Secondhand / vintage / charity / ethical and slow fashion chat

[madamceladon]

Can we have a chat thread for this?
Tips and ideas, blog and podcast recommendations and latest finds?

I'll start. I think 80% of my stuff is secondhand, from charity shops eBay and vinted. I've got more into this in last five years and never go in fast fashion shops. I feel a bit ill and overwhelmed if I do now.
If I do need to buy new I try to find a company that is ethical and made in Britain.

I've got really into maintenance and repair as well. I love watching a film while I debobble and darn knitwear.

Recent efforts, I had some nice black fine wool trousers but they were too loose and unflattering on thighs, I've improvised and put in my own pleats at the top and pleased with how they came out.

I wanted a black polo neck after I saw some women looking very stylish in a black and white 1960s film and found a perfect one the next day in the charity shop: lambswool, old m and s, made in Britain.

I love this website
vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource

And this podcast
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dressed-the-history-of-fashion/id1350850605

sorry, the sleeves are long, the dress is midi.
I would never have found it on-line but that's what a good charity shop rummage gets me

That sounds lovely!

I'm currently wearing a floaty above the knee peasant style blouse/dress with leggings underneath. Both were second hand but yours was much more of a bargain.

It's this one but in red
the top layer is longer at the back
and it looks really nice on

I also got a merino wool hat and scarf set for £2 but there are a couple of holes in the scarf, and a £3 pair of suede knee-length boots like the ones shown but in blue. Not sure about them but couldn't leave them at that price

I found this in one of my local charity shops a couple of weeks ago and for £20 couldn't leave it there. Now I've just got to find an occasion to wear it!

@KirstenBlest if you think they are worth a bit of love, you can try dying the boots. I have salvaged several charity shop shoes and bags with leather and suede dyes. You can get them easily online for about £5 in tons of colours (I use Fiebing’s) and they are super easy to apply. One bottle will do several items, making it a useful item in the toolkit

My most recent project was a pair of long sheepskin lined Rohan outdoor boots (bargain at £4.50) that were a battered cream, and I dyed them a rich deep brown. Took three coats for an even colour and now they look fab (altho not as good as the gorgeous restored leather bags a PP posted)

I like the colour @ShangPie. I wasn't sure because I don't need any more boots. and they felt too big in the shop. They were a much better fit with thick socks.

@jarviscockatiel, you need a party! Well done!

@ShangPie, wow, lots of colours, thanks.Mmm, what could I dye?

I have to share my second hand find with you all as I know you will understand. I've been lusting after a particular pair of boots for at least 3 or 4 years now but could never justify spending £150 on them new. They are worth that price and I know they will last me years because I have a pair of trainers from the same brand and they're 5 years strong of heavy use (second hand of course). Not to everyone's taste and universally mocked here on MN but I don't care I love them. It's a brand called Art Company and they're big and clompy but totally fit in my style. I've seen many pairs on ebay/vinted around the £75-100 which is still too rich for my purse but I couldn't believe it when a pair popped up on vinted for £20! - only worn once. They are in mint condition, no creases in the leather, the sole hasn't been worn down at all. It looks like they've just been sat in someone's cupboard for years as the metal work showed some signs of rust but I've managed to clean them out and they look shiny and new again. I can't tell you how thrilled I am with my Cinderella moment.

@Chishnfipsish, I had similar with a pair of solovair derby boots.
Was chatting whilst browsing ebay not really looking. Found a pair that looked as good as new for £35 buy it now

@Chishnfips, I meant to ask do you have a link please?

Had a look at their site and they look fun. What did I post about not needing any more boots?

@KirstenBlest these are the boots They are so comfortable. I'm chuffed.

Waves to @Chishnfips -I love me an Art Company shoe. I have a ridiculously clumpy ‘90s’ pair of trainers with platform soles and I love ‘em. What’s the difference between them and the orthopaedic-type jobs produced by Doc Martens? Pictures of the boots, please. 🙂

@Chishnfips, they're great. Thanks. £20!!

