New Romantic by accident, vintage Victorian Poet blouse by choice
Ah the change in seasonal wear. Time to brush up on the auld Autumn wardrobe. Make a visit to some clothes-shop-place-thingy of an institute somewhere?
Eh, no thanks. I’ll go vintage.
I have been known to abandon a shopping trip and hit the pub with a nice cold glass of Guinness for company and a good book.
In fact, my one trip to New York saw me buy quite a bit in Victoria Secrets followed by a quick hop into Michael Kors to purchase a bag to bring my bras and knickers home in and that was it. Sum total. Good luck and thanks. I had sights to see and people to watch.
Rows of clothes all looking the same turn me off any shopping expedition.
One time I dropped a big pile of clothes I had gathered up for an hour in the store. Somewhere along the queuing up system to pay for them I got bored so I abandoned the task and buggered off.
Apparently, I take after my Dad.
Shop lights and the expanse of large department stores drain me. I prefer the atmosphere and the intimacy of the boutique and by this I mean the vintage boutique. Delightful finds from another era, the design and the cut of the garment reminding me of tunes from that time.
Last month I looked to see what I had in my Autumn section of my personal clothes department.
I love my clothes. It’s the clothes in large department stores I don’t like.
They look well characterless and sterile to me. I like the clothes off the back of someone else to be honest. I like to dress up and get into character.
I love vintage and hand me overs (not downs as I haven’t grown since the age of 16) as friends like to pass them on as they emmm expand out of them.
I made a sole Autumn purchase last month (I even get bored performing online shopping) of a vintage blouse I had come across. You know, the world is full of clothes! Why shop for an item of clothing that is sitting on a rail surrounded by copies of itself when you can get something that clearly was well made to be begin with as it’s still around?
Proof of concept backed up before you buy.
I saw this blouse, the one that’s been featuring throughout this article and I thought, hmmm bit of a Dusty Springfield thing going on there with that.
But no! I felt something else once it had arrived and was on my back. Early 80s in fact and the New Romantic era. Think Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Adam Ant.
Posh lads in expensive gear living a lavish life and not afraid to put it on display.
Funny the craic you can have with your wardrobe.
Wouldn’t get this much fun in a shop ☺ Oh and the knickers in the second pic are Elle McPherson’s. Not her’s personally mind ☺ and included in this article just because ;)
*Blouse bought from Sown Threads.
