The 31st Annual Vintage Fashion Show & Sale is September 3rd and it’s an exciting time at Goodwill! We will be at the Hilton Downtown Knoxville hosting a huge sale of vintage and modern high quality clothes, and a fashion show featuring many amazing vintage outfits. We are getting ready here at the office organizing, pricing, and picking outfits for models. You should be getting ready too! I have some tips to help you prepare to come, shop, and have a blast at the Goodwill Vintage Fashion Show!
This amazing vintage dress has lots of sparkles - find one like it at a Goodwill store to wear to the Fashion Show, or grab this one from the Vintage Boutique for future outings.
Dress for the occasion! This is a super fun time to dress up in vintage and formal-wear, which you can find at any Goodwill store.
Think about what kinds of items you want to add to your wardrobe. We have everything: furs, pant suits, fancy dresses, shoes, jewelry, formals, jumpsuits and so much more! If you know you are not going to wear a fur in a million years, then you know you don’t have to look through that. If your shoe storage is overflowing like mine, maybe concentrate your efforts elsewhere. Know what you want and make a bee-line there!
Buy the Vintage Boutique Presale ticket. If you are serious about wanting some awesome vintage fashion, which you totally should be, then spend the five dollars on the presale ticket and get there at 5pm for the presale, where you can get to all the good stuff before anyone else does!
Take your measurements ahead of time. Bring a small measuring tape with you, and if you are unsure if something is going to fit, measure it! Vintage sizes are really different than the ones that we have today. (If you’d like to know, check out these cool links: here and here.) Remember the store has high quality current fashion as well, so pay attention! Sizes printed on the tag can really vary.
This dress with matching coat has a metal zipper that has been painted to match the dress.
You can learn to identify which era clothing you are holding by looking for a few key hints. One of these is the zipper placement. If a dress was made in the 30’s and 40’s, it would most likely be on the side. In the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, a zipper down the middle of the back was more common.
This black dress has a unique style, amazing detail and a union label.
If you are looking for pieces that are 60 + years old look for metal zippers, side-snap closures, saw-toothed edges (often known as pinked seams), and union labels printed in blue. If you would like more tips on how to identify the age of your piece, here are a few more interesting articles: here, here and here.
This Easter dress has pinked seams to prevent fraying.
Be ready to try stuff on! There are no fitting rooms, but ladies can pull pants on under dresses and guys can try on shirts easily with undershirts. We won’t judge! However, don’t abandon your personal clothes if you should remove a layer to try something on; someone might try to buy it!
Invest in future shopping. Buy a raffle ticket for $5 at the event for your chance to win a $500 Visa gift card, which you can spend anywhere you want. We recommend your nearest Goodwill store. (Note: raffle tickets are cash-only, but you can use cards in the Vintage Boutique.)
Don't forget to keep an eye out for fabulous furs and awesome accessories!
I am so excited to go to this event; it is going to be so much fun! Our models look amazing, and the clothes are fabulous! Seating is limited and we sold out last year, so get your ticket now! And remember, everything is more fun with a friend; invite yours to come along on Facebook.
I’ll see you there!
Alyssa