The Vintage Kilo Sale

Here's a sneaky peek at all the lovely bargains I picked up last weekend, when the boy and I made a trip to The Vintage Kilo Sale event in Bethnal Green. Some of the dresses are a little long on me and will need a wizz through the sewing machine, but in the next few weeks I'll be posting some OOTDs with better pictures featuring my new buys.

I first discovered these events late last year and have been hooked ever since. You pay a pound entry fee for the chance to rummage through TONNES of good quality vintage clothing - and when I say rummage, I really do mean rummage: there are bins as tall as me, stuffed full a clothes, that you practically have to fall into to reach the bottom. Dignified, it is not, but for £15 a kilo it really is worth it. 

The first Kilo Sale event we went to was held in a dingy underground nightclub in Leeds, not the ideal location for cramming in a bunch of vintage-hungry thrifters. This one, however, was held in York Hall, a lovely spacious building with plenty of light. 

There are dates for other kilo sales held all over the country, so if you haven't checked them out yet, get on it!

My top tips for any kilo newbies would be:

• Wear something you can easily try on clothes with. It's not always straight forward to just read the size label on vintage clothing and there are rarely any changing rooms, so everyone clusters into corners to wriggle and shimmy into their finds without flashing any flesh. To save yourself from the embarrassment wear leggings or tights and a strappy top under your outfit.
• Go with a friend. There aren't mirrors so it's pretty vital to have someone who can take a photo of you in some of the outfits you're less sure about. Although, make sure they're just as much of a thrifting fanatic as you are! There's nothing worse than having a friend slumped in the corner painted-all-over in boredom, whilst your head-first in a clothes bin. 
• Top up your kilo bags with light materials - chiffon headscarves are something I wear all the time and they weigh practically nothing.
• Bring a drink, and maybe even a snack! They replenish the rails constantly throughout the day, so even once you've got to the end of all the racks and bins, you may as well just start at the beginning again. 
• Enjoy yourself! We sometimes play a game called, find the ugliest item and pretend you're seriously considering buying it. That's the best bit about real vintage clothing - you can find some absolute gems but wow you can find some absolute horrors as well.