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

The Cosmo Blog Awards: Just the Ticket

It's not every Monday that leaves one feeling like a fictional character; granted, early-morning confrontations with your inbox can sometimes flatten your mood [never mind a check of your messages after a week-long holiday - yowzers!]  and so we've all started the week a little 2D from time to time.

That said, today was an exception; sitting in our inboxes was a proverbial golden ticket, taking the form of an invitation to this year's Cosmo Blog Awards taking place next Wednesday. Mouth ajar like guppy in the wind, will you scream with me? 1,2,3....AHHHHHH!

Ahem, grasping for our dignity[and air - that was some scream!] we're delighted to be attending. Featuring the creme de la creme of the British blogosphere, we'll be on our best behaviour [minimal puns and even minimal-er dress code -well, we might slip some print in there somewhere!] As we [quite literally] take on our wardrobes, we just wanted to say a MASSIVE thanks to all who have made this possible. Charlie might've been happy when he found that ticket, but boy, it's not a patch on the euphoria permeating Judy HQ. Pinch us quick - we must be dreaming.

xVVx

www.judysvintagefair.co.uk

Youth been Framed

Well, that's it folks. Fresher's Week is almost over. As the sun sets on seven days of networking, BFF-ing and cradling your liver [not for us of course - one G&T in fair season and we're red-faced and ready for bed] it's left us with our thinking caps on. Doth our lenses deceive us or are freshers getting more hip?

Simple answer: yes. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding; Glasgow, Leeds and Newcastle fairs saw trends in abundance - heritage, navajo, and more girls-dressed-like-boys than Blur could ever have dreamed of. To take an aerial view of each event would be a who's-who of cool; guys in Vans and gals in Docs, peacocking, completely comfortable in these vintage waters.

Now, we're not saying that students have been lackluster before this- heck, students are some of the snappiest, most adventurous dressers we have. Perhaps we're so abashed by these Dazed-worthy candidates because we [way back in....shudder....2006] were less so. Coming to the city in the middle of 'New Rave,' we were more day-glo overkill than the definition of chic [note to self: legs the colour of lightening is never a good look, no matter your love of the Klaxons.]

And so faux-pas are down; history isn't repeating itself [although the colour-block trend was enough to leave this blogger reaching for the face-paint..] As the Navajo-trio below seem to show, all's cool on campus. We can't wait to see what's next.

This weekend, we'll be visiting Lincoln, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham. Make sure to say hello!

xVVx

www.judysvintagefair.co.uk

Steel-City Chic

The second city we ever visited, we've a soft spot for Sheffield; cooing over shoes on Division Street, Jumanji-style hijinx in the Winter Gardens, the Moses-style water-wall as you leave the station - heck what's not to love.


Holding a fair there TODAY [the Workstation next to the Showroom Cinema, click here for details] we've been out on the streets to meet our people; move over Milan - Sheff got style!

Super-chic indeed. All the fun of the fair to come. 

xVVx

www.judysvintagefair.co.uk

Leeds: Shaking it up like a Bombay Mix

To say that we're supposed to take inspiration from seasoning this season [one imagines the conversations now - 'excuse me mr. vintage trader, do these blouses come in masala? I wanted to wear it with a saffron jean but i'm worried it might 'tikka' it too far....'] then Leeds was one 'spicy meat-a-ball. [excuse the slightly stereotypical Italian accent here - it's the seasoning,it's gone too our heads]

Whether you're into it or not, our Leeds Corn Exchange shoppers were shaking it up like a Bombay mix. Take a look below....

Prints, brights,gothic chic - a smorgasbord of choice on offer when considering your winter looks [all of which can be found at our fairs in london and brighton this weekend] Whatever your angle, the days of a demure cold season are a terra-gonner.

xVVx

www.vintagefair.co.uk

Trend Alert: Morticia-Chic

All hands on deck, we've recruited our new Judy's assistant into a bit of Joe-blogging this week, as we begin our forray into the A/W trends. Turning to the dark side, our Iz shows you the Siouxsie-Sioux and don'ts of working this season's gothic trends....

"Say hello to purple lips, smokey eyes and the gothic darling...get ready to paint it black.

Despite colorful bursts of mustard, red and blue, the dark side reigns supreme this season; fetish remains mainstream and black lace at Lanvin demonstrate how many designers are delving into the mysterious craze of GOTH.

