where i find vintage

This skirt and sweater belonged to my grandma when she was in high school.

 One of my favorite hobbies is finding different pieces of vintage clothing to wear, especially when there are stories behind them. Through the past years as my interest in vintage clothing has grown I have found that my greatest vintage finds and resources were much closer than I had originally thought. Here are a few tips that may help you realize that there are old stories and clothes to be found, and they might be right in front of you!

• Talk to your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles or whoever you have a close relationship with. Ask them about their past. 
• Questions to ask: What were you doing at my age? What were you wearing? What was the world like when you were growing up? How did you meet grandpa, grandma, etc.? Do you have pictures I can see? 
• Take notes or record the interview (if they are comfortable with that) that way these pieces of history they are telling you won't be lost!
• I guarantee you will learn new things about your grandparents, parents or whoever you are talking to. More often than not after the stories are told they will bring out old clothes or trinkets to show you. If they don't ask them, most likely they'll enjoy looking back on their past!

Through this method I have learned so many fun things and heard new stories from my grandparents and parents. Stories that may have been lost had I not asked them questions! Most of the time the people you ask will love that you made time to talk to them and learn about their past! 

Through talking to my grandparents and parents I have rescued old dusty clothes long forgotten in closets and from decades past (the 1950's and the 1980's). I've tried on my moms old prom dresses, and wedding dress, as well as the clothes my grandma wore in high school! It's been such a fun experience learning more about their past, and finding vintage clothes that have meaning to me, and their wearers in the past. 

I hope these tips help inspire you to learn more about someone else, as well as find some vintage clothes! Happy searching!