Any advice on starting a vintage wardrobe? 👗

[fauxvintage]

Hiya! I've name changed as I always do that when I start a thread (not sure why ).

I've always really loved the fashion of the 50s / 60s and over time have invested in a few pieces, but now I'm really keen to have a full vintage wardrobe. I shied away from it before as it's not especially typical of where I live / the generation I'm part of, but I always feel better when I look like I've stepped out of a time machine!

Attached a few photos references of the the things I like. I'm a slightly chubby hourglass girl on a budget (size 12-14 mostly) but if you have any tips I would really appreciate them! I'm also thinking vintage inspired as true vintage would probably ruin my credit score! Thank you 💌

Ebay is probably a good place to start- especially if you filter to used items- another thought would be to buy vintage sewing patterns and either have a go yourself (use old sheets to make prototypes to start) or employ a local dressmaker (not sure how possible this is in Covid times)

Also make a lookbook either online or on paper- the thing with vintage is, they generally owned fewer items so you may not need too many items to really get your wardrobe going- you'll also notice then some shapes that are still around now- that you probably already have (crew neck short sleeve tee)

Following! I also like Vestiaire Collective - good for lusting over outrageously expensive designer pieces but you can also get really reasonable items too (I recently bought a vintage sequin jacket for £40)

Ebay is probably a good place to start- especially if you filter to used items- another thought would be to buy vintage sewing patterns and either have a go yourself (use old sheets to make prototypes to start) or employ a local dressmaker (not sure how possible this is in Covid times)

I was actually thinking about this, @crochetmonkey74, as my grandmother had various sewing patterns which I have kept hold of, and she always looked fucking fantastic. Do you have any experience, is it an easy (ish) thing to get into? I'm quite creative and I don't mind repetitive tasks but I like being able to get into the swing of things quite quickly 😁

And yes, I was thinking investing in some simple high quality pieces like tops and trousers, and then having a few fancy dresses. My aim is to look put together!

,I just looked in the "dresses" section of Vestiaire Collection @bravotango and the first few dresses were upwards of £100 😮 A girl can dream!

Thank you both for responding, I really appreciate it!

Brands like Hey Day vintage, Lindy Bop..not sure of Collectif are still going. Mark's for cardigans and jumpers. Charity shops when they open but you have to really rummage.

Vivienne of Holloway will be paradise 😁 has everything you need to get started & I've always found their stuff lovely quality

www.vivienofholloway.com

Joe Browns

Joe Brown

Vivienne of Holloway will be paradise 😁

I've just had a look and there's some absolutely lovely stuff @AuldReekieCreakymemory. Unfortunately, I think only for dribbling over right now . Most of the items are in the £50 - £150 price mark which is a bit over-budget as I'd like quite a few bits and bobs.

Very gorgeous though, I've bookmarked it

Hey Day vintage, Lindy Bop..not sure of Collectif

Lindy Bop is shut down to the pandemic I think, might have a wee gander on Collectif.

A woman on Youtube I watch called Lucy Wood (she's a size 12-14 ish and fab, would recommend) suggests Joanie Clothing, might have a bobble about on there. I can hear my bank account screaming in fear . Keen to not buy from Shein-type fast fashion, but might have to look there for the basics as the purse strings for non-necessities are even tighter right now unfortunately 😥

Joe Browns

I'm in the sale section, looks fab! Thank you

Sew sew sew. In the 50s making your own dresses was completely mainstream.

The tricky thing with 50s styles is that they are quite fitted so you need to learn to fit your shape around the bust/waist/shoulders. Then you can run away with it. The sort of cotton type fabrics they used are easy to sew with, wash and wear. This is a good start, look for dresses designed to be worn with a belt or little shell tops/blouses to avoid too much difficult fitting to start with. When you get the hang of it you can use/adapt vintage patterns but check the sizes carefully. sewoverit.co.uk/product/pattern-bundle-the-vintage-collection/

I had a wee look for vintage shops where I used to go back in my student days and so few remain sadly. I apologise for not being able to do clicky links but Starry Starry Night in Glasgow might be worth a call as, whilst they don’t sell online, and even pre covid convenient for a browse only if within reasonable travelling distance, they will take note of what you are looking for and call you when items come in. Other vintage shops will most likely offer the same.

www.starrystarrynightvintage.co.uk/clothing-accessories-and-textiles

That looks fab, @thefirstmrsrochester, is there a typical price range? I'm through Glasgow relatively frequently so when we get out of lockdown I might pop in! Currently living in a rather middle-class area so even the charity shops are extortionate 😁 love Glasgow though, will try to make a day of it. Thanks for the recommendation! ❤