With a little goth in all of us, why not embrace Autumn to experiment, turning to vintage to get authentic punk and gothic looks [after all, faded is the way forward!]

The return of the cold weather has allowed layering to re-enter our outfits, allowing an even greater way to show-off your wardrobe!! Layer faded leather with inky velvets and some shiny PVC then, if it’s extra chilly, get some 80’s mohair in there to boot. On warmer days, mix sheer fabrics and lace, mixing up your textiles but not your colours to channel the single-pallette trend.

But what of footwear? Think back a season to Prada creepers! When hunting for creepers, keep your peepers open for vintage - they're much more affordable. Go for the triple soles - bigger is better when going for goth.

Think bold, think big think... Robert Smith! We want studded leather. We want ripped fishnets. We want sky-high platforms with hair-dos to match! Do all this and you'l be the chicest fashionista in the shade!"

There we have it folks - the 411 on Morticia-chic. For anyone in Leeds this weekend, Izzy [featured below - bear not to scale] will be out and about papping our free vintage weekender - don't be afraid to say hello!

xVVx & Izzy, the Vintage Warrior

www.vintagefair.co.uk

Trend Alert: Hell For Leather

Leather-envy; the very notion of it was, until recently, preposterous in my mind.

Sure, like most of you I have flirted with leather; a jacket dalliance here, a waistcoat romance there – these liaisons always appeared to be a little too dangereuses upon looking in the mirror, leading all inclination to be a leather-clad maverick to be swiftly filed away.

Happy in my leather-free bubble, I watched bondage-clad collections at Marc Jacobs roll out; I looked on as Gaga rolled about like a cow-skin princess; I stood back as vintage shops stocked-up on leather coats to be oh-so-seventies –still, I felt nothing. Content in not looking like an extra from the Matrix, I thought i’d soldier on indefinitely.

Little was I to know that leather was to land on my doorstep [figuratively speaking of course] Former bookings gal and serial shopper Samantha and I were perusing the Judy's stalls at the South Bank when we found it - the thing that was to shatter my allusions in a big, biker-y mess. Cropped, one-off and emblazoned - it was bad-ass in a jacket form. Crowning the item was a lone wolf, howling to the graffiti moon.

The above picture is not an image of the jacket [or myself and Samantha - what 'lols' that would be!] but a picture from the 70s epic 'The Warriors.' Know why? Because this jacket made me want to be one of 'The Warriors,' cleaning up the streets with quick quips, running around on subways [wouldn't quite be the same running around on the Northern Line - I think i'd have to emmigrate] and embracing la vie en leather.

Of course, the jacket wasn't for me [and was a girls. and too small] and so all that remains is a solid case of leather envy. Adding insult to injury is the resurgence of the Native American trend which goes so very well with leather [a kind of cowboy-meets-indian car-crash - now that's what i'm going for] Until fair season, I have my eye set on this tassel-tastic number from vintage vendor Burger & Fries...

Luckilly, fair season starts this coming Monday with Spitalfields [hooray!] and so I shouldn't have to wait too long. Until then, I guess my wax jacket will have to cut it. But know this -my Navajo-ly Grail is out there. Somewhere. And one day, it will be mine.

xVVx

www.vintagefair.co.uk

Purple reign, Purple reign...

Cyclical in nature, fashion has a habit of bringing things back into the limelight - sheer skirts, bell-bottoms, big hats - there are trends that orbit into our wardrobes every ten seasons or so [often eclipsing our fashion sense in the process] That said, there are some items that refuse to spirograph in and out of our lives, some icons that will never be anything but 'du jour.' In this vintage industry that we call home, nothng is more alluring than staying-power and today we give you the poster boy of staying-put - Prince!

Headlining Hop Farm last Sunday, the media is abuzz with stories of the artist more limber than an early Shakira video. His rapport with fashion and popular culture as poignant as ever [white jumpsuit - hello Michael Kors A/W 11] it's hard to believe that he's 53. The reliability and eccentricity of an LBD meets a 'Raspberry Beret,' Prince, like our vintage, gets better with age.

In other slightly tenuous fashion-meets-fame news, guess who we spotted at our Cumbria vintage fair...

Perplexed and pointing his finger at the goodies waiting on the rails, it was safe to say this this gent [be he Bono or wanna-Bono] "still hadn't found what he was looking for." Luckily, the vintage fair team were on hand to help, admiring his use of the Judy's colours in the meantime. His belt reads 'Rockstar' and those hips don't lie.

