Vintage Skirt, found at a car boot £20.

I don’t ever have a clue what trends are in or out, or what the latest catwalk trend is. Fashion isn’t about following trends, it’s simply about expressing yourself.

So where do you get your clothes from? I tend to steer clear of high street stores, they are unoriginal and well lets face it, bland. I get most of my clothes second hand – charity stores, swapping them, jumble sales, car boot sales and vintage stores. This way I find fantastic bargains that are completely unique.

Sequin Vintage Top, found in a flea market in America $3.

I also do a lot of DIY (cheap and eco friendly!). If I try to do at least 1 DIY per week. I get almost all my DIY inspiration from Outsapop. This is a fantastic blog filled to the brim with fashion and DIY inspiration.

Another fantastic fashion insperation website is Popgloss. It may not look like much, but it has pages and pages of unique fashion finds. On this site I have found some of the coolest tops, tights, rings – you name it!

But the ultimate fashion insperation site, has to be Lookbook.nu. I myself have a Lookbook account which you can see here. This site is a must if you are looking for fashion inspiration.

The past few months have been spent improving the trading capabilities and increasing the social interactive functionality on CovertCandy!

All CovertCandy lovers can now enjoy:

1. Full scale trading!

The community will be open for you guys to trade anything you like! The new categories will be:-

Clothes & Accessories
Books
Sports & Outdoors
Movies, Music & Games
Toys, Kids & Baby
Electronics
Health & Beauty
Home & Garden

2. A Great new Look!

We have a cool new re-design and logo to compliment the new easier navigation.

3. More Social Interaction:

You can now chat and shared with fellow traders and friends with complete ease.

Fancy earning some extra credits!?

Silly question really, but it is really quick and easy. If you would like to earn yourself some bonus CovertCandy credits issued straight into your personal CovertCandy Bank, then simply tell your friends. For every successful referral you make this week, we will give you and your friends 3 credits!

Refer your friends here

As we are feeling rather excited this week, for every item you upload during the launch week, you will receive 1 credit straight into your CovertCandy Bank!

Finally, if you would like to be an honorary CovertCandy team member as an official Guest Blogger, please get in touch with us!

Sky’s the limit at CovertCandy. We have so much more to come over the next 2 months, so keep your eyes and ears open. We aim do everything we can to make your experience the best we possibly can. In saying this, we welcome any feedback you may have about the new site and are always open to hearing what you guys want, so drop us an email: admin@covertcandy.co.uk

Have a great day…Happy Trading!

The CovertCandy Team

So, I convince myself that I can do it, I ‘can’ have the confidence and creativity to carry the ultimate vintage look, without the awkward on-street negotiations of ‘How much’ I am on the hour.

Then I sit amidst the ‘vintage or replica’ scandal. At somewhere between 100 – 300£, a corset is the crème de la crème to the discerning vintage investor. This is where I grew to realising I suffer from a vintage fashion contradiction.

Generally, the older the better. The uniqueness of vintage fabrics, not available on the market anymore is just one of the many reasons to buy vintage over new or replica.  After a little asking around, paired with rummaging through search engine inquiries and some brain strain, I realized (wait for it) in this instance, I would choose new.

Corsetry is an art. Made of 2mm in diameter steel rods, bent and sewn into the fabric, it is one of those arts that has only been crafted and refined over time. New corsets feature a higher strength of fabric, and softer, safer steel.  Fashion whispers say that as vintage corsets wear, the steel quite cuts through the fabric and puts the wearer at the risk of being stabbed!

There are many high end designers who have made their mark on corsets and, may ‘twist your arm’ to reach into your purse and invest in these incredible art wearable’s.

So, with new silk corset, wrapped in pink tissue, in my well cleaned hands, I am back, staring starry eyed at the wardrobe, faced with ‘ to pair with pencil skirt or jeans’?

Surfer chick Sara from GetPalmd caught our eye with her casual and chilled style with stilettos on top. Sepcial mention to her sense of humor, the music suggestions…and the fast cars pictured all over it! So we asked her a few questions.

What is this seasons must have clothing?

Sara: I’m starting to like the comeback of flannel shirts. I think of my childhood when I see them, and they actually look good on both guys and girls – on girls especially when worn oversized like a shirt dress. I like to shop for guy’s shirts, they often have a better selection of patterns and styles, so there we’ll find the best flannel shirts I believe!

