10 Awesome Vintage Clothing Finds

Vintage and thrift shopping may not appeal to most guys: there's the racks of clothes to be sifted through, the qualms about rocking stuff that someone might have worn before (or let's be real — died in), but you'd be missing out on the opportunity to cop some really cool shit.

Of course, if you're in a major city, some places are probably picked through by well-trained vintage hunters, but thanks to the Internet and flea markets, it's easy to read up on the stuff that's really worth getting, the true treasures worth hunting for. That's why we've rounded up these 10 Awesome Vintage Clothing Finds.

Key Years: Pre-2000s
Price Range: $35 and up on eBay, depending on rarity of print

Reyn Spooner pretty much invented the Aloha Shirt. Originally crafted from floral prints on muumuus, their main innovation was "Spooner Kloth." Inspired by the sunfaded duds of surfers, in 1964 the brand simply flipped its printed fabrics inside out when it made the shirts, resulting in a cool washed look. One of the company's most iconic patterns is the "Lahaina Sailor" print, which has popped up in modern collections and collaborations with Stussy.

The old-school brand has a tag with a white background and a circular picture of island life, and is often made in Hawaii, whereas the recent, more modern rebranded duds feature a blue background tag with a simple "reyn spooner" embroidery in white letters.

Key Years: 1960s
Price Range: $250-$500 on etsy

The awesome thing about Schott jackets is that they really haven't changed much over the years. Their classic line has been putting stuff out of the same NJ factory for decades, and the quality has stood the test of time, which is why when you get a deal on a Schott jacket, it's one worth taking.

Schott's most popular item, hands down, is their motorcycle Perfecto jacket. These are pretty common in vintage stores and eBay, but you really gotta try one on in person to get the fit right. Over the years, there's been slight changes to the labels and materials, but the quality has remained the same. There's really no point in time that the construction suffered, but obviously, older jackets will be more broken in than newer versions. Perfectos faced a surge in the late 50s and early 60s, when they were associated with outlaw biker culture, so if you find a vintage one from that era, it'll probably have some bike gang cred.

Key Years: Pre-1994
Price Range: $50-$500 on eBay

Willis & Geiger started out in the same vein as Banana Republic: Ben Willis and Howard Geiger sought to make better versions of existing outdoor gear. So starting in 1902, that's what they did. Their work was rocked by Teddy Roosevelt when he went to Alaska and Africa, and Sir Edmund Hillary when he climbed Mount Everest — clothing that would go on to inspire an iconic collection by designer Nigel Cabourn.

It flourished in the '70s, primarily being sold at Abercrombie & Fitch of all places, but when their store closed, so did W&G's primary cash cow. In 1994, it was bought by Land's End, who occasionally use the name, but haven't matched the quality in years. If you run across some W&G gear online or in a store, all it takes is a quick examination of the garment's construction to differentiate between the real deal Holyfield and a paltry Land's End reinterpretation.

Key Years: 1936-1971
Price Range: $50-$1,400 on etsy

Levi's Big E is characterized by the capital letter "E" in the Levi's red tab. This means this particular pair of jeans was manufactured before 1971, making them a possible collector's item. Why is 1936 important? That's the year Levi's started actually putting the red tab on there. So technically, any jeans or garments in that time may be easier to identify because of it.

Of course, the chances of running into some Levi's big "E" gear randomly in a thrift store is pretty slim these days, but not totally impossible. What you can probably expect is to pay a premium for the stuff from a vintage seller. Levi's production has been so vast that they actually have an in-house historian whose job is to document the historical context of their garments.

Key Years: 1970s-1988
Price Range: $80-$300 on eBay

Back in the days when it was still called "Blue Ribbon Sports," Nike's clothing was made in the USA and featured a white label. Also sought after is any T-shirt or jacket featuring the pinwheel Swoosh logo. This stuff can fetch a pretty penny on eBay, and also symbolizes a time when Nike focused more on running and track — just before the era of Michael Jordan would begin.

From the mid-80s on, Nike switched over a dark blue label for its gear, before settling on a red and gray tag that would signify its Jumpman gear from 1988-1993. Any T-shirts or track gear with the classic white label or blue label is likely made in the USA, and is not only dope, but worth a lot on the aftermarket.

Key Years: Pre-2000s
Price Range: Converse - $30-$230 on etsy, depending on size; Vans - $10-$140 on eBay, depending on size

Converse and Vans are two quintessentially American companies, which is why it's a damn shame that neither of them manufacture their goods stateside anymore. Vans closed down their Vista, California factory in 1998, shifting production overseas. Meanwhile, Converse held on for about three more years, until the company went bankrupt in 2001, and announced it was cancelling all domestic production.

In the hands of big companies like Nike (Converse) and VF Corporation (Vans), both heritage sneaker brands are thriving businesses now, but unfortunately without their own domestic factories, a return to the heyday of made in USA sneakers are but a thing of the past. Figuring out if a pair was made here is easy enough: check the tag on the back of the shoe. It should say right there.

Key Years: Pre-1976
Price Range: $15-$100 on etsy

Most dudes know by now that before it made its money out of frayed-hem cargo shorts and moose-emblazoned polo shirts that Abercrombie & Fitch was a notable outdoor goods brand. Its sportswear was especially made to last, and they even made their own shotguns.

Its glory days faded in the mid-70s when it shuttered in Manhattan flagship store in 1977. In the early '80s, it created some throwback hunting-inspired pieces before eventually changing into the mass retailer model it's currently known for. Like Banana Republic, the tag is what separates the cream from the crap. Anything noting where the garment's made automatically makes it better than modern day A&F gear, but also be on the lookout for old-school logos and icons from the '80s re-issued line, which had some pretty dope jackets.

Key Years: 1940s-1980s
Price Range: $15-$60 on eBay

Before it got picked up by Hanes, Champion was one of (and arguably, still is) one of the illest makers of knitwear. Their logo evolved over time, starting with the initial "Running Man" and evolving to the "Blue Bar" logo in 1973. For the company that invented the hoodie, there's ample vintage sweats available, many of it made with the old-school looming methods that heritage heads go crazy for, and the prices aren't too far-fetched either.

Key Years: 1978-1983
Price Range: $20-$160 on eBay

What started as a couple's labor of love turned into a business of reproducing high-quality gear worthy of safaris. Launched in 1978, Banana Republic started out with cool workwear-inspired gear like safari jackets, sturdy chinos, and hats made for the jungle. After it was bought by The Gap in 1983, quality went down considerably. If you run into any pieces where the tag actually contains bananas, or says "Banana Republic Safari & Travel Clothing Co.," it's a vintage piece worth closer inspection, and not some mall brand throwaway. Worth paying attention to are their awesome Safari Jackets, which combine an M-65 with dressier details like a pointed collar.

Key Years: Pre-2000s.
Price Range: Barn Jackets - $25-$150 on eBay; Bean Boots - $80-$450 on eBay

This quintessential outdoor brand is easily found in a lot of thrift and vintage stores. You can't go wrong in buying any of their Bean Boots, which set the bar for the duck boot silhouette. Still made in Maine today, getting a pair secondhand won't cost a pretty penny.

Occasionally, you can find L.L. Bean clothing items from the '80s and before that are really dope, like their barn jackets. They're a workswear staple that often got made into cool prints like floral patterns. Really old L.L. Bean pieces have a label modeled after Leon Leonwood Bean's own signature, which inspired the tags on the modern "L.L. Bean Signature" collection.