The Island Collection

Introducing 'The Island Collection, by Chillie London. Inspired by pub culture and local community, during the height of the pandemic when everyone was missing their family, friends and ways of socialising. 

Chillie London founders Natalie Hartley and Lydia Mcneill believe pub culture is at the forefront of bringing people together. The Island Collection includes both sustainably sourced and vintage sweaters that feature original pub beer towelling mats, up-cycled and stitched across the front. Each bespoke with different logos and messages to individually suit.

Every sustainable version of the sweater also features a QR code label that when scanned will show detail of where and who made the product.

Natalie Hartley and Lydia Mcneill – Founders, Chillie London

'During covid we all missed socialising with family and friends. The area we both live in Kensal Green and Harlesden has a very close community, where the local pubs are a regular meeting point. Post lockdown and in the interim of places fully reopening, one of our friends designed a fully equipped 'pub' at the end of their garden, to bring people back together. It was there that the beer mats sourced for this, inspired us to upcycle and create these designs for the Island Collection sweaters. When people wear these we want them to feel happy and nostalgic'. 'As we further researched and began sourcing the beer mats, we started to hear stories from friends who shared a similar nostalgia. Friend of the brand, Miquita Oliver clearly remembers her Uncle collecting beer mats and her grandma still has the collection stored away at home.  We have tracked many rare styles since the idea began, which are not just about the look, but the sense of belonging that each jumper portrays'.

Is the Price Right?

What you should be paying for Vintage & Pre-Loved clothes and how to tell when you're being ripped off.

With the popularity of the second hand clothing market set to surpass the fast fashion industry by 2030, the pre-loved fashion boom is showing no signs of slowing down - and of course Chillie London are here for it, obviously.

But like all industries which are growing rapidly and becoming more in-demand, it's bound to attract people who are out to make a quick buck. And with the widely varying price-points across vintage shops, independent boutiques, reselling apps and marketplace websites often times it's difficult to know whether or not the garment you're buying is actually worth it, or if it's even genuine vintage.

Vintage and pre-loved aren't mutually exclusive - which is something to remember when searching for your next buy. Everyone has a different interpretation of the word 'vintage'. So called 'True Vintage' is widely defined as pre-21st century; Vintage pieces can span eras from the 1920's to the 90's - or some others argue 1900's to 1970's - with anything earlier than that being considered antique.

The general rule of thumb is the older the piece the more expensive it is as there's less of it and the market is far more competitive. Whereas pre-loved is more loosely defined as anything you're not buying brand new or from it's original seller.

So, is buying newer pieces bad? Quite the contrary - sometimes the older 'True Vintage' pieces can be less accessible. Not only do newer pieces cater to a much wider range of budgets but when looking at older pre-1980's garments it becomes increasingly more difficult to find pieces which fit contemporary body shapes and sizes. Which, unless you're built vaguely like a Hedi Slimane-era Celine model obviously isn't going to work for everyone.

Since there's a huge range of price-points across the pre-loved industry - people will often mistakenly compare the prices of vintage pieces to clothes being sold by mainstream and fast fashion brands - when in reality the pricing for second hand is a whole different story and there's no one-price-fits-all model.

When you're in the market for some new garms and see a super cool pre-loved piece, but then look at the price-tag and think it seems a bit steep - there's a few things to consider before you start accusing the seller of daylight robbery. Am I buying from a small business? If the answer is yes it's likely that all those pieces were hand sourced by a single person or small team (as opposed to larger vintage shops and websites who blind buy pieces in bulk) which if you haven't ever had the pleasure of doing it, is incredibly hard work, so that gets majorly factored into the price.

Ask yourself: how old is the piece? Is it designer or a known brand? Is it in mint condition? Barely worn? real leather, silk, velvet, cotton? Will I wear it a lot? and most importantly, is is going to last? If you're still unsure whether or not something is worth the price then do a bit of web sleuthing - google the brand or look at other vintage sellers who have similar pieces. You never know you might have actually stumbled upon

So, when can I tell you tell if you're being way overcharged? Well unfortunately Vintage often get's used as a blanket term for basically anything not brand new - and it's easy enough to mistake newer pieces for those older more higher-priced vintage ones and end up paying top dollar before realising your newest purchase is actually only a couple of years old or it's just simply not in good enough condition to warrant the price-tag - especially when you're buying online. Like we said, there's nothing wrong with buying newer pre-loved pieces, but what's not on it paying those 'true vintage' prices.

