How to look red-carpet ready – the secondhand way
Plus: Lisa solves your fashion dilemmas below
The insanely high prices of European new luxury designer pieces means that for your next special occasion it’s worth seeking out some haute vintage.
Carey Mulligan in 1949 couture Schiaparelli at the Golden Globes in January set the bar high. Other actors have looked equally stunning in vintage on the red carpet this year – Claire Danes at the Emmys in a 1990 cross-backed pink Balmain gown, and Elle Fanning in 1960s vintage Balmain also at the Globes…
These precious dresses have become a power flex, proving a stylist’s top-notch contacts and the actor’s panache.
It’s not just upmarket sites like Sellier Knightsbridge and 1stDibs (excellent for rare furniture and fashion) that have elevated the pursuit. Vinted, beloved of teens flogging their old high-street clothes, has just introduced an Item Verification service to lure in those more interested in designer buys.
Developing your own search strategies will help you navigate websites that otherwise seem overwhelming. Be as specific
as possible. For instance, try ‘2018 green Bottega Veneta cassette bag, medium size’. If that yields nothing and you’re prepared to be flexible, gradually edit the adjectives.
Check out the seller’s profile before committing – you might want to pass if they have 10 identical Chanel bags. Look instead for reputable sellers with a roster of high-quality names.
Celine Silk blouse, £165, Retold; Miu Miu Leather bag, £245, eBay; Emilia Wickstead sequin slingback heels, £225, Rites
The stylist Amy Bannerman, who weaned the cast of Love Island off cheap fast fashion in favour of secondhand designer pieces from eBay, points out many of us misspell well-known names, and that includes some sellers. Type in variations of your favourite designers’ names so you don’t miss anything. For example, a gorgeous orange ‘Asteria’ sequinned dress (new with tags) is on eBay for £650, while a similar blue one under the spelling ‘Astrea’ is on Net-a-Porter for £3,495.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the seller or request extra pictures. And it’s always helpful to see the item on someone.
The more you search, the luckier you get. After a year’s stalking, I found an unworn cream Celine Chasseur jacket on eBay at a third of the one still in Harrods at full price. Triumphs like that make ‘vintage’ so much more satisfying than the sometimes lacklustre experience of buying new.
Clothes still with their tags might seem suspect. But some customers buy the same item in several sizes and never get round to returning the rejects. Also, increasingly, brands themselves use a third party to shift their unsold stock on vintage sites. Some pieces have lost their labels or are ancient – but still fabulous quality. Case in point, this Bafta-worthy Nicole Farhi gown from the ’90s. Develop your eye – as even the ultra rich are dipping their toes in the vintage market, we need to get good at this.
Try these
Self Portrait sequin tiered dress, £160, Hardly Ever Worn It; Erdem Chiffon dress, £396, Hardly Ever Worn It
Max Mara wool coat, £310, Vestiaire; Balenciaga sequin heels, £475, Lampoo
Lisa wears: Nicole Farhi Velvet dress, £95, eBay; Suede shoes, £625, Rupert Sanderson; Gold plated bracelet, £267, Bevza; Gold plated and sterling silver earrings, £245, Kitty Joyas
Lisa solves your style dilemmas
Lisa responds to your queries, lending her expertise to help you shop smart. Have a question for her? Submit it below.
Dear Lisa,
I gave birth to my first baby four months ago and I’m struggling to find my post-baby style. I’m mainly wearing leggings, jumpers and some maternity clothes at the moment, but I’d like to look less slovenly and more fashion-forward. I need to be comfortable and – this goes without saying – everything needs to be machine-washable. It’s particularly tricky as I’m not yet back to my pre-baby size and shape, so something that can accommodate a (hopefully) decreasing waistline would be ideal. It’s a tall order but do you have any suggestions?
– Caroline
Dear Caroline,
I remember those post-baby months so well. I had to go back to work after four months – those were the days – and it seemed fashion had completely changed in the blink of an eye. Since it was a fashion magazine, that mattered. Nowadays, style is so much more important than trends.
The stretchy shapes you’re currently wearing sound good in principle – nothing wrong with keeping it narrow below the waist and looser on top if you’re still not quite pre-baby shape around your top and middle. But how about upgrading the components? These, from Everlane, look promising – they have a stretch waist, come in five colours and are machine-washable on a cool temperature. You may have to order a few different styles to find the most flattering cut, but there are quite a few around.
Above the waist, how about a machine-washable velvet shirt, like this one from NRBY (also washable); front-button shirts are generally more flattering and practical for postpartum mums. If you really want to push the glamour boat out, you could get the matching (washable) velvet trousers, which come with a stretchy waistband… a great outfit to have on rotation. Wear it as a jumpsuit, split it up, style the shirt as a jacket or wear it open over T-shirts or other shirts… lots of fun to be had here.
If you’re after some shoe inspiration, I’ve fallen back in love with Gola, a British range of trainers that come in lots of colours. The white stripes are smart and you could colour match or clash them with what you’re wearing.
These are all comfy but also have enough oomph to get you back into the mood of dressing up, plus I think you will want to continue wearing the nrby shirt once you’re back to your pre-pregnancy shape – it’s too glam not to.
– Lisa
Dear Lisa,
Hi, I would like some advice on commuting shoes. I work at a law firm in Edinburgh (read: often very cold and windy) and struggle to pair shoes with my various lengths of hemlines. It’s easy at work (I change my shoes) but I’d like to know what to wear for my walk/drive/run through the wind to my workplace that won’t look silly with tights or wrong with various hemlines of dresses/suit trousers. Thank you!
– Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
To address all those issues, I think the answer lies in boots. A slimmish pair would work under your trousers as well as those dresses. You could run or walk through a blizzard in these and still look stylish.
If it has to be shoes, rather than boots, I can’t quite believe these are from FitFlop because the soles are so thin – but they have some of that FitFlop technology that makes all their footwear such a treat for feet. They’d definitely look good with tights as well as dresses and trousers.
– Lisa
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