Sara: A clutch. No party night without a big enough clutch for mobile, wallet and keys.

Sara: I’m not a huge fan of leggings. They’re really hard to combine: you feel you must cover your ass so they can rarely be used as pants unless they have pockets, and in the winter with a dress I personally choose to wear tights and not leggings. Also they are totally useless in the summer (we want bare legs, not covered legs), so I don’t know when and how to wear them. When you ask some people why they wear leggings in the summer, they say that they have pale legs that they don’t want to show off.. wonder how to solve that problem.

Sara: A girl can obviously not have too many shoes, but my personal collection is not even that big. Around 25 pairs of high heels and 10 pair of other shoes like sneakers and summer flats. I hate to shop for flats and sneakers, I rather spend on a good amount of inches.

Sara: I enjoy saying this but I really can’t define it in a few words. And I guess that’s the point; to discover new styles and trends and learn to love them, and somehow adapt them into your own dressing style. That way your personal style is constantly changing and you can never make an one time definition of it, as next week it could be totally different. So I’m open to all kind of clothing as long as I feel comfortable in them. But if I think of elements that can often be seen in my outfits, then I would say that high heels and bare legs are pretty much all I need to feel good.

Sara: I like high waisted shorts, so hopefully I’ll see a lot of them this summer. Without the leggings underneath them, obviously. Another trend I like are the sheer and low cut shirts – especially when worn with a pretty bra or bikini top and the top reveals a little, but not too much. It’s silly to think that women dress for the guys only, in the end I think dressing up is a lot a “from girls, to girls” thing, we enjoy to look at each other and get inspired. So nothing wrong with the “showing off your bra” trend, all women have them, some women just have the guts to show you a piece of their own!

California girl Dylana Suarez from the blog Nana in Wonderland (colormenana.blogspot.com) has a knack for mixing high end fashion with affordable pieces. Her flirty, feminine style full of floaty blouses and romantic prints is perfect inspiration for spring! She kindly agreed to answer a few questions for us.

CC: Who is you all time favourite style icon?

DS: My all-time favorite style icon must have to be Audrey Hepburn because she was such a classic beauty and wore everything with grace and confidence.

CC: Do you shop at markets, if so what is your all time favourite market for vintage clothing?

DS:  I love shopping on Main Street in Ventura, California. It is lined with thrift stores, many of which carry vintage. I always leave that place with bags full of beautiful vintage blouses and dresses!

CC: What has been your favourite trend over the decades?

DS: I think my favorite trend would have to be the boyfriend blazer because you can wear it with anything. It instantly livens up an outfit by adding shape, contrast, and a little bit of masculinity. I cannot live without mine. I have so many!

CC: What is your personal style?

DS: I would describe my personal style as quirky miniminalism. I gravitate towards classic and timeless shapes, but I love to add my own personal touch to things like a bright wash of color or an eclectic pattern.

CC: Do you customize your own clothing?

DS: Yes, sometimes I do, if I really love a piece but it does not fit me exactly right. I do this esp. with vintage items . . . I may hem a pair of shorts, taper a leg of a pair of pants, or shorten a dress length. I love doing this because it makes me feel like I am wearing my own creation and nobody will have the exact same piece as I do.

CC: What look is set to be popular this summer?

DS: I think the all over pastel look is going to be popular this summer because it has such a romantic, soft, fresh, and light look.

Sharon from My Passport to Style is a style consultant whose blog is dedicated to all sorts of fabulous things. Her site offers great inspiration  for decorating your home, finding a unique look and interviews. Filled with girly pictures, DIY’s and ethical fashion advice, My Passport to Style is a firm Covertcandy favourite! So we asked Sharon a few questions.

CC: What is the seasons must have clothing?

Sharon: The maxi dress, because it has the ability to transform even the shortest broadest women into a rippling long  column of goddess like proportions and there are maxis to  to unearth every goddess out there, from  strong tribal queens  to  cute prairie gals kicking up the corn.

CC:What accessory do you think a girl cannot live without?

Sharon: A belt is the key to being a woman, it gives us all curves and creates a more tailored look to the most casual of looks, women must have belts!

CC: Who is your all time favourite style icon?

