Vintage Shopping With Farfetch

My love of all things vintage started when I was around 15 years old. My Grandma was moving house and sorting all of her old clothes, which she’d kept from the 1950s and 60s. By this point, I was already obsessed with clothes; to me being able to dress yourself and show your identity through what you wear was fascinating; so to see my Grandmother’s clothes that she had worn when she was younger, showed me another side to her completely. From beautiful evening gowns, with hand embroidered designs, to her collection of fur coats (which although I don’t agree with, you couldn’t deny the beauty of the things in the context of the time). To see the quality and unique designs, compared to my own mass produced clothes from the high street was a real insight, and I well and truly had the vintage bug.

Fast forward 13 years and I’m still rummaging through charity shops, and staying up all night searching ebay for those perfect pieces. I’m not going to lie, it can be incredibly time consuming, with very little pay back. I’ve not found anything worthwhile for a good few months, then I discovered the most inspiring collection on Farfetch!

If you’ve followed my Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve bought from Farfetch before. I was originally introduced to the site by a fellow blogger who managed to get her YSL bag at an incredible price; so when I was looking for my J.W Anderson pierce bag, I knew there was only one place to go. Sure enough, I found my bag, with a massive £300 off! This is due to the fact that the premise of Farfetch is to source your designer pieces from boutiques and stores around the world - meaning you won’t always be paying the same price, as each store prices individually, which sometimes equals a big bargain! You’ll also find pieces you wouldn’t be able to get in the UK, so it’s the perfect place for something unique. 

With all this being said, I’ve never noticed the vintage collection. I’d always been on to find my latest designer bag, or for some style inspiration (it has an incredible editorial section!). I could kick myself now, as I have been missing out! From Chanel to Hermes; the stunning, collection is curated from the finest vintage stores in the world, and certainly makes a change from rummaging! With jewellery, hand bags and clothes, there is a vintage designer piece for everyone. It did take me a while to decide on what I wanted to style up as there is so much choice, and to see the Louis Vuitton bags and Versace dresses - I was a bit like a kid in a candy store! I finally decided to go for this season’s must have - the blazer. I’ve never bought a vintage blazer before, and I’ve become obsessed with them this AW, so what better time to invest! In the end I went for a classic YSL; with a beautifully tailored fit, and sassy shoulder pads - I’d fallen in love. Each piece is photographed clearly, and you can see all the little details. Most vintage pieces aren’t perfect, so this allows you to buy with full knowledge of any imperfections. They’re also all styled up impeccably and with a modern twist, so you can envision how it would fit into your current wardrobe.

My blazer was coming from Italy, but only took 5 working days. It arrived in the usual Farfetch box (handy tip: if you turn it inside out, can be used for storage!). Inside, it was beautifully wrapped in brown paper, tied with the most stunning vintage silk scarf. I couldn’t believe the boutique had thoughtfully included a little gift, it was such a personal touch and I was over the moon! The blazer itself was better than I had imagined. The fabric was thick and in excellent condition, with only a one inside button missing (which had been shown on the site). It’s my new go-to piece for this season, and it honestly looks good with everything. 

My first (and definitely not last!) experience of shopping for designer vintage on Farfetch couldn’t have gone better. The quality and care that goes into choosing each piece is obvious, and the individual boutique went above and beyond to make the experience perfect. If you’re looking for vintage designer pieces, but are sick of the time consuming shopping, then head over to the vintage section and delight in the vintage goodness (you won’t be sorry!).

French Connection Is Returning To Manchester!

It's safe to say that I'm a proud Mancunian; it's the city I've grown up in, work in, and still live in today. But it's also been missing a little something for the past few years, especially for a life long fan like me. When French Connection left Manchester, I was honestly heartbroken. As a teenager, my cousin and I used to get the catalog through the post (it was the early 2000s, no internet!) and speak for hours on the phone deciding what pieces we would be saving up for. For us, as teenagers, it was an aspirational, luxury brand! We lived for the French chic, yet simple designs, beautiful fitting jeans and the most perfect 'nice tops'. 

As we grew up, FC remained a place for us both to get clothes that we knew were on trend, but would also last; and although at the higher price point of the high street, it was a brand we just kept going back to. I shopped in the St Anne's Square store at least once a month, always popping in on pay day or when I needed some new denim (they have the BEST jeans!). So when the store closed, and although I could shop online, I found a little piece of Manchester had been lost. It's been a few years now, and despite regularly buying my  French Connection pieces online, I still miss the good old days of actually going in to store, feeling the material and getting help and advice from the sales assistants.

Along with my excitement of a collaboration with one of my all time favourite brands, I was also let in on a little secret...a brand new flagship FC store would be opening in the Royal Exchange in the city centre (just a few minutes from the old store). YAS. I literally could not contain my excitement, and I cannot wait to show you the new store when it opens in a few weeks. To celebrate, French Connection are working with several Manchester bloggers, and asking us how our style is defined by our legendary city. We were asked how Manchester impacted on our sense of style. I explained that my city has always been a place of individuality, a place to welcome everyone and most of all a place where you can be yourself. 

With that in mind, I chose an outfit from their new AW collection that reflected that sense of home and comfort, but also had a nod to some of the hottest trends this season. I knew I had to style this incredible oversized boyfriend coat the minute I saw it. It's a piece that has everything that I've come to know and love about FC; a classic, well made piece with incredible tailoring with a modern twist. I worked backwards from that and went with a must have polo neck, some cropped flare jeans and these stunning chunky black leather boots. I felt completely comfortable, stylish and most importantly myself in this outfit. Over the next few weeks, I will be letting you know more information about the new store opening, and when you can visit yourself! For now, you can browse the new AW collection online here!

Coat // Polo Neck // Jeans // Boots // Earrings // Bag

UPDATE - The new store will be opening THIS Saturday (11th Nov) YAY!