If you like vintage clothing, you should like Etsy. This online craft marketplace also sells vintage duds at good prices. Here are 5 of my favorite vintage sellers:
1. Solanah: This seller and sewer spends a lot of time at estate sales finding the perfect things to wear and sell on her Etsy shop. She tends towards styles from the 20s to 60s, which is perfect for the retro maven. In addition to clothes, she sells shoes, hats, jewelry and some pictures/diagrams that she finds along the way.
Sizes in vintage fashion aren’t the same as modern-day designs, but most items appear to be a size 8 or less. Shoes tend to be size 7 or less. Solanah does sell some larger items for plus size women, but those are few and far between. Items are nonreturnable and are not washed upon arrival to keep the fabric intact.
Wondering what she looks like? Solanah is the model in almost all of the pictures! She also has a terrific personal fashion blog that’s a great read for anyone into vintage clothes, hair and makeup.
2. Santoki Vintage: This shop has slightly newer vintage items from the 70s. There is a wide array of dresses, tops and shoes on this site. As is standard in the world of vintage, measurements are provided with each item to ensure a proper fit.
Santoki offers slightly more in the way of men’s vintage, especially shoes. This store has almost nothing for plus-size people except for accessories, but what they do have is stunning. Refunds are available in case something isn’t as advertised, but otherwise you buy it, you keep it.
3. 13bees: This seller is one of the most expensive of all Etsy vintage shops, but the style represented here can’t be beat. 13bees specializes in dresses, many of which would fit a size 14 woman. Most of them are 60s-era and would look great if worn to work.
13bees only uses Paypal and ships via USPS, including international shipments. The owner is willing to work with you in case your item is not as expected, but refunds are generally not done.
4. Persephone Vintage: This shop has more personality than some of the others I’ve seen. Bright colors, flirty skirts and funky boots rule this store, but the prices are comparable to what you’d pay in a department store. However, Persephone does offer some stunning reconstructed handmade vintage pieces for less than you’d pay for other items. The store also has a large collection of shoes and bags.
Persephone doesn’t do returns based on fit, but the shop does offer measurement tips to make sure clothes fit right the first time.
5. Revival House: This is another one of my favorite shops because it’s priced right. Revival House always has a ton of items on sale. The dresses come in a wide variety of styles. In addition to measurements, Revival House will tell you how an item feels like it fits (ex. fits like a large). There are plenty of accessories for you, too — hats, scarves, necklaces and purses. Most of the items date back to the 50s to 70s.
No returns are accepted, but the seller is reasonable if something went wrong. You can get a discount if items were damaged during shipping.
