Living Vintage
Words and Pictures: Jenessa Williams
F
lot of inspiration from Old Hollywood
(Jane Russell, Rita Haywoth, Ava
Gardener, Lauren Bacall, etc)
as well as some modern style
influences such as Dita Von Teese,
Christina Hendricks and Missy
Malone.
or lots of us, it would be an
absolute dream to transport
ourselves back into our favourite
era. whether it be a 50s debutante
ball on the arm of a handsome
soldier, a 70s hippie rocking out at
Glastonbury or even a neon-clad
90s raver, the moments of
yesteryear often seem far more
glamorous than our day-to-day
lives.
One person who has decided to
make ‘Throwback Thursday’ a
full time job is 20 year old Betty
Weasley. A Drama student at
Huddersfield University, she is
never seen on campus without
a perfect pin-curl in place - no
mean feat for a budget-pressed
student! We caught up with her in
one of Huddersfield’s independent
shopping hotspots, The Byram
Arcade to chat getting ready,
finding a bargain and erm, dating a
guy who says you remind him of his
grandma. Lovely...
Hi Betty! First things first,
what decade of vintage is your
favourite?
I would have to say that my
favourite ‘vintage period’ is from the
20s up until the early 60s, with a
particular focus on the 40s and 50s!
Though recently, I’ve been leaning
more towards the 40s.
When and why did you decide to
start dressing vintage?
My journey into ‘vintage’ started
with the 50s. I loved the music of
that era, and as a curvy girl, the
clothing has always appealed
to me. I had just come out of the
obligatory ‘teenage emo/goth’
phase and tried following modern
fashion for a while, but I just didn’t
feel comfortable. I then came
across ‘Rockabilly’ and started
incorporating that kind of style into
my look and it just snowballed from
there!
How long does it take you to get
ready each morning, is there a
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specific routine?
Oh gosh, now here’s a question.
Embarrassingly, it can take me
anywhere from an hour and a
half to three hours! In my defence,
the three hours is usually before a
night out - I like to have a bath and
take my time getting ready, and I’m
very easily distracted.Usually, if I
plan on wearing my hair curly, I pincurl set it the night before. I like to
leave it overnight because my thin
hair doesn’t hold a curl very well.
‘ You can never go
wrong with some
seamed stockings
and a little red
lipstick!’
What is your go-to outfit if you’re
in a rush?
My go-to outfit is a pair of Vivien Of
Holloway swing trousers, a cotton
blouse and a gorgeous 30s-style
woollen bolero jacket that my
friends mum knitted for me!
Does anyone specifically inspire
your look?
I don’t think I could really nail
down specific style influences; my
interpretation of the 40s and 50s
largely comes from candid shots
of ‘normal people’ or from vintage
catalogues. However, I do draw a
Where do you shop for your
clothes? Do you only buy vintage
or do you mix it up with the high
street?
I’m a HUGE fan of charity shops! I
think 90% of my wardrobe comes
from charity shops. I like to mix
vintage items with high street and
reproduction clothing. I’d love to be
able to wear 100% vintage all the
time, but sadly my measurements
and budget don’t allow that.
Sometimes it has to be the high
street!
Do you have any hobbies that are
distinctly non-retro?
Hmm... I do spend an awful lot of
time in nightclubs, if that counts?
Typical student!
What is your best vintage
bargain, and your most precious
item?
I found a lovely 70s-does-30s/40sfilm-noir overcoat in a charity shop
in Beverley for £10! And I have a
pair of 80s Kurt Geiger kitten heels
that I picked up from Ryan’s Vintage
in Manchester, also for £10!
What advice would you give to
someone looking to inject more
vintage into their lives?
Find out if there are any vintage
shops in your area. One piece is
all you need to get the ball rolling.
In my opinion, you can never go
wrong with some se amed stockings
and a little red lipstick!
Do you have any tips for
shopping on a budget?
Charity shops, charity shops,
charity shops! I can’t endorse them
enough. Ebay is rather good for
bargains too.
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