How to Shop Vintage, Consignment and Thrift

Melissa De Merit shops for vintage clothing at Vintage Pink. Photo: ©Heather Zinger

In keeping with our bold New Year's goal of making our closets a bit more sustainable this year, we're setting our sights on some of the killer vintage, consignment and thrift shopping Portland has to offer. In a city that's filled with shoppers dedicated to the craft of making what's old new again, striking gold in this town's vintage bins can feel like a pipe dream. But we've queried a crack team of Portland fashion icons and vintage shopping experts to help make your scavenger hunt a success.

Play Up Your Strengths

Bria Phillips, owner of Le Train Bleu, is a one-woman style icon in this town. She knows the pulse of Portland fashion better than just about anyone, and she's an expert when it comes to pushing the style envelope. You're ilkely to spot her mixing her best vintage finds with the latest styles from under-the-radar designers. Beyond being green, Bria's vintage fashion sensibilities are just plain smart—as she points out, sometimes it takes a bygone era to play up your strengths. "Shopping vintage is a great opportunity to shop for your specific body type when the current fashion trends may be leaving you in the lurch," she says. "I, for instance, have never worn a pair of skinny jeans in my life, because that cut is terrible for me, but luckily I can find my favorite '40s style jeans with wide legs and a high waist at vintage and surplus stores."

Be Flexible with Sizing

Of course, unearthing those perfect specimens requires time, patience and effort. One of the biggest concessions you'll have to make is when it comes to size. As Bria points out, "It's really key to try things on since sizing in past eras was so much smaller. If you are shopping online, you must get yourself a measuring tape and compare your measurements with garment measurements. Keep in mind you need extra room to wiggle, breathe, or enjoy a crème brûlée, without busting a seam!"

Ashley Geltosky, the online store manager at local consignment favorite Seams to Fit says she couldn't agree more. "Being flexible with sizing is so important when shopping consignment. Every designer has a slightly [different] definition of a certain size. If you are reluctant to be flexible with your sizes, you miss out on great opportunities to find hidden gems. I often tell people to look two sizes above and two sizes below the size they think they are, and just give it a go."

Find a Good Tailor

You can't overstate the impact of good tailoring. Nabbing that vintage Valentino sheath that's just a smidge too big in the waist could be well worth the $20-40 you'll spend at the tailor to make it a priceless find. In general, you're better off buying big. Tailors have a much easier time taking a garment in than letting it out.

Hunt-and-Gather Like an Expert

As you're making your way through the racks, remember there's a method to all this vintage madness. Melissa De Merit, a consignor at Golden Rule, let us in on a few of her favorite hunt-and-gather techniques for successful thrifting. "The best days to go to the chain stores like Goodwill, Value Village, and so forth are Tuesday through Thursday. The amount of traffic on the weekends will lessen your chance to find something really special." Melissa also suggests stepping out of your comfort zone when you're looking through those racks. "I always check the kids' and plus-size sections even though I'm neither. At some vintage stores, clothing is marked based on the tagger's opinion, not always based on measurements." Speaking of measurements, Melissa says she always carries a tape measure on thrifting adventures. "Some stores don't have fitting rooms, and you might not want to try a pair of pants on under your skirt in front of strangers. It will help you keep 'mystery' purchases to a minimum."

Give Your Find a Careful Once-Over

Before you go sprinting to the register, make sure you give your find a careful once-over. Jena Coray, a local blogger and vintage fashion diva known to her devoted readers as Miss Modish, gave us a run-down of her technique for giving a vintage find the once-over. "Really check out items before you buy. Try it on not only to be sure it fits, but to check for stains, holes and the dreaded smell test. Check the buttons, put your hands in the pockets, turn it inside out—leave no stone unturned."

Of course, not every flaw is fatal. "Could you get that little stain out? Mend that hole? If you love it and it just needs a bit of fixing, go for it. Plus, if you point out the flaw at the checkout, you could get a deal on the item." Of course, there are fixes that aren't worth making. Bria points out, "B.O. stains can be impossible to get rid of, even with dry cleaning, and broken zippers can be surprisingly pricey to have repaired or replaced. Buttons, on the other hand, are easy and can be switched out for a new and updated look."

Learn the Fine Art of Editing

Learning the fine art of editing is critical in vintage shopping. Even though it's tempting to turn a vintage shopping trip into a full-scale expedition, Jena advises against it. "You don't have to check every single item on the rack—edit with your eye as you stroll [through] the aisles. Look for colors and patterns that appeal to you, materials you know you love, and learn to recognize those you don't so you can pass by them quickly!" But remember to edit for style, not necessarily for season. Most people clean out their closets and pile up goods for donation at the end of a season, not at the beginning. "I've found amazing sweaters in the summertime and cute sandals in winter that I would have regretted missing out on," Jena said. "Keep your eyes peeled for goodies that could work for you all year long, not just right now."

Ready. Set. Shop!

Now that you're ready to put some of those new-found thrifting skills to the test, we'll leave you with a few of our experts' favorite spots for scoring serious vintage finds:

Seams to Fit
Upscale consignment
2264 NW Raleigh Street
Portland, OR 97210

Summerland
Vintage clothing and accessories
online only

Palace
Premium vintage
820 SE 34th Avenue. No. C
Portland, OR 97214

Golden Rule
Consignment, vintage
811 E. Burnside, Suite 122
Portland, OR 97214

Folly
Great selection of vintage slips
1005 NW 16th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209

Have any shopping tips or fave spots to share? Dish in the comment section below.