How To Find Vintage Mens Shirts

By: Cassandra Morris

Break Studios Contributing Writer

You’ve always wanted a 1960’s bowling shirt, a retro Hawaiian shirt, or 1970’s ruffled tuxedo shirt, but you’ve never known how to find vintage men’s shirts. It takes a little digging, but after visiting these locations, your closet will thank you and your friends will bow down. When looking for vintage shirts, be sure to read reviews of websites when shopping online as you will be unable to inspect the condition of the shirt.  Here is a quick guide for how to find vintage mens shirts.

  1. Your local vintage store might smell a bit musty and seem slightly disorganized, but don’t be intimidated- that’s all part of its charm. Good vintage stores have racks of men’s shirts organized by style or year, and with some patience, you’ll be able to dig up a good one. Most vintage stores are independently owned and operate out of densely populated areas, so check your local listings for one near you.
  2. Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other donation-driven stores offer people a way to recycle their old clothing. What is old and out-of-date for one dude could be perfectly re-purposed for your closet. When searching for vintage shirts, these stores can be hit or miss, but visiting one in an affluent area usually yields better results. Tip: bring small bills and block off plenty of time to search through the racks.
  3. Online Auction Websites have become a haven for vintage. Some sellers are regular guys cleaning out their closets, while others are power sellers who operate entire online vintage stores via auction sites. You have to create an account to bid, but browsing is free, and you can search by plugging in keywords.
  4. Online Specialty Websites are chock-full of authentic retro shirts for sale. Most are one-of-a-kind, so if you see an old school military shirt or a disco shirt that catches your eye, snatch it up before the next guy does. It's also a good idea to go by the exact measurements listed instead of the size. Vintage fits and sizes can differ from modern standards.
  5. Local Estate Sales and Garage Sales can be found in almost any neighborhood on a Saturday or Sunday, and often feature entire closets of clothes from generations past. If you’re in the mood to dig and don’t mind the awkwardness of entering a stranger’s home to pillage their stuff, then you could score a retro shirt or two.
Posted on: Aug. 07, 2010