Gina Fratini | 1970s Ivory Silk Empire Line Wedding Maxi Gown | UK 8

Having typically enjoyed a previous owner and possibly years of storage, vintage clothes will naturally bear some evidence of their age and history

Barefoot Vintage excellence rests upon item quality and so has never knowingly sold an item failing to meet that strict criteria

All flaws are detailed within the ‘noteworthy’ section of the item description (and photos where applicable)

All items display a condition rating based on Vintage Fashion Guild guidelines for purchaser peace of mind (see below)

Please familiarize yourself with the terms in the following tables so you can make an informed decision before making a purchase

• All items are sold in the condition given in their individual description
• Age, condition and fabric content are only offered as a professional opinion
• Actual details may differ in person suject to visual settings on the purchaser’s computer monitor
• All vintage items are old and pre-used by definition and will naturally bear some evidence of their age
• Items sold by Barefoot Vintage are not new and will therefore not resemble new merchandise
• Barefoot Vintage may decide not to clean certain items if they are deemed to have been clean at the point of acquisition
• Most garments are professionally cleaned by our affiliate vintage dry-cleaning specialist
• No warranty is given, expressed or implied regarding the survival of any vintage items after they leave Barfeoot Vintage
• All items are wearable unless otherwise noted
• If you have a question, problem or concern please contact Barefoot Vintage in the first instance as your happiness is our philosophy

Are all vintage sizes different from modern sizes?

Size tags on vintage clothing by todays standards, are somewhat misleading. For example, a 1960s size 12 is roughly equivalent to a modern size 8 or 10. Moreover, fifty or 60 years ago a woman’s waist was typically shorter, so a “medium sized” garment might not fit a modern medium sized woman today

How can I be sure your items will fit me?

Due to the fact that vintage and modern sizes differ so greatly Barefoot Vintage has included actual garment measurements as well as the modern size equivalent within every listing to try to help you determine a proper fit

There is also a link to the sizing guide on each product page for immediate reference

Barefoot Vintage highly recommends that purchasers take the time to measure themselves (or perhaps an owned garment) to ensure a proper fit ahead of ordering an item

Self-Measurement Process

Using an owned garment

• Lay your garment flat and measure with a flexible measuring tape at each of the points referenced in the listing
• If preferred you can double the waist, bust-chest and hip measurements to give you the full circumference
• If your garment’s measurements are smaller than or equal to our item measurements at each reference point the listed garment should fit

Using Your Own Body Measurements

You will need to use a flexible measuring tape for all measurements and make sure the measuring tape is wrapped snugly but not too tightly as you need the measurement to be accurate

Bust

• Wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of the bust and add 1.5″ – 2″ to this measurement for ease of movement

Please Note For coats add 3″ – 5″ to the measurement | for strapless items subtract 3″ – 4″ from your normal bra size for best fit

Waist

• Wrap the measuring tape around the smallest part of your natural waist
•  Add 1″ to this measurement for breathing room

Please Note Most vintage garments are supposed to be worn at or above the natural waist, not below it

Hips

• Wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of your hips and bottom (making sure that the measuring tape is snug to your body but not too tight)
•  Add 1.5″ – 2″ to this measurement to account for walking and sitting

Shoulders

• Measure across the back of your shoulders from the mid-point of each shoulder bone (For coats, add 2″ – 3″ to this measurement)

Please Note Women’s vintage clothing can be narrow in the shoulders

Ribcage

• Take a good deep breath to help expand your ribcage and then measure around the fullest part of the under bust

Please Note This will be directly underneath the breasts

Length (Trousers)

• Measure straight down the outside of your leg from the natural waist to the point at which you wish the trouser edge to fall

Length (Dresses)

• Measure straight down from the highest point of your shoulder to the point at which you wish the dress hemline to fall

Inseam

• Measure from your crotch area down the inside of your leg to the point at which you wish the trouser hemline to fall

Rise

• Measure from the crotch area up toward the belly button to your natural waist

Please Note Most vintage garments are supposed to be worn at or above the natural waist, not below it

Womens Clothing

(Actual body measurements)

Womens Shoes

If you have an old hat that fits comfortably simply measure the inside circumference of the head opening of the hat to establish your accurate vintage hat size

Please Note Vintage hats are not always marked with a size so you really need to know your head measurement and the hat circumference of the hat for sale

• Measure your head with a flexible tape measure to the nearest 1/8″ or 1/4″
• Measure the circumference of the head just above the top of the ears
• Wrap tape gently around the head making certain the tape lies midway on your occipital bone (the little bump in the middle of the back of your head)

Please Note Do not pull the tape too tight or it will give you a measurement for a tightly fitted hat

Having finished these steps you will now have your hat size for the normal vintage hat

HAT SIZE 6 7/8 = 21 5/8″ = 54.9 cm

HAT SIZE 7 = 22″ = 55.8 cm

HAT SIZE 7 1/8 = 22 3/8″ = 56.8 cm

HAT SIZE 7 1/4 = 22 3/4″ = 57.7 cm

HAT SIZE 7 3/8 = 23 1/8″ = 58.7 cm

HAT SIZE 7 1/2 = 23 1/2″ = 59.6 cm

HAT SIZE 7 5/8 = 23 7/8″ = 60.6 cm

HAT SIZE 7 3/4 = 24 1/4″ =61.5 cm

HAT SIZE 7 7/8 = 24 5/8″ = 62.5 cm

HAT SIZE 8 = 25″ = 63.5 cm

Please Note The sizes taken for hat measurement are the internal hat circumference, hat height and brim size if any

How To Measure Your Foot For Vintage Shoes

1. Sit on a chair and place your bare foot flat on a piece of plain white paper
2. Carefully trace the outline of your foot onto the paper
3. Do the same with your other foot
4. Compare the two tracings (a good method is to place one paper over the other and hold them up to a source of light) Complete Steps 5 and 6 using the larger/longer foot
5. Measure the tracing from toe edge to heel edge to get the inside shoe length
6. Measure the tracing from edge to edge at the widest part to get the inside shoe width

Please Note The Shoe length should be about 0.5″  or 1.25 cm longer than foot length

Example A 10″ foot needs a shoe at least 10.5″ long