Online shopping secret

If you're in search of higher end vintage without limited era and without the price tag that comes with designer labels, I have a little secret.

Instead of specifying designer names in the search bar, shop by department store. Each region has (or more likely had) specialty shops that carried designer and high end garments and accessories: Bullock's in Los Angeles (1907-1995), B. Altman in New York (1906-1989), Crowley Milner in Detroit (1909-1999), etc. Generally department stores would have a secondary store label sewn into the garment, or even have an exclusive line made in collaboration with a brand.

Below is a list of Department and specialty stores listed in the 1965 edition of "Inside the Fashion Business" by Jeannette A. Jarnow and Beatrice Judelle.

• O'Neil's

• Rich's Inc.

• Davison, Paxon

• Hecht

• Hutzler

• Loveman, Joseph & Loeb

• Filene's

• Gilchrist

• Jordan Marsh

• Adam, Meldrum & Anderson

• Sattler's

• Loveman's

• Carson, Pirie, Scott

• The Fair

• Goldblatt Bros.

• Marshall Field

• Wieboldt Stores

• H. & S. Pogue

• Shillito's

• Halle Bros.

• Higbee's

• May's

• F&R Lazarus

• Neiman-Marcus

• Sanger-Harris

• Rike-Kumler

• Denver Dry Goods

• May's-D & F

• Younker's

• Crowley, Milner

• J. L. Hudson's

• Winkelman Bros.

• Wolf & Dessauer

• G. Fox

• Foley's

• L. S. Ayres

• Wm. H. Block

• The Jones Store

• Macy's

• Miller's

• Buffum's

• Broadway Department Stores

• Bullock's

• May's

• J. W. Robinson

• J. Bacon & Sons

• J. Goldsmith & Sons

• Burdine's

• Jordan Marsh-Florida

• The Boston Store

• Gimbels-Schusters

• Dayton Co.

• Bamberger's

• Hahne's

• D. H. Holmes Co.

• Maison Blanche Co.

• Abraham & Straus

• Arnold Constable and Co.

• B. Altman

• Alexander's

• Bergdorf Goodman

• Best

• Bloomingdale's

• B. Gertz

• Gimbels

• Lord & Taylor

• Ohrbach's

• Saks Fifth Avenue

• Macy's New York

• Stern's

• Kerr's

• Kilpatrick's

• Bonwit Teller

• Lit Bros.

• Strawbridge & Clothier

• Wanamaker's

• Joseph Horne

• Kaufmann's

• Meier & Frank

• Gimbel Bros. Lit Bros.

• Strawbridge & Clothier Wanamaker's

• Gimbel Bros.

• Joseph Horne

• Kaufmann's

• Meier & Frank

• Outlet Co.

• Miller & Rhoads

• Thalhimer Bros.

• E. W. Edwards & Son

• Sibley, Lindsey & Curr

• Famous-Barr

• Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney

• Stix, Baer & Fuller

• The Emporium

• ZCMI

• Joske Bros.

• Marston's

• Emporium-Capwell

• I. Magnin

• J. Magnin

• Ohrbach's

• Frederick & Nelson

• E. W. Edwards & Son

• Garfinckel's

• Hecht's

• Landsburgh

• Woodward & Lothrop

• Strouss-Hirschberg