Vintage Tips: Caitlin Cavagnolo

I am SO excited for today’s feature with Caitlin Cavagnolo. I met Caitlin through her sister, Hayley, and they both have the best sense of style and knack for finding amazing vintage pieces. She is always finding incredible designer clothing and unique home pieces—I am constantly taking notes and selfishly asked Caitlin to do this so I could get all her tips for myself, ha!

IN HER OWN WORDS…

Hi! I’m Caitlin. By day I’m a Project Manager at an Investment Bank in NYC. By night, I’m a cooking fanatic over at @amourfoud and one half of the bead and mask chain duo at @HaysGeneralStore. I live in Jersey City, NJ with my husband and dog (otherwise known as our child). I love bread shops, secondhand furniture, blazers and John Oliver.

HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

It's evolved since the pandemic but I like to think of it as “90’s minimalist Upper East Side Mom in a rush to get out of the house”. Lots of loafers and blazers. High-waisted jeans (vintage Levi’s or Goldsign). Cardigans. Gold jewelry. Pleated pants! I can’t wear anything overly blousy or wide-legged (it just doesn’t work on my shape) so for me, it’s all about form-fitting clothes that define my waist.

How did you get into shopping secondhand?

I grew up in a household where we spent weekends driving to neighboring towns and visiting different antique shops. As a kid I hated it (my siblings and I were usually bribed with ice cream) but as an adult, I’ve come to realize what an impact it had on me. I’m fortunate to have married a guy who also has a soft spot for old things so we’ve carried on the tradition of spending weekends driving to different towns hunting for antiques.

Why do you like shopping secondhand?

People perceive secondhand to be gross but I see it as a way to buy higher quality items at a reasonable price point while supporting sustainability. I spent a lot of time in high-school combing through the thrift shops in my town; buying men’s button-downs, vases and vintage purses because the hunt is the best part of shopping secondhand. There is NOTHING like the feeling of finding something truly special. Not much has changed since then.

What do you look for when you are browsing? What makes a piece catch your eye?

When you shop secondhand whether it be in person or online, you will find yourself overwhelmed with options. I’ll be the first to say there is a lot of garbage out there, but the most important thing is to listen to your gut. It’s easy to see things and think to yourself, “I like this!” (there will be a lot of things you like!) but you have to ask yourself, “Do I love this?” “Do I want to see this item everyday?” “Will I wear this often?” The more you shop secondhand the better you get at honing in on that gut reaction. The secondhand things that still bring me joy many years later are the things that made my heart skip a beat the first time I saw them.

Any specific types of items you frequently like to look for?

Too many things to count. On the clothing front—blazers, mohair cardigans and wool coats. Right now, the wool coat is the number one thing. For years I’ve been on the hunt for one that has a masculine look but is form-fitting enough that I don’t look like a shapeless blob, It’s the holy grail. Also! Be mindful of fabrics and materials. I stick with natural fabrics (wool, cashmere, 100% cotton) they are far easier to clean and so much more breathable!

Furniture wise, an armoire that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Sconces and a lamp for our fireplace mantel. I’m also always looking for interesting art and ironstone serving containers.

WHAT ARE YOUR Tips / techniques? Do you keep a list of keywords, saved searches, browse everyday, etc?

I browse every single day, multiple times a day. I have saved searches on some sites but I also will just try different combinations of words to see what comes up depending on whatever I’m fixated on at that moment. So for example, if I’m looking for a brown cardigan I’d try “Brown Wool Cardigan, Brown Mohair Cardigan, 1950’s Brown Cardigan” etc. Also—don’t limit yourself to just women’s clothing! If you’re looking for sweaters or knits, the men’s section is a goldmine. They don’t use as many synthetic materials and depending on the era, their clothes were cut much slimmer so they work well on a woman’s body. I love men’s button downs as beach coverups.

I also look a lot on high end sites (1st Dibs mainly) to get an idea of what I like and the keywords they use to describe that item. Then I search for those words on Etsy or eBay. I also search a lot on European sites (VNTG, Pamono, Design-Mkt). Yes, you will pay more in shipping and if it’s a light, you will have to get it re-wired, but the European stuff is far more interesting to look at and I find a lot of European sellers are more willing to make a deal. It’s a lot of scrolling, but when you hit the jackpot, I like to think it’s all worth it!

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SPOTS?

In Jersey City, Another Man’s Treasure is good for clothes. Duo NYC is also fantastic (maybe my favorite blazer of all time was found there—vintage Armani!).

For home goods—pick a town and spend a day or weekend visiting different spots. In Kingston, NY their consignment shop often has hidden gems. Zaborski Emporium is a multiple story shop for all your architectural salvage needs, but also has rows and rows of cutlery, plates and chairs. You could spend hours here. Lambertville, NJ also has a lot of lovely antique shops all along the main drag.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ONLINE SPOTS?

For Clothing:

— The Real Real is unparalleled. They have so much stuff. You have to scroll through a lot, but if you are looking to dip your toe into the world of secondhand clothing, this is the place to start. They offer returns as well which is very helpful! I would say most of my online shopping is done here.

— Subrina Heyink: She does a lot of instagram drops in which she sells a beautiful curation of clothing. Expect lots of pleated trousers, fantastic blouses, and slip dresses. Her eye is incredible.

— Lucia Zolea: She has a good mix of true period vintage and also vintage that looks very modern. She drops on her site every Wednesday at 5PM.

— Voho Vintage: She drops a new piece on instagram every day or so. A lot of timeless classics.

For Furniture/Home:

— Tat London: She’s in the UK, but I love her site. A nice variety of interesting home objects + art.

— eBay UK: Yes, you will pay more in shipping, but I find they have better quality stuff. Have gotten some art from there! Save your favorite searches and they'll email you daily when new things come in. I get a lot of eBay emails..

— Etsy: I have found a lot of stuff here. Again, the European sellers are the way to go. Their prices are more reasonable and I find them overall to be way more personable. A very good source for art, ceramics, and lights.

— Punch the Clock: He has an amazing eye for Brutalist French furniture.

— LiveAuctioneers: If you like the thrill of the chase, this is the place. Make sure you try and narrow your search down to where you live so you can limit your shipping costs.

Favorite piece(s) you've found…

— A vintage chocolate brown Fendi blazer with the most amazing buttons. It also fits as if it was custom made for me.

— A white linen belted Safari-esque Armani jacket. It’s everything I want in an item, kind of slouchy, but also structured. Plus pockets!

— Silver earrings that add a really wonderful sculptural element to anything I wear with them.

— Linen trousers in black and brown. I had them tailored so they are now a little more straight leg. They look amazing with both t-shirts or a button-up!

— A french brutalist side table + wicker lamps. The table was one of those things I stumbled upon. I love how simple it is but also how interesting it is to look at.

— A tripod table from Etsy!

— A leopard print chair we found on the street that my mom sanded and painted. Don’t be afraid of street finds!

— Our original Knoll Tulip Table found on Craigslist. Fun fact—on the day we closed on our apartment, (literally right after we signed the papers), I had us rent a UHaul to pick the table up from a company that was moving offices and selling it for a steal. Trying to get it down to the UHaul was a comedic adventure, but eventually we made it and now it’s our dining room table!

Thank you so much Caitlin!