I love vintage shopping, and often spend my weekends searching through markets and antique stores to try and find a bargain. As the old proverb says, 'one man's trash is another man's treasure'. Around the world, ordinary people are still feeling the knock on effects from the global economic crisis; we've gotten used to using buzz words such as 'credit crunch' and 'double dip recession'. In one way or another, we are suffering from the cost of living rising above the rate of inflation, coupled with wages being frozen. Even my home town of Framlingham, one of the wealthiest parishes in the country, has had to open a 'Food Bank' (where people can receive free emergency food supplies) because some of the residents are living in relative poverty and are unable to afford to feed themselves. Against this backdrop, it is no wonder that people are turning to thrift store shopping, made ever more popular with the release of the Macklemore song 'Thrift Shop', lamenting the idea of spending fifty dollars for a t-shirt.
And although the idea of thrift shopping is not a new one, it is becoming ever more popular. However, there is still a great deal of difference between 'thrift shopping' and buying something 'vintage'. As Sloane Crosley says, 'our culture [has an] obsession with vintage objects... People want heart, they want a chaser of emotion with their aesthetics'. With the high street playing clone wars and rolling out identical items, and designer items reserved for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas, I have joined the quest for something vintage, unique, and affordable.
One of my favourite areas of London is Notting Hill, a love that was inspired by the film of the same name, and enhanced by visits through the years to the annual Carnival, and walks around the awe inspiring houses that I yearn to live in (maybe one day!). Of course, you cannot visit that area without walking along to Portobello Road Market, one of the best in the country.
The road is lively, bustling, colourful. The stalls sell clothing, shoes, jewellery, gifts, a vast array of items to peruse at your leisure. The food stalls sell delicious french cheeses to die for, although I recommend buying it towards the end of your visit, as I found I was wafting the smell of Camembert wherever I turned. Also on sale are fresh fruit smoothies, any type of burger/hotdog from budget to gourmet, and Churros, a long mexican donut covered in sugar and cinnamon, which tastes delicious dipped into chocolate. If you fancy queuing and paying a premium, then pay The Hummingbird Bakery a visit.
The most recent item I picked up from Portobello Road was this hand knitted jumper in perfect condition, for £10. I normally wear it with my hair in loose, messy curls, black leggings, pumps and oversized gold or silver jewellery. It's really warm and a lot thicker than your average high street jumper, but a fraction of the price of new hand-knitted clothing.
At the opposite end of the city, in East London, lies Brick Lane market in the heart of Shoreditch. The area is buzzing with people from all walks of life, different sounds, smells, and sights, including some amazing street art.
If you visit there, the first stop should be to the 24/7 Beigel shops, that serve world famous bagels at ridiculously low prices - £1.60 for salmon and cream cheese. The sandwich giant Subway had the audacity to open up an outlet across the lane - but many people have boycotted it. I prefer the original shop, opened over a century ago, which is the one on the left, as it has a greater range of flavours including mouth watering, tender Salt Beef. If you fancy something more substantial, Brick Lane is one of the best areas in the country to go for a curry, and most of the restaurants do pretty good deals.
After satiating your appetite, you can then move on to the serious business of shopping. The area has always been great for vintage finds but has expanded in the past few years as the area gets more and more popular. My favourite stores are Rokit and Beyond Retro, which was where I found a vintage Lacoste jumper a few years ago for the bargain price of £7. Buying an equivalent of this new would cost £70-£150.
On recent trips back to Suffolk, I've managed to pick up some other brilliant vintage finds in the pretty little towns of Southwold (a gorgeous cameo broach for my faux fur coat) and Woodbridge (a genuine vintage Gucci bag, which is bordering on vulgar and had a lingering smell of cigarette smoke but I love it).
However, one must be careful when shopping for vintage. On a trip to Camden market a couple of months ago, me and my friends were offered a 'genuine, original vintage' shirt for £25. When we read the label, it said Cedarwood State - the male clothing section of Primark! I dread to think how many people have been ripped off with scams like that.
Sometimes thrift shopping and vintage collide and intertwine. In Stepney, a shop has opened called 'The East End Thrift Shop', clearly riding on the back of the popularity of the Macklemore song. There was a lot of hype on Facebook and Twitter and the photos looked great. However, when we arrived I was very disappointed. The whole place had an awful funky-in-a-bad-way smell, and the clothes did too. A lot of the clothes were dirty, smelly and stained. One sweatshirt looked like it had a large amount of gravy on it, but retailed at £10. Let's make this clear - you cannot and should not sell a stained top for £10 and claim it is vintage just because it originated pre 2000. Further, these places are making a profit, whereas charity shops in the UK and places like Goodwill in the USA only sell items for the benefit of helping people less fortunate. In times where there are Food Banks in the wealthiest countries in the world, surely it is better to do your thrift and vintage shopping in charity shops and markets rather than in smelly hipster warehouses in the East End?
You can genuinely find some great items in charity shops. When I was younger I volunteered at Oxfam in Woodbridge, and someone donated some genuine Jimmy Choo heels, although unfortunately they were a size 3 or 4 and too small for me. My friend manages the St Elizabeth Hospice store in Aldeburgh, a town that has extremely wealthy residents and visitors, and has received donations of designer clothing from the likes of Ted Baker, to CHANEL! Therefore a great tip is to go thrift/charity shopping not on the high street, but in wealthy areas such as Chelsea, in order to find the best deals.
My Tips for Vintage and Thrift Shopping
DO
- Research the area and the store before going there.
- Have an open mind, and be prepared to see a lot of trash before you find your treasure.
- Check the item carefully for stains or breakages that would leave the item unwearable, as most places to not give refunds.
- Make sure you thoroughly clean any jewellery before wearing it, especially items such as earrings.
- Take a visit to your local charity shop or Goodwill centre.
DON'T
- Be unrealistic - not every single shopping trip will be successful and you won't always be lucky enough to find something designer. Be positive and keep trying.
- Buy something for the sake of it - the fact that it is vintage or cheap does not mean that you are going to make use of it.
All that being said, I will still continue to shop on the high street and lust after designer labels. It would be pretty impossible and frankly unsatisfying to only thrift shop or only wear vintage items. Often, people that do that can seem like they are trying just a little too hard to be unique and different, only to look like everyone else. As Coco Chanel said, 'fashion fades, only style remains the same'. As much as it may be the fashion to look like you're wearing your grandad's clothes, it must still be done in a timeless manner. Mix it up, wear something from Zara with a thrift store bag, or add a vintage broach to a faux fur coat from New Look.
Remember, you should always reflect your personality in your clothes, but never be defined by them.
Yaasica Lucia XXX
