FAQs

Below are some of the most common issues and concerns that Elinor and her competent staff address on a regular basis:

What exactly are vintage period garments and how do they differ from antique items?

How do I create my own personal style of dressing?

What are the central items from clothing designers this season, or this year, that are must haves for my lifestyle? What about next year?

How can I expand my wardrobe purchasing vintage items and accessories?

Oh no!  I just realized that my garment has lost one button!  What do I do? 

My favorite outfit needs buttons repaired, or would look distinctive with new buttons; where can I find such a service?

How do I dress for a special occasion?  What are the accepted and/or expected appropriate style requirements for evening versus daytime events?

Where can I receive advice, and with whom can I discuss the complicated business of downsizing/liquidating my family members' possessions, before I actively make any decisions and take definitive actions?

What exactly are vintage period garments and how do they differ from antique items?
In the garment industry and with an historic view/realm, generally the item should be 20 years old in order to be labeled vintage. However, often in the consignment and resale world of commerce we soften the time range. 100 years old is the definition for an item to be called an antique.

Here at Vintage Mirage, since we downsize customers' wardrobes as well as estates, we consider any item to be vintage, since the item has been pre- owned, but is in mint condition. So I often tell my customers that especially when we find a garment or item of jewelry or purse with the original tags still on them, that the item might be from one day or up to 100 years old. Using my knowledge of the history of fashion, buttons, accessories and jewelry I am usually able to date an item within 10 to 20 years.

How do I create my own personal style of dressing?
It is our job here at Vintage Mirage to help you find the most flattering outfit with accessories for your life style, personal comfort zone, and enhance your figure in a flattering manner; a look I often call body architecture. In addition, we often suggest certain styles, lengths of garments, range of colors for a special occasion. After the garment is fitted, then we spend time with the customer to help transform the look into a full outfit with purse, belt, shoes, jewelry, hairstyle, etc. With several possible combinations available here in the store, and the changing transformation of the whole look on the customer, here is the moment when the personal style of dressing becomes a work of art for each customer. We firmly believe that each customer is unique and so therefore, with the new and vintage looks all combined, here is the moment for personal style of dressing.

If you also wish to inquire further about Personal Style, you have several more options: please refer to a blog I wrote summer 2011 for a process you can do at home; you also can hire one of my staff to visit your Wardrobe In Home as a personal service.

Oh no! I just realized that my garment has lost one button! What do I do now? My favorite outfit needs buttons repaired or would look refreshed with distinctive new buttons; where can I find such a service?
You have come to the perfect source for Re-Buttoning a garment. Our Re-Buttoning Service is listed under Special Services on our web site. Here at Vintage Mirage we have a wide range of vintage and couture buttons, individually and in sets for purchase. We also offer the sewing on or replacement of buttons so that you will have confidence wearing your garment. Elinor Coleman is a member of the National Button Society and has extensive knowledge of the history, various materials, preservation, cleaning requirements, appropriate style and format for re-buttoning.

The usual format is to come by the store with the garment, leave the item with us, within several days, Elinor will locate a sample array of buttons suitable for the garment, and call you to make an appointment day/ time for you to come and choose which style you wish. If you elect to have us sew on the buttons, then we will sew on the buttons over the next several days and call you to come by the store and pick up the finished garment.

Where can I receive advice and with whom can I discuss the complicated business of downsizing/liquidating my family members' possessions, before I actively make any decisions and take definitive actions?
Here at Vintage Mirage we have a special service which provides on a consultancy basis, objective and thoughtful information through the actual pricing, packing, donating or selling of downsizing and liquidating whole households to personal wardrobes, anywhere in the United States. We are often referred by customers, realtors and lawyers, due to our first class reputation since 2004, in the vintage business here in Alexandria, VA.

Elinor Coleman lectures to local community organizations about the importance of careful and thoughtful planning when contemplating downsizing.

Please refer to the Special Services web page, or call Vintage Mirage, and we will be happy to send you a copy of our information packet.

How can I expand my wardrobe by purchasing vintage items and accessories?
A customer's wardrobe is comprised of a central group of garments, a range of day to day clothing and work related clothing, usually a specific range of colors, certain styles of garments; outside of this main grouping is the special event and evening clothes.

I wrote a blog to help customers expand and experiment with new combinations of outfits for the summer months, which can be accessed through the blog page of this website.

If the customer has a favorite dress, for instance, a large belt will totally alter the fit and overall architecture of the look. In addition, a suit jacket, a long no button light weight coat or vest will transform the dress into the new trend of suit- dress and jacket. For this new suit look, the garments do not have to be of the same material, nor the same color and texture.

Mixing the eras of fashion is the benefit to wearing vintage clothing. So many of the garments are exquisitely tailored and have wonderful details to show. The regular pant suit can also be altered by changing the jacket, from another era, for instance. The often popular 1940-50's beaded cardigan sweater is fun with pants and a blouse or T shirt top.

