The Guardian - 31.08.2019

Sat urday 31 Aug ust 2019 The Guardian •

29

 Stella Tennant

and her youngest

daughter, Iris,

styled by Bay

Garnett, who

all back Oxfam’s

campaign to

change the way

people buy

clothes

PHOTOGRAPH:

TOM CRAIG

How to shop for vintage

Top tips from our style editors

Know what you are looking for

A lot of people feel overwhelmed

when shopping second hand for the

fi rst time. It pays to decide what you

are looking for – a certain style and

cut of dress, for example – and only

go to that section.

Try lots of sizes

Sizing changes every decade. Some

recent high street clothing shrinks

in the wash. The size on the label is

only a guide.

Choose hard-wearing fabrics

Denim and leather are always

better second hand, particularly

jackets. The fabric and cut often

improve with age, and there will

be a range of styles, not just the

one or two shapes that the high

street has this season.

Be open-minded

There are some trends you cannot

fi nd on the high street – such as

men’s leopard print. Seek out old

fl oral dresses: the prints are so much

more unique than whatever is on

the high street.

Shoes and belts

Soft leather court shoes or boots that

have been worn in are a fi nd. If they

have made it to a second hand shop,

and they are 20 years old already,

you know they are good quality.

Belts are brilliant and often available

in more sizes than you would fi nd

on the high street.

Look for natural fi bres and

genuinely old items

Always be on the lookout for old

labels, such as Marks & Spencer’s

St Michael or John Lewis’s Jonelle,

so that you know that items are

genuinely old and will probably be

well made.

Also look for natural fi bres – labels

that say 100% wool, cashmere silk

or wool. Melanie Wilkinson and

Helen Seamons

Leather – always

better secondhand

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