A lot of people get confused about what’s the difference between vintage, antique, second-hand or pre-loved, or how old something needs to be to be considered vintage. The general consensus is that anything made more than 20 years ago can be called vintage - as I’m writing this article in 2020, anything made before the year 2000 is vintage. Some purists might say only pre-1980s can be considered vintage though, but they’re a minority. For an item to be called antique, however, it needs to be over 100 years old - in this case, made before 1920. Since antique items were also made over 20 years ago, all antiques are vintage :) You can usually find vintage and antique clothing on websites like Etsy and eBay, or in vintage/flea markets irl.
On the other hand, second-hand and pre-loved mean that someone has worn/used the item before. Most vintage and antique is second-hand, but they can also be deadstock or new old stock, meaning they’ve never been worn/used before. I have seen a lot of “new” vintage, but it’s hard to come by “new” antique items (although you never know what people hoard, or for how long…). As you might have guessed based on the above, not all second-hand is vintage, unless it was made over 20 years ago. You can usually find second-hand clothing in thrift stores, eBay, and Depop, although sometimes you find completely new items there as well, still with tags on.
Finally, retro is simply something made to look like it’s vintage, but produced in modern days. A popular brand would be Collectif, as they make clothing with vintage aesthetics from the 1950s/1960s. Retro items can be New (if you buy it from a shop) or Second-Hand (if you buy it used on Ebay or a thrift shop).
And what is Luneta? We’re actually a combination of all of the above! The jewellery pieces we make are completely new, but made with vintage beads. Some of our designs do have a retro design, and some beads we use are deadstock, but most have been used in other jewellery in the past. All findings (like chains or earrings posts), however, are new and nickel-free, and since we’re producing everything now in 2020, the jewellery itself isn't vintage, although it's made with vintage parts. If you’re looking for sustainable handmade earrings, necklaces or bracelets made in the UK with a vintage touch, we’re your gal!
Hope this makes sense and takes the confusion away a little bit! If you have any questions, hit us up on instagram @lunetacreations ✌️
