What qualifies as "Vintage"?

[KevKaos59]

What do the experts of this forum think qualifies as "vintage"? Is a hat from the 60's vintage? If so, what about the 70's? Maybe one from 50's doesn't even qualify as vintage when compared to hats from the 20's, 30's and 40's. Of course everything on Ebay is called vintage. I am really trying to learn from the ground up. I have two hats which I believe are from the 60's, maybe even late 50's, and wonder if it is correct to call them vintage.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Depends how old you are. Kids are buying 1980's clothing as vintage.

 

[gtdean48]

Wikipedia defines vintage clothing as clothes from 1920 to 1980. Before 1920 is antique. It also says "items of a prior era". To me, Stetsons became modern in the 70s, especially the Open Road model.

 

[KevKaos59]

Cool. Both good answers, at least for me. I am more concerned with look and feel, rather than value and whether it is truely vintage or not. My first hat was a brand new Bailey gangster fedora, and right from the start, I knew that it didn't compare to the hats my grand-dad wore in the 60's. The feel was no where near close. Since then, I have picked up a Dobbs stingy brim and a Stetson Royal Deluxe 2 inch brim and they both feel just like I remember grand-dad's hats. I have no clue what sort of felt they are, but I can hardly bear to wear the bailey now.

 

[Stan]

Hi,

I tend to think of anything before, say, 1965 as vintage. Mostly because the mid-1960's saw a marked change in what hats were, both in style and in construction.

There is also the school of calling them out by decade, as in 1950's vintage or 1930's vintage, etc. It seems that every decade from 1920 or so saw their own various styling changes....

later!

Stan

 

[KevKaos59]

I see. I am not sure how old my two old hats are. I hope to get the photos up soon so that the experts may be able to give me some insight. I'm thinking that the stingy brim Dobbs may be 60's since I read that stingy's came into fashion in the 60's. I could be way off base though because at this point I don't know enough.

Side note to Stan: I used to spend my summers in Wendell and Lizzard Lick when I was a kid.

 

[Stan]

Hi,

Ah! Know them both. Almost took a job years ago out in Lizzard Lick. I'm actually in Lillington, South of Raleigh some 30 miles. I put Raleigh, as practically no one would know where Lillington is....

Later!

Stan

 

[gtdean48]

Hi,

Ah! Know them both. Almost took a job years ago out in Lizzard Lick. I'm actually in Lillington, South of Raleigh some 30 miles. I put Raleigh, as practically no one would know where Lillington is....

Later!

Stan

fftopic: I got In-Laws over in Clinton.

 

[Artie]

Really it's subjective, I personally cannot consider anything after 1960 vintage.