Old is the new Black

Where fashion is concerned, my taste for something a bit more individual came at an early age. My Great Nana used to bring me back party dresses from Singapore and nobody in England had anything similar.

I was always really pleased when I was complimented on them and was also safe in the knowledge that nobody would have the same dresses as I did. The feeling of having something ‘unique’ (even at age 4) has stayed with me ever since and it’s a feature of my style that I’ve tried to cling onto throughout my life so far.

As we all know by now, Vintage pieces are a great way to achieve a unique look. Mixing current and Vintage items guarantees that you won’t find anybody in the same thing you have. I am whole-heartedly in love with the movement, especially because it counteracts the other fashion movement – disposable fashion – which is poor quality and terribly wasteful.

I decided that this year that I should start to buy ‘little and well’ rather than buy a lot of poor quality things which would end up being a false economy. So apart from my basic white t-shirts and things like that, I’ve tried to buy really nice, well-made clothing which will hopefully be something that will stand the test of time. I’ve also tried to upcycle things I own by adding things to them or transforming them into something totally different so the fabric doesn’t end up in landfill.

I come from a family of hoarders which has meant I’ve inherited some pretty amazing pieces of clothing over the years including some bespoke 1950’s ball gowns, a swiss cheesecloth blouse (think dirty dancing when Jennifer Grey gets de-flowered) and an awesome school blazer complete with swimming badge that was my Dad’s when he was 14 years young. All of these are some of my favourite clothes and that’s got a lot to do with thinking about the story behind each and every garment and who I’ve been given it by.

However, some people don’t like wearing anything other people have worn before them and that’s where Vintage inspired fashion comes in. There’s plenty of it about in High Street and Designer collections, and I myself have been selling it in my own online shop.

This way, if you’re not up for authentic vintage but appreciate that style, you have the best of both worlds!

I’d love to hear other people’s stories about their favourite clothes or accessories; any tips on how to upcycle existing items or how you feel about vintage style. Feel free to get in touch with us about them!

Flush the Fashion

Editor of Flush the Fashion and Flush Magazine. I love music, art, film, travel, food, tech and cars. Basically, everything this site is about.