Clog Mania

Love them or hate them we are going to be seeing a lot more clogs in 2010. With the likes of Alexa Chung stepping out in the wooden Marni version clogs are having a rebirth!

Alexa Chung on 'What's on with Alexa Chung'

I'm desperate for a pair of Swedish Hasbeens to wear with tights and all of my dresses! This Hasbeen model is based on a high-heeled clog from the late disco 70's.

Swedish Hassbeens C.2010

I discovered my mums 1970's clogs at the back of the wardrobe, they fit like a glove but i'm not sure about the full on dutch backless kind that she sported! Apparently my dad even had a pair! Mmmm men and clogs? (i'm undecided!)

Mum's Clogs C.1975

I also found some great vintage tasselled ones on ebay. I love the substantial platform on these.

Courtesy of ebay

I finding myself falling for the clog craze (i'm secretly hoping some of the stallholders bring some vintage ones along to the next fairs).

Vintage style competition winner

Here's our first winner in our vintage style competition. We asked you to write in no more than 100 words what 'vintage style' means to you. We've had an amazing response and picked our first winner.. drum roll please...

Vintage is a unique style, a personality, a revolution in fashion. Its the Chanel 1926 Little Black Dress, the Dior 'New Look', the Quant mini and Westwood punk. Individualism set in an era that epitomises the times and events from a decade. Vintage style is about standing alone, making a statement and creating a look that no-one else could identically recreate. Its class, sophistication, taste and attitude but mostly its about the heart of a person. Their loves, desires, dreams and ambitions. Vintage style is not simply about the clothes its also about the person their memories, their mood, their personality and there all round vintage style.


By Tracy Martin

Tracy wins a bottle of the new Kate moss scent 'vintage'. do you agree with Tracy? Your thoughts please..

What i long for...

I live for dresses! I have them in abundance and cannot get enough of them. I will never be seen in a pair of jeans for me whatever the occasion, whatever the weather it's dresses all the way. I am particularly partial to the Laura Ashley kind. These are just a few of my favourite ones that i have bought from The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair...

This season I cannot wait to rummage through the rails for dresses with peter pan collars. My wardrobe will not be complete until I have a few of these. What will everyone be searching for?

The Brooklyn Flea

I’m on my January visit to New York and couldn’t resist popping into the Brooklyn Flea for a browse.

The Brooklyn flea is usually held in a school playground in Fort Greene, Brooklyn but for the winter months has taken over a stunning art deco clock tower (formerly a bank) at Hanson. With 3 floors and 100 vendors how could I resist? As I own a vintage fair I find it fascinating to visit other fairs in far off shores to find out how things work and hopefully pick up new ideas and bring them back home. So far, I’ve shopped at flea markets and vintage fairs in LA, New York, Italy, Ibiza and even Cyprus. But the Brooklyn flea always pulls me back for the sheer size and amazing selection of stalls.

Though I didn’t find anything to buy at this event (It’s cheaper to buy at the affordable vintage fair) I did take some pics to show you all how it’s done in New York..

After the flea we moved on to the vintage shops of Prospect Heights (Brooklyn) and to my favourite store ‘One of a find’ http://www.1ofafindvintage.com/ and picked up these amazing Chanel shoes for $110 and some grey brogue boots, ooh plus an amazing 80s Carolina Herrera dress which I shall be wearing at the Leeds vintage fair and will ask the lovely Sarah to photograph me in it.

If Selfridges say so it must be true!

www.selfridges.com

After a little more digging around at the Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair HQ we came across this... very interesting! It certainly set us thinking about what is quintessentially nineties. 

Decade Hopping

Here at The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair we want to reignite the debate around 'What is Vintage?'. Clothing made before the 1920's can now be considered to be antique, while clothing made in the 80's to mid 90's is now considered retro. Some rule makers believe that to call clothes vintage they must be at least 20 years old. Are we locked into a never ending cycle of fashion rotation? Last season it was all about bodycon skirts and shoulder pads power dressing straight from Thatcher's heyday. Topshop had it in abundance.

Topshop chain skirt

Topshop power shoulder dress

This season we can all look forward to glam-jersey referencing urban luxe sportswear from the Nineties. With designers like Missoni, Versace, Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs and Christopher Kane all nodding towards 90's trends with their Spring/Summer campaigns, does it mean we can all dust off our bum bags? Now that the people in the know are taking inspiration from bygone era's can the fashions of the 1990's be classed as vintage? As we have now left the noughties and entered the 'teenies' we've been thinking... are the 90's the new 80's?


The meaning of the term vintage is now emerging as a hotly disputed topic. It's certainly firing us up at the AVF. What do you consider as vintage? Class of 2010... Discuss. 

Bits & Bobs

We all enjoy a great vintage fair, the thrill of finding that unique dress or perfect pair of shoes. But the unsung hero’s of our recent fairs have been the ‘bits’, ‘bobs’ ‘nicks’ and ‘naks’ the little pieces of broken vintage jewellery, 50p charms, old pieces of antique lace, trimmings and cute little 1950s plastic trinkets, all flying off the shelves proving that the make do and mend trend is here to stay for 2010! Roll on the little bits and bobs that can be picked up for under £1..