Vintage clothing was designed to look good on bodies, not hangers, so make sure to try on lots of dresses.

Fashion fads come and go, but beauty and quality never go out of style. This is why women seeking that certain special dress often shop in vintage boutiques, where the most beautiful designs from decades past are on sale. If you've been searching for a cure for the contemporary fashion blues, a vintage dress that looks great and stands out from the crowd may be just the thing. But what exactly should you be looking for when you walk into a shop that sells vintage dresses?

Sally Singer is the fashion news and features director at Vogue magazine and was previously a fashion director at New York Magazine. She shares her expert insights and advice for women looking to find the perfect eye-catching vintage dress:

• Unique items
  There has been a massive increase in attention and interest in vintage pieces—Singer believes this is because women are searching for something that no one else has. A woman wearing a 40-year-old vintage dress to a party, for example, won't have to worry that somebody else is going to show up in the exact same outfit.
  
• Eras and body types
  If you're interested in vintage dresses, Singer advises that you take an honest look at your body shape and then determine in which era that shape was in vogue. Thin, flat-chested women, for example, may do well to seek out fashions from the 1920's flapper era or the late 1960's, while those with more curvaceous figures should look to the fashions of the1950s.
  
• Designers
  Once you've decided on an era, you'll want to start narrowing down your choices by researching the prominent designers of that age. As you look at more and more dresses, check out the labels and take note of whose designs really appeal to you. Just as you have favorite contemporary fashion designers, you'll probably find that you have favorites from the past, too.
  
• "Hanger appeal"
  Today's designers are well aware of marketing and will design clothes to look great in the store, but the designers of eras past may not have understood this concept of hanger appeal. If a vintage dress looks less than fabulous on the hanger, it might look great when you get it on, so you may have to try on a lot of items before you buy.
  
• Quality
  The quality and condition of the dress is also a major consideration. Check to see if there have been alterations, or if the fabric appears to be ready to fall apart. You'll want something that's worth the price and is going to look as good on you as it would have on someone wearing it when it was new. It's nice to see something special and unique that hasn't been seen coming down the runway in quite awhile, so if vintage fashion is your bag, start visiting dress shops in your area today!

  For more information about vintage clothing and fashion, check out the following organizations and websites:

  Tallulah Vintage
  www.tallulahvintage.com

  Vogue Magazine Online
  www.style.com

  Antique & Vintage Dress Gallery
  www.antiquedress.com

  Vintage Dresses at Rusty Zipper.com
  www.rustyzipper.com

  Vintage Dresses at Vintageous
  www.vintageous.com

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