After a late start due to a night at the Back to Basics exhibition in the Leeds Gallery last night, I was leisurely scrolling through Twitter and spotted that Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair is at The Corn Exchange this weekend. I threw some clothes on (a vintage jumper to fit in!) and headed down to find some vintage goodies.
Judy’s began in Leeds in 2005 due to founder Judy Berger’s frustration at not having any affordable vintage pieces to wear. She decided to source vintage traders from all over the UK, price check them to ensure value and bring them together for national events. Seven years later, the fair now visits over 30 cities and 6 major festivals.
With over 20 stores there was an abundance of vintage, reworked and hand made items. The jewellery traders are always a favourite and today there were original 1930s dress clips and brooches sitting alongside new, vintage inspired pieces.
My favourite jewellery trader was twopennylane. There were necklaces that were both classic and quirky and were packaged in beautiful little boxes. Check them out on Twitter @twopennylane or visit www.twopennylane.com.
If you are looking for real or faux fur coats, these fairs are definitely a good place to look. A beautiful plum coat sold for just £35, a special discount for the event, and the fur stoles were also a popular choice. If you are a vintage dresser you are spoilt for choice with dresses, leather jackets, skirts and trousers from different eras. Alongside clothing, there is a huge range of accessories on offer and even handmade cushions and floral bunting.
Tips for vintage shopping:
- Arrive early to get the best picks. Die hard vintage lovers know exactly what is a find and will be there from the very start. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!
- Take plenty of cash with you. It sounds silly but so many people forget that many of these pop up stores can’t accept card payments.
- Don’t be afraid to barter with the traders, you can sometimes get a reduction for buying more than one item.
- Be sure to know the whether you are buying original or reworked pieces. You don’t want to be disappointed if you have your heart set on a genuine item.
- Try things on! Vintage clothes have different sizing to our modern fits. Most things may be in approximate size conversions for you but better to be safe than sorry.
- Judy’s offer an advantage card where you can receive discounts at participating stalls. All you have to do is sign up to the mailing list and remember to bring your card with you to each event.
February Events
19th Feb: Corn Exchange, Leeds
19th Feb: Bethnal Green Vintage Social, London
25th Feb: Lincoln
25th Feb: Newcastle
26th Feb: Derby