Every Tag Gives You Clues
A friend of mine went thrifting with me in Honolulu last month and asked me what I look for first. She was bewildered by the speed in which I could pull garments from rails, then edit and edit again before checkout. At first I thought it would be fit—in my eyes, the consumer looks at fit as one of the key elements they will never compromise on. But the truth is, I look at the tags. Brand, clues for origin of make and date, and content.
Let's break that down a little further.
The brand tag sits in the center back of the inside neck. This is required by import and export laws so shipping is faster and easier to check—and that works in my favor too. The history of major commercial brands like Hanes, Burberry, and Levi's are ingrained in my brain, so I won't dive into that—you can look it up. Collectors and enthusiasts have discussed how to identify those for years.
Content tags are often located on the inside side seam. This isn't a dealbreaker, but I check for synthetics and how they break down over time. If I see an old tag with elastane or nylon, I check the handfeel and make sure the fiber hasn't deteriorated to the point of stickiness (bad coating) or zero elasticity. I love the nylon synthetics in 1980s and 1990s sportswear with their signature swish, but some of that material didn't age well.
Go With Your Gut
With Daitai, I try not to over-personalize, so I buy an assortment of items that I can style and play with. My gut instinct tells me to find a mix of elegance and casual sport. I love badass leather jackets with silky dresses. I adore a good men's jean or Carhartt work pant with a cute, tight 1991 graphic tee and a silk scarf. This is where the YOU comes into play. I laugh at the obscene graphics I find on occasion—it's startling how wacky pieces look on a hanger nowadays. I just buy things that bring me joy, and sometimes they are vintage (twenty-plus years old) and sometimes they are just fun. The part you don't see is the manic editing phase. Maybe I'll share that secret with you sometime, maybe I won't.
0 comments