It changes life.
This is a problem that affects many Vinties and second-hand enthusiasts since the advent of new technologies. If the vintage market has long been riddled with scams involving counterfeiting or fake vintage pieces sold at exorbitant prices, the development of artificial intelligence has allowed these thugs to defraud people even more easily than before. The images of the clothes on sale are happily manipulated, twisted in every way, in order to make us believe in a reality that is too good to be true.
It is therefore difficult for the layman to disentangle the true from the false, to distinguish an authentic piece of clothing from a major brand from a counterfeit copy. Even more difficult to differentiate a real vintage piece, dating from a certain time, from a piece recently made via fast fashion, which the owner wanted to get rid of quickly.
However, if we are to believe the words of this second-hand expert, recognizing an authentic vintage piece would hang by a thread. So, for vintage t-shirts, the answer is whispered to us on the seams, and in particular on those located at the bottom of the t-shirt and/or on the sleeves. If the stitching is unique, made with a single thread, the t-shirt is truly vintage and dates from before the mid-1990’s. If the stitching is double, the t-shirt is relatively new and was manufactured after 1995.
This is simply because factory production technologies have evolved over time and experienced a turning point during the middle of that decade. Modern machines now use a technique of “double stitch”while those before were based on the “single stitch”.
These old-fashioned T-shirts are prized not only for the stylistic nostalgia they evoke, but also for the quality of the product. Indeed, second-hand experts are unanimous: they are made from a lighter, more breathable, more flexible cotton than today’s cotton. On the resale market between individuals, prices soar and can reach hundreds of euros.
So to protect yourself against a potential scam made with AI, do not hesitate to ask your seller to make you a video of the t-shirt from every angle before making the purchase. You’ll thank us later.
