Monday 15 February 2010

Vintage for the sake of it.


Aaaand we're back, images and all! Thanks for not all fleeing at the sight of the red Xs. And now, for a real post.

So! I have to be honest, the whole vintage 'trend' is starting to irritate me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for making new things from old and thrifting old outfits. The idea of wearing a jacket or a dress that is really from the 50s or 60s is a really cool one. My 93 year old Granny gave my sister her awesome fitted red leather jacket that she's had for about 40 years, and that's just beyond amazing (yes, I'm jealous, but I've come to the conclusion that leather jackets just don't suit me, and also it fits my sister way better than me). It's also pretty amazing that my Granny was still stepping out in a red leather jacket when she was 90. So yes, I'm all for buying vintage. In theory.

However, it's become a "trend". And because it's a trend, it's become perfectly okay to slap the 'vintage' tag on something over 20 years old and charge through the roof for it. See, I went to a vintage fair recently, and I was kind of excited about finding some interesting and unique items. And while there was nothing there that I fell in love with, there were some nice bits. At ridiculous prices. For instance, a sequin jumper? THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS. And it was
hideous.
I know that vintage is, ethically, a great way to buy. Like I said, I'm all for it. I have a vintage leather satchel that I love so much I kind of want to cuddle it - and the fact that it was a total steal makes me love it even more. See? Isn't it just delicious?


And, okay, I'll admit it. I get a kick out of exclaiming 'It's vintage!' when someone admires it. (Actually, I make a point of saying it in a poncy, OTT, posh voice. Obviously.) And I won't stop looking on ebay and etsy for reasonably priced vintage treasures. But charging through the roof for something that the high street are doing pretty great copies of is just going to send me running back to Primark*.

Okay. Rant over. :)

Thank god, then, for events like the Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair. I foresee a trip to the Oxford or Cambridge events in my future.

* Coming soon: a post on why I keep trying and failing to give up Primark. I got a (LOVELY) dress in there today for A POUND. My lunch cost more than that!!
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9 comments

  1. That's weird, I can. Try hitting ctrl + refresh?

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  2. god that bag is gorgeous!

    And I agree with all of this, I live in Camden and am totaly fed up of the "vintage" shops now that i hardly ever visit them. the prices have become extortionate!

    I just chairty/jumble shop now! x

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  3. I can now. Maybe it didn't like me last night.

    Very pretty bag. I'd buy vintage if I could ever find something nice that wasn't crazy expensive too.

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  4. I'm so impatient when I go into charity shops but I know you and other bloggers have had some amazing finds! I really must keep at it, there are loads near me.

    The bag was such a lucky find. I was looking for a replacement to my beloved black frame bag which is about to fall apart from being over-stuffed, and this popped up. I think it came to about a tenner, including p&p from the US. And it's so lovely!

    (Tineke, if you visited the blog when the images were down, your computer probably remembered that and so when the images came back, it took a while to figure it out. Thus is my understanding of cookies and caching - ie, not great!)

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  5. Agreed! I adore a lot of vintage clothing but in actual vintage shops they charge so so much for them and even charity shops now charge £20 for a really ugly dress just because its 20 years old - however when you find amazing pieces at a bargain price then thats exciting!

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  6. Great piece! I love beautiful clothing but never buy from vintage shops. For me the real pleasure is coming across a beautiful well-made vintage piece at a car boot or charity shop for a couple of quid.
    The bag is stunning, great find. Don't ever get disheartened in your search. When you find an amzing vintage garment after weeks of sifting through high street tat it makes your find extra-special.
    Vix
    xxx

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  7. it makes me so sad when vintage things are just tatty overpriced second hand clothes :( also annoys me how nothing 'vintage' ever fits me, it's either too big or too small! vintage shops always have an air of pretentiousness about them too that intimidates me.

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  8. I totally agree about vintage shops being intimidating. There's a new one locally (it's an 'emporium' and I want to go and have a nose, but I need someone to come with me! So lame...).

    You are so right Vintage Vixen! I'm very impatient, but I do need to learn to devote some time to find beautiful items. I'm moving soon and I'm planning to do a lot of the interiors shopping secondhand!

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