Vintage Fashion Guild—A (Semi) Undiscovered Resource
Well, from this merry crew an idea was born -- The Vintage Fashion Guild. A non-profit organization which would devote itself to educating the public about the value of vintage clothing, and provide support for sellers, collectors, and enthusiasts. The best resouce for vintage. That was the dream.
A few years ago (it was, but it seems strange to say it; time speeds so swiftly), there were a bunch of enthusiastic, madcap, chatty vintage folks who congregated on the Vintage Clothing and Accessories Board in eBay's community forums. We talked about vintage clothing in general, helped each other date items, waxed poetic over favorite frocks, and had in-depth discussions about issues that related to vintage clothing (conservation, fur/anti-fur, selling tips, photography tips).
Well, from this merry crew an idea was born -- The Vintage Fashion Guild. A non-profit organization which would devote itself to educating the public about the value of vintage clothing, and provide support for sellers, collectors, and enthusiasts. The best resouce for vintage. That was the dream.
I was involved in some of these early talks (I was very active in the discussions that resulted in the condition rating chart), but I felt there was a potential conflict of interest with some of the VFG's goals and the goals I had for my Web site, VintageGriffin.com. So I backed away from further, active involvement, and the VFG and I continued to pursue our independent plans.
Years later, I'm delighted that the Vintage Fashion Guild and VintageGriffin.com have each come a long way. The Vintage Fashion Guild (http://www.vintagefashionguild.org) is one of the best online resources for novice and advanced vintage clothing folk. It's the community that makes it strong. Pooled knowledge, encouragement, helpful advice. One of the brightest jewels in its crown is the Label Resource, an online, searchable image database of labels -- from couture houses to department stores, from legendary names like Worth to more obscure monikers. For labels that have had a long history and/or different lines (like Ceil Chapman, Ralph Lauren, Pauline Trigiere), there are multiple examples to help date and identify. It's a shared resource that grows richer every year by the image contributions of members and just plain helpful people.
There's a membership fee to join, but there are some benefits (see their Web site for details). You can get a feel for the community by hanging out or posting in the public forums there. You will find the denizens most helpful and friendly.
The Vintage Fashion Guild is finally getting some recognition. It's being cited with increasing frequency in books. It's come such a long way in so little time. Now I'm starting to see some rival organizations, but none of them provide as much value as the VFG. Please do check it out.
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