Judy's Affordable Vintage Digest Judy's Affordable Vintage Digest issue 4 | Page 8

Ahead of the trend? Fashion blogger Ellie Connor-Phillips visits London Fashion Week to see how you can get ahead of the S/S ‘15 trends by shopping vintage. (Images courtesy of Vogue) Every year, London Fashion Week opens our eyes to a whole range of new styles and trends, from the revolutionary punk of Vivienne Westwood to the endless glamour of Chanel. However, for the regular shopper, these are often impossible to buy – the closest I’ve ever been to actually owning a true designer piece was a pretty little Marc Jacobs make-up case. After many years of living this struggle, I discovered vintage clothing and am sure I have found a solution. Fashion runs on a cycle; things are made, come into fashion, go out of fashion, then come back round again a decade or so down the line (an example being low-rise jeans from the early noughties that are apparently a thing again?!) So, generally, if you want to recreate a catwalk style, one of the best places to go is your nearest vintage store or fair. Choosing to shop vintage is good for many reasons – it’s ethical as it doesn’t require any more material to be used than already has been, it’s pocket-friendly as on the whole you can find some fantastic bargains, and it’s individual as everything is a one off, and so won’t be worn by anyone else. So, if you want to get ahead of the S/S15 game, it’s well worth watching the vintage shops for the things you’ve seen on the runway. SPORTS LUXE Sports luxe has been making a huge comeback over the past few months, and really influenced this year’s catwalk trends, with models in flat, trainer-like shoes, loose fitting tennis tops and sleek, natural hair. Vintage fairs always have loads of sport and baseball t-shirts, which when styled with a classic white tennis skirt (a retro store staple) you will have the perfect sporty look for spring. Look out for 90’s esque trainers too – you can usually get a good pair of converse or adidas for around £10-£15, which is about half of their average retail price. 3D EMBELLISHMENTS There was definitely a sort of futuristic element to this year’s fashion week, with almost