My A-Z of Vintage...Part IIII

Q is for Queens of Vintage.
Go to the online website for the latest news/events in vintage fashion. Not only do they supply readers with exclusive interviews and news, but also updates on the best cities for vintage and intricate details on each fantastic vintage fashion era.

R is for Resort wear.
Some of the most beautiful resort wear comes from eras gone by; special attention to wrap arounds and playsuits. By the end of the 20th century, there were many items that fell under this category. Although it may not be to everybody’s taste to purchase a second hand bikini or any type of beachwear, there are some lovely all in one pieces around that have never been worn and are factory seconds. From the beginning of the 20th century onwards, beachwear has been through many fashionable changes, which is great for all body shapes, because whatever era suits your body, try to find items from that particular era. The 1960s to the 1970s are great beginning places to look as they completely embody the hippy aesthetic for holidaying abroad.

S is for Sizes
My only bugbear with vintage is probably the questionable shoe sizes of women back in the day. It is near impossible for me to find a pair of shoes in a shop I love without turning them over and seeing a very popular vintage size of 4 or 5. It seems the one area women have definitely evolved in would be the foot department since the 1920s. Not wanting to dwell on the matter, I have occasionally tried to squeeze my six’s into a five with no obvious luck, but there is a silver lining. This silver lining comes with sizes of other garments including many clothes that would normally be oversized, being quite fitted and vice versa. With vintage clothing, I try not to care too much about the sizing either way, as I tend to like bigger vintage items quite baggy and well, the tighter the item the better. Sizes from the 1920s onwards will obviously vary from your standard sizes of today so do make sure you try on an item just in case you are dwarfed into a jumper or loosing breath because of a miniskirt. However, try to be more relaxed with it, after all some vintage items do look better with a looser or tighter fit; everything that is except the shoes, oh and maybe belts.

T is for Tailoring
There are some beautifully tailored garments from vintage eras gone by; on the one hand there are outfits like Yves Saint Laurent’s masculine tailoring and on the other some 1950s Christian Dior feminine skirt suits. Most tailored items are going to be jackets and coats, but skirts are also very popular too. If you’re after a statement piece then tailoring is very powerful in doing so. Coats of the 1950s were very beautiful, heavy fabrics but bold colours were popular and everything is tailored, from the sleeves to the waist, it doesn’t matter what you’re wearing underneath. A good way of looking out for tailored items is checking the neckline and the back of an outfit, if it is designed in a particular off cut style then it is more likely to be fitted when you try it on. Most vintage shops love tailored garments so they may well also be grouped together in a certain section of the shop. Unless you are certain or very brave, try not to meddle too much with pre-tailored outfits. As previously mentioned it is good to nip/tuck a few items here and there, but when something already has a fabulous cut, try to maintain it.

U is for Unisex.
Try not to limit yourself to only vintage Womenswear; menswear is absolutely heaving with hidden treasures. Brogue shoes are a must for menswear, especially as women had quite narrow feet, if like me, you do have problems with women’s vintage shoes, always look at men’s, after all trying something on is harmless and you never know what could suit you. Men’s braces, t-shirts and waistcoats are also popular items as there seems to always be more diversity in slogan tees. Hats are always good to keep an eye out for, and there is always a lot of variety of briefcases and satchels. Vintage shirts are fantastic because they can be worn in such diverse ways, as well as jackets...ok, ok there is a lot of choice, so like I said, don’t rule anything out. Although there is a great following for vintage menswear, there always seems to be more stock and at cheaper prices so make sure you don’t glide past next time, remember there’s a man in woman.

V is for Vinyl’s.
Old music is amazing. From Chuck Berry to Elvis to Frank Sinatra to The Beatles, you can’t beat some good old tunes. Especially when they come in the form of a 12” record. Everything from the way it plays (I fall in love with that scratchy vinyl sound every time I hear it) to the cover art, vinyl is a brilliant form of expressing a love of music. What’s even better is that they are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. From car boot sales to charity shops and stalls, vinyl is making a rather fantastic comeback. Expect to pay up to £5 in a charity shop for a decent vinyl, and in my eyes that’s nothing short of a brilliant bargain. So far in my collection I have managed to get hold of several David Bowie, Blondie, Kinks, Rolling Stones, Elton John, Nat King Cole, Beatles and Aretha Franklyn for probably under £20. If that isn’t an incentive to buy a vinyl player then I don’t know what is.

W is for Worldwide.
Whenever you are leaving the country, it is a golden opportunity to bring back some wonderful vintage bits. The selection of vintage available in Europe, Asia, Australasia and the USA is incredible as vintage tastes are different around the world. Make sure you take the time to check out any markets or shops you can when travelling or on holiday. Try to pick up items you know won’t be so available in the UK, beautiful vintage sarongs or accessories are popular. A good way of doing your research before you go is checking out some online shops to see what they have to offer. Just remember the price differences and don’t be too tempted by something just because you know you can’t go back to it, you will know when something has really caught your eye. Haggling is welcome in some countries, so there’s even more of a chance you will bag a brilliant bargain.

