Timeless vintage

09.01.2008
As the high street becomes increasingly homogenous, it becomes more and more difficult to create a ‘look’ that is individual and original. Even buying couture, if you are lucky enough to be able to afford it, is no guarantee of exclusivity as the high street rip-offs are now in the shops in a matter of weeks.

My favourite, fun and inexpensive solution is to embrace vintage clothing, creating outfits that you can be sure express your personality and will be entirely unique. I spent many a happy hour in the late 70’s searching charity shops, antique shops and jumble sales for second hand clothing. The inspiration was to re-create a ‘Victoriana’ look, with a 70’s twist, and at that time you could buy beautiful genuine Victorian and Edwardian blouses, which I would wear with wide trousers or slim skirts.

"my all-time favourite has stood the test of time and has been worn many times, most notably to the Officer’s Commissioning Ball at Sandhurst in 1986"

By the 1980’s my collection of vintage clothing was growing, as my friends and I shopped and swapped! I gained a beautiful 1920’s black chiffon ‘flapper’ dress as reward for working in a friend’s antique shop for the day – worn with a leotard, footless tights and killer heels (and the ubiquitous ‘80’s perm), I was ready to party! That dress eventually could be mended no more and disintegrated, but my all-time favourite has stood the test of time and has been worn many times, by me, most notably to the Officer’s Commissioning Ball at Sandhurst in 1986, and by Daughter No. 1, to parties and to her school prom in 2005.



It is a stunning 1950’s taffeta cocktail dress found by a friend at a car boot sale in U.S.A. and swapped for my vintage beaded cardigan. We wear The Dress with the ‘Family Jewels’ – a paste diamond necklace and earrings given by Dad to my Mum in 1953.

The Daughters love vintage as much as I do, and mix and match vintage finds from the 50’s through to the 80’s, with H&M and Topshop. Vintage can be found on-line, on e-bay or on-line shops such as www.candysays.co.uk. There are a growing number of vintage clothing shops, including our local Aladdin’s Cave of amazing clothing and accessories, www.vintageclobber.com. Even the Oxford Street Topshop branch carries a range of vintage clothing, but Daughter No. 2 and I found it a bit boring and predictable – much more fun to have to search it out!



In an age where clothes are intended to be almost disposable, it is wonderful to wear a garment that has been beautifully made, from wonderful fabric, and with an interesting provenance, that maybe you can only guess at.

Debra x