How to Wash Your Vintage Clothes (Without Wrecking Them)

Hey! If you've just scored a piece from us, here's how to keep it looking great:

1. Keep it cool (literally):
   Wash in cold to warm water — nothing hotter than 30°C. Vintage fabrics don’t love heat.

2. Go easy on the spin:
   Set your machine to a low spin (100 - 800rpm or delicate cycle. Less drama = longer garment life.

3. Don’t mix your colours and whites (seriously):
   Don't throw whites and colours in together. Old-school dyes can still surprise you.

4. No tumble dryers, please:
   Heat can shrink, fade, or mess with the shape. Just don’t.

5. Hang it up, inside out:
   Air dry your clothes inside out to help colours last. And keep colours out of direct sunlight if you can because it will fade. Unless its a white item then the sun helps keep it bright.

6. Put detergent straight in the drum:
   Liquid or powder is fine — just pop it in with the clothes, not in the drawer.

7. Super delicate? Hand wash it.
   If it feels fragile or fancy, hand wash it gently and press the water out (no twisting!)

Measured in inches alongside with the original tag sizing.

Generally 70’s - early 80’s tees are more fitted and late 80’s - 90’s, 2000’s gets more and more oversize.

📏 Size Guide (cm/in)

*PASTE GUIDE*

I ship with standard Australia Post — deliveries usually take 2–5 business days within the same state, and 3–14 business days for interstate orders.
I’ll send you a tracking number so you can keep an eye on your parcel. 📦✉️

All Lucky World Vintage items are one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, so we don’t offer returns or refunds for change of mind or fit.

If something arrives ‘not as described’, contact us within 48 hours and we’ll do our best to help.

Thanks for shopping thoughtfully ♻️

Here’s how I quickly date vintage tees for Lucky World Vintage:

1. Check the Tag

Older shirts have sewn-in tags from brands like Screen Stars, Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, Jerzees, and Oneita. The fonts, shapes, and materials of the tags changed over time — if it looks thin, faded, or plasticky, you’re probably looking at the ’80s or early ’90s.

2. Feel the Fabric

If theres a tag on the shirt it’ll usually say if its 100% cotton or 50-50% poly/cotton.

100% cotton is heavier and usually doesn’t have that “super light and soft” feel that 50/50 cotton-poly blends do.

3. Look at the Stitching

Single stitching on the sleeves and hem usually means pre-mid-1990s. Double stitch = likely newer.

4. Care Tags

If there’s no care label, it’s likely from before the ‘70s. Basic care or fiber content labels showed up in the late ‘70s and became standard in the ‘80s and beyond.

Look at defunkd.com for more information if you’re interested..