Some customers are wearing frilly lingerie/negligee, such as short bed jackets as cardigan tops. We also carry fur stoles, which can be worn over a dress or sweater for fun, not necessarily only outside on the neck of an overcoat.

Adding jewelry can also transform a day look into an evening outfit. There are unlimited possibilities with vintage era clothing. Come in to our store with your favorite garment, or hire us and our wardrobe services to assist you in expanding your wardrobe.

What do I wear now that I am recovering from surgery/going through treatment and want to dress fashionably, but don not want tight fitting garments for comfort. I need to be able to get the clothes on and off easily with buttons or zippers, since I have limited range of movement.
Here at Vintage Mirage we have an array of easy to put on garments- buttons and zippers down the front- with simple or embellished details. Many of the 1950 era dresses are shirt waist style, so the buttons or zippers are down the front of the garment, so putting on or taking off is easy.

In addition, Elinor has created special garments with breast cancer or surgery patients in mind. Some of the garments are embellished and fun to wear with crystal, beads, glitzy zippers, vintage buttons and  ribbons.

Since we accommodate each customer with- in house alterations, we can alter garments for the customer's comfort and design requirements.

How do I dress for a special occasion?
Well at this point in fashion and tradition, many parties are designed to bring out the newest trends or reach into past eras and periods of clothing design. What is most important to us at Vintage Mirage is the fit, comfort  and overall  beauty of the customer from the garments down to the accessories. So that the whole look or architecture is wonderful and cohesive, from edgy to classic for a special occasion.

Such a process of trying on looks takes time. If you are going to have an outfit made to order for yourself, using one of our vintage designs/garments, nine months ahead is necessary. Since we show only the current season's garments, plan to stop by our store at the beginning of the season, or call us and we will try to gather that season's garments for you by special appointment. Give yourself enough time for thoughtful shopping, trying on, and specific alterations, at minimum, two months before hand.

Why stress yourself out and shop the day before the event, when you do not have to with some planning.

Schedule one hour of time for each visit to our store.
So here, dear customer, are suggestions to help you find the best look for a special event or invitation to dress up.

It is special, so putting together sundry pieces from your wardrobe such as any dress, jacket, pant, skirt or blouse look will not do, nor will the usual day type jewelry or hat work either. The only exception might be creating a wedding gown and theme, based on a family heirloom piece, which then transforms the intention of the whole event historically, the outfit, accessories and overall feel of the occasion.

Yes it will take time, for you and for us, so please call us in advance. The visit, measuring, choosing possibilities and trying on garments will take an hour.

If we already have your measurements, we can gather several garments together in advance- that is true and current measurements in inches for the bust, waist, and hips. Telling us an approximate size is not relevant nor helpful.

Gather your best underwear and wear these items such as  bra, strapless bra, merry widow bra, bustier, spanx, stockings, and bring along your usual sample high heel or fancy shoe.  All of these items are important for the look and fit of your outfit.

Bring us the invitation, or mention to us all the details of the event, including the overall theme, date, time of day, location and information about the host/hostess /organization. All of these details will help you determine what look you will feel comfortable wearing. Since we pride ourselves in assisting customers with special occasion dressing, these thoughts will assist us in suggesting different garments and accessories which are appropriate for the event, with your body architecture, coloration, and height  in heels in mind.

Since Vintage Mirage is a vintage/consignment store, all of our garments are one of a kind, which range from the Victorian era to the present, so work with us and be willing to try on garments which may be outside of your normal look- remember this is a special occasion, so a new color or pattern may add some extra excitement and expand your wardrobe definition in a positive way for the future.  Since some garments look wonderful on, but not as interesting on the hanger, be willing to spend extra time. Also, since these garments are one of a kind, by definition, we may not have another color or pattern of the same item, unless we have downsized a wardrobe/ estate of a woman who bought the same dress in several colors or patterns. Sometimes we luck out, and so you luck out as well.

The various dresses and gowns from the 1950-1960's sometimes seem boxy, because all women's sizes were generically boxy in order to give the personal tailor or dressmaker  fabric to make tucks and  darts throughout the garment. Such was the manufacturers' assumptions and accepted trade industry methods at that time. And added hem material and extra fabric in the seams, especially if there were sequins and beads, extra ornamentation left in the seams for repairs. The Camelot garments which were carefully fitted, that we have in stock in Vintage Mirage, are the made to order pieces for a woman customer back in the day.

Give us time to help you also accessorize the garments, since many pieces of clothing are  elegant, classic and simple. Adding an obi belt, crystal belt, crystal necklace and dangling earrings add glamor to the look and flatter the overall elegance of the person. It is always amazing how transforming the accessories can be for the architecture. The good news is that with these same accessories, your bling factor and put togetherness increases remarkably. The outfit looks as though every element was made for each other, and we know we did plan such a look especially for you. Such a visual conclusion is the goal and the wow factor.

Remember, our goal is to make the customer beautiful, elegant and comfortable in the unique look.

We look forward to your call and shopping visit at Vintage Mirage.