The Vintage I Didn't Sell in 2025
"Don't you want to just keep everything?"
1-800-VINTAGE has officially hit 1,000 subscribers! THANK YOU!
Your support means so much to me. Seriously, new subscriber notifications have the same effect on me as baby otter videos and your order is out for delivery! emails.
As a token of my appreciation, I’m offering 30% off an annual subscription until the end of the year. That averages out to only about $3.50 a month, the current value of going halfsies of an NYC matcha latte (before tip). Paid subscriptions allow me to devote even more time and passion to breaking down what’s going on in the vintage industry, furthering our collective education of fashion history, and continuing the 100 Fashion Films Project.
I also think a Substack subscription makes a great gift! If you gift someone one year of 1-800-VINTAGE, I will comp your next year as a thank you. That’s buy one get one free! Two for the price of one! Half off! A true steal.
I know I’m doing a good job as a vintage dealer when I fantasize about keeping and wearing every single piece I sell. For me, it’s part of the selection process. If I don’t feel drawn to an item enough to at least briefly imagine it in my own closet, I probably won’t pick it up for the shop.
Thankfully for my business, there are simple logistical reasons that prevent me from actually keeping everything: most things just aren’t the right size, and I’m very sensitive to certain fibers. But my real secret to letting go? The Test Driveᵀᴹ
Yep, I often wear my vintage inventory once or twice before I sell. The Test Drive helps me decide whether or not piece really belongs in my wardrobe. I often just need a reminder that loving a garment doesn’t mean I love it for me, and sometimes I can’t quite get there until I actually wear it.
Other times, the Test Drive just confirms that actually yes, I should keep this. Below, every single vintage item I kept for myself and wore this past year! Writing this was a great way to analyze the ways my style has and hasn’t evolved in 2025, and also provides a pretty thorough look into the places that I shop vintage. You’ll also notice quite a few of these purchases are from fellow vintage dealers. As a professional dealer myself, I’ll be the first to admit that “just finding it myself” is often impossible, or simply not worth it. I’d much rather support my peers than spend weeks, months (or even years) to hunt down the right style, color, and size to save $30.
3 Bags
I weirdly don’t think of myself as a “bag person” because I don’t have any designer bags. My extensive collection of vintage novelty bags says otherwise. I’ve had my eye on a Dallas Handbags (functional!) phone purse for years now. I really wanted it in red, but I just couldn’t pass up the black when I found it on eBay for under $100. Someone please quickly buy this (new with tags!) red version for $227 because I really don’t need two of these.
1970’s Dallas Handbags Telephone Purse
Purchased from: eBay
Price: $97.27
Upcycled Feed Sack Tote
Purchased from: Pantano Clothing
Price: $37.45 (on sale!)
Woven Pig Bag
Purchased from: Out West Market (Ventura, CA)
Price: $40
1 Coat
One single coat purchase has to be a personal record. I guess my many years of avid vintage coat buying have finally caught up to me, because I’ve actually been pretty satisfied and excited by the selection I already have! I scooped up this perfect vintage coat in the Fashion Tent at Brimfield, and adorned it with vintage pins.
1930’s Machinist Coat
Purchased from: Brimfield
Price: $60
4 Dresses
I was surprised to find that dresses were the category that I bought the most of! As I get older I really find myself prioritizing comfort, and there is an ease in a loose-fitting dress that makes them really appealing to me.
I bought the bias cut silk dress to sell, but ended up liking it so much I decided to hold on to it. I wore it to a nice dinner with my family when we visited my little sister for her college graduation, and I’ve since lent it to a friend to wear to a wedding.
Y2K Black & White Polka Dot Stretch Dress
Purchased from: Poshmark
Price: $25.65
Y2K Black Floral Bias Cut Dress
Purchased from: a thrift store in New Jersey
Price: $14.99
1990’s White Cotton Trapeze Mini Dress
Purchased from: Magda Spiro at Seven Wonders Collective (NYC)
Price: $130
1980’s Grey Cotton Knit Dress
Purchased from: Omnia Vintage (online)
Price: $175
1 Hat
I really want to be a cool hat girl. I like a baseball cap in warmer weather, and I do have a few winter knit hats that I love. I bought a beautiful cream fur hat at Brimfield that I’ve been waiting months to finally wear, but every time I put it on it doesn’t look right. I think the light colored wool is just too high contrast on me - my hair is so dark, most of my coats are dark, it just kind of makes me feel like a q-tip.
The one vintage hat I did find for myself this year is this chic little 1960’s pillbox. Before throwing it on to meet my friend for tea yesterday, I added one of the 50’s “vintage Labubus” I got at Brimfield. I told Emily Stochl of Pre-Loved more about my favorite silly vintage accessory here.
1960’s Black Wool Hat
Purchased from: an antique mall in Wichita, Kansas
Price: $8
Tiktok failed to load.
Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
