Thoughts on Vancouver’s “finest” clothing establishments.
Lea Krusemeyer (she/her) // Sports Editor
JJ Eng (they/them) // Illustrator
The year is 2021 and Vancouverites are going haywire. They had found their next big craze. Thrifting, as we know it today. While the act of thrifting had been around for many years beforehand, the concept had found mainstream internet appeal and the fashion-loving community of the Lower Mainland can’t and won’t be stopped in their pursuit of the next big thrifting find.
Fast forward a couple of years and just like most things that once started out as a niche, fun activity, the capitalist machinery that has Vancouver in a chokehold got wind of the endless possibilities to profit from second-hand clothing. Next to staples like Value Village or Salvation Army, a new kind of clothing store began to pop up all across town, vintage stores. Places, like The Only and Mintage, promise hand-picked finds, special pieces and hidden gems spanning from dresses made as long ago as the late 1900s to special band shirts from the 1950s.
What exactly is the difference between a thrift store and a vintage store? A quick Google search reveals that it’s all about the sourcing of the product. While thrift stores get their inventory mainly through donations, vintage stores have special pickers who go and source their inventory from sellers or factory sales. Additionally, in order for something to be considered vintage, it needs to be at least 20 years old (according to Mrs. Martha Stewart). The promise of vintage stores is a carefully curated selection of pieces that will allow anyone strolling through their shops to feel like they entered a time machine.
Sounds fascinating doesn’t it? Tell me why, on my last stroll through one of Vancouver’s chain vintage stores, I found Champion shorts from the late 2000s, T-shirts that not only had holes in them but were also stained with makeup and a seemingly never-ending selection of Forever 21. This eye opening experience led me on a trip down memory lane.
Just a few years ago, I was going on day trips to Value Village in Langley or New Westminster with my best friend, Saint. We would find designer pieces ranging from Chanel to Vera Wang to Alexander McQueen, all affordable, clean and in good shape. With these vintage pieces available elsewhere, why shop vintage?
It can’t be because of their quality or their prices, so it must be something else. My best guess is that they exploit the lack of knowledge in their customers: they promise carefully sourced vintage products and the average consumer believes that that is what they will find on their racks. Many items are missing the original tags, it isn’t always easy to find the year a dress was made or even the company it was made by. So these stores can go ahead and price their products as high as they want, as opposed to thrift stores which were created to give a new home to used clothes with lower pricing because of it.
More than once I have been told by people in my life that vintage stores and thrift stores are the same thing. This couldn’t be further from the truth, these stores do not even cater to the same tax bracket. Thrift stores are known to be frequented by people who need clothes at affordable rates, and nowadays by resellers too but that is a different story, whereas Vintage stores cater to the financially well-off. Who pays upwards of $100 for a dress with no tag. It surely isn’t your average Value Village shopper.
There is an appeal in these kinds of stores. I am sure rummaging through racks of shirts and finding actual vintage band merch is exciting. Overall though it seems like just another way to exploit the average Vancouverite who is on the hunt for cute and affordable clothes. The lack of knowledge on the consumer’s side doesn’t help.
One final formal warning: on your next trip through Vancouver’s ‘finest’ clothing establishments, be sure to keep your eyes peeled and remain alert. You never know what’ll be written when that price tag gets flipped over, all in the name of the ideal vintage find.
