Well Worn | Retold Vintage
WELL CURATED chat to Clare Lewis, founder of Retold Vintage, to find out her tips on how to become a savvy vintage shopper. Retold proudly supports the circular fashion movement, promoting sustainable fashion choices and positive change within the clothing industry.
What were you doing before Retold Vintage launched? Was it born out of a conscious decision to live a more sustainable way of life?
Retold was born out a life-long love of vintage as well as an ever growing awareness of the environmental impact of the fashion industry. I myself was going through a period of change in my consumer values (I had just left a job spanning 13 years working for a high street retailer) and l was turning to vintage more and more as an alternative to buying new. I wanted to inspire others to also do the same so created Retold to make vintage / second hand clothing inspiring and accessible to as many people as possible. I like to think Retold represents todays fashion conscious woman who loves a modern aesthetic but wants to shop sustainably without compromising her style and time.
You are such a brilliant curator of vintage clothing, do you have any advice for readers looking to buy vintage for the first time?
Stay true to your own style and use Instagram to follow vintage accounts that resonate with your personal aesthetic – it’s a great source of inspiration.
Invest in a tape measure and know your body measurements. Most vintage traders will describe the garment in inches/cm rather standard sizes and if you can try on the pieces do.
Trust that the process takes time and persistence – vintage shopping is for the long haul and know not every shopping trip may end up successful. But that’s half of the fun as when you do find that piece of treasure its such a great feeling!
What is the secret to keeping vintage clothing looking as good as new?
First and fore-most LOVE and then some quality hand-wash.
And stay tuned as Retold is launching a series of how-to guides to caring for your vintage at home very soon!
Your stock sells out so fast, is there a piece you wish you’d held on to?
A 1985 Jean Paul Gaultier checkboard blazer. An immaculate piece of tailoring and from an iconic designer. I hope one day it comes back to me.
What percentage of your closet is vintage, versus new/sustainable, and how regularly do you have a clear out?
I would say 80% is a mix of vintage and second-hand. I generally have a clear out every 6 months – if I found I haven’t worm an item that season and it’s not a sentimental piece I then find it a new home.
Any tips for clearing out our closets?
Work seasonally i.e try and do every 6 months and be realistic - if you haven’t worn it in 6-12 months its highly likely you won’t ever wear it so it’s better of going to someone who will! Also pre-plan what you want to do with the clothes you don’t want anymore. There are so many amazing options at the moment – whether its donating to charity shop or friends or monetizing through re-sellers like Manifesto Woman, One Scoop store or selling on ebay.
The world of fast fashion has not only had detrimental effect on the planet, it has also depreciated the value of design, what can we do to encourage shoppers to change their mindset and work towards a more sustainable future for the fashion industry?
Encouraging and motivating consumers on how they can make a difference is key and I think the most important thing is to continue to educate them as much as possible in order for them to make informed shopping decisions. Responsible supply chains and ultimately transparency from the big brands and designers is also required in order for this to happen so we need to continue to demand answers about our clothes and where they came from. This is why in particular I love Fashion Rev so much – they make activism and education fun and accessible. If you haven’t visited their website yet then do.
Could you tell us your favourite sustainable fashion and beauty brands?
Reformation, Mara Hoffman, Bug Clothing, Ren London, Ozma of California and Project Pico. For beauty anything from Wilder Botantics, I love their oils, bath salts and amazing tinctures.
Project Pico
Ren London
Wilder Botanics
Ozma of California
Do you have a wellbeing routine?
As a one woman business Retold does take up the majority of my time at the moment but if I do give myself some time off you can either find me at an exhibition (pre-lockdown), or cycling on my new bike! I also love persuing a good vintage and antiques fair (yes even in my spare time!) and can’t wait to get back out to the markets when they get up and running again.
The coronavirus lockdown ground high street shopping to a halt, do you think consumer habits could change for the better as a result?
It’s really hard to tell what exactly will happen but one would really hope so. We’ve been living and consuming at such a speed, creating this superfluous way of living which as we all know is now totally unsustainable. I hope if anything this lockdown has given people perspective –by forcing everyone to slow down it’s created a wonderful opportunity for everyone to to re-evaluate what’s a priority / necessity.