How to Look Haute in Someone Else's Clothes
Vintage Clothes Shopping

Katie Luscombe

We Luscombes (Katie, Stephanie and Daniel) have been antique shopping and garage sale hunting for as long as we can remember. Our eyes were trained at a young age to distinguish trash from treasures and we’ve developed an acute appreciation for unique things from the past. My sister and I live for digging through boxes of hand-me-down costume jewelry, and her twin Dan even used to get paid for his skills when he worked for an estate sale company.

Needless to say, shopping for vintage clothes is how we bond. So I thought Team Luscombe would pass on some advice about our favorite hobby. It’s a win-win situation – a great way to dress completely unique for a fraction of the price of normal shopping.

So here it is, direct from us to you:

The Luscombe Sibling Guide to Looking Haute, Not Hobo (unless it’s like an Olsen on a good day), in Someone Else’s Old Clothes

Where To Go

Garage Sales: A neighborhood sale can be a fun morning activity during a lazy summer day, but talk about hit-or-miss. Garage sales don’t have the best success rate. Then there’s the added sense of awkwardness that inherently comes from standing in someone’s garage/driveway as they watch you judge the quality of their old crap and decide which, if any, of their almost-garbage items you find worthy enough to fork over 25 cents.  Good for those who enjoy haggling with penny-pinching suburbanites.

Estate Sales: These are way better than garage sales, because for one, you get to snoop through someone else’s house and literally buy anything in it, from old fur coats to coffee tables to half-empty cans of paint. And since it’s everything-goes, that means the good stuff’s also for sale. The downside: Usually looming with snooty antique dealers who know exactly how much that Gucci clutch you’ve been eyeing is worth.

Thrift Stores: Secondhand shops like Goodwill, Volunteers of America , and the Salvation Army feature large, frequently-replenished supplies and rock-bottom prices.  They are lots of fun to dig through if you’ve got an hour or two to kill, but be prepared to do some serious filtering. However, I have picked up some amazing things for a mere dollar or two and take frequent visits for theme parties, Halloween costumes, or just for fun.
Goodwill and VOA: Both on South Cedar St. in Lansing
Salvation Army: West Saginaw St, Lansing

Flea Markets: A fabulous combination of the first three, flea markets are always changing and always fun.  You really never know what people are going to bring.

Vintage Boutiques: When you’re not in the mood for the time and guesswork necessary for the Salvation Army, or you just want to hang around some hipsters, embrace the vintage boutique.  Sometimes they can be a bit overpriced, especially in big cities, but generally, you will sill pay far less than you would for a new item.  The extra cash is often worth it though, for a finely-tuned, high-quality selection.
Try Scavenger Hunt on Grand River, Mother Fletcher’s in Ferndale, or, a longtime favorite of mine, Lost and Found Vintage in Royal Oak.

Plato’s Closet: Where Meridian Mall comes to die. Just…no.

Ten Tips
1. Always check for pit stains. Unless it’s a vintage tee or pair of jeans, make sure the quality is intact. A non-salvageable rip or stain is not cute, unless the item is meant to have the “worn” look.  A little hole can make a piece go instantly from classy to trashy.
2. The easiest and most reliable things to pick out are scarves, ties, and jewelry.  You can almost always find one of these, and trying them on is a breeze. Next up are goofy t-shirts and sweatshirts, they just take longer to thumb through.
3. Second-guess everything in your head.  Picture it out of the context of a thrift store, and imagine if you could see Kate Moss (or someone else with a style you admire) pulling it off. The key is seeing everything in a new light to put your own personal spin on your wardrobe.
4.  Trust your instinct. Don’t worry if you’re never seen anyone wearing that exact style…that’s the whole point! If you wanted the same stuff as everyone else, you could go to Meridian Mall (and we all know that’s a place that’s best to avoid) In high school, my senior year homecoming dress was purchased on a whim for $11, and then a few months later, I started seeing similar styles in stores.
5. Now that you’ve heard 3 and 4…don’t push it. Don’t get “cool ugly” confused with regular ugly.
5. A good vintage dress is killer. If you find one with a nice fit, proportions, etc, dry clean and cherish it.
6. It’s possible to go all-vintage, but that can be very hard to get right.  Try putting on one or two items with your normal clothes.
7.  Consider how you can modernize something that looks more “dated” than “retro.”  Can you take out the shoulder pads? Can you, or a tailor, make a simple nip at the waistline? These simple adjustments can make a world of difference.
8. Think about the alternate possibilities. Can that skirt be a dress? What would it look like with a different belt? And don’t forget to browse the men’s section.
9. It helps to bring someone along to tell you if you’re getting ahead of yourself.  Sometimes I get a little too excited and start grabbing things I’d never actually wear, so it’s nice when Stephanie can keep me in check. Plus, since not everything is going to fit, you can still revel in those great finds by passing them on to your shopping buddy.
10.  Pants are…difficult. Most of the time, we are way more accustomed to modern-day fits, even if they are throwback looks like high waists. It’s not impossible—I love love love the look of vintage Levi’s, and Daniel has some great plaid old man pants—but it can take many hours and many disappointing try-ons to find something that fits well and it also fashion-forward. Best to go to a vintage store where most of the sifting is already done.