Finding Your Style with Vintage Women’s Clothing is Easy—Here’s How

At this point, complimenting a woman on her outfit and hearing, "Thanks, it's thrifted!" is a universal experience—and with good reason! All the best garments are just waiting to be found at your local antique malls, flea markets, and vintage clothes stores. So, what are you waiting for? Learn how to shop for vintage women's clothing today.

What Qualifies as Vintage Clothing?

The word "vintage" gets thrown around willy-nilly, especially in the fashion world. Technically, the term "vintage clothing" refers solely to pieces that are at least 20 years old. Anything more than 100 years old moves past vintage and into the antique category. This year, that means any item made between 1925 and 2005—and vintage clothes stores are full of them!  

Help Mother Nature and Shop Vintage Brands

Did you know that the fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, is responsible for endless environmental damage? Each year, around 40 million tons of garments end up sitting at the bottom of a landfill.

Once you hear that number, it's hard to go back to the same old retailer trends! Make a sustainable switch and give old pieces new life in your closet by shopping at vintage clothes stores instead.

Collecting vs. Wearing Vintage Women's Clothing

There are two different ways to enjoy vintage women's clothing pieces: collecting them and wearing them. When shopping for vintage brands, you can fall under either category or create a mix of the two that is unique to you!

Vintage brand collectors focus on the preservation of a piece, often prioritizing the historical importance and aesthetic value of a design so much that they keep it in storage. Wearers of vintage women's clothing are shopping for pieces they can incorporate into their daily wardrobe, whether they're mixing with modern styles or curating a head-to-toe vintage get-up.

Most Popular Vintage Brands for Women

From department stores to designers, these are some of the most sought-after vintage brands in the women's section of our antique mall and other vintage clothes stores:

• Chanel

• Ralph Lauren

• Liz Claiborne

• Talbots

• Von Dutch

• Levi's

• Yves-Saint Laurent

Step-by-Step Guide to Shopping at Vintage Clothes Stores

Shopping at vintage clothing stores and Chicago antique malls can feel overwhelming—where do you even start? There's no need to stress. With this easy-to-follow guide, you'll be able to grow your vintage clothing collection in no time:

Step 1: Consider Your Style

When buying vintage women's clothing, it can feel tempting to grab everything in sight. But unless you're overhauling your entire existing wardrobe, that's not a realistic way to shop. Instead, you should always take your current aesthetic into consideration.

As you search for dresses, skirts, blouses, pants, and more, think about how you would style each item alongside the other, more modern items in your closet. Aside from statement pieces, the majority of vintage designs you buy should be able to mix and match seamlessly with your favorite pieces.

Each Decade of Vintage Women's Clothing Has Its Own Look

One thing is certain—vintage clothing never goes out of style! Each era is known for unique shapes, color combinations, and patterns. To make shopping at Highland, Indiana, antique malls and vintage clothes stores even easier, discover which decades speak to you:

• 1920s: simple everyday styles, dropped waists, shorter hemlines, beads, and fur

• 1930s: sophisticated, silhouette-focused, puffed sleeves, silk, and florals

• 1940s: utilitarian and practical, simple blouses, matching sets, and military-inspired pockets

• 1950s: ultra-feminine looks, hourglass silhouettes, full skirts, polka dots, and plaid

• 1960s: relaxed and youthful, shorter mini skirts, bold prints, bright hues, and large collars

• 1970s: bohemian fits, bell bottoms, loose maxi dresses, peasant blouses, and tie-dye and paisley patterns

• 1980s: aerobic and punk rock influences, exaggerated shoulder pads, and vibrant colors

• 1990s: inspired by preppy, punk, and grunge styles, slip dresses, baggy pants, flannel, and geometric shapes

• 2000s: streetwear styles and extra-girly Y2K, low-rise jeans, velour tracksuits, denim-on-denim, and animal print

Step 2: Identify Your "Wants" and "Needs"

If you want to avoid overconsumption and only invest in vintage women's clothing, you'll actually wear, be realistic, and determine your "want" and "need" items. To determine the needs, look into your closet, find the missing gaps, and shop from there.

Do you need a new skirt in place of one that no longer fits? Search for a retro replacement. Need more corporate-appropriate business wear for your fancy new job? Opt for vintage suits and dress pants.

Think of your “wants” as the pieces you’d love to stumble upon at the store, but don’t necessarily urgently need in your closet. Do you want a pair of low-rise jeans? Are you searching specifically for silk scarves big enough to wear as a top?

Step 3: Set a Budget

Vintage women's clothing can be found at a wide range of price points, ensuring there's something for everyone! Before you stop by a Crown Point antique mall, set a realistic budget to prevent you from going overboard. That could be $15 or $150—whatever works for you and your wallet!

Step 4: Explore Your Nearest Vintage Clothing Store

Now that you have some ideas of what you want to buy and how much you can spend, it's time to head to your local vintage clothing stores! With hundreds of vintage brand collections under one roof, Illinois vendor malls like ours are one of the best places to shop for a variety of styles. Carve out a few hours of your time and start browsing.

Pro tip: Don't be afraid to go through each hanger, rack by rack, to look at every garment. You never know what amazing pieces you could find!

Step 5: Inspect the Garment for Condition

Just because something is on the rack doesn't mean it's in mint condition, especially the older vintage brands. If you like a design, check for stains, tears, and loose threads.

Remember, just because something has been damaged doesn't mean it has to be discarded! Plenty of vintage brand garments can be repaired, either at home or by a professional. So if you love something that’s not in perfect condition, it may still be worth it if it’s fixable.

Can You Buy Vintage Women's Clothing Online?

With countless apps and beloved auction websites available at the touch of a button, shopping for vintage brands online is more popular than ever! In our opinion, shopping in person is always better, but plenty of collectors prefer to buy vintage women's clothing from the comfort of their own homes. Just make sure that all high-end vintage brands come with proper authentication to avoid scams.

Whether you're rocking the poodle skirts and leather jackets of the '50s, the leg warmers and ugly Christmas sweaters of the '80s, or embracing the trendy Y2K style, vintage clothes stores are where it's at! Find the vintage women's clothing of your dreams at America's Antique Mall today.