Written by: Joanne Horning

I arrived in New York with a specific purpose in mind: to find stores that sell vintage clothing and accessories. For several years, vintage clothing has been in vogue for women who want to be more original in the way they dress and who do not care to appear in the same designer outfit as everyone else. As Gore Vidal said, “Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn.” Women who purchase vintage clothing appreciate the quality and detail that goes into the design and construction of vintage garments. And they enjoy creating their own style of mixing vintage items with contemporary pieces.

Fashion stylists and Hollywood stars frequent Resurrection in New York’s Greenwich Village as well as a second location in Los Angeles. Here you will find a collection of vintage handbags, shoes, jewelry and clothing. I found a navy blue Chanel coat for $1,600 and a short black fringed cocktail dress by Norma Kamali for $650. Other designers featured were Yves St. Laurent, Gucci, Hermes, Courreges, Pucci and Halston.

I then headed uptown to Catwalk Couture which carries vintage couture costume jewelry and handbags. All the pieces were created for fashion designers to be used in their runway shows or sold in their boutiques. Jewelry created by the great fashion houses like Lanvin, Dior, Chanel, YSL, Valentino and Gucci were on sale. There was a particularly beautiful Dior crystal necklace from the 1930s and a cuff bracelet in gold and silver tones from a Nina Ricci 1908s collection. Since these are all one-of-a-kind pieces, prices can range from $150 to $5,000.

Another great store is Encore, where Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis used to sell her designer threads. Here, you will always find couture, vintage and recent runway castoffs many with their original tags still on.

Los Angeles has its share of vintage shops, and my favorites are Decades and Decades Two. Decades is where the Hollywood elite shop for unique vintage gowns when making their red carpet appearances. Here you can find items by Chanel, Halston, Dior and Lanvin. For more current designers such as Prada, Versace, Angel Sanchez, Chanel and Oscar de la Renta, visit Decades Two. I found a $12,000 Loris Azzaro white, ruched gown worn once for $800. I always come home with treasures from both of these shops.

One of my other favorite shops is the Paper Bag Princess. This store, also favored by the movie crowd, carries vintage clothes and accessories as far back as the 1920s. Designs by Chanel, Dior, Pucci, Dolce and Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta and many more can be found here.

New York:

Resurrection, 217 Mott Street, 212-625-1374

Catwalk Couture, 973 Lexington Avenue, 212-249-5066

Encore, 1132 Madison Avenue, 212-879-2850

Los Angeles:

Decades, 8214 ½ Melrose Avenue, 323-655-0223

Decades Two, 8214 Melrose Avenue, 323-655-1960

Paper Bag Princess. 8700 Santa Monica Blvd., 310-358-1985

Resurrection, 8006 Melrose Avenue, 323-651-5516

[Photos from bondidwhat via Flickr]