Sweater Weather
Festive fun or fashion faux-pas? Johanna Mangel picks out the best of the eye-watering knits available this winter.
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an artistic mind, and its outcome is
totally individual.
The MAKE DO AND MEND
AWARD FOR UPCYCLING:
VINTAGE BITS AND BOBS
Where did your love of vintage first
come from?
My love of vintage came from when
I was a child. I loved eating off
mismatched plates at my Nanas
house.I bought my first house in
1983 when I was 20 but I had no
money left over for furniture, so I
had to rely on junk shops and handme-downs. My house developed a
personality unlike my richer friends
who bought everything new, and so
my collecting became a way of life.
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What is it you love about craft?
I like certain crafts more than
others, but I love knitting. I like
making things from old lace, and
I love recycling - I make cushions
from old table cloths that are
damaged, I make signs to hang
and adorn around the house from
old fabric, hand stamp words on to
them, add old buttons...anything I
can give new life to. I like craft
because it involves imagination and
What did it mean to you to win the
Judy award?
It was a big shock when I won the
award. I was very happy and
humbled at the same time. I actually
cried!
What advice would you give to
vintage lovers looking to get into
upcycling?
Don’t get me started or I won’t shut
up! I’d say don’t follow fads, even
vintage ones. Just choose what you
like, what is pleasing to your eyes.
Start small. Crafting and up-cycling
can be expensive but quality always
counts; don’t spend on things you
only like a little, wait, save up and
buy those Deco buttons for your
cashmere cardigan, don’t take
second best. On the flipside, don’t
dismiss things because they are
damaged or show signs of wear,
with a bit of imagination they can be
beautiful up-cycled !!
What is your favourite item to stock?
That’s a hard question. I think it
would be my cake stands. I like
crockery and how nice they look
mismatched. I love my Ribbons too.
I make them from vintage fabric and
hand stamp lovely words on them.
or a while now the LBD has
not been the only go to item in a
girl’s closet. Right next to it hangs
the comfy granny sweater. With
blogs dedicated to ‘the greatest thing on earth’, the oversized
woollen jumpers have been taking
the fashion industry by storm. It
only makes sense that with vintage
ever increasing in popularity, the
high street brands are looking for
inspiration and ideas from charity
and vintage shops. Obviously here
at Judy’s Digest we all live and
breathe vintage, but there are times
where even we have to draw a line.
Ten years ago we all burst into
disapproving laughter after seeing
Mark Darcy turn around revealing
his reindeer jumper. Now, however,
we are willing to pay good money
for ridiculous Christmas knits. High
street shops seem to be flooded
over with green and red sweaters
that make Mr Darcy’s horrendous
example look quite tame. Then
again, there is nothing wrong with
being festive for the holidays, once
a year. We will just let some of our
favourites speak for themselves.
What has been your best ever
vintage buy?
A few months ago I bought a hand
made silk velvet coat in purple
from Alexandra Palace. I was really
pleased with that. I also love my my
beautiful pink tuscan china coffee
set, a Russian samovar from
Moscow, my gramaphone record
player and a wind up with trumpet
from Sri Lanka. I’m quite eclectic!
If you had to nominate another stall
at Spitalfields to be the winner, who
would it be?
Another winner? I think all the stall
holders and traders are
deserving of an award. Their
passion for products, their vintage
knowledge, getting up at stupid
o’clock to look for treasures...
Everyone deserves a prize.
Vintage is very fashionable at the
moment; do you think it will always
be in vogue?
I heard a girl use the term ‘vintage
vibe’ the other day, as in, ‘I want
to do the vintage vibe in my front
room’... I hope she joins this scene
and never leaves! I like to think of
vintage as a way of life, not a
passing trend or fashion... Long
may it reign!
Visit Vintage Bits And Bobs on
Facebook
From top to bottom, left to right:
Truffle Shuffle, £39.99
Asda, £12
New Look £19.99
Joe Browns £49.99
Notonthehighstreet £50
Primark £12
Topshop £20
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