Best and Worst Vintage Buys

Ever heard the expression “History repeats itself?” We would like to make one minor tweak: Fashion repeats itself. It’s true. How many times have you heard your mom/aunt/grandmother say in reference to your current outfit, “That was popular when I was a girl”? Waaay too many times.

If only said items were saved, then you’d have a cool original piece that cost nada. Unfortunately, most old clothes get tossed or donated. (Just think about your last closet clean out.) No worries. You can still get the original look you want — ’60s flower child, “Mad Men” housewife, ’50s vamp — by shopping vintage.

Click here to find out what to skip and what to score at the vintage store.

Now, if you’re new to the vintage world, it can be a bit intimidating. After all, these are old clothes — what’s really worth the cash and when should you buy new?

To get those answers and more, we turned to two women who run the best vintage shops in the country: Erica Easley, co-owner of Red Light Clothing Exchange in Portland, Ore., and Leslie Courreges, owner of Retro Active Vintage in New Orleans, La They gave us the good (and the bad) on vintage shopping. So before you slip into that ’60s bikini, read this first. You’ll find out everything you need to know about the vintage world.

Click here to find out what to skip and what to score at the vintage store.