There is nothing worse than getting dressed to the nines in a expensive new outfit that you adore, and showing up to find someone wearing the exact same thing. By wearing vintage to special events like weddings, proms, homecoming, and other formal occasions you will never have this problem.

• The best vintage dresses are the timeless ones. Stick with classic dress silhouettes and colors. Anything too bold may look dated and like a costume.

• Make sure vintage items are in excellent condition with no signs of age or wear and tear. The quality and condition of the dress determine whether your dress looks vintage or secondhand.
• There may not be any obvious wear of the garment at first glance since special event dress are only worn a few times. However, if it was not stored properly, there could be discoloration of silk or lace, loss of beads, sequins, etc., sagging from weight of embellishments, or moth damage.

Once you've found the right piece, you can modernize it and make it your own with accessories. Shoes, handbags and jewelry that are newer or follow current trends pull everything together. Conversely, you can use vintage accessories like hats, gloves, scarves, decorative hair ornaments, and jewelry to make a brand new outfit more original.