Vintage clothing
Thursday, June 12th, 2008
The “vintage advantage” refers to an anomaly in the pricing of high end vintage clothing vs. comparable new designer clothing. I originally coined this term to help my valued customers understand the relative value of vintage clothing. The anomaly is greatest for the most valuable pieces, i.e., numbered couture pieces. Vintage items will often sell for a fraction of the cost (10%) of the new item, far below their intrinsic worth.
Pictured above are two vintage numbered couture items sold by Vintage Textile. Each item also appears in one of my Gallery pages. The Chanel lace evening dress is about 70 years old. The Balenciaga silk gazar evening gown is 45 years old. Both dresses were in top condition. The buyer in each case purchased a couture treasure at a small fraction of the cost of new couture. In addition, the passage of time gives the vintage buyer two guarantees not available to the buyer of new fashion: the designer and the piece have both passed the test of time.
The market greatly exaggerates the discount to be applied to the vintage item due to factors like wear and tear. The anomaly gives the knowledgeable vintage buyer an opportunity to acquire the very best of our fashion heritage at incredible bargain prices provided certain conditions are met.