It’s no surprise that living in London means that come the weekend, there’s a different vintage fair on every corner. So how do you tell which is the best to go to? We got invited to the UK’s leading vintage weekend experience, Mid Century Market, and went along to hopefully find out.
Dressed the part in the unbearable heat, we were greeted by two of the glamorous reps who directed us inside Cecil Sharp House, bordered with classic cars. We entered the hall to festive 50s jive and swing tunes and smiling stall owners. Fairs can sometimes feel a bit like being in a fish bowl with everyone staring at you with baited hooks waiting for you to bite and spend all your money, but luckily for hot and bothered us, we didn’t feel that way at all. Everyone was super helpful and just left you to peruse the beautiful garments and accessories.
Malone’s Vintage had a truly authentic and eclectic mix of fashion from throughout the ages at a reasonable price. For those wanting a modern day twist on vintage classics with injections from well known brands such as Hell Bunny and Collectif, there was the delightful Lady K Loves stall, and boy did we love it! Her homemade garments are edgy yet classic, perfect for those wanting a statement piece for fashion week.
Another favourite was Plus Size Repro, which catered to all the plus sized vintage gals. Boys were not discriminated against either; there was a varied collection at most of the stalls with oversized leathers and even a small 90s Fresh Prince of Bel Air collection. The whole area was divided into neat sections of clothing, accessories and jewellery. A lovely stall offering hair and make up was a unique touch in case you wanted to give yourself completely to the vintage time warp.
Our favourite stall of the entire day had to be Karina’s Vintage Everything. The stall was run by a charming Karina and her family. A fair-only regular, her items are rare and exclusive. The stock is actually her mother’s humble collection (apparently she was a bit of a hoarder). When she passed, Karina decided to rehouse it all along with her family’s vintage collections from over the years. Each garment has its own story, from homemade dance dresses to band tees and Jessica Rabbit style gowns and delicate teapots. With so many vintage knock-offs around, it’s so nice to be able to know exactly where your purchases come from and the stories behind them. It really is giving a well loved item a new home and we rehoused plenty! Give her Etsy shop a visit or see when the next fair is on their Facebook page and take home some treats.
Just when we thought we were all vintaged out, we made our way down to the tea rooms for a break and realised there was a whole other floor of things to discover of even more variety! Although a bit more intimidating, there were still silent treasures to discover. The first stall we noticed that was a strong contender for best of the day was Molly and Harlequin and their ‘through the historic rabbit hole’ handmade cards. From old advertisements and vintage maps to cute pin up girl birthday cards, each design was a modern and creative addition to a present. They also had all sorts of arty nick knacks which were vintage at heart but with a modern twist. Our favourite was a group of decorative milk bottles and pin up playing cards which we are sure had seen a game of strip poker (or four) in the past, mounted into frames. Check them out for unique gift ideas (Christmas is closer than you think)!
As vintage fanatics we aren’t strangers to the odd vintage market and although this claimed to be the UK’s leading one, we felt that the music was very low and the event lacked a live band, which meant the atmosphere was also lacking. That being said, the quality of the vendors and variety of the stock were second to none.
All in all it was worth tiring our pre-worn shoes out and we had a great day whilst giving our wardrobe an historic fashion injection.
8/10
Written by: Charly Phillips
Photo credit: The Street Style Carousel
