These days, a real talent is to be found amongst a rare breed of fashion-hungry-bargain-hunters who are able to cut, stitch, un-pick and glue together a second-hand item, and turn it into something delectably delicious. You can find these fashion magpies all over the country, shimmying around in the shadows of old, dusty charity shops, or as we prefer to call them - ‘vintage shops’. Now, to the untrained eye, it is near impossible to find anything worth keeping in that charity shop down your road, the one that smells like something you can’t quite put you’re finger on (which is probably for the best), and appears to be full of someone else’s junk which they threw out for a reason, hidden behind racks of bad 80’s power-jackets, with shoulder pads that have seen better days. But to this forward-thinking crowd, it’s just a matter of trudging through those hundreds of rails, to find that one denim playsuit, or that buttery-soft leather jacket, that beams like a ray of light, whispering in their ears -‘Pick me, pick me!’
However, these magpies come with a warning and are not to be challenged with, there are those who are natural born predators, and those who are, unfortunately, born to be prey. If you find yourself in a standoff of ‘who saw that maxi skirt first’, then back away slowly, otherwise do not be surprised when you find yourself being thrown down some rickety old staircase as the other contender sprints to the counter to claim her one-off prize for an unbelievable total of £3.99. They may look innocent but they’ll do nearly anything for an irresistible item full of history and charm (a spirit many of us should adopt). However, as climates change, they face gruelling conditions, forced to spend the winter months hibernating under a pile of hand-knitted Christmas jumpers and adorable patterned scarves - this is your chance to blag all the summer-wear you can get your hands on whilst they’re busy turning that second-hand quilt into a unique patchwork jumpsuit that any fashionista would be proud of.
For those lucky enough to have had thoughtful parents who horde everything in sight, style may even come free, as your mother shouts from the back ground ‘I used to have one just like that’ only to unveil a vintage Chanel that never really went out of fashion in the first place (unfortunately I am not one of those people, bar an old floral umbrella that used to belong to my Grandmother). I think it needs to be celebrated, that not only are these vintage lovers protecting our planet by reusing ‘pre-loved’ garments, but that they are making sure fashion never becomes extinct.