@NotMeNoNo I've found some free sewing patterns online - there's one for a bullet bra but I don't think I have the gumption to attempt that just yet ( or the small bra size) 🙈 I've modified some dresses and skirts before, but nothing more complicated than hemming. Is sewing relatively easy to get into? Would I need a sewing machine or is it easy enough to hand-sew? I have vivid school memories of ruining at least 3 sewing machines during Home Economics 😶

No it's very easy, as I said not so long ago nearly everyone did their own sewing.
There are loads of Facebook groups/books/classes/videos and great new style patterns around. Entry level sewing machine £100-£130. There's still quite a lot of hand sewing involved in dressmaking but a machine makes the seams quicker. Patterns are sometimes a bit expensive but you can re-use them several times.

In that case I might try to hop on Freecycle or Gumtree for a cheapish sewing machine Notme. Will need to try and figure out how they work too! I quite like hand-sewing, it's a bit therapeutic but I've not made anything to be proud of (yet)😁 I'll also need to look for a printer, as I don't have one and unless I buy some physical patterns that might be tricky. My gran's ones seem quite complicated, so might start on something simple like a Tshirt.

Sorry train of thought, but thank you very much! It's a great idea, always keen to reduce my fashion carbon footprint as well 😊

As a fellow chubby 12-14 with 34G norks I will say - don't expect to find much vintage that will fit as women were, on average, both thinner and smaller. Best to sew your own, you'll get a better fit anyway.

Try ladyvlondon.com x

As a fellow chubby 12-14 with 34G norks I will say - don't expect to find much vintage that will fit as women were, on average, both thinner and smaller. Best to sew your own, you'll get a better fit anyway.

Yes absolutely this, that's one of the reasons why I try to go for faux / vintage-inspired stuff as most true vintage clothes are teeny! Trying to get back to a size ten, but that's a loooong term goal 😁 Think it's also why I'm so keen on some of the 60s hourglass silhouettes, it's one of the few things that looks nice on my gargantuan boobage!

Do you have any experience of sewing clothes / general vintage fashion, Xiao? Always keen to have fellow vintage friends 😊

Was just popping on to recomend lady vintage london some lovely dresses they have good sales too.

That's brillo, @TwoDrifters2! Reasonably priced, and I love a site with a plus-sized section 🥰 I'm already emotionally attached to this dress hahaha!

Those Lady Vintage dresses are gorgeous! Shame I’ve put myself on a no-buying-clothes January

I had a dress made for me by Vivienne of Holloway. So gorgeous and the fit was just perfect.

Really beautiful choice of good quality fabrics. If you're in London they are well worth a visit.

This was made for a family member's wedding. I think it was about £80 which actually for something so unique and well fitting is very reasonable. I have worn it for a few special occasions now and I hope to get another dress there. (Hope they don't go out of business)

Freddie’s of Pinewood do some lovely vintage style shops that are not too expensive.

www.freddiesofpinewood.co.uk/

I often buy from topvintage.net/
They offer a variety of vintage brands, some of them quite cheap.
Great customer service too.

Sadly, absolutely zero experience or ability of sewing my own! The closest I get is buying (new) dresses from Bombshell HQ for special occasions, which fit like a dream. But even when I was a size 8-10, vintage didn't properly fit - I don't have a particularly massive frame but my shoulders, hips and especially waist just seem too wide for most real vintage (or at least the real vintage that has survived the last 70 years!)

Buy true vintage! Vintage inspired just isn't anywhere near as good as the originals for that "feeling", never mind quality and originality.. I have ran a vintage clothing business for years and there's plenty of places to get stuff on a budget. 50's/ 60's stuff is more often than not smaller sizes but we do see plenty of 60's things in your size. If you like the classic 50's look then you can still buy vintage but 80's (in particular summer dresses and skirts) as they are often the same cut as the original 50's but are able to find in a better range of sizes. You will see 50's dresses in your size but they are always expensive as quite rare and desirable. You could have a look at Facebook, some pages in particular I would recommend are "the vintage corner liverpool" and "wounded birds clearance, trade and wholesale". If you traul through ebay you will be able to get some bargains too. The thing with vintage clothes is they make you feel special, it's the thrill of the chase and the fact they are one offs. The materials are different, the cuts are different they just don't compare to modern reproductions. Good luck!