Looking for quality clothing at a thrift store can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. There are hidden treasures among the shelves, but how do you know what to look for? News24 have talked to Ingemar “The Vintage Man” Albertssonwhich explains how to find quality garments on the shopping spree.
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Who is the Vintage Man?
Ingemar Albertsson is 73 years old and blogs about vintage clothes. The Instagram account “Vintagemannen” today has over 74,000 followers who want to share in his vintage-inspired lifestyle. Albertsson started the blog as a sustainability project to inspire to shop more second hand, but at the root is also an interest in dressing nicely.
– It started with vanity and that I wanted to be nicely dressed, but pretty soon it turned into me wanting to promote second hand through the way I look, says Albertsson.
That way you know which clothes are of good quality
To Nyheter24, Albertsson reveals how to quickly determine whether second-hand clothes are of good quality. According to him, older clothes are generally more durable. When we talk to Albertsson on the phone, he tells us that he is wearing a pair of uniform trousers from the 1940s that are still both intact and comfortable.
– The trousers have a stitching and a material that does not exist today. The quality was something I really discovered in old clothes. The big difference from new clothes is that old garments were created to last and to be remade, says Albertsson.
Older trousers generally have more fabric, as the garment must be able to be mended and re-sewn if necessary. The amount of fabric thus shows whether it is a garment of good quality.
– If you look around the waist and behind the seam, there is 4-5 centimeters of fabric that can be used to lay out in the back. You can see it down the length of the trousers, whether there is anything to put down or not. Or if the trousers are only minimally hemmed.
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Knitwear
There are also plenty of knitted garments in second-hand shops. Albertsson explains that there is a big difference between wool and synthetics.
– When it comes to knitwear, you can see it on the studs. Synthetic garments are much pickier than really fine wool.
For Albertsson, a visit to the second-hand shops is a daily routine. He finds it exciting not to know what bargains he will find before he enters the store.
– Going into a second-hand shop is an adventure. You have to be open to buying something that you didn’t expect. If you have acquired a certain style, no matter which one it is, you know what you have in your wardrobe at home and can find things that go with it in the store.
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