'Everyone can curate their own style': Vintage trends keeping fashion in the past

A local market in Regina is highlighting the growing trend of buying vintage clothes, shoes and more.

The Last Chance Market promoted several small businesses in the Queen City that are selling vintage products.

“All these businesses, all do their own thing themselves,” Ty Strawford, organizer and owner of Utopia Vintage, told CTV News. “To bring everyone here together just makes it special.”

Buying vintage is a growing trend, with some consumers moving away from buying brand new clothes. They recycle what is old and give it a new purpose.

Vintage clothing is a growing trend according to the vendors at Regina's Last Chance Market. (Donovan Maess/CTV News)

But not everything you find at a thrift store is considered vintage. Sellers confirm authenticity through what is known as "sourcing."

“There’s certain things you can look for on a shirt to tell if it’s vintage, like the tags,” Strawford explained. “I do lots of research into that to make sure it is vintage.”

“Lots of research of what’s worth this, what’s worth that,” Jarvis Keindel, owner of Secluded.Sneakers said. “Lots of late nights on eBay searching for good deals.”

“You know that they sourced it, whether from a thrift store or maybe an estate sale and they picked it out with a certain eye in mind, so it’s sorta curated to you.” YQRated Vintage owner Millie Mantyka explained.

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For some of the vendors, this was the first time they’ve sold products in person. Keindel started his business when he was just 16-years-old.

“I started with sneakers,” he said. “After I got my license, I started thrifting everyday after work.”

Many vintage vendors use social media to promote and sell their products. At the same time, searching online allows sellers to discover different trends of what people are looking to buy.

“Instagram is a big community,” Keindel explained. “Celebrities set the tone. But with vintage, everyone can curate their own style.”

“You could be into 80’s, 70’s or even before,” Mantyka said. “You could source a 1940’s dress that is really special because it’s so old.”

For a generation that is making strides with new innovations everyday, vintage shopping is keeping their style in the past.