@KirstenBlest, gorgeous dress! And those boots are fantastic.

I bought a pair of Dansko 'Lulu' shoes in black today for $6.99. They will look nice with turned up jeans.

Today I found a floor length satin Rigby and Peller nightdress for $2. Which is one of your English pounds. I couldn't leave it behind. I recently found a silk Trelise Cooper dress for $20. I volunteer at a local shop and was going through donations today to price and get out. In a wooden box i found a small pin made out of a coin. I had to get a magnifying glass to see that it is a gold French coin dating from 1862. Worth $500. That's a nice hit for the charity!

Drove over to Lytham this morning for a mooch round the charity shops whilst DD and her friend did a bit of shopping too.

Some of the charity shops do seem quite expensive but there were some bargains to be had - I got myself a Joules jumper (green with a fox on it) for £8 and a paid of Jack Wills jogging pants that are softer than soft for DD for £8.50.

Not clothes related but Oxfam had a great sale on books so got a few that I’ll read and donate on. I picked up a very old book, looks like a 1948 print biography of Earl Mountbatten called “Last Viceroy” so I’ll read that and then pass onto my mum and then my sister wants it.

Loved a good charity shop rummage BC (before covid).

I needed some new work clothes for my new job in January and decided to try and kit myself out with second hand stuff. Haven't got everything I needed yet but I've found some really good jackets on ebay. I have found a number of charity shops sell stuff on ebay, so I have bookmarked their shops. I know it tends to be the stuff they think will fetch more money but even so it's good value.

I'm going to try for not buying anything new in 2022 (except underwear, I think that's fair). I had a good clearout the other day so I have a few bits I need to sell as well.

Not strictly fashion, but I found a little old mustard yellow teapot that was part of Lipton's Tea advertising from the 1949s or 50s along with the shoes I mentioned.

The teapot sounds lovely @mathanxiety

I recently bought a vintage pleated polyester-type fabric, knee length skirt. Sounds awful but the pattern is lovely and will be nice for summer. It's not my size but I planned to take the waist in.

Some lovely finds! Well done fellow eagle-eyed, bargainacious fashionistas. 👍

@madamceladon thank you so much for all your suggestions, I really appreciate your interest. I finally got round to going through the contents of the bag and getting Mr cardigans to photograph it. In with the personal letters between my parents (which I've set aside until I decide what to do with them) I found a number of letters from a chap in Kentucky whom my dad exchanged correspondence with from around 1949 to 1952. At that time, my parents were members of the Communist party and having read snippets of these letters, this guy was a like-minded individual who enjoyed exchanging his thoughts & views with my dad (he was a very intelligent man). From a historical point of view they are super interesting and the content would have been deemed incendiary at that time, as McCarthyism was growing apace.

Apologies, I digress! The bag is very dirty and a bit stained and the leather straps are cracked, but I think it's salvageable, The cream fabric lining has come away in places and it needs a good hoover out. I think the first step is to acquire some saddle soap and get scrubbing. Husband thinks I'm mad, but he can piddle off.

Look forward to hearing about more of your finds. It's slim pickings in this neck of the woods at the moment, so I have nothing else to report. The Celtic & Co sweater is fabulous and getting lots of wear. 💕

Jumping on - will read later but LOVE charity shopping and would like to enjoy repair

@ilovecardigans

How exciting. The letters- amazing!

It's a beautiful bag and looks in decent nick. Just go gentle and slow with the cleaning and see how it responds.
Definitely get some conditioner to follow up after the saddle soap clean

Ooh how have I not seen this thread before?

I buy maybe 80% of my clothes in charity shops. I find some really lovely things, I've always been quite lucky.

Today I found a black coat from Jigsaw. It's' 90% wool, 10% cashmere and really lovely - it was a tenner.