X is for X-Clusive.
Remember that all your vintage pieces may not be complete one offs; Jane Shilton handbags do tend to crop up more often than not, but most of the time your items will be rarer than high street items so treat them with care. It is always good to remember that vintage is old for a reason and it isn’t in tip top condition, so take care when picking when to wear certain bits; they should be exclusive for only certain types of events, especially if you’ve paid a lot for them. If a pair of Topshop shoes got wet in the rain they will be much easier to replace than a one off pair of vintage heels.

Friends borrowing vintage items can also cause a few problems. If they are true lovers of vintage they will understand the exclusivity of some of your items and saying no will be less embarrassing. Try coming up with other options of outfits they might prefer to borrow, but if you really feel uneasy about lending out certain garments then honesty is always the best policy. Upsetting a friend for a few minutes will blow over; her returning your one off sequined bolero with a rip in won’t.

My A-Z of Vintage...Part III

K is for Keep’s Sakes.
Although buying vintage is lovely, so are hand me downs from parents and grandparents. My Nonna’s house is good for rummaging through for vintage finds; she is so caught up in her gardening nowadays she doesn’t care for her little bits and bobs inside. However, do make sure you ask permission as taking a seemingly pretty necklace and finding out it is a lifelong family heirloom may cause unnecessary aggro from the parental units. What’s also great about hand me downs is that they are normally free and you know exactly where they are from (if your Nan can remember) and you know the time period they have come from. There are always little treasures to be found, such as musical jewellery boxes, bags, shoes, coats or hats and if you’re lucky they could be your great great grandparent’s possessions. This will also make you appreciate vintage that little bit more as these items have a story that you belong to and can one day pass them further into your own family.

L is for London.
Everybody knows London is the place to be in the UK for fashion alone, and vintage fashion is no exception. Although there are some beautiful places outside of London to shop vintage, the wide selection of resources – market stalls, vintage fairs and shops – are never ending. Make sure you keep up to date with the markets in London, as it’s not only Camden, Portobello and Spitalfields that are keeping vintage alive. As previously mentioned, London is also great for charity shops and Covent Garden is full of individual boutiques selling really exquisite stuff. It’s worth taking a day out if you don’t live in London, to map out a route of where to go for the best vintage around. Trust me; you won’t come back empty handed.

M is for Markets.
It’s official. Markets are a super cool and vintage way of shopping. There is always such an extensive range of items that markets offer, especially when selling clothes. Although you have to be careful of poorly made clothes that aren’t exactly ‘vintage’, you will get some cool finds that are worth it. The obvious choice is Portobello Market, but outside of London, there are many places that are well worth looking around at. Brighton is an excellent source of vintage, especially their markets every Sunday down the ‘North Laines’. They sell everything from jewellery to old vinyl records, vintage jeans and clothing, accessories and other bits and bobs, you could spend all day there floating from stall to stall. Most vendors there also own boutiques and take a stall specifically for the Sunday, so if you do fall in love with a stall it’s always a good idea to get to know a bit about the owner and buyer, just in case you want to go back for seconds!

N is for New Look.
Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ in 1947 inspired a whole new era in fashion. It finally released women of wearing heavy clothes made with thick materials and introduced a beautiful silhouette for them to relish. Nowadays this look has been mimicked many times by worthy designers and on the high street, however the great thing about vintage is you won’t need to look far to be able to pick up something from the 1940s or 1950s that is a genuine (maybe not Dior) silhouette.

O is for Online.
You can’t beat the feeling of walking into a musty vintage boutique and scouring the rails for hours...unless your feet hurt and/or its raining. Then it becomes hello internet and ‘bye bye’ musty boutique. The range of online vintage websites nowadays is quite vast and they hold a massive supply of vintage. Even Portobello Market has joined the craze. Rokit and Absolute Vintage on Brick Lane both have websites, you can shop online at Oxfam and not to mention eBay; the vintage lover’s golden source for sharing vintage. The greatest thing about shopping online is that, heaven forbid, you do not enjoy hunting for your vintage, then these websites are the thing for you.

P is for Prices.
Yes bargains are fabulous, but be aware that most vintage will be priced higher, depending on the time period and what type of item it is and how popular the buyers think it will be. In London, most belts are reasonably priced around £20-40, but bags and shoes are tricky as there are a lot of old designer shoes and bags about that can be worth well over £100. Don’t let pricing put you off an item if you really adore it, however don’t be fooled by some cheeky sellers who will overprice their items if they believe people like you will pay the full amount for it, there is a chance if you see a beautiful blue belt that you simply cannot afford, you won’t obviously see the same one but you will see a similar one, for a cheaper price that you may prefer. So unless the item you want is too expensive and you don’t see yourself finding another gem quite like it, then go for it. Otherwise, hold your breath and keep your eyes peeled. If you are in an area where vintage is rife then it is usually a good thing not to always buy the first thing you see as there is a lot of variation.

