Kilo Instinct

Everyone enjoys a fresh set of peepers; with that in mind, we sent Spoonfed's Gina Louise into the mecca of all East-side vintage events - The Vintage Kilo Sale. Sack in hand and cardie in the other, let's see how she got on...

"The word 'vintage' is never far from the lips of Brick Lane shoppers, but on Saturday there was no room for any other topic of conversation (not even asymmetric hair cuts got a look in)

As I made the walk from Bethnal Green Road to the Rag Factory, I could make out one common theme from the babble of passers by: the Vintage Kilo Sale. Swarms of excited shoppers were trundling past, most with huge bags of second hand finds slung over their shoulders like Santa's sack. As I wavered on the entrance to the warehouse, it was time to see if I'd been naughty or nice this year...

It turns out I must've been on my best behaviour, as over 70 rails of vintage treasures awaited me inside; floral tee dresses through '70s tennis vests to bolshy shoulder padded numbers all called out to me from the hangars. For those of you who love a good rummage, there were plenty of boxes beneath the rails, full of shoes, bags, scarves and other bits, waiting to be stuck into. My advice is to dig deep as these are always worth a look - I've unearthed some of my best finds here!

When the common theme of an event is bargain hunting, I'm always surprised that people aren't more savage to get to the goods. Perhaps it's all the lifting of tea cups and finger sandwiches with our pinkies on parade, but everyone was polite, and I didn't have to pull anyone's hair [although I learnt the hard way not to let my clothes out of my site in the changing room, as after admiring myself in a '50s swing dress, I turned to see a group of girls cooing over the cardie my nana knitted me. Hands off ladies!]

But disaster averted, I left with all my own clothes, and a few more to boot. At only £15 pound a kilo, I shopped safe in the knowledge that if something wasn't quite right, I could afford to customize a few pieces [although knowing how lonely my good intentions and sewing kit get, I'll probably not bother]"

One-nil to Gina's augmenting vintage wardrobe, we say...success! The Vintage Kilo Sale returns in Autumn, with stops at both Leeds and London. Our advice? Get culling your cupboards now.

xVVx [& Gina, Queen of the Kilo]

www.vintagefair.co.uk