Jazmine of Jazzabelle's Diary is the queen of second-hand shopping, leaving her adoring readers green with envy at her 50p car boot finds. Read on to find out her tips and tricks...
What do you love about buying vintage?
I love the fact that buying secondhand means that unlike buying pieces on the high street, I'm less likely to find someone wearing the same thing as me. I have to say that I can't resist sharing just how little I pay for some of my clothes, it definitely makes me feel pretty darn happy to show off something which just cost me a pound or two!
Do you have a favourite era, or like to mix and match?
I do quite like the styles of the forties and fifties (think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Roman Holiday!), but it's not something I tend to wear myself. Most of the secondhand clothes I buy are actually from the high street, such as Topshop or Zara rather than actual vintage, so I just tend to mix and match!
What do you look out for when shopping secondhand - price/designer labels/on trend?
As I don't take much of an interest in trends or brands, I mainly look for certain colours or shapes which I know will suit me. The price can definitely sway my opinion on pieces too, if I know something is very 'me' and something I will wear often, I'd happily pay more for secondhand, but then if I'd like to experiment with my style finding pieces for just fifty pence means it won't break the bank if it doesn't suit me!
Yes indeedy! There are so many amazing charity shops and vintage shops to be found. I personally find a lot of vintage shoes, scarfs and bags on my bargain hunts, which are all cheap and easy ways of introducing vintage into my outfits.
Your most prized find?
Oh, now that's a difficult one! I have quite a few, but the find I'm most often sporting is a beautiful boxy bag I found at Battersea Car Boot Sale. I actually got it for free which is pretty darn amazing, as a lady who was packing up her stall at the end of the day just didn't want to take it back home with her! It's finally starting to fall apart, but it's lasted me ever so well for the last five years or so!
Battersea Car Boot Sale // 401 Battersea Park Road The boot sale opens at 1:30pm which is just perfect as I get to have a lovely lazy Sunday morning before heading out to search for bargains. I just love what a mix of pieces you can find, anything from last season Topshop to vintage to designer, I never leave empty handed!
Wandsworth Oasis // 553 Battersea Park Road I've been shopping at Wandsworth Oasis for years (plus I used to volunteer there too!) and the reason I just keep coming back is because of how cheap the prices are - you could find a beautiful dress for four pounds, a coat for six, plus they have a fifty pence rail full of t-shirts and cardigans! The majority of my secondhand clothes come from there, plus there's a second branch just a couple of doors down which is great for finding furniture and homewares.
Blitz London // 55-59 Hanbury Street I only just recently discovered this place as I don't tend to venture to Brick Lane, but I have a feeling that I may become a regular customer! It's basically like a vintage department store, full to the brim with everything you could possibly imagine. Amazin', huh?
See how Jazmine styles up her second-hand finds on her personal style blog, Jazzabelle's Diary.