The Ones That Got Away: Current Vinted Obsessions From My Wardrobes Past
the secondhand searches that are taking me back to a glorious fashion yesteryear...
(this read might be a little long for some inboxes, but you can read it over on the app or on your browser, or click below. Apparently this is what happens when I start talking about fashion in 2008)!
During the early nights and weeks of having my son, one of the things I found myself doing most between the hours of 3-5am was scrolling on Depop or Vinted. In between the bleary eyed night feeds and contact cuddles I found myself deep in style holes, seeking out items that seemingly have left an unshakable stamp on my wardrobe- but for whatever reason I no longer had hanging up- and dear reader, if you were ever wondering why this newsletter is called The Sentimental Wardrobe- all is about to become very clear.
Despite what anyone who has seen my wardrobe would lead you to believe, there’s a reason I hold on to everything. I have pieces in a special bag in my loft called ‘SENTIMENTAL’, because whilst they might not fit anymore, to me they truly capture the essence of a time when I felt like clothes felt really exciting (and hey, one day they might make for some rather exciting hand-me-downs too)! I’m not naive enough to think the V&A might have a retrospective of me one day (never say never!!) but to me, clothes are a little like old photos. They take me back to a time and a moment, and what a wonderful thing that can be. For example, I remember seeing this green paisley Topshop dress in Lula magazine and felt like *the* coolest person on earth because I had it too. I’d wear it with a big floppy hat and some Russell & Bromley loafers that took months to save up for and I felt amazing. The silky fabric and sixties print still feel really special to this day, and whilst it might be a little… snug, if it fit- I knew I’d be still getting a lovely bit of wear out of it (although it does make me wonder if I should be at all embarrassed that my style is so heavily still rooted in the years between 2008 and 2012?)…
Which sort of leads me here and in short, apparently my style hasn’t changed a MORSEL. I’m still a sucker for sailor collars and pierrot frills. I still want slightly garish ‘60s prints and the chance to accidentally flash my knickers because the dress I’m wearing requires cycling shorts underneath (I used to have a couple of American Apparel pairs in circulation for any Kate Moss Topshop dress mishaps). And looking back at some of these look books, what’s amazing to me is how much is coming back around already. The knitted bonnets! The nautical nods! The pleats and cornflour blue. What can I say- indie sleaze is alive and well (and thank GOD for that).
Anyway- there’s a handful of things I come back to again and again when it comes to scouring resale sites late at night, and I thought I’d share my Vinted memory lane searches (and, y’know, obviously if anyone is selling anything too- cough cough-)…