You all know that I have my own unique style when it comes to occasion dressing but I also have a bit of a penchant for vintage, as long as it’s good vintage; and that’s the trouble with buying preloved clothing, you never know if it’s any good.
When it comes to styling and dressing, I know exactly what I want. That in itself can be a problem because sometimes the thing that I want doesn’t actually exist, that’s why I hack sleeves off tees, add in fabric and draw on clothing – I like to look unique. Buying vintage is great because it allows you to keep your individuality – you’re very unlikely to bump into someone wearing the same thing – and there are styles available that aren’t repeated on today’s high street.
One of the tricky things about buying vintage, is that you never know if what you’re buying is ‘good’ vintage, genuine or what it’s history is and that’s the risk you take. Sure vintage fairs are great, (my absolute favourite, Britain Does Vintage, tours the U.K. seasonally and makes three stops across the North East) but if you’re that person who really doesn’t know what they’re looking for then Trendlistr might be the solution you didn’t know you needed.
Ok, so first you have to establish that you’re interested in vintage clothing, if you’re not, then maybe I can convince you. Cuts, quality and sizing is different (vanity sizing didn’t exist back then) in vintage clothing, with a focus on quality over quantity, things weren’t sold in high volume so if you find a piece you love, buy it, keep it and cherish it. Good designer vintage in decent condition retains its shape and its value pretty well on this day and age, with some rare pieces (Hermes Kelly anyone?) increasing in value.
Louisa Rogers and I have been following each other for some time now and last night we finally met in person at her Curated Vintage Popup Shop in House of Smith. Louisa spotted a gaping hole in the market for a Curated vintage service that links up clients like you and I, with vintage pieces which have been sourced, checked and verified. This was the inspiration that led her to start setting up her business Trendlistr.
Louisa is super passionate about vintage clothing, but it has to be as close to perfect as it can be to pass her vigourous testing. Sourcing from all over the world, she’s built up quite a collection of eclectic pieces and had a small selection of clothing and jewellery on show at her popup.
Trendlistr will operate in a similar way to eBay which offers a marketplace for third party sellers to showcase their vintage items, minus the auction. Louisa tells me she has aspirations for it to become the ‘ASOS of vintage’ and she has faith in her brand. She talks about the importance of getting it right first time and is currently in the process of photographing and cataloging the collection ready for the website going live.
I scoured the collection last night and scavenged a preppy zip through Roberto Verino dress and a Moschino tank – picked for me by Louisa herself as she says she’s clocked my style and thinks it’s very me, she’s not wrong. Amongst the collection I found a pair of very on trend midnight blue velvet Yves Saint Laurent cigarette pants and a flower camo Salvatore Ferragamo pencil skirt, sadly neither were my size. Boo!
Is Curated vintage worth it? Yes, if you’re interested in vintage then it takes all the hard work out of finding really great quality preowned clothing. If you want to try vintage but don’t know where to start, then Curated vintage is your gateway drug, but be careful, it’s addictive.
I’ll always visit vintage fairs there’s no doubt about that, but Trendlistr offers a third dimension, a way to source items in a particular size, colour or style. A way to request dealers to look for a particular item when they’re out topping up their hauls, rather than just shopping off the rack.
When Trendlistr goes live in early 2017 I’m predicting a vintage revival of sorts….
Pixie xo
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