About Men's Vintage Clothing

Each era has a distinct and unique style of men’s clothing.  Any article of men's clothing produced between 1920 and about 1980 is considered vintage.  Authentic men’s vintage clothing includes coats, jackets, button-up shirts, suits, footwear, evening wear and hats.

Styles

Men’s clothing has changed throughout the decades due to changes in economic fluctuations and wartime activities.  During the 1920s, men wore jackets with long lapels and short waists.  As the decade went on the lapels grew longer and longer.  This is paired with a top hat and patent leather shoes.  Following decades saw the rise of the “zoot” suit worn during World War II, and the casual polo style shirt.

Value

Some men’s vintage articles of clothing can be worth little or quite valuable.  Original Levi jeans are in high demand today because they have a classic cut and are some early pairs were made from hemp denim material.  A pair of Levi’s dating back to 1880 sold online for $46,532 in 2001.  A pair of vintage Levi jeans from the 1880s all the way up to the 1970s is considered vintage.  There are Levi jeans timelines that show people just how to identify the year that jeans were made.

Vintage Inspired

Vintage inspired and reproduction clothing continues to sell in department stores.  Vintage inspired clothing refers to clothes currently manufactured with elements of vintage styles.  A popular shoe from the 1950s is produced today with pointed wing tips for a popular rockabilly vintage look.  Distinguish an original pair of Levi jeans from a reproduction pair by looking at the Levi’s tag.  The red tag has an upper case “E” on all pairs manufactured before 1971.