Ciao for now

xVVx

www.vintagefair.co.uk

"You sound like you're from..."

Greetings loved ones,

We hope that you're well and celebrated accordingly our newfound spot in the Eurovision chart - hooray! Although we won't be booking plane tickets to Azerbaijan [mostly due to our inability to locate the elusive land on a map!] we are milking the Estonian/ German/ Serbian entries to death! Eastern-European Katy Perry, a German Cheryl Cole, sixties in Serbia - what's not to love?

An event that was a world away from "nil point," we're recovering from a lovely weekend in Brighton. As we de-sand our toes, stay tuned later on for a full report! This week, all eyes are on the weekends fairs, Cambridge and London; favourites in our vintage fair diary, make sure you get your gladrags on for both events always draw in a rather stylish crowd...

Ooh. Fancy!

See you there vintage fans!

xVVx
www.vintagefair.co.uk

Here's JUDY!

Greetings loved ones,

[Rather unbelievably] a week since we were draped in Union Jacks and going mad for Middleton, we at Judy HQ are packing our banners and finding our bearings for, once more, we are hitting the road!

A myriad of different dates in the mix, check out our fanpage for the full lowdown [and prepare to graffiti those datebooks rather voraciously with the words 'VINTAGE FAIR!!!'] In the next few weeks we have newbie Kingston, Glasgow, Newcastle, the Leeds Kilo Sale and our biggest event yet on the sunny shores of Brighton [75 stalls + incredible mid-century bargains courtesy of The Vintage Furniture Flea + DJs and cake = a complete no-brainer!] For those of you not sure whether to venture out over the next few weekends or pondering whether to put down that library book, have a look at some of the wonderful stuff our traders will be offering up...












Tempting n'est pas? Bringing 40 traders to every event alongside pastry treats, style hunters and a bounty of bargains, the library or highstreet just doesn't cut it. Just like the seasons, Judy's is in bloom and we're heading to you. Drop what you're doing, head on down and emancipate your wardrobes with something old-world.

See you imminently vintage fans - it's lovely to be back!

xVVx

www.vintagefair.co.uk

Diamonds are forever, Vintage is for life

Greetings loved ones,

Now, as you probably know, we're on the cusp of launching our first new city of 2011 this weekend: Cardiff. Safe to say, we're a teeny bit psyched - like a modern-day Columbus, we stand on the deck of the Good Ship Vintage, scouting for dapper new natives to encounter. As jittery as the eve before Christmas [or Christmas Eve as it's more conventionally known - jeez, just roll with it!]we hope anyone attending this weekend gets a tiny rush of excitement when they think about what's in store. Like a warm glass of milk ['where is he going with this?' you may say, rolling your eyes. Well roll them back my way and, in the words of Miranda, 'bare with...'] we wanted to give you a little something to ease those jitters as we count down to Cardiff, a little reassurance that we're well worth a visit...

If i'm not mistaken, that infamous Cardiff-born monolith Miss Bassey said that 'Diamonds are Forever' and we here at Judy's are partial to a bit of sparkle. Check out some of our favourite craftsmen trading this weekend...

Tiny bridges, scrabble pieces, pocket watches- the lot. If that's not enough to delight your inner magpie, we don't know what will. Menfolk - don't be put off by all that shimmer and shine. If your doting girlfriend, wife or persistent housemate insists that you come to the fair, just roll with it. Looking at our specialist menswear traders, you're in for a bit of a treat [check out www.princesvintage.co.uk for a flavour] Get clearing those wardrobes folks - the English are coming.

See you at the weekend!

xVVx

www.vintagefair.co.uk

The boys and the men at Vintage at Goodwood

Pictures courtesy of The ChicGeek.

Not that these dapper gents need it but TheChicGeek team have put together the definitive 2010 guide to men's vintage. For anybody interested in what to buy, where to get it from and a behind the scenes look, this is a must-have.

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- 18 point guide to buying men's vintage

- A behind the scenes look at the Rokit warehouse in North London

- An interview with auctioneer Kerry Taylor of Kerry Taylor Auctions

- The Holy Grail of Men's Vintage - The must-haves of the vintage world

- Future Vintage - What to hold on to for the future

- A listing of the UK's top vintage shops and websites for menswear

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