The word "vintage" pertains to anything from a previous season. Therefore, one could call their spring 08 shoes "vintage."  (I think the market decides what and when something/anything is deemed vintage--just ask Ebay) In the world of costume collecting the word vintage is seldom used. Instead we use typical museum language including historic, object, dress or costume. 

However, I think the more important issue is whether or not the items fit into your museum's mission. Does it make sense to collect clothing from the 1980s? Will you exhibit these items? Will your staff and audience benefit from the acceptance of such objects? 

I work in a fashion museum. There are many objects that we cannot accept due to our mission statement; to collect based on design merit regardless of the era from which the object dates. Additionally, a piece could be from the 1780s or the 1980s but if it cannot be exhibited in our galleries or is not fit to be studied by our students then it most likely does not make sense for us to accept it into our collection. 


Erica Suzanne Scott
Assistant Museum Registrar, 
The Museum at FIT
www.fitnyc.edu/museum


-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Adrienne DeAngelis
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 12:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] On 'vintage' clothing

 Who decides what is vintage clothing? What are the characteristics of
authentic vintage clothing? What makes clothing from the 1980s vintage?

 Adrienne DeAngelis, whose delusional relative threw out her best     
bellbottoms just because "nobody wears this stuff anymore".
 [log in to unmask]

>
> In a message dated 12/10/2009 1:05:15 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> We have a nice collection of vintage clothing at  our museum and recently
>  we have had some people wanting to donate articles  from the 1980s. Our
> concern is that once we take one piece of clothing from  the 80s, where
> do we stop. I guess the big question is where do we start? I'm  hoping
> someone out there has some good guidelines for taking "vintage"  clothing.
> If you have
> guidelines/policy, I'd love to see it. You can send it  to me off post if
> you like.
>
> Diane
>
>
> Diane Hutsell
> Executive Director
> McMinn  County Living Heritage Museum
> 423-745-0329
> _www.livingheritagemuseum.com_ (http://www.livingheritagemuseum.com/)
> =========================================================  Important
> 
> 

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