When I was younger, I used to trawl the Saturday markets and car boot sales, looking for clothes that nobody else would have. That rare find that when you saw it, you just had to have it. You might know what I’m talking about. The moment when a dress or jacket or handbag catches your eye and you saunter, nonchalantly over towards it, hoping that no one else has spied it before you can lay a finger on it and claim it as yours. Even if at that point in time you do not even know whether it will fit you, look good on you, or you can afford it. Nowadays I do most things on the internet and that includes buying vintage clothing. Luckily for me, there are some fantastic sites on the net that specialise in stuff I love and I’ve book marked them all. It occurred to me that the readers here, on Shoppersbase, may also be interested in where to buy decent one-off retro clothing. So here are my favourites with a sample from each site. I hope you enjoy them.
Rokit
Rokit is one of the first sites I found as I used to frequent their market stall in Camden before they moved into premises in Covent Garden. This site really is a goldmine of vintage treasures, with everything from women’s and men’s vintage to designer brands, accessories including sunglasses, footwear and handbags. They also have a section called ‘Rokit Recycled’ where they hand make individual items using vintage cloth. Each piece retains some of the original item, making it truly unique and a one-off that no one else will ever own. With the rise of mass-produced, throw-away high street fashion there has been a growing interest and passion for vintage clothing. Rokit, now more than ever, compensates for this with its authentic and eclectic range of classic but quirky and unique attire. Visit them at www.rokit.co.uk
Oxfam
Everyone knows that Oxfam sell second-hand clothing, but did you know that they now have a Vintage clothing section on their main website? Arranged in decades, starting from the 50′s up to the 80′s, their Vintage section will show you the way through thousands of classic clothes & accessories until you find your own vintage style. They have also teamed up with Marks & Spencer to help support the world’s poorest people. Just by bringing in your clothes or soft furnishings to an Oxfam shop and they’ll exchange them for a £5 voucher* to use at M&S. It’s a great way to clear out your home, save money, reduce waste and raise heaps of money for Oxfam. *The £5 off is valid if you spend £35 on clothing, homeware or beauty products in M&S. Visit them at www.oxfam.org.uk
My Vintage
My Vintage is a site that organise their clothes and accessories into categories such as Rock a Billy, Grunge, Disco Diva, Fashionista, Hollywood and Retro. Meaning that, it is so much easier to look for a certain style rather than trawl through a hundred pages of dresses. Their vintage items are definitely an eclectic mix of stunning clothing, accessories, jewellery and they even sell homeware, from a bygone era, or that have been inspired by the past. All the best quality, at great prices and delivered straight to your door anywhere in the world. They also sell designer clothing and there pictures are arranged as old style Kodak polariods, stuck on a notice board. Nice touch. To visit them go to www.myvintage.co.uk
Martha’s Closet
Established since 2005, Martha’s Closet vintage clothing have been making a name for themselves as consistently providing an eclectic mix of individual vintage and retro clothing. With items dating back as far as the 30′s, this site gives you honest descriptions of the clothing and close up pictures of the flaws, if any. Martha’s Closet also sell old sewing and knitting books so if there was ever a retro item you wanted to make, now’s your chance. They have a section where you can post a request for a specific item of clothing that you are trying to find, and you’ll get helpful suggestions as to where you might source it. Clearly, vintage clothing are a passion of the owners – Ann Lynch and Graham Saunders, as it shows in the attention to detail in every item they post up. Visit them by going to www.marthascloset.co.uk
