Retro Chic: A Guide to Fabulous Vintage and Designer Resale Shopping in North America and Online (Paperback)

by Diana Eden (Author), Gloria Lintermans (Author) "The years between the end of the Great War and the beginning of the Great Depression are famous for the styles and fads of the..." (more)
Key Phrases: designer resale, favorite period, vintage apparel, Los Angeles, Open Mon-Sat, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Retro Chic is the ultimate, in-the-know, guide to finding the good stuff, in stores and online." -- Jan Lindstrom, Daily Variety

This smart guide to shops all over North America tells you where to find the best buys of yesteryear. -- Travel and Leisure, February 2003

Product Description
The only comprehensive guide to shopping for vintage and designer resale, including * specific stores in all the major U.S. & Canadian cities * favorite haunts of celebs and stylists * Internet thrift shopping * vintange expos across the continent Whether you're on a budget or ready to splurge on mint-condition Givenchy, this is your roadmap to the timeless cool of vintage HCing.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Really Great Books (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893329151
• ISBN-13: 978-1893329157
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #761,010 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best shopping guide yet!, April 4, 2003

By A Customer

This book is fabulous. Not only does it explore (and I use the word "explore" because these listings go way beyond mere addresses and phone numbers) about 500 vintage and contemporary designer resale stores all over the U.S., Canada and Online, but with the information offered on each store (what kind of merchandise is carried, price range, return policy, store owner's personal collections, description of the store itself, etc.), I feel much more confident about shopping for my newest passion, vintage clothing (almost like the authors are holding my hand and walking me thru). I also found the section that describes designers from the '20s to the '80s, along with an explanation of what was going on the world during those times, fascinating. The glossary of fashion terms is also helpful, and I loved the listings of vintage expos all over the U.S. The quotes from costume designers, and learning about vintage pieces worn by Hollywood celebrities, is definately a fun bonus. Bravo!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've Found Some New Favorites!, November 4, 2002

By	Andie Bailey (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

I think the mark of a good guidebook is one that can tell you new things about your hometown. Retro Chic is a *great* guidebookbook. I purchased my copy at home in Seattle, and was pleased to see that my favorite retro sources were included -- as well as several new favorites I hadn't heard about before. The information on online resources is also quite helpful, and introduced me to a whole new way of shopping for unique resale fashions. I took Retro Chic with me on a business trip to Los Angeles last week, and was able to do some wonderfully affordable consignment shopping in a city that's completely foreign to me. What a fantastic resource!

This DOES NOT appear to be a book in which the authors were paid for reviewing particular stores. The information is well organized, up-to-date, and gives plenty of clues about the stores it reviews. Listings are honest and cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from price scales and credit cards accepted to the kind of merchandise available.

This book is a great resource for anyone with a retro fetish, and a no-hassle way for people new to the "scene" to find great resale outlets in their home town, on vacation, or online. I highly recommend Retro Chic and have bought copies as gifts for two friends who recently moved across country.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource!, December 22, 2002

By A Customer

What a fabulous resource for lovers of vintage clothing! I have learned about stores in Toronto that I would never have found otherwise. The detailed store descriptions are wonderful - it's interesting to learn about the history of the stores, as well as about their owners.
And what a helpful book when travelling to other cities in North America! Thank you!