Curated vintage is a phenomenon that has become incredibly popular in recent years for the environmentally conscious and trendy. But what exactly is it?
It is about carefully selecting vintage pieces according to certain criteria in order to be able to offer the customer a selection of the best in a certain niche. The criteria can be, for example, style, year, material, quality, trends. The goal is to make it easier and more special for the customer to find vintage that suits their taste.
It's the shop owners who do the "heavy lifting", they source products that are in line with their brand, date garments, keep track of what's trending right now. The shop owners repair, polish, wash and market - all to be able to offer vintage in a luxurious and well-thought-out way.
Gives sustainability a chance to compete with the big brands
The big breakthrough that has come with curated vintage is that the shop owners market older garments and furnishings just as modern as the stores that sell newly produced, which gives vintage clothes and interior a greater chance of being able to compete with the big chains.
Many curated vintage shops are trendsetters in their own ways and many create a niche and hold on to it, for example shops that focus on unisex street style, Y2K or minimalist scandi. These shopkeepers create expectations and desires with the help of strategic marketing, close customer contact and small limited collections that you have to be quick to buy because there is only one of each. This business model has opened the eyes of a larger target group that might not otherwise have chosen vintage or secondhand.
There is no doubt that this business model is here to stay and will only grow even bigger. The global second-hand market will grow by 77.8% between 2023 and 2028 and will be worth $350 billion by 2028 and make up 10% of the fashion market by 2025, according to a new report from Resale Report.
The pricing at curated vintage shops is often higher than flea markets, charity shops or online marketplaces. Remember, you get what you pay for. At a curated vintage shop, you don't just buy vintage, you buy the shop owner's inspiration, sure instinct and knowledge.
3 reasons why many people choose to shop curated vintage:
1: It makes vintage more accessible
Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to step into a flea market and be greeted by all the different, scattered impressions. Say you are looking for a white lace blouse and are greeted by a sea of different blouses and shirts, most of it new from a fast fashion chain, everything is mixed together and you have to stand and browse through a hundred different blouses to find a white lace blouse - and then comes the question, is this particular white lace blouse a good investment for your wardrobe?
The great advantage of curated vintage is that the gems are picked out and offered directly to you. Instead of yet another white blouse from some fast fashion giant, the shop owners make sure to match you with a silk blouse with lace embroidery from the 90s that gives you both a more unique garment for the wardrobe and a valuable investment.
2: It's inspiring
Just like a creative director for a fashion magazine, curated vintage shops spend a lot of time on the aesthetic so that you can easily visualize how the garment or gadget could look in your modern wardrobe.
3: It makes vintage shopping easy and time-saving
With the help of curated vintage shops, you will never excidently buy something you think is vintage that is actually fast fashion and in other words does not meet your measure of either uniqueness, quality or sustainability. The curated shop owners are trained professionals in sourcing and finding genuine vintage.
It is also time-saving. Full-time jobs, family and a home to take care of are time-consuming in themselves, dragging in going to flea markets every weekend or scrolling on Vinted every night may not be at the top of the priority list. Curated vintage shops do the heavy lifting for you and only allow you to browse through the best vintage has to offer.
At Vintage Sphere, we curate genuine vintage with at least 20 years of good vibes that feel just as relevant today as when they first made their long-awaited entrance into the fashion world!
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