Vintage clothes are a great way to stand out from the crowd and the demand for second hand treasures is growing from season to season. Female First finds out the secrets of spotting a vintage dream and avoiding a out-dated shell suit style nightmare.
The great thing about vintage shopping is that you can pretty much guarantee that no one else will be able to get their hands on something identical- unless they have a time machine or happen to know Marty Mcfly.
Vintage describes any fashion that comes from a different era. That could be a great pair of 70s wide-legged jeans or a glamorous 1920s ball gown. The best vintage pieces are often found hidden in your granny's attic or tucked away at the back of a charity shop.
Nadia Taseer, founder of vintage label Nadia's Closet, travels all over the world in search of second-hand treasures for her popular collections which beautifully combine classic styles with modern trends .
Nadia gave us some top tips to help any budding bargain hunter become a expert vintage explorer.
How can an average shopper spot a great vintage piece from everyday rubbish in a charity shop?
Look at the fabric and don't buy it if its cheap fabric , look for this season's colours and edgy cuts. Try it on and see if it has potential, something beautiful can be seen in something hideous!
Vintage accessories are also great to find in a charity shop from a cute bright yellow 80's clutch to big turquoise 1970's earrings.
How can we restore or customise vintage clothes without ruining them?
Simple is best , like taking up the length to suit your height, size etc , cutting or adding sleeves.
What is the best way to store/look after really old vintage clothes in order to preserve them?
The best way would be away from sunlight as that can fade the colour of a dress, wrap them up in acid free paper if its an old 1920's beaded dress, this protects the beading as well as the fabric.
What is your favourite fashion decade?
The 1920's without a doubt- the long arm gloves with the elegant cigarette
holders as well as the beautiful beading work they did by hand on the dresses.
This was the start of women dressing up women started to come out and be more
independent as well as controversial and that shows in the thought and effort
they took to look elegant with their dressing.
Do you have a favourite vintage piece in your own wardrobe at the moment?
Yes I have many, but my most amazing piece is my red and black beaded 1920's
dress with small red beaded flowers on a black background- just stunning!
Now you know what you're looking for and where to find it there's no stopping you from hitting the streets to seek out those hidden vintage gems. If you have any more vintage shopping tips or want to share news of your own fab finds then let me know
Check out Nadia's Closet's gorgeous collections at www.nadiascloset.co.uk
Caz Moss- Female First
my blog