The BoutiqueVintage guide to: Shopping Vintage
Here is a jargon free, ten-step guide to getting the complete vintage look at a fraction of the price. This guide wont tell you to get up at a ridiculous time in the morning, it also wont advise you to attend every car boot sale within a seventy mile radius or use a lead based paint on your face for that authentic porcelain skinned look, it will however suggest ways to re-vamp your wardrobe without spending a fortune. The aim is to help you find some beautiful, original pieces along the way!
1) Raid your relative’s wardrobes
With their consent obviously, but this can be a great way to get started with a vintage look. By the time I started to get really interested in vintage fashion my parents had thrown out most of their old clothes, only a few survivors remained which I pounced on and claimed as my own. That old pair of Levis your mum has will look great cut down into shorts worn over a pair of patterned tights, with some brogues and an oversized jumper for the perfect autumn look. Tie your dad’s old shirts up at the waist and team with some statement leggings and colour pop heels for drinks in town. The key is to put your own spin on classic pieces.
2) Let your imagination do the talking
OK so that old full-length skirt of your nan’s might not seem that inspiring now, but if you just look past the cut and look at the colour and pattern the possibilities are endless. Why not cut it into a cute skater style skirt and wear it with an off the shoulder printed tee and some cute ankle boots; or keep it long but wear it belted on the waist with a cropped bandeau top and a beaded clutch for an effortless day to evening look. If you use a little bit of imagination when looking at vintage pieces you can create a truly unique but current look.
3) Mix it up
Some people may not agree with me on this one, but I am a firm believer of mixing high street with vintage to keep your look on trend but original. Just as most would never wear top to toe Topshop, I wouldn’t wear a full vintage outfit. I think that a little era mixing creates a nice balance however trying to get everything vintage can lead to a cluttered, confusing look rather than a well thought out stylish ensemble. My favourite look for autumn so far has been a pair of super skinny spray on black Levis jeans with pair of cute fur lined wedge heels from Topshop, an eighties tan cropped blouse and one of my oversized seventies mohair cardigans; top this off with a printed bandana and a leather satchel and this look will take you to work, shopping, out for dinner or wherever else you please!
4) Don’t be a charity shop snob
If you look at shopping in charity shops as a way of getting your statement pieces for the season at a fraction of the high street cost then you will start to see every item in there in a whole new light. As we have already learnt, if you use a little bit of imagination you can pick up some great pieces and style them up to suit different occasions. Most charity shops will block by style or colour sometimes both, which is even better. As long as you don’t go in with a concrete idea of your dream piece then you will generally find some lovely bits. Look out for branded items, they will always be good quality and last that little bit longer. Make sure that you leave enough time to go to a couple of different charity shops and spend a little while looking through the rails. Sometimes you need to put in a little effort to get the most out of it but it is definitely worth it to get the right piece. The best thing about charity shops is they don’t have any rules on seasonality. They will have shorts, coats, knitwear and dresses in all at the same time. So if you spot the perfect winter coat in June, pick it up. Vintage never goes out of style.
5) Customise your way to cutting edge
One of the most important things I have realised is that customising is key. This can be anything from cutting some jeans down into shorts, to making a skirt out of some old material. I have customised almost all of my vintage pieces in one way or another. The easiest way to customise is to cut it up. Whether it’s cutting dresses shorter, taking the arms off of a denim shirt or cropping a blouse. It’s the easiest way to instantly update a piece and make it your own. I’m also quite fond of replacing the buttons on an item; you can pick up vintage buttons just about anywhere, and if you don’t want vintage then pop into John Lewis and visit their haberdashery, they have jars of cute mixed buttons that brighten up anything. I recently replaced the buttons on one of my 80’s floral playsuits with some pretty, brightly coloured ones. I had so many compliments on it I’ve now done the same with all of them. It doesn’t have to be playsuits, it works with cardigans, skirts, shoes, you name it. Just make sure the buttons you choose fit into the existing button hole. A popular customisation at the moment is studs. Its bang on trend and will instantly add a rocky edge to any piece of clothing. Distress some bleached denim cut offs and glue on some silver studs down one side or around the pocket for a quick and easy outfit update. In short, you don’t have to be a whiz on the sewing machine to update your clothes.
.........Next instalment soon!
