Trash & Treasure - Fast Fashion Vs Vintage Gems

I'd love to regale you with tales about our recent adventures but we've done little else than work and shop. My unoperated hip's been a bit of a nightmare since we got back from Greece (I blame those steps at Askeplion) so anything that involves more than walking a very short distance is pretty much off limits at the moment. No exercise, no platforms, loads of painkillers...boring!

Vintage Village wasn't a great success sales-wise but we had a laugh and, as always, caught up with a few pals and picked up some great stuff. My vintage nightie and Mum's 1960s Biba boots caught the eye of fabulous fair photographer, David Kennedy.

Source: @veshoevius

After watching Stacey Dooley's horrifying documentary about the catastrophic effect of fast fashion on the planet I'm delighted to see that hugely influential people like Ari Seth Cohen, the man behind the legendary Advanced Style blog, are discussing the need to reconsider our appetite for fast fashion (HERE). My friend Michelle, who used to blog at The Taxonomy of My Wardrobe, is encouraging Instagrammers to eschew the new and style their existing wardrobes instead. Although most of the people I follow on IG are secondhand/vintage shoppers it's refreshing to see familiar clothes worn in different combinations and to read the stories behind much-loved pieces.

Here's yesterday's contribution - a vintage housecoat, 1970s corset belt & reversible Indian block printed quilted jacket, a charity shopped hat and a Banjara tribal necklace - all items I've owned for ages (and years, in some cases).

Today it's the turn of my vintage Collier Campbell wool maxi (previously seen with a matching marabou feather trim capelet) which I've teamed with a 1970s fringed suede cape I bought from fellow Moseley Vintage fair trader, Lost Orchid Vintage Store at the start of the festival season.

Please join in with Michelle's quest and let's show the world that you don't need an endless supply of new clothes to have style. If, like me, you're not a smartphone owner, you can post to Instagram on your PC via Gramblr - it's safe to use and you won't be inundated with spam and no, I'm not being paid to advertise it!

Source: @sjdooley

While I've been wearing secondhand clothes since I was a child and posting my vintage finds and outfits on my blog for almost a decade, I have to put my hands up and admit that even I have succumbed to the lure of fast fashion. Before I travelled to Gujarat I ordered two maxi dresses from a well-known British fashion forward website which I obviously won't link to. I wanted dresses that were arm covering, lightweight, crease-resistant and which I wouldn't be too upset about if my luggage got lost in transit (which it did). I must admit it was a revelation to be able to choose my exact size and to find a petite fit - I'm used to taking my secondhand finds in and up!

As you probably remember from my subsequent travel blog posts, I wore both these dresses more or less constantly and I was amazed how many people in Gujarat approached me to tell me that the fabric they were made from was produced in India. The dresses survived the trip and are packed away in my travel case so, in my case, they weren't throwaway but while I was happy with them, I didn't love them and certainly wouldn't wear them at home. The kimono style dress is full of static but, as I liked the style, I got a tailor in Goa to run me up a copy in some vintage block printed Indian cotton..

The company I bought them from has a decent ethical policy and regularly checks on its workers and their working environment but it's not good to be able to buy two brand new dresses for less than £12, is it? I can understand why our charity shops are stuffed full of fast fashion, who feels guilty about giving something away that cost less than a pizza? If I'd been better organised I know that could have found dresses to match my criteria secondhand and altered them to fit. Although I was satisfied with my purchases I won't be doing it again - nothing beats finding the perfect thing secondhand, does it?

When I realised that I needed something smart & fairly conservative for a funeral I'm going to tomorrow I didn't go searching the internet for a cheap black dress with next day delivery, I took myself down to Walsall's charity shops and scoured the rails for something suitable. In all honesty I was fully expecting to end up with some drab high street dress which I'd donate back once it had fulfilled its purpose so I was amazed when I came across this 1940s crepe day dress nestling amongst the mediocre high street cast-offs. I had thought I'd sell it on when I'd worn it but the fit is so good it's a keeper.

Who needs to buy new (and further pollute the planet) when fabulous pre-owned treasure is readily available? Yes, it takes hours of dedicated searching, the washing machine is constantly on and I've lost count of the number of buttons I've replaced, linings I've repaired and hems I've resewn but secondhand clothes still rock my world!

Without further ado, here's some of this week's finds:

Clockwise from top left: 1960s Yorkshire-made navy leather coat; Boiler suit; Barretts of Feckenham blue sheepskin coat; 1960s silk kaftan; 1960s Greek embroidered linen leisure shirt; 1960s Hepworths three button blazer; 1960s spoon collared suede bomber jacket

Clockwise from top left: 1970s Hardy Amies checked sports jacket; Rayon Indian kurta with pom pom trim; 1970s st Michael gentleman's velvet jacket; Vintage Afghani dress; 1970s leather bomber jacket; Organic cotton Fabindia block printed kurta; 1970s deadstock Lee waistcoat; 1950s wool boucle jacket; 

Clockwise from top left: Third Eye 1970s block printed maxi skirt (mine!); Rayon kurta with mirror work; 1970s Korean vinyl Penny Lane jacket; 1970s silk Indian maxi (mine!); 1960s Bickler shaggy fake fur snuggle coat; 1970s belted leather jacket; Royal Air Force flying suit.

We're trading with Judy's Affordable Vintage in Leamington Spa on Saturday (HERE). We haven't traded with Judy's for ages and I'm looking forward to catching up with our trader friends but dreading the load - the stairs are bad enough when my hip's normal.

See you soon!

Linking to Modish Matron's Beautiful Black #29