Sharon: Sophia Lauren,  she was so sensual and confident and knew how to work a pencil skirt and how to turn her imperfections into her best points!

CC: What has been your favourite trend to date?

Sharon: I love the tribal look, because it allows for using rich colour’s that flatter many skin types, as I adore pattern, it is a good trend for me, I love the way you can really put any spin on it you choose, from slightly punky , safari and sophisticated feminine, to grungy tribal.

CC: Do you shop at markets , if so what is your all time favourite markets for vintage clothing?

Sharon: I don’t shop at markets, but I do love vintage clothing and we have several  sweet boutiques in Lancaster, so if you are ever passing let me know!

CC: What has been your least favourite trend over the years?

Sharon:You really want to know? Low rise jeans, whatever age you are the pleasure of visually halving your butt whilst standing wearing low rises is quickly shattered by the appearance of  rubbery flesh spilling over your waist band not to mention brickys  bum, apologise to all you brickys in advance!

CC: How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Sharon: Around 50, although I don’t really count them.

CC: What is your personal style?

Sharon: Fairly simple paired down, with feminine quirks thrown in.

CC: Do you customise your own clothing?

Sharon: I love to, when I have the time and my job involves a little of this as well.

CC: What look is set to be popular over the summer?

Sharon: The cowgirl , but not as you know her, watch out!

Finnish fashion and accessories designer Outi Pyy from Outsapop.com is one of the best bloggers around if you are looking to customize your vintage finds as well as create quirky, runway inspired jewellery. With her easy tutorials, she makes having a unique style super easy! Here at Covertcandy we are all about sustainable fashion so we asked her a few style questions.

CovertCandy :What accessory do you think a girl can not live without?
Outi Pyy: A vintage styled bowler hat. It is a very versatile accessory that suits many styles (and hairstyles!) and to my view is ageless. I love to mix DIY with classic fashion pieces like it. If you go out looking for one I recommend saving up a bit and investing in a quality bowler or a vintage one. The cheap remakes clothing chains sell, will not last you a lifetime and I want to pass mine on to my children someday.

CC: Who is you all time favourite style icon?
OP: Anna Piaggi, the former Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia. Her style is crazy and yet always so flawless and chic! She has a stylish way of mixing patterns and colors in a beautiful riot. One can see that she really enjoys fashion and has fun with it. I want to look as stylish as she is when I´m her age.

CC: What has been your favourite trend to date?
OP: Military. I´ve always been very inspired by military looks as they are also timeless fashion. I shop loads at army surplus stores. Secondhand army stuff is cheap and the quality superb. It makes exellent material for (runway inspired) DIY projects and customizing clothes.

CC: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
OP: Not too many.. only 22 pairs. A few good basics in quality leather and some more flashy evening heels, most of them bought secondhand. I feel it´s all I need as I´m not really one of those shoe-fanatics. But don´t ask me how many hats/fascinators/hair accessories I have! They have always been my soft spot…

CC:What is your personal style?
OP:I have a very controlled color palette as color is very important to me in fashion. Mostly black, grays, reds, blues and whites. I do enjoy all sorts of textile treatments and love worn down looks. To be honest, I propably own more “dirty and trashed” clothes than complitely clean and new-looking. But even though it sounds raggedy, it´s really quite far from it. Most of my wardrobe is secondhand, but I do quite a bit of DIY and refashion my clothes and also buy some new (sustainable/organic). My key pieces are long cardigans, pencil skirts, boyfriend jeans and boxy (band) t-shirts. Right now I´m very into the 90´s grunge revival styled pieces. The contrast between my day and night look is very strong as during the day I´m all about comfort and tomboyish style but when I go out, it´s more closer to burlesque and classic glamour. I find fashion so much fun as it allows one to explore and express different sides of ones personality.

CC:So, you customise your own clothing?
OP:All the time! I have at least five projects going on at all times. I think DIY and refashioning old clothes is a fun hobby that also enables you to have 100% unique look. I want to be an active consumer of fashion but do it in a sustainable way, so refashioning old is my solution. I also do tutorials on everything I do, so others are able to make similar stuff for themselves if they like it. If you want to see what I´m up to now, visit my DIY fashion blog.

