More and more vintage but less antique clothing: ‘Vintage is a buzzword’

According to designer Bastian Van Scheek, “used” is becoming more and more popular in general, in part because life is becoming more and more expensive. “Because of the inflation, people are more likely to buy used stuff,” says Van Scheek. “And now we have Generation Z, which is the generation that focuses on second-hand clothes.”

The rise of online sales platforms has also contributed to this popularity, according to Van Chick. “Mobile apps like Vinted have made it even easier. You used to live in Amsterdam if you wanted a classic score, but now you can get it in so many places.”

But not everything that is used is necessarily antique. “Vintage is a buzzword for a certain category of second-hand clothing. To call something vintage, it has to be 50 years old,” Van Chick continues. “It’s about the zeitgeist. Vintage products are often special and unique items, and there’s only one piece, for example. There’s also a lot of unique vintage clothing.”

Louis Vuitton

According to the designer, the vintage also differentiates itself from the “normal” second-hand group through its pricing. “The investment has often been significant, so they are somewhat more expensive than all other second-hand clothes,” Van Schick continues. “Something from Louis Vuitton is more likely to be called vintage than a pair of plain old jeans.”

Also according to Muriel Knepkens of Vindit Vintage in Amsterdam, vintage clothes often say something about a particular time. “The point is that it’s an authentic piece of clothing, which was typical of the period,” says Knipkins. “Like Jackie Kennedy dresses from the ’60s. Or jackets from the ’70s.”

“It also has to be rare,” Knippkins continues. “If someone puts on a flannel shirt and it doesn’t fit, I say keep looking, because you’ll come across one. But with old fashioned it’s really rare, you’re talking about something you won’t find for a second.”

Jasby the Great

How is vintage different from antique? “If something is more than 100 years old, you call it antique,” Knipkins continues. “I explain to my clients: vintage is the stage before something becomes obsolete. But that doesn’t apply to everything. Toilet paper, for example, doesn’t get obsolete.”

According to the shopkeeper, there is also a difference in the use of antique versus antique products. “You’ll still use the old-fashioned, but if you buy an antique coffee cup you won’t drink from it,” says Knippkins. “You put it in the closet. The same goes for the antique dress: you won’t wear it anymore. Antiques, for example, The Great Gatsby of the 1920s: you don’t come across it anymore, but you don’t find it.” It doesn’t fit there either.”