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Whether you're looking to indulge your own tastes or buy something for a friend or loved one, vintage clothing is a great choice. When you walk into a vintage clothing store, though, you'll want to know whether you're really getting a good value for your dollar. To accomplish that goal, you need to know a little bit about the vintage clothing sector before you dive in.

Learn How to Spot Vintage Clothes

There's a large market nowadays for thinks like vintage band T-shirts, but not everything that's out there is authentic. Surprising, details can be faked, such as wear, fading, and cracked graphics.

Small details give big clues about whether or not you're looking at true vintage T-shirts. Keep an eye out for the sizes of the tags, as tags on the insides of shirts tended to be larger, especially during the 1980s. In fact, many newer products are completely tagless. Also, look for logos that have changed over time, as even some of the most consistent brands among companies, bands, and organizations see small changes in their designs with each decade. Union labels indicate that a product was made in the U.S. prior to 1980, too.

Beware of Fit Issues

As the buying public has gotten taller and heavier, the fit of the average shirt has shifted upward. Don't trust that an L size will fit like today's version. In fact, you may end up needing to buy an XXL in vintage clothing sizes to achieve the same fit as a large shirt from today.

Have an Idea in Mind

The concept of vintage clothing covers a lot of popular culture territory, and it's wise to come into your purchases with a specific historical moment in mind. Focusing on, say, acquiring vintage band T-shirts from the 70s and early 80s punk scene can give your collection more appeal and visual consistency.

Overlap Decades

Mixing and matching items from decades that were close to each other is a good way to add an extra touch of authenticity. Folks living in the 1990s didn't just have whole closets full of new stuff; they often wore older items from the 80s. One decade often influences the following one, as can be noticed when comparing the look worn by Judd Nelson's character in The Breakfast Club against the grunge look that arose in the 1980s. Don't be afraid to play around at the stylistic edges of two decades.