I went to a car boot sale (vintage edition)
Summer vintage rummaging, people watch and a shopping haul
A lot of people prefer experiencing fashion in the material realm. They would prefer to feel actual clothes in their hand and body, to be able to smell or even examine the hems and stitches before buying, the better. It might be easy to scroll past H&M and Zara without a second thought, knowing what to expect in terms of quality and quantity if you choose to buy it later. But in a vintage market, the one-of-a-kind item could turn out to be a surprise, both in exceptional quality and exactly what you are looking for. Although I was not able to drum up the enthusiasm to return to buying more clothes at the moment, I do still love a good hunt and the lingering joy of discovering beautiful things. So when an ad from The Classic Car Boot Sale (@classiccarbootsale) appeared on Instagram some weeks ago, I thanked the algorithm for a second as they are finally making their debut show up North and I have already missed their festival twice!
Except the usual bric-à-brac, antique homeware, vintage vinyls, costume jewellery and vintage clothes, charity shops with specialised vintage collection (e.g. a range of high quality St. Michael’s from RSPCA) and rows of aesthetically displayed pre-1990s vehicles were common sight in this festival.
As usual, there were items added to my Album of Liking, which is my habit of keeping a photo album of what I like and returning to it during future shopping. It is my useful track record of taste, setting context to purchase and most importantly, picture taken = bought!
WHAT COOL PEOPLE WEAR
Not long ago I went to another vintage market, took pictures of some remarkably dressed people and found that there seem to be an implicit understanding for those attending vintage markets dress in vintage. Perhaps it’s a particular item they carry, a mix of modern and vintage pieces, or head-to-toe vintage — all without the exception of demonstrating strong personal style and character which got me mesmerised. So unlike taking full body photos of them in my previous attempt, I candid shot some eye candies to share with you below:
WHAT I WEAR
Bringing forth my enthusiasm on classic monochrome dressing (navy in particular), I sported some old favourites and purchases as of late to put together this weekend-vintage-shopping-appropriate look. The vintage blazer, which buttons give off Pierre Cardin’s space age fashion vibe, was an unsold piece from WIWF 1.0 and now a member of my heavily repeated go-out wardrobe. In similar texture and colour tone, this pair of suit trousers I owned for over a decade made it a perfect set to look effortless. New favourites? My vintage necklace from last week’s edit and a Longchamp tote bag.
A SHOPPING HAUL (YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR)
CONFESSION: I didn’t buy much. All that I bought are love at first sight to bring home to. Shoutout to this beautiful beaded fringe tassel necklace! Loving its length as a choker, I knew at once this necklace would be my styling staple — with a shirt, a sheer summer top or leave it dangling as a belt — its possibility is beyond measure. The shop owner was also sweet and welcoming that I tried not to buy more from her as I had just started my shopping…
This 1950s Jacoll pre-tied turban (£25) with visible signs of wear was a purchase in 5 minutes. Having a relatively small head and most “one size” hats meant oversized for me, vintage hats are often the ones I go after. (Buying rule: If it fits perfectly, it instantly is considered a possible buy). So of course, my buying rule applies to this turban; I also love how the eclectic print and scarf tassels have uplifted this headpiece from a formal evening hat to a daytime hat. I would definitely get more wear of it until the end of summer!
Brooches are my weak spot, needless to mention when they come in silver and abstract shapes. For months, I have been looking for a statement brooch in art deco style and I was lucky to source this one from Monet without knowing it was Monet owing to its tarnished condition in the market. A marked difference between an average and slightly elevated outfit, the whimsical element to add must be a pin or brooch (Remember this brooch from my travel edit?) My collection of pins and brooches is growing strong and I can tell my appetite is huge. Should I do a separate post about brooches in the coming weeks?
At last, a vintage clip-on bow tie! The least possible item I would thought of adding to my collection of vintage ties. Although I was initially drawn by the display tile underneath and actually removed all bow ties for a closer look, the green tie with mini embroidery remained on my hand, coming home with me after several attempts of fun styling.
That’s all for today!
NEXT TIME: I’ll let you know.
Until then,
Chris
Catch up on my previous posts:
This post is definitely making me want to hunt out a vintage fair/market to dress up for and attend now. I love your purchases, especially the fringe necklace and how you've styled the turban into a modern outfit. Very cool.
Love seeing the individual styles you captured — incredible!