12 Aug 2010

Prettyful Things and that ain't no lie!

If there's one thing certain to make me mad it is someone calling something 'vintage' and then me finding it's a Topshop dress from about 5 minutes ago or something like that. Last year I attended a 'Vintage Fair' not far from where I live and I was appalled to find that about 70 percent of the stalls there were charity shop fodder. The other 30 percent were vintage inspired brand new clothes (which were admittedly very lovely) and only one stall was the genuine article. Grrrrr.

Now, as someone who loves genuine vintage but can't afford the price tag most of the time, I have been pleased to find a great range of vintage inspired clothing and accessories on the high-street. The only problem is that everyone has them. At the aforementioned vintage fair, I came across two companies that stuck in my head. One was Prettyful Things which retails vintage inspired fashion, accessories and other lovely bits and bobs and the other was Suzanne Porter who was a talented young designer who makes vintage style clothing.

Here are some examples of their wares...

Lizzie dress at Prettyful Things.


Suzanne Porter Boutique.

Prettyful Things retails fashion and accessories from a mixture of unusual brands and independent designers so you know you won't just blend in with everyone else. From more established brands like Emily and Fin and This Charming Girl, to up-and-coming designers like Samantha Jane Wray and Wonderland Boutique. Check it out now!

Suzanne Porter makes bespoke items from your measurements for perfect fitting fashion. Her prices are super reasonable for a bespoke service that you could pay hundreds for if she was based in London.

I spoke with both of these budding entrepreneurs and you can see they are so passionate about their businesses.

So Ladies and Gents, I urge you to support the quality business people out there (and to be wary and not to get mugged by people selling the clothes of yesterday rather than yesteryear). As I've just demonstrated, you can have great quality, brand new clothes, that are a break from the norm (and the high street!)