Who are your vintage style icons? / What celebrity, across the decades do you think has had the best personal style?Right now it’s Katherine Hepburn and her incomparable talent to wear menswear and still look incredibly female. It will forever be Coco Chanel and her ability to wear casual wear in an uncredibly chic way.

What makes you love vintage so much?
Because it offers way more varieties of cuts, colors and shapes than the usual “seasonal trend” inspired clothing you find in common fashion stores. And because I like to wear a garment that has a story and has been worn in different circumstances, went through many hands, hung in many closets. I have one pair of shoes, men’s shoes, from the 60ies – and I guess their owner was wearing them very rarely since they have been in great condition when I bought them. I imagine, that he only wore them on special occasions. however, I am wearing them all the time, almost every day – and that’s how they look after I owned them just some months. After being shut away in the closet for so many years, they finally see the world!

What is your favourite item of vintage clothing? What is your best vintage find that you own?
I was very lucky to find a Yves Saint Laurent dress from the beginning of the 90ies for very little money in a locat 2nd hand store – it’s still impeccable! I wear it only rarely, because it is so precious to me (and it obviously has been to the former owner) – but who knows, maybe it will be the daydress for the next lucky woman having it.

Where is your favourite place to shop for vintage garments?
This depends on my mood – sometimes I like to dive into piles of clothes where you might eventually find the special one, that’s just made for you and sometimes I prefer to have a small store with a spot-on choice of fine garments in great condition. The latter happens way more often, though.

What do you think this summers big fashion looks will be?
I’m betting on wedges (the higher, the better), crop tops, mixed prints (floral will be huge for summer, as always), side braids, bandage skirts, and plenty of pastel and nude hues everywhere!

Here is some behind the scenes footage of the latest CovertCandy shoot:

CovertCandy Shoot from CovertCandy on Vimeo.

Please bare with us whilst we pimp out the site. Its business as usual in the CovertCandy community but it will take 1 or 2 days until the vintage  shop is fully operational again.

Please help us out if you find any problems with the site and we’ll be sure to fix things up pronto.

You’re aiming for a fierce look: lots of black leather and mussed hair. Think a feminine Fonz and you’re nearly there; think Chloe Sevigny in her all-in-one leather jumpsuit and you’ve gone way over the line. For a fresh-ish (let’s face it, nothing’s fresh in fashion) take on the look, wear your leather with ultra-girly dresses. For a not so fresh, but still successful, style, wear with skinny jeans, a big T-shirt, ballet pumps or high heels. It’s a quasi-punk aesthetic, but don’t wear it around real punks: you may get beaten up.

Brands like Topshop’s leather jacket is pretty nice, especially with the collar turned up. At £125, it’s not too horrendous a price, either. For something a little more masculine and rock’n'roll, there’s Urban Outfitter’s waxed jacket, which comes in at £169. This would look good with acid-wash jeans and an oversized T-shirt.

The more worn the jacket, the better, so another option is to look at vintage clothing websites. We had a quick look on Rockit’s site and found thisvintage biker jacket for £140. While looking for vintage leathers we came across a blog that we thought deserved a mention. It contains everything you ever wanted to know about the leather jacket, including the mystery behind the D-shaped pocket … Who knew, eh?

Amies is a pretty interesting character. He first opened his Saville Row boutique in 1946, regularly appeared in Vogue, earned a royal appointment to the Queen, designed the 1966 winning England football teams’ suits and (even more impressively to my mind) designed the costumes for Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The Hardy Amies brand is synonimous with top quality materials (as I mentioned in The Suit Jacket, wool, tweed and linen are generally more expensive than cotton or polyester mixes) and bespoke tailoring. It is closely associated with vintage clothes of the 1960s – ecchoing the slender frame and sharp shouldered look of the time.

One of these vintage 60s suits would quite frankly, probably cost more than a car. Today, a modern Amies suit would set you back at least £3000.

Hardy Amies remains an iconic and influencial British tailor. Next time you chaps have trouble deciding whether to wear socks with your sandles, I highly recommend you reach for Hardy Amies ABC.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/blogs/the-vogue-blog/articles/090803-pixie-geldof.aspx

The 80s style of leather jacket is similar to the traditional suit jacket I described in an earlier post. The shoulders are generally more pronounced with sleeves wide at the shoulder tapering to the wrist (a tudor-sleeve). Designers at this time experimented a lot with detailing so many vintage 80s jackets are studded or tassled, come in a variety of garish colours or distressed leather. To be honest they also come in varying degrees of hideousness too, but then, thats the wonderful nature of fashion isn’t it. Whats cool one day, is god-awful the next, and vintage the day after that.

