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