DRESS FOR SUCCESS: WHY YOU SHOULD GO VINTAGE!
Why You Should go Vintage!
Article by Cinthia Singleton
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26
Why buy vintage shoes? Well, there’s their originality, design aesthetic and those special details one just won’t find on most shoes today. Rhinestones. Kid leather. Filigree buckles. Leather soles. Hand-stitching. The shape of a heel. Goldfish in a lucite heel even! And they can be a such value for the price. “They just don’t make them like they used to” holds true for so much vintage, the materials and craftsmanship often superior to many of today’s apparel and accessories. So while a pair of couture slingback flats, even if caught on sale, may never be in your budget, a similar, well-crafted vintage version just fill the bill.
And there are so many beautiful shoes online from which to choose once you know the #1 trick: compare measurements given in the listing to the measurements of a similar type shoe you own that fits well.
Measurements are generally provided on vintage shoes being sold online. This means:
Your similar shoe’s measurement + Online vendor’s measurements = virtual fitting room!
So there’s an adorable pair of vintage slingback flats on Ebay (or Etsy, Rubylane, Bonanza, or maybe a independent vintage dealer’s website) they’re similar to those Manolo Blahniks slingback flats you adore that aren’t in your budget, so perfect maybe!
1| Get your similar kind of shoe out and tape measurer, and measure:
a. interior length, from heel to toe
b. across the ball of the foot. Interior is best for fit but if the listing shoes measurement being taken from bottom of shoe, get that too.
c. vamp, taken across the top from seam to seam. This is an important one as it tells you how much room available for your tootsie toes.
2| Now compare measurements between your similar shoe’s and those given in the listing.
3| Don’t use this measurement comparison technique with your foot but similar type shoes, i.e. pump to pump, platform to platform, slipper to slipper, sandal to sandal. Don’t forget that a shoe like cowboy boot or stiletto has a longer, more exaggerated toe. Knowing where your toe ends comfortably in that type of shoe helps with a good fit.
Now what if you want a vintage shoe but don’t like the idea that another has possibly worn a pair of shoes before you? Consider a deadstock vintage shoe, a vintage shoe that never left the department store or manufacturer’s stock! Yes, you, too, can add a little vintage flair to your wardrobe.
Now get on good foot and take that discerning eye and this new bit of mindful shopping to the online stores - there are beautifully-made vintage shoes awaiting you!
“a good shoe is like a good wine. These shoes are going to stay and last a long time.” - Christian Louboutin
HOLISTIC FASHIONISTA RECOMMENDED!
Vintage items have a soul and heart, and they are unique. We search high and low for them, mostly from the estates of some really neat people. So there's often a story about the item shared with you the buyer. We live with this stuff, it has meaning; otherwise it's just stuff. Shop now!
