder pads. A full skirted early '50s dress was not designed to be worn knee length or above, nor was a late 1950s sack dress designed to be fitted close to the body.

The goal is to enhance your individuality, not look like you're wearing a costume or as if your clothes are wearing you … you're still the star. The key word here is "incorporate." Dressing head-to-toe in vintage can easily look costumey. But mixing vintage pieces with contemporary, whether a blouse, skirt, shoes, bag or jewelry, is a very modern thing to do. It's not unlike looking to each new season and choosing a particularly flattering piece or two to add to an existing wardrobe. Just go in the opposite direction, back in time to add to and accessorize a current wardrobe.

Regardless of where you live, vintage and contemporary resale shopping is just a click of the mouse away. The joy of shopping on-line is that you can "window shop" many sites from the comfort of home. Get to know the various sites, establish an e-mail rapport with the owner (most are very accommodating and customer friendly) and look carefully at their very specific descriptions of style, color, condition, authenticity, and size. Because figures and sizes have changed over the years, check measurement guidelines on their website. Check the return policy of the site; many have fair return policies if you notify the seller within 24 hours of receiving the item.

One last tip. When shopping vintage, be on the lookout for "dead stock." These garments are particularly valuable because they've never been worn but, for some reason, merely sat long forgotten in a warehouse until coming to the attention of a devoted storeowner.

Ready for adventure? Ready to look fabulous? Ready to buy vintage but hate to marathon shop or just don't know where to begin? Award winning costume designer Diana Eden and I teamed up to write a book that will put you in the know. In RETRO CHIC, Diana and I preview over 500 must-shop spots all over the U.S. and Canada, vintage expos across the U.S., and fabulous web sites, where fashionphiles from around the world converge to find genuine treasures.

RETRO CHIC goes beyond mere store listings; we share the owner's enthusiasm for discovering great clothing, reveal insights and style secrets of prominent Hollywood costume designers, and relate the passion and creativity of the owners of these amazing stores. Extensively researched and oh-so user friendly, this guide also tells you everything you need to know to decode the trends and fads from the 1920s through the dawn of the 21st century. Whether on a big budget or scouring for the deals and steals, let RETRO CHIC be your roadmap.

Gloria Lintermans is co-author with award winning costume designer, Diana Eden of the newly released hit book RETRO CHIC: A Guide To Fabulous Vintage and Contemporary Resale Shopping in North America and Online (Really Great Books, L.A. ISBN 1-893329-15-1/$18.95) available at bookstores everywhere and online at BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, and in Canada at Chapters.com.

Lintermans is the former syndicated fashion columnist of "Looking Great" worldwide, author of CHEAP CHIC: A Guide to LA's Resale Boutiques, and has written extensively for both local and national magazines. For additional information, please log on to www.GloriaLintermans.com