Where to shop to find vintage

I get asked fairly often where I get my clothes. Since I wear vintage most of the time, I get a lot of comments, whether good or bad, and a lot more curiosity. "Do you always dress like that?" is a question I think I am asked most often, and I always say "Yep, usually." 

I get a lot of the nicest compliments from the older generation. One little old lady at the store told me I look like Viven Leigh, another old man once took out a picture of his wife when she was young and told me that I reminded him of her. At AJ's the older lady behind the counter told me "It's nice to see a young lady wearing a dress."

My generation is where I get mixed reviews. Some like it, a lot don't. I used to care a lot about what others thought about my, but growing up to be an adult I've learned to just be who I am and not really care what others have to say about it. Cliche, right? 

But really, I like vintage, I've always had a passion for the past...and I can face it, modern clothes do not fit my body correctly. I'm curvy. I have a big chest, smaller waist, and big hips. Hip hugger jeans don't look right on me, and short baggy low plunging dresses don't show off my figure in the right ways. So, putting together my love of the past with the clothing dilemmas i've encountered, I've taken some tips from the past on dressing.

I get asked often where I get my clothes, and how I get them cheaply. I do not like to spend a lot on one item, when I can spend the same amount of money on multiple things, if I look hard enough. The only exception to that is Christmas and my birthday. Those are the times I will splurge on the more expensive items I've had my eye on all year round.

Where I get my clothes:

1. Etsy

Etsy is one of my favorite places to shop. Since it's mostly vintage, it's easy to sort through. Its one of the best places online to find beautiful vintage clothing, because most dealers will list it there or have an Etsy shop. Above photo shows a few items I have purchased at Etsy over some time. I really dislike spending a lot on individual items, so their price filter is so helpful. I usually type in 0$-15$ in the filter, and write keywords like "1950s dress". You may have to search a bit through all the patterns for sale, but I can tell you I have found some gems this way.

Check out my Etsy store: NoodleBowlsVintage

2. Ebay

Ebay is also another great place to find vintage clothing. Although not as vintage-geared as Etsy, if you type in the right search words you'll find a lot. I also set the price point low on Ebay, as a lot of people aren't exactly dealers there...they tend to either under or over price. I got the above dress for only $9!

3. Instagram

Instagram has become an awesome place to get clothes. I have an "Instagram store" (find me! @NoodleBowlsVintage") and mostly do trading. No one really likes to spend money if they don't have to, and if you have major dress lust over someone else's clothing in their Instagram store, why not initiate a trade? 

4. Thrifting

I go thrifting once a week at Goodwill by my house, and have found amazing things there. The above dress is a Hell Bunny dress that retails for $150 on Modcloth, that I found for $9.99. Goodwill isn't all vintage, obviously, but if you have the time and patience to sort through the modern and/or the junk, I promise you can find amazing things. 

5. Vintage Reproduction Lines

This is the priciest of your options, but a good one. If you are worried about wearing your authentic vintage out in fear of more damage or wear, this is a good alternative. Giving you the same look, its brand new so you don't need to worry about how delicate your dress is. 

The left is from Modcloth, and the right is from Eshakti. Both are great places for Vintage Reproduction! 

There you have it. Happy shopping!