Reader Question: Opening My Closet

A reader asked the following questions:

"With all that vintage clothing what does your closet look like? And what sort of moth protection do you use?"

Well, here are a few quick snaps of my closet and an extra rack of suits. Nearly everything in these photos is my own personal vintage. I keep my sale items in another area. It's a little crowded but it works.

click images to enlarge

A quick note on hangers. You'll notice I don't have any metal hangers; that's because metal hangers will eventually oxidize and rust on the clothing, thereby ruining it. Plastic hangers aren't bad though if the garment is heavy they tend to bend and often times the hanger can be too narrow. I prefer wooden hangers as they're usually fairly thick, often have a natural shoulder shape to them, they're sturdy and will absorb moisture.



As for moth control, I use a variety of techniques since I have so much.

First is mothballs. I use these sparingly since they can be harmful and they are strong smelling. A few mothballs in an enclosed area will go a long way.

Next is Cedar. I the above photos you'll notice that there are Cedar rings on the hangers. Cedar is a good smelling natural moth deterrent that isn't harmful to your suits or yourself.

Third is another natural deterrent: sunlight. Most closets are pretty dark and enclosed. Moths love the darkness. Therefore, open your closet on a sunny day and let the light in.

Fourth: keep your clothes clean. Mothes love to munch on not only the garment itself but also any left over food or crud they can find. Now, I'm not saying you should dry clean your suit after every wearing since too much dry cleaning is harmful, but occasionally look it over, brush it and remove any staining you can with a little water and some soap. Doing this will give mothes fewer opportunities to start munching.

Lastly, mothes hate movement. Whether it be air movement or the owner changing things around, mothes don't like it. They're pretty lazy critters: they like to hang out in a dark, motionless closet while chowing down on your clothing. Rearrange your closet occasionally, rotate your suits and throw out anything that cannot be repaired or you don't use anymore.




In other words, your closet is like yourself: keep it clean, smelling good and well exercised.

How It Started

I've been asked how this interest in vintage clothing began. But it is not just an interest in vintage clothing, it is an interest in vintage everything. Clothing is, surprisingly, just the easiest and most visible part of the vintage interest.

I first started out with the military aspect of the Golden Era. World War Two was (and still is) one of my main points of interest. My first serious collection was collectables of the Second World War, mainly of the United States though I have also ventured into other nations, namely Germany and Japan. I have also ventured into other time periods, all the way from the American Civil War up to the Vietnam War.

The first piece of my newly born collection 6 years ago was a beat-up pair of leggings I bought on a whim while waiting for my parents to slowly work through the antique mall. When I bought them it hit me: these were a part of another person's life, part of history. I can own a piece of history.

And so the collection grew. But one cannot easily focus upon one aspect of a time period without looking at other aspects. I could not just study the military side of the Golden Era without travelling into the civilian side. Thus came my budding fascination in all things of the Golden Era, not just the World War Two aspect.

And I still have those first leggings.

So, to end this post here are some of the more prized and interesting pieces of my collection.

Class A uniform of a medical officer in the 2nd AF.

A pair of rare British-made (note the hobnails and leather soles) garrison shoes converted to M43 "double buckle" configuration by the addition of leather cuffs.

I have a bit of experience with uniforms.

A local paper announcing the invasion of Normandy. Dated June 6th, 1944.

Like I said, while most of my collection dates from World War Two era, I do have pieces from other times. This is a Union American Civil War Model 1863 holster that was made to accomidate the numerous different revolvers and revolver sizes in use by the Union Army at the time. This is a rare and incredible find ($25 at an antique mall). It's in excellent condition for it's age, the leather being soft and supple, though it has a field modification to the closure strap and the belt hanger has been torn. Even so, it is still a proud piece of American history.