Vintage Lifestyles in London

Not another vintage shopping guide! Vintage is now the fashionable current from Brick Lane to Portobello Road. And much of the rest of the country to be honest. However, amongst this mass of old unwashed denim and knackered shoes flows a mass of individuals obsessed with past styles. This can be as simple as an admiration for a particular era in music, fashion or history or as complex as characters blending unique pieces to fuel a dramatic look.

 

Reproduction Vintage Clothing

Let’s start at the high end. Look at Thomas Farthing or Old Town as London suppliers of quality reproduction garments from around 100 years ago. In the more fashionable end lies Child of the Jago, whose Westwood style suits appear a bizzare take on Edwardian looks. Ladies have further choice with such brands as Vivienne of Holloway and Collectif in Camden and Spitalfields.

 

Original Vintage Clothing

There is no shortage of original pieces in London. From boutique vintage shops like Blackout in Covent Garden to special charity shop finds, to true antiques at Spitalfields on Thursdays, there is plenty to hunt. Some choose to wear all original from one era. Others combine eras, or combine originals and reproductions. Vintage is about expressing your inner glamour by selecting your favourite items from the past. Fridays and Saturdays at Portobello put most vintage markets into obscurity. Also, Wayne Hemingway’s Classic Car Boot Sale is a favourite in the vintage calendar.

Drinking and Dancing

As with all subcultures in London, vintage afficonados generally enjoy a drink and dance as much as or more than anyone. This is not about big Shoreditch venues like Fabric and XOYO but more immersive experience. 1920s dance nights are proving very popular, welcoming beginners and experts alike. The Candlelight Club aims to recreate a 1920s speakeasy every month. And let’s not forget our favourite vintage cocktail bars… 

Classic venues like the Savoy and Ronnie Scott’s continue to host traditional performers like Alex Mendham and his Orchestra and Benoit Viellefon’s Hot Club. The 1940s scene is constantly growing, with both these eras well catered for.

Annual events like the Tweed Run and Chap Olympiad gather thousands of vintage fans from across the globe. The Tweed Run is a bicycle ride through central London with all participants in tradional cycling clothing. The Chap Olympiad is the inventor of Mr Torquil Arbuthnot of the Chap Magazine, where participants compete in such events as umbrella jousting and the moustache tug of war. You had to be there…

The joy of this style of event is the vast crossover of sub-cultures are welcome. Afterall, Steampunks don’t seem to have many big events of their own…

 

What Defines a Vintage Personality?

This is not a ‘how to’ guide. This is about understanding the mindset of people who go giddy over old moth-eaten coats or lose your conversation for a while as they bid furiously on eBay.

Vintage personalities generally appreciate a time when we were more glamorous. We would dress up for a night out. We would invest large amounts in a smaller wardrobe we actually wore. Once, we didn’t chase trends but looked into our personality for inspiration. Now, we have better freedom than ever before. Society has become more liberal, more open and accessible for us all. We can be who we want to be without adhering to codes and standards, nor gazing in envy at a Topshop mannequin.

 

Stewart Vickers @VickHellfire 

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