For similar jackets to those worn by Pixie for Vogue, check out Covert Candy for some one-of-a-kind goodies.

This relationship between brands and young people has radically changed the speed of fashion cycles. Previously, youth-instigated trends like Teddy Boys, Mods, Hippies, Punks and Grunge all developed over a number of years, becoming fully fledged sub-cultures. Now trends are snapped up by brands and remarketed for the mainstream in a very short period of time. Thus, rendering them no longer ‘cool’, and the whole process starts again.

The residing appeal of collecting vintage clothes is that it is still the most effective way to create a totally independent, unique look. Although the high-street provides much in the way of bland mock-vintage fashion, it’s still possible to source original clothes in charity shops for half the price. High-street brands haven’t quite achieved the monopoly on that front just yet. Infact, better still, the ability to swap clothes as promoted by Covert Candy, sidesteps the capitalist nature of high-street fashion altogether.

Here endeth the long and ramblesome history lesson I’ve doled out over the last few posts. Hopefully thats provided some insight into the development of certain trends over the last fifty years and the current vintage trend.

The term Generation X, although previously alluding to those born after WWII, came to represent the 80s generation of young people who consumed with a sense of ‘ironic detachment’. For independently minded young people, it had got to a point where it was no longer possible to defy mainstream consumerism the way previous generations like the Teddy Boys, Mods and Hippies had done. Those sub-cultures grew from a desire for independence and self-created style. Now however, every new youth movement was picked up, remarketed and sold back to the consumer by major corporate brands. So instead, perhaps as the only method of defiance, young people began consuming with abandon but doing it ‘ironically’.

“…The tentacles of branding [reach] into every crevice of youth culture, leaching brand-image content not only out of street styles like hip-hop but psychological attitudes like ironic detachment…” (No Logo, 2000)

When Grunge came around in the 90s, the young followers were far more reticent, choosing to adopt vintage clothes and thrift store finds as a means to evade contemporary fashion and consumerism. Their blasé disregard for branding and advertising meant that from a brands perspective, they were an incredibly difficult audience to target.

In Britain, the Football Casuals favoured Armani, Burberry and Ralph Lauren sportswear (later, those wearing knock-off versions would be disdainfully known as Chavs).

In America, Hip- Hop continued to support very specific brands; high-end labels like Louis Vuitton and Rolex that declared the wearers wealth and style. The Hip-Hop endorsement could have a huge impact on the success of a brand. Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Mercedes-Benz, Krug, Dom Perignon and Cristal champagnes and several other brands all benefited from an association with Hip-Hop culture.

Lil Kim famously photographed by David La Chappelle for Rolling Stone magazine covered in ‘LV’ Louis Vuitton logos, 1999.

Such brands were patronised often without prompting. As an article from USAToday says, “Mercedes-Benz — the most-mentioned brand in last year’s top songs — says the car’s popularity in hip-hop circles certainly didn’t hurt sales growth over the last dozen years…Bentley Motors and Louis Vuitton — also among the most name-checked brands in music — were more reticent on the subject. While some companies may shy away from being associated with a culture often marked by misogyny and violence, it is undeniable that hip-hop wields immeasurable power and influence in business”

(USAToday, April 2006).

In the 1960s, Mods and Rockers took over as the predominant genres. These subcultures also borrowed from a wide source of influences. They too ‘nicked the style of their betters’ [like the Teddy Boys]. Mods favoured sharp Italian tailoring, re-appropriated the militaristic Parker jacket and listened to Jamaican Ska music. Rockers emulated Marlon Brando and James Dean with leather jackets and Levi’s jeans.

