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Riel Nason

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So tonight is the night: Halloween. Time to exercise your creativity, play pretend, dress-up and have fun. And while a lot of people will be heading out in a ready-to-wear costume purchased new at a department store, some will be doing the opposite and wearing something quite old.

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Courtesy Riel Nason

Vintage dresses, blouses and suits can make for great Halloween costumes or all-year-round duds.

Vintage clothing and accessories consistently make an appearance on well-dressed trick-or-treaters on Halloween night. From complete retro ensembles such as a 1970s polyester suit, to a single perfect old hat or rhinestone brooch to finish off a costume, many collectible pieces will be out and about.

But of course there are some people who don't wait for this once-a-year opportunity to don their vintage duds. Some collectors dress from decades past all the time. Retro outfits and accent items are an affordable way to make a unique fashion statement. Here are a few things collectors are looking for.

Clothing

Clothes that can be worn everyday as well as special occasion pieces are sought. Polyester or nylon blouses with both bold and simple patterns as well as pretty vintage sweater sets are desired. Old jeans are harder-to-find favourites. Vintage T-shirts are hot, and as evidence of this, many retro style designs are reproduced today.

For more formal attire, fancy dresses are typically a treasured find. Fashionable collectors look for wearable wedding, prom, and evening gowns that are anywhere from a few decades to a century old.

Accessories

Vintage accessories are perfect for those who want a special go-with piece without looking head-to-toe like they stepped out of a time machine. Well-made vintage accessories such as purses, belts, scarves, hats, gloves, ties and jewelry are sought. These are all items that can be worn over and over again, or perhaps everyday. Old jewelry is a collecting category all its own with many different types on collectors' want lists. Just a few popular items are rhinestone brooches, charm bracelets and Bakelite jewelry of all types.

For both clothing and accessories, as expected, condition is extremely important to collectors. Just as you likely wouldn't wear a new item of clothing with stains, rips or tears, neither would a collector of vintage pieces. Easily repairable flaws such as a missing button or loose seam that can be quickly stitched are not a big deal for special items, but on common pieces, collectors want things that are ready-to-wear. So whether tonight is the only night you would consider wearing something old, or if it sounds like a possibility for any day of the year, you are not alone. Stepping just a little bit into another era may be fun, whenever you try it.

Happy Halloween.

Riel Nason catontheporch@yahoo.ca is a columnist, collector and antique dealer living in Quispamsis. Her column appears the last Saturday of every month.