Online Vintage Shopping 101: How to Buy With Confidence
Sizing
The majority of vintage runs smaller than modern sizes, this is especially true with much older pieces. To avoid returns or an ill-fitting garment, make sure that you know your measurements (a guide to measuring yourself can be found here).
Once you know your measurements, purchase based off of those instead of simply trusting a letter size. Online sellers like myself will have the garment measurements in the description.
Material
The fabrics & material can make a big difference when it comes to all sorts of different factors with vintage. You may not like the feeling of some fabrics, some items may not be machine washable, or extremely delicate. It’s so important that you know what your garment is made of & it’s a responsibility of the seller to provide this information. If the material it isn’t listed, ask the seller. If it’s a material you don’t know, Google it & its properties. Lastly, if the seller is unaware of the material (not uncommon for vintage to have no tags) then ask them to do their best to describe it’s feel, texture, & stretch to you.
Condition
The condition of vintage clothing that people are selling can vary so much. Look closely at the photos included in the listing & see if there are any imperfections you should ask about. Check the listing itself to see if the seller includes a current condition of the piece (a scale on rating vintage condition can be found here). If you still aren’t sure you can always feel free to contact the seller and ask directly what the condition is or if there are any issues/flaws/imperfections. This is your right as a potential customer. Keep in mind some wear is normal, as most vintage pieces are previously worn.