Mods

After Mods and Rockers, came Hippies in the 70s, Soulboys, Punks, New Romantics, Skinheads, Football Casuals, Acid-Ravers, Grungers, Hip-Hop and Indie kids, Goths and probably far more besides. Through the decades, these trends continuously set young people apart from the establishment, mixing and borrowing styles from previous genres. The codes of dress developed and changed according to musical preferences, political ideologies and cultural influences of the period. Wearing these clothes signified one’s affiliation with a tribe and the tribes concerns, literally ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve’…

Rockers

From the 1950s to the present day, young people have found ways to assert their own style. Though wildly different in appearance, each subculture has demonstrated some common, consistent features; a hybridization of existing styles, a desire to rebel and create a unique identity, and an elitist, tribal attitude.

First up, is a passage I wrote about the Teddy Boys, really the first generation of young British people to create their own unique look by borrowing stylistic elements from the past. Essentially this is what vintage is all about; borrowing past fashions as a way to express one’s individuality. It sidesteps all that homogenous fashion dictated by the highstreet and allows the wearer to look cool, elitist and most crucially of all, unique.

In the second half of the twentieth century, Britain began to enjoy a massive consumer boom. After the rationing and restriction of World War II, people suddenly found themselves equipped with a disposable income and a far more prosperous outlook. The public was enjoying a new sense of freedom and in consumerism, found an exciting way to channel their optimism…

Whilst the mainstream thrived during this period, young people were largely ignored as a potential consumer group. Advertisers simply assumed that young people could be targeted later in life, when they grew up to become far more predictable adult consumers. As social commentator Naomi Klein puts it, “keeping track of the trends and tastes favoured by style-setting youth wasn’t worth the effort” (No Logo, 2000).

So for several decades, young people dictated their own trends, regardless of the sways of mainstream consumerism. This trailblazing period has been referred to as the “youthquake” (Old Clothes, New Looks: Second-Hand Fashion, 2005). In Britain, the first major example of the ‘youthquake’, occurred in the years immediately following the end of World War II. Developed by Northern working-class teenagers as a dramatic escape from the drab and dreary climate of post-war Britain, these youths had slicked back hair, wide-shouldered suit jackets, skinny drainpipe trousers and brothel creeper shoes.

Known as Teddy Boys (and Teddy Girls), they went to great lengths to source particular clothes. As “the original heirs of Beau Brummel” (Loud And Proud, 2008), they took a fastidious interest in the elegant
suits of the Edwardian era (Edward being shortened to Ted and thus, Teddy Boy). Yet they mixed this Edwardian notion of sartorial perfection with a “proudly proletarian” (Loud And Proud, 2008) attitude. In doing so, they created and maintained a sense of exclusivity and elitism, “designed on the street, for the street” (Loud And Proud, 2008). They also created for themselves, perhaps inadvertently, a notoriety and cult-like status. Teenagers had never before experienced the freedom to make their own cultural choices; instead they had obediently adopted the attitudes (and wardrobe) of their parents. The shockingly different Teddy Boy trend, influenced by the emerging American Rock ‘n’ Roll scene, was therefore seen by older generations as a brazen rebellion against authority and decency.

I hope you don’t mind my meanderings down fashion memory lane too much. Next post, I’m back to the 80s, documenting the immergence of hip-hop and how this changed vintage fashion and youth subculture once again.

For one thing, Blur’s unanimously well-received come-back performance at Glastonbury last month brought that interest and nostalgia for 90s Britpop back into the public domain. See 30 seconds of them being amazing here. You could say Take That did something similar with their recent revival but I’m not sure I’d want to credit Gary Barlow and co with starting new trends!

Those Bright Young Things Pixie Geldoff, Alice Dellal and Agyness Deyn have also instigated a bit of 90s vintage revival.

Their punky, rock look typified by black leather, studs, chunky metal jewellery and Dr. Martin boots, take the 80s trend into the early 90s. These are exactly the same components that made up 90s Grunge, a looking almost single-handedly created by trend-setting, era defining Kurt Cobain.

Its certainly a trend to watch out for. The 80s are by no means over, in terms of the current fashion cycle, but a gradual move towards vintage 90s Grunge does seem inevitable. Interestingly, in this weeks Guardian, fashion columnist Jess Carter Morley notes how the Grunge trend is likely to adapt for a modern audience by making it more glamourous – Glamour Grunge or “Glunge”. See her explain the look here.

Hmmm, not sure about the terminology, “Glunge” sounds faintly offensive somehow. Oh well, in a couple of months time we’ll all be wearing it. Watch this space.