What does vintage actually mean?

The term vintage comes from oenology, where vintage refers to the vintage or harvest of a wine.

Vintage objects can be found in junk houses, at flea markets, in vintage shops, online, at your own grandmother's, etc. These can be clothing, furniture, jewelry, pictures, etc.

Colloquially, the terms “used look” or “shabby chic”, “retro”, “second-hand” and “vintage” are often used synonymously, but they mean different concepts.

Vintage clothing means clothing that is more than 20 years old. This can be new or used.

Second-hand clothing is second-hand clothing, i.e. used clothing.

Retro clothing is new clothing that copies old cuts, colors or patterns.

The term “used look” for clothing or “shabby chic” for furniture has nothing to do with vintage, but rather simply refers to objects that are intentionally provided with supposed signs of wear during production. A classic example of this is jeans with holes.

If you would like to know more about the different definitions, as there are quite different opinions on this, you are welcome to take a look at the relevant blog post on this website.

Here on Zuerich Vintage I sell vintage clothing and objects, i.e. things that are older than 20 years. Sometimes it is easy to identify these objects based on a clothing label, an engraving on a vase, etc. And sometimes these clear signs do not exist or no longer exist because the label in the blouse has been cut away because the brand adhesive no longer sticks to the ceramic vase or the artist's signature is simply missing. In this case, where indications such as shape, style, material, color, etc. point to a vintage object, but I cannot clearly prove this, I therefore speak of "Vintage Style" here on Zuerich Vintage.

The term Vintage originates from oenology, where it refers to the year or harvest of a wine.

Vintage objects can be found in thrift stores, flea markets, vintage shops, online, at your own grandma's house, etc. These can include clothing, furniture, jewelry, artwork, and so on.

Colloquially, terms like "Used Look" or "Shabby Chic," "Retro," "Secondhand," and "Vintage" are often used interchangeably, but they represent different concepts.

Vintage clothing refers to garments that are more than 20 years old. These can be either new or used.

Secondhand clothing is clothing that has been previously worn by someone else.

Retro clothing is new clothing that imitates old styles, colors, or patterns.

The term "Used look" for clothing or "Shabby Chic" for furniture is not related to Vintage; it simply refers to objects deliberately designed to appear worn, such as distressed jeans.

If you're interested in learning more about the different definitions, as there are varying opinions on this topic, feel free to check out the corresponding blog post on this website.

Here at Zurich Vintage, I sell vintage clothing and objects, which are items that are more than 20 years old. Sometimes it's easy to identify these items through clothing labels, engravings on a vase, etc. Other times, there are no clear signs or they have been removed, such as a missing label from a blouse, no brand sticker on a ceramic vase, or a missing artist's signature. In cases where indications like shape, style, material, color, etc., suggest a vintage object but cannot be definitely proven, I refer to them here at Zurich Vintage as "Vintage Style."