Vintage
Tips for successful vintage shopping
Time and commitment are always first and foremost. Be prepared to take a weekly or bi-weekly trip to your favourite antique shop or bric a brac stall. There you can find bags, beads, hats and gloves. What's more, we find it so much fun scouring these shops looking for that definitive piece of jewellery or bag.
Make sure you are clued up on your national, European and international sizing charts. Many of the clothes may be from overseas and you need to know when you are finding your size.
The shopping list
- Leather jackets
- Mood coats
- Sunglasses
- Handbags
- Printed silk scarves
- Jeans
- Brooches
- Hats
- Jumpers
Purchase with care
Do not go alone
You will need a second opinion. Once in a vintage shop you can be swept along with the sheer romance of it all and the shop assistants dressed head to toe in vintage will make it look easy…it isn't!
Keep Perspective
This is so helpful in a vintage shop. Many times, a coffee break and a read of the paper will enable you to realise that a crocodile skin all in one will never work "in the real world".
Armpit Alert!
Watch out for smells, armpit stains and collars that point at your boobage!
Bobbles
Be prepared to take the bobbles off your woollens when you buy them. Just par for the course really.
Barter
Always barter in vintage shops because most of them are over priced and a bit up themselves. Again, getting distance from the object you are obsessing about will help you negotiate a good price.
Factor in any tailoring
You may have to spend time and money adjusting or re-working an outfit. Remember to factor this into the price you pay in store. You might charge yourself out at £8 an hour. This will give you a good indication as to whether it is worth it.
Have fun!
FCaNK is not meant to be hideously hard work and make you feel like you have knitted your own muesli. Get a life!
And finally…
The best-case scenario is that a vintage item finds you. You find yourself relentlessly shopping one day. Tucked away at the back of the shop, a heavenly piece catches your eye. It's love at first sight! You purchase it and walk away with a bubbly feeling in your heart. This can be a one off. A truly satisfying and beautiful experience!
Where to Shop for Vintage
London offers some veritable vintage shopping. In London's Brick Lane, you will find Beyond Retro. Beyond Retro have other branches in Soho and Sweden if this is closer for you. The Notting Hill markets and the Camden Markets are filled with stalls selling vintage clothing. Covent Garden, Portobello Road and Camden Passage are great markets to find accessories and jewellery. The Kings Road and Portobello Road charity shops are filled with a treasure trove of goodies thrown out by terribly sophisticated ladies. A more exotic way to do vintage is in Brighton. North Laines in Brighton is perfect for finding a unique and romantic article that costs slightly less than in London insanity.
Here are FCaNK's top vintage picks!
- Beyond Retro, Brick Lane
- The Red Cross Shop in Old Church Street, Chelsea, SW3
- Notting Hill and Camden Markets
- Brighton - North Laines stores
- Twice As Nice - Battersea, London. Telephone: 02077202234. Not quite vintage but a treasure trove of designer goodies are to be found in this store
- Rokit, Brick Lane, Camden and Covent Garden, London
- One of a Kind Too, Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London. Telephone: 0207 792 5284 Very expensive though! Definately a Fur Coat shop.
- Shikasuki Ltd, Primose Hill, London.
- Bang Bang Vintage in Sheffield
- Stroud Vintage in Stroud, Cotswolds
- Sam Greenberg Vintage Clothing, London and on line.
- Marshmallow Mountain, London and on line
- Bang Bang, Soho.
Check out the Vintage Fairs
Frock Me! always springs to mind when we think of Vintage Fairs. It is held on numerous dates throughout the year in both Chelsea, London and Brighton. Nationwide vintage dealers come to the fair to sell their wares. These range from clothes, bags, accessories, shoes et al. Vintage items at the fair ranges from the 1920's through to the 1980's. Check out the website. It's really fun!
The London Vintage Fashion, Textiles and Accessories Fair in Hammersmith is held on various dates at one of three venues in Hammersmith. Again vintage dealers from across the country come to trade their wares. There is a small entry price. If you subscribe to their newsletter, they state that you may be eligible for discounted tickets! Check out the site!
Anita's Vintage Fairs are worth checking out. They are held at two venues across London. They can be found in Battersea at the Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill and at The 20th Century Theatre, Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill. There is also a small entrance fee with these events. The website provides all details about the fairs and when the up coming shows are.
Other fairs to check out are:
The Affordable Vintage Fair, which is held all across England.
The Leeds Vintage Fashion Fair
Blind Lemon Vintage Fairs held across England.
The Vintage Fair
The Stroud Vintage Fashion Fair
Online Vintage Jewellery
The internet is becoming a veritable treasure chest for vintage jewels. Although this might mean you work less hard to find the brooch of your dreams, the satisfaction of wearing a cutesome vintage piece that you have found in your lunch hour is devastatingly attractive. Take a peek at these vintage cuties.
Polkadotjewellery.co.uk very cute styling..we love!
trinketenvy.co.uk don't be put off by the bizarre styling it's a deceptive ploy to hide the jewels that lie within?!
vintagejewelleryco.co.uk very Fur Coat sweetie!
Charlie Smith Jewellery unique Fur Coat bespoke pieces at No Knickers good value prices
Vintage Reading material
There are some wonderful vintage reference books on the market. One that we particularly love is Shopping for Vintage: The Definitive Guide to Vintage Fashion
A fun website to take a look at is www.retrotogo.com, which is a guide to all things hip and retro!
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