The Clothes Show Live: Vintage Fashion

With many of the High Street stores taking inspiration from vintage fashion for new collections, it was refreshing to see a great mix of vintage and charity shop stalls at The Clothes Show Live. Within the main arena there was Anita’s Vintage Fashion Fair, a market style collection of the best of London’s vintage stores. With the prices being just as reasonable as the Hight Street for a one-off piece of history, it was easy to see why this area was so popular. I myself managed to bag a bargain of a 1960’s vintage vanity case, complete with the original mirror and containers, all for just £22.

However it wasn’t just the Vintage Fashion Fair causing waves at Clothes Show Live. As the recession hits further, a great deal of us have come out in support of charity shop fashion, so it was refreshing to see a promisingly busy Oxfam stall. A stalwart on the fashion scene, with the Oxfam Originals collection and collaborations with designers such as Henry Holland and Christopher Kane, it has always been a place of inspiration to me. This boom in popularity may make it harder for you to find that amazing piece, but I lucked out again with a vintage nautical print neck scarf for only £3, very similar to one that was in Topshop last season for £22.

This just goes to show that no matter where you look there are bargains to be had, and you never know what you could find amongst the clutter in your nearest Oxfam or British Heart Foundation Shop, so all that’s left for me to do is to urge you to get scouring now!

Quite a Spectacle

Last week Keira Knightley was spotted wearing these black rimmed Geek-Goddess glasses, which finish her ensemble just nicely.

Putting on a pair of glasses, as if they were a pair of shoes, to finish off an outfit is a great idea, and having more than one pair to wear is an even better idea - it means you can create a multitude of outfits.

If you’re going to take a leaf from the Keira book, then here are the top five frames (in no order).

Want to work the ‘Geek Chic’ look quietly? Then try Red or Dead 35. The shape of the frame will be flattering on most faces; they come in either brown or black and are the pinnacleof today’s take on Geek eye wear. (£125 from Specsavers)

Not for the faint-hearted, but certainly for the enthusiast. Catrina, from Specsavers, are a well and truly vintage frame. These frames will work well with an eclectic charity shop look. (£75)

Delve further into the world of ‘ True Geek’ with these Kester frames. More splendid than gross, Uma Thurman works frames almost identical to these. (£25 from Specsavers)

Modern Style, from Oakley at Vision Express, are a happy medium between Outrageously Geek and New-age-Geek. They would work really well with any outfit both geek and none-geek. (£140)

You would be silly to turn these beauties down. A full plastic frame from Burberry at Vision Express. These little spectacles are a statement on the tip of a nose. They’re the ultimate “look at me looking at you” glasses. (£179)

There is no excuse now, try working glasses into your everyday outfits - it just adds another level of excitement, interchangeability and interest.