Under the Boardwalk

New fairs - there's nothing quite like them; the pre-event jitters, the craning of the neck to see who walks through the door, the inability to stay still in the half hour before [note: if a doctor were to get hold of said symptoms, he'd probably disagree. Well, so far so good - vintage is our prescription, blood pressure be DAMNED!]

Nerves? Nerves be GONE! Just like many a GCSE candidate must feel in the moments following an oral exam, what was all the fuss about? [it probably had something to do with a tiny woman, wielding a stopwatch, a whistle and a whole lot of words you'll never understand. A WHISTLE, madame? Ce n'est pas Euro '96 et ce n'est pas cool!]

We digress. But safe to say, our very first foray to Bournemouth this month did not warrant a jitter. With hundreds of folks out and about, we recruited fashion writer Joseph Kent [of Unlimited by JK fame] to be our fashion eyes, ears, pen and lens. Take it away JK!

“I'll tell you what I've found out today about Bournemouth,” [fair founder]Judy Berger says to me. “We've had a very good mix of tribes today – students, twenty-something Indie kids, Steampunks, vintage enthusiasts and quite a few families. It's been very diverse.”

Indeed, Bournemouth has a varied community of people. Albeit a student-dominated town, it would seem that a nationwide-famous, city-hopping vintage fair draws in a diverse crowd from this stretch of the south coast.

For the past few years, Bournemouth has been a hot-spot for vintage and retro fashion, so when Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair announced it was coming to the Bournemouth Pavilion ballroom, I knew it was to be a success. On the day itself, the event attracted hundreds and hundreds of bargain-hunting, vintage-loving individuals, all searching for that special something to add to their wardrobes, drawers and dressing tables.

For me, I have only just begun my venture into vintage, but I still loved everything at the fair. Each stall was elegantly cluttered with knick-knacks and accessories, accompanied by rails and rails of timeless clothing. Silky scarves burst from chests and hampers, and jewellery glistened from across the room.

With guests filtering in, soon the room was a jumbled highway of stylish shoppers adorned in the most vintage-esque attire. Girls in fair isle jumpers and chiffon dresses floated among the stands, while guys in ties and tweed jackets rummaged through the racks.

With so many to snap, here's a selection of some of the best outfits found at the fair...

There we have it folks - do be sure to check Joseph in action here. Aztecs, autumnal shades, exuberant fabrics and a top hat or two. Remember, we're in London and Chester this weekend so remember - dress up! [or down - grunge on a Sunday - what's not to love?]

xVVx

www.jusysvintagefair.co.uk