What did you think I was taking about...? Lets step out of the gutter for a sec and get back to the story.
Shopping at a Vintage Markets is not for the faint hearted. It requires stamina, patience and concentration. All the qualities I was missing that day. Mainly to do with the fact that I was nursing the after effects of a crazy night out (Shout-out to TeamRockstar!). If I'm totally honest these qualities are almost lost on me in any shopping experience these days. I have become a 'see it, buy it' shopper. Long gone are the days I used to spend hours scouring the high streets, boutiques and department store for deals and fabulous clothes. That time has passed. I'm getting older...no I'm getting more mature and it all just seems like unnecessary stress. As a result my outfits have lost their edge. Emma's convinced I could get back my edge but I will have to search away from my comfort zone and into a vintage one.
The current fascination with vintage stuff in today's world of fashion never made sense to me. Why would you buy something that is old, has been worn and pre-owned by someone else! Yuk! I mean I know all the stuff is cleaned before it goes on show (actually I take that back. There was one stand where the stuff look like it was taken out of someone's dirty laundry basket...cringe), but you don't where it's been. That was always unnerving to me. What if I find an amazing dress and a curse has been placed on it where the wearer is forced to throw food on themselves when they come in contact with good-looking people?! I need to know things like this before I buy!
Saying that, the story behind the piece is what makes vintage stuff so charming. Not the items potentially having a hidden curse (make sure you always pray before you wear), but the fact that they is a story behind each piece and you become part of its history when you take it away.
Both Emma and Laura have been in the vintage game a lot longer than I have so took to the stalls like WAGs to footballers. The hawk-like way Emma scanned through the stuff at any stall and home in on the hidden prizes amazed me. To me it all looked like a hopeless mess. Rails upon rails of clothes, mountains of bags and shoes, its like trying to find a black person in an Abercrombie and Fitch ad. Then we hit the Nordic Poetry stall and the whole vintage thing started to make sense. I had finally found Wally! I immediately found pieces which I really liked and could easily work into my closet. I especially loved their collection of re-worked denim. My fav was the reworked demin shirt with leopard print collar. Fabulous!
But be warned: if you don't snap up what you see, someone else will. I found this out the hard way. I found this fantabulously amazing magnifying glass necklace at Trunk Junkie stall. My normal shopping ethos of snap it when you see it went right out the window. I guess being new to this vintage thing I thought I can always come back to it later and I wanted to make sure it was amazing by seeing what else was available at the market. By the time I realised my mistake and returned, it was gone. With the comfort of Emma (and a Mai Tai) I managed to get over my loss.
I did come away with something though. A modern take on a classic toy. These cute Lego earrings from MyselfForward
They do really fun pieces so definitely check them out
Check out Undercover Vintage Lover on Emma's site http://backofthewardrobe.com/ to see more about the day and more amazing pics by Laura Burgess of the great stuff we found.
Featured Traders
Trunk Junkie - you can find their stuff on ASOS MarketPlace
Nordic Poetry
http://nordicpoetry.com/ or follow on Twitter @NordicPoetry
Myself Forward
Until next time...
Stay MsChiVious
Stay MsChiVious
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