Issue Date: July 4, 2004
Vintage values
The best used-clothing sites can outfit anyone.
Whether your look is Victorian dandy, beatnik or disco queen, these online thrift shops have the goods.
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YOU PROBABLY THINK that unless you know the hot spots of a major city like New York or Los Angeles, your thrift-shopping options are limited to the local Goodwill. Wrong. No matter where you are, the Internet's used-clothing stores won't let you down. So break out your pocket calculator, because it's time to dig through some new bargain bins.
A great place to start your quest is Dandelion-Vintage.com. The online shop has collectible and wearable clothing, from the Victorian era to the 1960s, for people of all ages. By choosing from categories such as "black dresses," "skirts & bottoms" and "summer stuff," you can view photos and descriptions of almost 1,000 items. Hot goods include hats, purses and formal dresses. Prices average $20 to $35, although clearance items often are priced under $10.
If you have something particular in mind -- like a Doris Day-inspired pleated skirt or a preppy mohair men's sweater from the '50s -- try searching with your requirements at VintageVixen.com. Select "search" from the homepage menu, then choose your size, color, material, pattern, season, decade and/ or price. Vintage Vixen has more than 5,000 pieces of women's, men's and children's clothing and accessories, dating from the 1870s to the 1980s. Along with photos and descriptions of each item, the site provides washing instructions and rarity ratings -- from a 1 for "readily available" to a 5 for "virtually irreplaceable."
While you're at Vintage Vixen, check out the site's extensive fashion history and vintage clothing resources, complete with recommended reading and beauty/culture Web links.
For the ultimate it's-so-great-and-so-cheap rush, head to KingPoodle.com, where period items cost less than $10, and most are in near-perfect condition. King Poodle is a sister site of the larger RustyZipper.com, which has been in business since 1996, and offers more than 5,000 pieces of clothing from the 1940s to the '70s. Rusty Zipper's price range is higher, but it showcases a much wider variety of clothing and accessories for both sexes, as well as an eclectic book collection, classic sewing patterns, and '70s and '80s T-shirt iron-ons.
At Rusty Zipper, find what you're looking for by using the search toolbar across the top of the homepage, or simply browse through the many categories by clicking on a general type of clothing ("dresses") or a specific one ("hippie dresses").
Each site has a different return policy, so make sure you read it carefully before buying. Because you can't try on or pay for your clothes in person, you won't be thrift shopping the traditional way, but these online shops are just like any good vintage store, flea market or yard sale -- they've got something for everybody, including the sites' owners. Says Dandelion Vintage owner and lifelong thrift enthusiast Carol Baker: "Lots of times, I put something up for sale, and I think, 'Oh, I should keep that.' And once in a while, I do."
Katie Aberbach
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