Vintage to Vinted
I love vintage shopping. I love those moments when you’re not really on the lookout for anything in particular, but end up finding something you can’t leave behind.
If you're looking to make a statement, searching for something unique, or a piece of deadstock long out of production, vintage shopping is a no-brainer.
I've found quite a lot of cool pieces in the past, but I thought I'd share with you just some of the garments I've most recently discovered.
Here’s my most recent find, and a great example of getting a bargain for something I’d gladly pay more for.
This is a vintage 50s Australian Army shirt that I found for £15 at the Vintage Emporium in Stockport.
If you ever get the chance and you’re visiting the North West of England, I recommend a visit to Stockport’s Vintage Emporium at Pear Mill. From a Taxidermy Otter with a look of revenge to a mid-century watering can, to a 60s Aquascutum Trench Coat, you never know what you’ll find and that’s the fun of it.
The Army Shirt I found will be a great addition for the Spring/Summer. It’s a lovely mid-weight, meaning it will work well as a lighter overshirt option in the warmer weather. It makes sense that this was a piece used by the Army of Down Under.
When I went to pay for it, the woman at the till even said. “Oooh that’s a good price!”
Maybe it had the wrong tag on it? Oh well.
Here’s something I found on Vinted. I was quite late to the party with Vinted. I was never quite sure about buying vintage pieces online, but once I started, I couldn’t stop.
This is a New York Giants Baseball Coach Jacket by Majestic.
This isn’t an original, but it’s based on a jacket worn by members of the team who left New York in 1957 and relocated to San Francisco.
I love Coach Jackets, like a Harrington, they go with just about anything and can be dressed up or down. It’s still a bit cold to wear outside at the moment, due to how lightweight it is, but when Spring fully comes around, I’ll be reaching for it straight away!
I mentioned it in a recent reel over on Instagram, the coach jacket is the perfect transitional piece of outerwear. They sit just as well in autumn as they do in spring. Their generous, oversized fit means they can be layered, or nice and breezy when you need it most.
How I’m wearing the jacket here is how I intend to wear it most of the time, letting the bold green be the centrepiece and the classic staples (loafers and chinos), create a timeless look that looks great for just about any occasion.
“There is no fog in London”, infamous words of Lane Price in Mad Men when talking about the outerwear brand, London Fog.
Harrington jackets are my favourite menswear piece of all time. The word timeless is used a lot, but in terms of a Harrington, it really does apply.
I’ve got quite a few Harrington jackets, but none are quite like any of the ones I’ve got from London Fog.
I’ve got three from them in total. Each is an original 60s garment with details that just make the jacket for me. A short-cropped body, button-cuffed sleeves and a boxy fit make this lightweight jacket a perfect piece for spring/summer.
The three colours in my collection are Navy, Lemon and Red which is more of a shade of clay.
The Lemon was a find that I knew as soon as I saw it I had to take it home with me. If a piece of clothing could embody the look of 60s west coast America, then this is it.
The styling here for the lemon colourway is one of my favourite summer looks. It’s a simple look elevated by colour. Steve McQueen on the Sunset Strip? Maybe.
My navy one is naturally the one that gets the most wear. I was looking for the staple colour for a little while and it was actually an eBay find for £15. I’d recently seen one in a local vintage store for £75, which I thought was way overpriced. I’ve never paid more than £45 for a London Fog.
London Fog is a brand steeped in history, particularly renowned for its iconic trench coats and outerwear. Originating in the United States in the 1920s, the brand quickly gained recognition for its high-quality, stylish garments, particularly its raincoats and jackets.
Is vintage the way?
It’s great to own a brand-new garment. There’s nothing like owning a brand new pair of selvedge denim jeans and letting them fade over time, allowing the creases to tell your own unique story. However, owning a vintage piece you get all of that as well as the history that surrounds it. True, you may not have put them unique signs of wear there, but it can be fascinating to think who put them there before you, particularly if it’s a piece that’s decades old.
Vintage clothing allows you to experiment with the weird and wonderful.
I’ve purchased garments in the past that I wouldn’t have considered had they been a flat lay image on a website and I hadn’t tried them on in front of a mirror. I love the buzz of finding something you love and knowing if you don’t buy it, someone else will.
I’ll always prefer to buy in person. Menswear has some characters that really know their stuff and can point you in the right direction. Sometimes though, if you know exactly what you’re looking for, the convenience of online shopping can be very appealing. Either way, by vintage shopping you’re doing a world of good.
As always, thanks for reading
All the best,
Tom
Track of the blog: The Pied Pipers - Dream