Vintage Clothing Sales Surge in Bad Economy

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed)
Oct 8th 2008 at 5:02PM

Designer vintage clothiers have always boasted a discerning clientele -- it takes a certain skill to identify and hunt down the fashion highlights from seasons past. In the current economy, high-end vintage outlets like The Way We Wore and Decades tell the LA Times that business is hotter than ever.

As Jared Paul Stern reported earlier this fall, Christie's is about to auction some of the 20th Century's most amazing vintage finds, a collection amassed by the bicoastal favorite Resurrection, a pioneer of designer vintage during the last economic downturn.

Vintage prices are indeed wallet-friendlier. Consider the Oscar de la Renta gown at right. Original retail: $14,000. For sale via eBay for the buy-it-now price of $3,500.

Your feelings about Reaganomics aside, the vintage trend has had successful trickle down: sales are up at Goodwill and Salvation Army, too.

[via Los Angeles Times]

Tags: decades, nina ricci, NinaRicci, resurrection, salvation army, SalvationArmy, the way we wore, TheWayWeWore, thrift shops, ThriftShops, vintage designer, VintageDesigner

Filed under: Apparel

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

just me Oct 8th 2008 6:01PM

As a college student, I loved the Salvation Army and Goodwill for Lacoste polos and the like, staple stuff. And I've tried to get vintage stuff on eBay but have never won the comme des garcons or hermes that I crave. Oh well.