Frock Me

                   

                        

                        

As mentioned in my Perfect Sunday post, the other week I headed down to the Frock Me vintage fair at Chelsea Town Hall on the Kings Road in London. The fair was open from 11am-5.30pm and I got there in the afternoon to have a leisurely browse. If you’re on a serious search for gorgeous vintage clothes and accessories I would recommend getting there early before all the best vintage gets snapped up.

I'm a bit of a Magpie so I'm always drawn towards the jewellery traders & I love browsing through all the vintage brooches, necklaces & clip-on earrings. I fell in love with some beautiful pieces but sadly they were way out of my budget however I did come away with a pair of lovely black Jet clip on earrings, which I was very pleased with, very Audrey Hepburn!! 

If you've never been to a vintage fair before, I would say go with an open mind & be prepared to hunt through the rails. Be flexible in the sizes you look at, as modern day sizes don't necessarily correlate to vintage ones. Also some pieces may require just some simple tailoring adjustments & then you'll have the perfect one off vintage piece, so don't be put off. I'd recommend chatting to the stallholder & finding out about the heritage of the piece. In most cases the traders are friendly & helpful & love to tell you about their collection so it’s always good to have a chat with them to find out more about the pieces they are showcasing at the fair. Sometimes they may keep you in mind when something 'new' comes in. Another tip I always find helpful is to have a rough budget in mind to avoid getting carried away and spending a vast fortune. Good quality vintage isn’t necessarily cheap, so it’s good to have a budget in mind especially if there is a piece you totally fall in love with (which can happen easily and frequently at a vintage fair). You can sometimes haggle a bit with the trader too, but you’ll have more bargaining power at the end of the day at the fair.

The last Frock Me fair of the year will be on Sunday 1 December at the Chelsea Town Hall.

What are your favourite vintage fairs or shops?