One way to avoid misleading purchases is to shop IRL, feel the garment and talk to the person selling it, the more you buy the more of a feel you'll get for average price points and have pieces in your wardrobe to compare potential purchases to. But don't discount the internet entirely, not only is it super convenient but there a massive range of pieces across it (and some real bargains if you look for them)- build a trusted list of sellers and follow vintage boutiques on social and build on your knowledge there. Any good vintage sellers first priority will always be keying other people to the amazing world of pre-loved fashion and not just a smash and grab, but make enough cash in the process to sustain our passions.

So as always, buy what you love, shop smart, support small businesses and wear pre-loved!

Label Hunter: Even more brands to look for when buying vintage

When you're out picking for your next vintage haul, you'll be bound to come across unfamiliar labels and brands, and being able to spot a banging piece by an über sought after brand is a massive part of vintage and pre-loved shopping. We've put together a part two for our guide to our favourite brands to look out for when you're searching for more vintage pieces. Haven't read part one yet? Find it HERE

Patagonia

Founded in1973 by Californian rock climber Yvon Chouinard to create functional outdoor sportswear which boasts both form and function. Patagonia has gone from a nice sportswear brand to a globally recognised and highly sought label amongst stylish city dwellers and circles of streetwear enthusiasts, Patagonia has undeniably become a pillar of the 'American Vintage' genre.

Loved for their 90's-esque utilitarian aesthetic, keep an eye out for their teddybear fleece jackets in an array of neutral toned textiles, knitted beanies and waterproof rip-stop outerwear for pieces that will stand both the test of time and the rotations of trend cycles.

Blumarine

Italian fashion brand Blumarine has seen a resurgence over the past couple of years, mostly down to the y2k revival we're currently experiencing to such a degree that they appointed a new creative director in 2021who's re-imagined versions of the brands classic 90's pieces have been worn by starlets including Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid.

Their sensual and feminine pieces with an edgy twist hark back to the golden years of noughties pop culture; think Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears. Blumarine are also known for their 90's adverts which featured the iconic faces of Adriana Lima and Monica Belucci, photographed by icons like Helmut Newton and Ellen von Unworth. If you love cute yet sexy pieces which are both easy to style and will make you feel like a 2004-era it girl then Blumarine is a label to keep your eye out for.

Belstaff

Founded in 1924 in Stoke-on-Trent, Belstaff is one of the UK's most important heritage brands, and were the first brands to use waxed cotton when they created waterproof jackets for Motorcyclists. They've since been rebranded as a luxury sportswear brand when they were bought out in 2011 but their classic outerwear will always be highly sought after pieces amongst pre-loved enthusiasts.

Often with hints of their motorbiking-wear origins, Belstaff jackets are perfect if you love slightly sporty pieces with tons of functional features which are made of hardwearing and durable textiles. Good condition Belstaff pieces can also fetch up to £200 on popular reselling platforms so it's always worth snapping them up if you spot one.

Diesel

One of the most iconic contemporary denim brands, Diesel was founded in 1978 by Renzo Rosso who started out by designing and making low-rise flared jeans which he sold to his friends. They've since grown into a major brand and their surreal and irreverent advertising campaigns are always instantly recognisable.

If you're a fan of late 20th century denim with ultra sexy cuts but also love ultra 90's leather outerwear, funky prints and quintessentially Italian silhouettes then Diesel is a label to keep your eye out for when searching for pre-loved picks. There's also a lot of it around so it's relatively easy to hunt down and you can find some pieces at bargain prices.

Fiorucci

Another Italian powerhouse brand, first founded in 1967 , Fiorucci brought the spirit of swinging London and Americana classics to the streets of Milan and Europe; known for their retro-futurist take on classic pieces and were instantly recognisable thanks to their Cherub logo. By the late 70's their New York shop was so popular it was dubbed the daytime Studio 54 and visited by members of Manhattan's Glitterati including Andy Warhol and Jackie Kennedy.

Despite going basically defunct come 2003, modern day interest in Fiorucci grew so much that the brand was re-launched in 2017. But the focus will always remain on pieces from the brands heyday which range from their logo-emblazoned t-shirts and ultra feminine denim jeans to kitschy handbags and chic swimwear. Annoyingly it was super cheap and easy to find on sites like eBay prior to it's relaunch, which as always has majorly driven up the prices of the OG Fiorucci pieces, but if you do come across anything then it's always worth buying, not only for the resale value but also so you can own a part of a truly great brand.