Last Saturday was a little bit different. It started with an early wake-up call to go somewhere a little bit different. Then afterwards, James and I headed in to Reading for a shopping spree (I got quite a bit, so there will be a separate haul post for that) and some cake. James and I shared both a scone and a slice of Victoria sponge. Both were absolutely lovely, although we were a little gutted to discover another cafe with interesting handmade cakes afterwards! It was nice to have a bit of a 'Last Hurrah' because both James and I have a lot of stressful stuff going on at the moment. James currently has jury duty and I am starting my CBT during the week. So we felt it was important to have a bit of fun and some quality 'couple time' before all the horrible life stuff came up.
But this post will focus on what we did in the morning. After reading a local magazine, I discovered that the Oxfordshire Drama Wardrobe (who I had never heard of before) were having a sale of some of their stock because they are moving to new premises. They are basically a company that rents out costumes from various periods and have lots of different styles. It ranges from funny fancy dress to period costumes. Apparently some of their stock has even be loaned for films and drama productions (hence the name). They also rent out the costumes for photo shoots. Feeling curious, and hoping to pick up some vintage 20's and 40's accessories, we decided to go. It was being held early in the morning, which meant I had to rush out of the house and not bother dressing up. The previous weekend I attended a food festival, which means I am itching to dress up in lolita. It has only been a few weeks, but it feels like forever! But I do have some outfits to share in the near future.
The Drama Wardrobe is currently situated in a metal shed inside a storage facility which I believe used to be used by the army years ago. It was a bit bizarre and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I looked at some pictures online to give me some sort of idea of the clothing which may be on sale. I was hoping to pick up a military jacket and maybe a hat or two. Prices started from as little as £1. Although these items were heavily used in some instances, entry was free and it was worth going. Even though we arrived early, there was already a crowd inside. If we had arrived any later then we would have had to join a queue to get in. So word about this event clearly got around.
There was a huge arrange of costumes for sale. There were so many vintage dresses. Sadly a lot of them were too long in length for me, otherwise I would have left with a lot more stuff. I was also devastated when the most beautiful military jacket did not fit me. It was only £5 as well! Seeing as similar jackets with less details are on sale for about £25 at Primark, it would have been a bargain if it had fitted. I was enjoying rummaging through all of the piles. I found this questionable looking furry cape with stars all over it, which was a part of their 70's collection. They have full-on Abba style metallic jumpsuits and so much more! The cape made me laugh, but secretly I kind of wanted to buy it... I had this fun delusion that I was going to wear it around the house and pretend I was Liberace (if you don't know who he is, look him up!).
But on to what I actually brought! This velveteen bolero was part of a 'witch' costume and also came with a long, flowing skirt for £5. I ended up ditching the skirt though. It was too big for me anyway, but it didn't look very appealing. The bolero was worth £5 though in my opinion.
I also got this jacket, also for £5. It is fitted, but there is a little room at the bottom for a skirt to flare out from underneath. So I am really looking forward to experimenting with it. The buttons need replacing, but that is an easy fix.
Finally, I picked up this vintage hat for £1. It is a little bit damaged, but still wearable. I just need to sew the bow back in place on one side. There is also a bit of damaging to the netting, but that can also be replaced easily. This is all stuff that I have remnants of in my sewing box anyway.
This is a side view where you can see the damaged netting. But for only £1, it seemed worth it. I was really happy to support a local company too. My only regret is not getting there a little earlier. This lady got the prettiest Alice in Wonderland printed scarf for £1, which looked amazing. It was in great condition and looked designer.
I feel this adventure is a good example of why you need to keep your eyes open for local events. This was a bit of a change for me. I have been to vintage fairs before, with little success. The ones that are held locally to me are a bit mediocre and include items from Primark and Topshop (how are they vintage!?). I am getting memories of the terrifying Christmas jumpers we saw at the Oxford Kilo Sale! But a drama wardrobe offered something a little more unusual. There were lots of Victorian, Edwardian, Tudor and 40's outfits, but it was not a 'vintage fair' sort of arrangement. And I actually ended up having more success at this sale, which sadly is a one-off event. All this was because I happened to see one small advert in a free magazine that I usually chuck out. If you keep an open mind, you can find all sorts of interesting ideas for meets or shopping opportunities. And I will be sharing my Reading shopping haul very soon.
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