When it comes to cultivated fashion finds, many of us know that shopping second-hand is the only way to find something truly special and TV Presenter, mother and stylistic muse Laura Jackson tends to agree.
Now more than ever fashion trends seem to be running at 2x speed, making it harder than ever to keep up both style-wise and financially.
“It’s all about mixing and matching”
We were lucky enough to sit down with Laura, who is a self-proclaimed second-hand fashion finder, to discuss the best platforms to find those items you’ll want to keep forever and hand down to future generations, why rental platforms are the best for occasional dressing, her favourite dinner date spot and how partnering with Westfield and their annual Good Festival is promoting sustainable consumption practices.
Laura Jackson’s Little Black Book:
Favourite place to dine?
Rita
Favourite place for cocktails with the girls?
Bar Italia for a negroni.
For a weekend getaway?
Devon.
Favourite summer wardrobe essential?
Right now, Honestly, my white Barbour dress that I’ve just worn to death. I’ve literally just taken it off because it’s got stains all over it.
Laura’s Sustainable Fashion Lowdown:
As a sustainable fashion enthusiast, how would you describe your wardrobe?
It’s probably a mix of vintage pieces, some pieces that I’ve got from the high street, and pieces that I’ve had for a while. I try to get as much wear out of things as possible. So even though I do have a summer wardrobe, I tend to merge that wardrobe into my winter wardrobe and wear my summer dresses with polo necks underneath and so on. To be honest, you pretty much need a jumper all year round in England! I just try to get my wardrobe to work really hard for me and get the most out of each item.
Have you always been a second-hand fashion lover? Or was there a turning point?
I think I’ve always been a second-hand fashion lover from a very young age. I’ve always had hand-me-downs as I’m from a really big family. I had a couple of things from the charity shop when I was younger that I’d always liked and kind of repurposed, but back then it wasn’t very cool. But as I got older, there have been times when I haven’t had very much money, so that’s kind of been one of the only options.
Then when I came to London, there was much higher quality stuff and places like Camden Market were full of vintage finds. I think it’s kind of been in me for a long time, and I do like vintage shopping, but I think it’s more about trying to get the most out of your wardrobe and always looking for a good price, really great quality and pieces that will stand the test of time, which are often vintage.
What is your most beloved pre-loved fashion item in your wardrobe right now?
I have this green velvet Gucci suit that I got from an op-shop in Paris and it’s just amazing. It’s like from the Tom Ford Gucci era and is so well tailored and so beautifully designed. Whenever I don’t know what to wear I always turn to my green suit. It’s great with a shirt, great with a T-shirt, great with flats and It’s even great with heels. It’s just super versatile and is most definitely a real hero piece. It’s just a really beautiful piece of tailoring that I know will stand the test of time. It’s the kind of item I’m gonna keep and give to my daughter.
“I just try to get my wardrobe to work really hard for me and get the most out of each item.”
In your expert opinion, what is it about shopping second-hand that is so special?
I think it’s one of the only ways you can get really nice one-off pieces. I also think that it’s great for finding items from designers that don’t mass-make item collections which you love but may have missed out on. I like having searches on some of the platforms to try and find those items, and it always just feels like such a celebratory win. I also think it forces you to think about style more because you’re not copying a look from a catwalk or from the high street, it really makes you think more about how to style things and how to get the best out of them.
That’s not to say that I don’t style them with lots of high-street items because I do. Recently, I just did this job for Barbour and I wore this gorgeous white dress and styled it with a vintage collar over the top. It’s all about mixing and matching.
You have three young children who obviously grow quicker than anything. How are some sustainable ways you keep their clothing up to date?
© Matt AlexanderHand-me-downs for sure, but sometimes the repairing is hard. There are some things that I do like repair but at the moment my youngest son is in leggings that my daughter wore and there are just holes everywhere, so their lifecycle is almost up but I do try. My son has worn everything that the others have had and I pretty much only try to buy unisex stuff. Obviously, my daughter has a couple of dresses and my middle son actually loves to wear her skirts so everyone is kind of just wearing whatever.
Swap shops are a really great option too. My school always has lots of sales and swapping which is a great way to give clothes a new life. I also love buying things from places like Vinted.
For those who are looking to up their second-hand shopping game, what are some places/sites that you suggest?
Vinted, Vestier, eBay and Reluxe Fashion are probably the four main ones that I go to If I’m looking for something in particular. I also think actually going to places like Camden Market and Brick Lane is really great because there are so many really cool second-hand shops. There’s some kind of big warehouse off Brick Lane that’s even got a Burberry section. I think it’s fun going to one of these big, all-encompassing kinds of places as they usually separate it by era, style or brand which makes it a little easier.
I also absolutely love Hurr if I’ve got a special occasion coming up. Instead of buying a dress that I’m only going to wear once, I would rather rent or ask my friends and say, “Guys, I’ve got a wedding, has anyone got anything they can lend me?”
You’re currently working with Westfield shopping centre, who have just hosted the annual Good Festival which is all about promoting sustainable consumption practices. What are some ways you educate your peers and followers on sustainable consumption practices?
© Matt AlexanderI popped down to the Westfield Good Festival to make my own donation to the children’s clothing and books swap shop hosted by Verte. Westfield also actually conducted some research via their How We Shop platform and found that 40% of kids’ books go unread at home and could go to a home in need so I thought the book swap shop was such a great feature!