Re-Sale Therapy

Mr Londoner’s vintage guide to the city.

Collectively, food, textiles and manufactured goods account for almost half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly one tenth of this comes from the fashion industry. The global production and consumption of textiles is at an all-time high, more than doubling in the past 15 years. And this trend is only upward. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a think-tank focussed on cutting waste, estimates that $500 billion of value is lost each year because of clothing that is barely worn and rarely recycled. According to the UK’s waste charity, Wrap, we Brits discard 711,000 tonnes of unwanted textiles every year. 

Globally, the fashion industry consumes 93 billion cubic tonnes of water annually. So, the world of fashion is responsible for guzzling water, misusing land and burning-up fossil fuels at an alarming rate. But what can we do about it? Change often starts at home and with small steps. As consumers, we could buy and waste less – and repair and recycle more. We could become part of the ‘circular economy’- where precious resources are saved and re-used rather than casually-discarded. 

In this blog, Mr Londoner, former museum director Antony Robbins, spotlights some of the capital’s best second-hand and vintage places, where eclectic and rare pieces can still be found. 

Re-sale therapy. Vintage clothing at Portobello Road market @meetmrlondoner

Vintage is a state of mind

How we define vintage, when it comes to clothing, depends on our age. For me it covers items from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. For the young fashion students I guide around London’s East End, it means stuff from the 1980s and 90s – items I still have in the back of my wardrobe. Part of the love of vintage, is appreciating the craftsmanship and the provenance of individual items. These pieces were made before an age of mass production, which today dominates almost all modern textile manufacturing. 

London has a thriving market for second-hand goods. It’s great that a new life can be found for goods and clothing that might otherwise end up in landfill, on the other side of the globe. This serves a useful social purpose and creates business opportunities at the same time. Whatever their motivation, these retailers all do their bit to save the planet.

In common with our American cousins we love a thrift store – or a charity shop,  as us Brits call it. These high street favourites support the nation’s 170,000 good causes. They benefit from lower rents so they’re a common feature in our towns and cities. There’s even one in posh Knightsbridge – just a stone’s throw from Harrods. Those in well-heeled suburbs like Blackheath, Highgate or Wimbledon can be a good source of pre-loved designer gear if that’s, literally, your bag.

Hidden gems. An eclectic mix of jewellery at Islington’s Dreamtime Vintage. @meetmrlondoner

Fara, on the Pentonville Road near Angel Islington, fights poverty in Romania. It has an eclectic offer popular with the fashion crowd and young art students. Mental health charity Mind has a store on Ganton Street, in the heart of bohemian Soho. It sells some really interesting pieces. Oxfam is one of our leading global anti-poverty agencies. Its cavernous shop in Covent Garden’s Drury Lane sells fair-trade items as well as pre-loved clothes, textiles, books and CDs. Homelessness charity Crisis on Islington’s Upper Street has a well-presented store. It offers an eclectic mix of homewares, curios, books, clothing and furniture.

Charity shops can be a great source of unusual finds and they support good causes. Nothing beats that feeling of rocking a unique look in the knowledge that you’ve given a new life to a pre-loved item, donated money to a good cause and grabbed a bargain at the same time. In addition to charity shops, London is home to an array of interesting privately-owned vintage clothing businesses.  Here are some of my favourites.

Levisons, just off Brick Lane, is one of the very best vintage shops in London @meetmrlondoner

Levisons – vintage menswear at its very best

Michael Levison has a great eye for a truly vintage piece. He’s been scouring the globe for exceptional items of historic menswear for most of his life. I discovered this great little East London shop on the advice of one of our (naturally beautifully-dressed) fashion curators, when I was at the Museum of London. Michael also runs a specialist archive of the very rarest pieces, which is used for study and research. The main shop opened in 2008. It’s charming, tiny and atmospheric. And the quality on offer is exceptional. Tucked away from the crowds on Cheshire Street, just off Brick Lane, Levisons is the very opposite of the pile ‘em high, approach of some of the local competition. Workwear, militaria, tailoring and knitwear are the specialisms here, where  you’re paying for the curation and the knowledge. And the little extra premium one shells out for vintage clothing is well worth it.

Hunky Dory – a gem of a vintage shop on Brick Lane. @meetmrlondoner

Hunky Dory – great items from the 50s and 60s and fair prices

Hunky Dory sits at the very northern end of Brick Lane, beyond the delicious Dark Sugars chocolate shop and the two famous beigel shops. This part of town is famous for its vintage scene, but Hunky Dory is one of the best. The business was started by Ian Bodenham and Ian Johns in 2008. Prices are reasonable and the place is great for eclectic pieces, from the 1940s to the 1970s. Much of it is sourced in continental Europe. I found a pair of wonderful Victorian (but Parisian-made) frock coats there on a recent visit. There’s always a good selection of 1950s and 60s scarves and ties by British makers like Tootal.

Good – an eclectic vintage business with a mission to stop waste

Good is a young and socially-conscious enterprise. Its core aim is to provide a genuinely sustainable alternative to fast fashion. Owner David Brinson started Good after a career in the recycling industry. David can spot a genuine vintage Burberry at 100 paces. David just hates seeing perfectly serviceable clothing going to landfill. The offer here, although carefully curated, is very broad. It could range from an up-cycled and well-presented lady’s dress from the high street, to older and rarer vintage pieces. Good has stores in Kensington, Covent Garden and – most surprisingly of all – right in the heart of London Bridge Station.

Get ahead, get a hat. The display at Islington’s Dreamtime Vintage @meetmrlondoner

Dreamtime Vintage – a hidden gem and a rare survivor

This little Islington shop, in Camden Passage, is a true treasure trove. This corner of North London was previously dominated by antique dealers and independent traders. The former mall antiques arcade – an imposing brick-built Victorian structure – was once a tram shed. Today, depressingly, it’s an Amazon supermarket. But in the face of gentrification, high rents and a corporate onslaught, some traders still manage to survive. Tucked away in the quirky Pierrepont Arcade, Lynette and Greg run Dreamtime Vintage. And it’s run with a passion. The selection here is diverse, prices are reasonable and the focus is on provenance and quality. Ladies’ hats and bags are a speciality. Some of its enamelled jewellery from the 1950s is particularly unusual. 

It’s wonderful that the independent traders and quirky alleyways of Camden Passage retain the character of this Georgian enclave, a world away from the homogenised corporate high street just around the corner.

All of these independent traders are bucking the trend. The high street with its high rents and its frenetic environment is a tough place in which to operate. It’s not surprising that so many of our formerly great vintage retailers and antique traders have gone online – or gone out of business. So let’s support and cherish those remaining in their bid to both save waste and help us look our stylish best.

 

About the Author

Antony Robbins is a broadcaster, writer and former director of the Museum of London. Today he runs private tours exploring the intersects between fashion and sustainability. Meet Mr Londoner here