How I fell in love with vintage and pre-loved style.
My Sustainable Outfit is a series highlighting the different ways we can dress sustainably. The clothes we wear and the way we shop are unique to us. Everyone has a slightly different style and budget. Throughout this series, we hope to inspire that sustainable fashion is available to everyone. Today I am excited to share outfits from Karen James-Welton or as you might know her – Fabulous Miss K!
Karen is a vintage fashion stylist, lifestyle consultant, events manager, blogger, model and vintage veteran. She has lived and worked in London and Paris with fashion favourites including Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier. But the most impressive thing about Karen is her styling. She picks out pieces that are vintage and yet look modern and trend based. I’m so excited that she has opened her own Etsy store and will be first in line to check out her new Dressed magazine.
I first became aware of Karen’s style after unwittingly using a photo of her on The Green Edition. It turned out a photographer had snapped her street style and put the picture on an image website. Thankfully it led us to be friends and rest assured I have permission to use her photos today! All outfit details are at the end of the post.
I have always had a passion for fashion my first memories watching my very stylish mum getting dressed to go out or watching her sitting at her sewing machine creating something wonderful. I used to go to jumble sales, vintage shops and flea markets with her so it has always been in me.
Once I hit my teens I and earning my own money I took out a subscription to Vogue Magazine and each month eagerly devoured every glossy page of fashion adverts and editorials, my bank balance never stretched to the designer pieces so I set out to find my own versions of the clothes in vintage and charity shops. I have also always had the desire to be different and not follow the crowd so when my schoolmates were hitting the high street I was wearing 50’s prom dresses to the school disco!!
My love for vintage has continued and now spans a 35 plus year collection from every era but for me, vintage is also about sustainability and not draining the earth of vital resources just so I can get my fashion fix!! There is nothing new in fashion – there are only so many ways you can re-event a frock!! Designers take influence from past decades for their collections so I look for pre-loved and vintage pieces with a modern twist – finding trend led pieces to give my take on the new season collections.
My wardrobe is full of vintage items I have collected over the years and I don’t actually recall the last time I bought something new!! As a fashion stylist who has a passion for all things vintage, it is my goal to get everyone to add a touch of vintage to their everyday wardrobe and dispel the myth that vintage is all victory rolls and petticoats. My blog encourages people to think more about what they are buying, shop less and shows them ways of how they can make vintage modern.
Dressed Magazine that is launching in the next couple of months online and hopefully a print issue showcasing how vintage and pre-loved fashion can be worn with a modern twist with the ultimate goal being a modern, trend-led vintage book!!
To pick one of my favourite outfits would be much too hard so these are just a few of the ones I love at the moment!!
Image 1: Vintage 60s jacket part of a suit, pussy bow blouse Sue Ryder Vintage. Gucci (again – I have a bit of an obsession) style skirt Ebay and Top Shop shoes again – they are worn a lot!!
Image 2: Gucci style pleated skirt from a charity shop, velvet jacket and pussy bow blouse Sue Ryder Vintage in Norwich. Shoes Top Shop – they were soooo Gucci I couldn’t resist!!
Image 3: 80’s suit bought from eBay with my very favourite 1970s Dior bag – as seen in SATC!!
Image 4: Yet another Gucci inspired outfit – I sense a theme here!! Vintage 60s Miss Feraud suit from Retreat Vintage.
Find Fabulous Miss K Online
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About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.
About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.