The brilliant thing about vintage is that you won’t see the same item twice, so it won’t all be high street replica after high street replica; these items will be one of a kind with a few tweaks. Think of it more like catering to each individual, if an item at a high price doesn’t swerve you, then don’t panic because more than likely the next item probably will.

My A-Z of Vintage...Part II

E is for Eclectic.
We all know fashion has been through some trying times over the past few decades, but that’s not to say there are no benefits of this. A lot of fashion ‘cast offs’ end up in the vintage section of many shops, or thrown into charity shops and it is up to you as a vintage lover to take advantage of this. For example, a vintage love of mine is finding big black knitted jumpers with gold/multi coloured sequins ALL over them. Thrown on with a pair of leggings and pumps, I could probably live in this look. However, it is necessary to admit, these jumpers, on the hangers...? Well let’s just say it doesn’t do much justice for the poor old jumper. But I see it this way, the more crazy, the more over the top and the more eclectic = THE BETTER. Especially with vintage, as you can most definitely get away with it. Try looking out for bright colours, odd shapes and mis matched prints, as although they may not look much on a plastic hanger...remember your body isn’t one.

F is for Finders Keepers!
Shopping with friends is always fun, especially if you are trawling through rails looking for that special something. However, this is not always the case when the friend of yours is exactly the same body size and shoe size. I particularity enjoy charity shopping with a girl friend of mine because we are two shoe sizes different, so when we charity shop for shoes we help each other, knowing that there is no way we would get into a cat fight about a pair of vintage heels. However, when you’re not on the high street and you can’t simply encourage your friend to pick up the same item, the smiley best friend facade is put aside, as the vintage claws come out and you end up barging each other into the men's section ‘by mistake’ as you eagerly scan the shop floor.

This is bad for two reasons; firstly it will probably make you want to rip each other’s hair out before the delightful shopping trip is over, and secondly, will blur your once precise judgement into buying items purely because you think you want them more than you actually do, and because you become scared to put it down for fear she’ll grab it and then you’ll regret it. This will inevitably lead to a vicious cycle of overspending and a lot of “Yeah that looks really good on you” (When actually it doesn’t, you just want to take her attention off of anything else you might want to buy and onto something she really shouldn’t.)
My advice would be this, yes shop in a partnership but only if you really want to, and be firm with what you like and know what she likes. It’s probably best to take a friend who has such different style from you; you might as well have been born into different eras. This way you will both benefit each other’s shopping experience and will not need to pull out the ‘Finder’s Keepers’ card. Good Luck!

G is for Glamorous.
There is no doubt in my mind that the most glamorous items of clothing that I own are from past eras in fashion. This is probably because of the hugely glamorous evening attire of women since the 1920s. Vintage is a fabulous excuse to really let your hair down and go wild with it. There are vintage rules, but when it comes to glamour and vintage, there are none! Donning a pair of long leather gloves or an outlandish pair of vintage shoes for a night out will guarantee your outfit that extra dash of allure.

H is for Handmade.
One of the beautiful aspects of vintage gear is a lot of items will be especially handmade, depending on their whereabouts. You are most likely to pick up a handmade garment abroad, especially from somewhere like India or Paris and if it is not completely apparent to you, a label will probably tell you that the item has been specifically handmade. Although bought for a higher price, the garment will stand worlds apart from any factory item and provide you with the essence to be the jealousy of all of your friends. Look out for good handmade jewellery, as not only are the pieces spectacular but they are also worthy of being worn for very special occasions. I recently went to the Clothes Show in London and bought a beautiful handmade gold necklace from Malaya Jewellery. It may sound like a cliché – but it is the same with people who wear couture items, you honestly feel worlds different when you put on an item of clothing where you know the care gone into the item is magnificent!

I is for Individual.
Vintage lovers are the type of people who adore all things from the past and what makes that brilliant is because most things that live in the past are rather rare or unusual. This can only be a good thing as it separates those who belong within the ‘masses’ and those who are the ‘individuals’. It may sound odd calling a group of people who love vintage so called ‘individuals’ but no two people who go into a vintage shop would ever come out looking the same. This is something that cannot be said about the high street. Vintage is a beautiful way of celebrating individuality because it covers a lot of bases. Whether it is music, books, poetry, paintings or an overall acquired taste of vintage, there are many ways to express this love, and vintage clothing is a very good way of standing out from the crowd.

J is for Jewellery.
Although ploughing through charity shops, vintage markets or stalls may be rather tedious, one thing can be said about vintage jewellery; it’s everywhere. Take special note when walking into a charity shop, at the till there are always tons of bracelets, necklaces and especially clip on earrings. Gold is a particular favourite and stalls of jewellery around Camden and Portobello Market are never scarce. Through my many years of being a vintage lover, I’ve found that jewellery is a vintage lover’s particular weakness, so don’t hold back as it is probably the biggest bargain involving vintage. Small dainty pieces are just as amazing as big brash necklaces and earrings, so don’t hold back and try to collect as much as possible. A good tip is also buying clip on earrings to use as decoration for something else, for example; pinning a scarf to your neck, sliding into the button loop on jackets or cardigans, clipping on shoes or onto a hair band, the list is endless, just make sure they are attached tightly!

My A-Z of Vintage...Part I

It’s no secret how much of a passion Ihave for vintage. I also know how tricky it can be to bag that perfect vintage treat – and how to develop an eye to separate the hidden tricks and treats in the vintage world!

This is why I have decided to compile a glorious A-Z of all things ‘Vintage’ in order to encourage lovers of all things old and beautiful to really get to grips with the wonderful world of vintage.

A is for Accessories.
A lot of celebrities, when asked about their personal style will exert the same manufactured response of ‘I love to mix designer and high street clothes, that way I feel I get the best of both worlds’. Well for us mere mortals this is translated as us mixing high street with vintage (and if we’re lucky, the odd designer garment). And it works, especially with vintage accessories.
Bags, belts and shoes are probably the best finds, and the variety is amazing. Pulling together a sexy new dress with some beautiful vintage heels feels great, adding a 1970s psychedelic belt to a summer look or a cute 1960s satchel for work...The list is endless. Just make sure that the accessories you invest in are versatile. After all, that fuchsia pink suede belt may look good with your cream skirt but what about the other 95% of your wardrobe?
(Allowances should be made however, if on initial sighting of said accessory, an unexpected and unstoppable gasp escapes your mouth and you find your legs – without instruction – have already begun moving in said accessories direction, well then, there was no choice!)

B is for Bargain.
Possibly one of the best ways of shopping for vintage is in Charity Shops. Although at times they may seem tedious, it is when you bag that £10 Chanel Scarf tucked away at the bottom of the pile, or that shiny gold Givenchy brooch for a mouth watering £5 that it makes it worthwhile. After all, vintage is a challenge. There would be no point in sauntering in somewhere to find the latest ‘must have’ vintage dress or shoes, for it would take away at least half the excitement in the first place. Trust me, these bargains do happen!
It goes without saying that London is probably the best place for Charity Shop Chic; however these Londoners are mighty clever and will up their prices when they see a label. Other options include car boot sales. Ah, I hear you cry, not very glamorous but absolutely riddled with vintage bargains – and yes it does help that the previous owners probably won’t notch the price up a pound or two – even if it is to die for. My friend recently got back from a car boot sale on the outskirts of London and came back with a black clutch bag, a gold embellished grey leather bag, two belts and a box full of scarf’s for UNDER TEN POUNDS. Think what you will, but the evidence is there. Get there early for all the best finds...or wait until the end to haggle the prices down even further!

C is for Classics/Collectables.
Although arguably all vintage pieces are classics, there are the rare bits you will come across that will be physically impossible to remove from your hands without the impulse to purchase. These pieces will be, and I reiterate, very rare, but impossible to miss. A classic Chanel tweed suit, a Yves Saint Laurent trouser piece, a Balenciaga bag, Roger Vivier shoes...Ok, ok, extremely rare, but all the more important to look out for. Vintage shops in London take vintage buying very seriously so do expect to see the odd designer piece, but do be prepared to pay the price for it too. However, if you are on the lookout for that excruciatingly vintage gem then get down to London’s famous Brick Lane for some serious treats.

D is for Dresses.
So you’ve got a wedding/graduation/party to go to? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to check before you arrived which guest is going to be wearing that same ‘new in’ Topshop dress as you? Oh it would make life so much more bearable. There is nothing worse than getting somewhere only to see somebody else in exactly the same outfit as you, especially if, dare I say it, they make it ‘work’ just a little bit better than you. Well, that exact fear is evaporated as soon as you decide to buy down the vintage route instead of the high street route.

Vintage dresses come in all shapes and sizes, colours, fabrics and patterns. It is utterly impossible not to find the right one for you when scouring the rails. Not only is there tons of variety, but it’s even more likely your dress had a previous life which gives it much more vivaciousness than a factory produced garment could ever have! A problem I tend to have with vintage dresses is the length; it is always too long. However with only spending a fraction of the amount of what you would on the high street, it is easy to take the dress up a couple of inches, and voila, you have your one of a kind dress tailored to you!