From edicures to utilitarian up-dos: seven fashion trends from the Festival of Thrift

http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/oct/01/seven-fashion-trends-festival-thrift

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I’ve got a spring in my step today. I’m energised. I’m fresh back from the Festival of Thrift at Lingfield Point: a free, slightly anarchic weekend that gives you licence to unleash your inner Scrooge – as long as you show some flair while you’re doing it.

All weekend there have been workshops on everything from “pimping your pumps” to getting the most out of canned fish (seriously), with fashion shows compered by peerless music-hall star turned hip-hop artist Ida Barr. The weekend raised all sorts of questions, such as: what is thrift about? Saving money or individuality, vintage style or sustainability? In any case, being surrounded by makers and menders is wonderful for your wardrobe. It breaks the chain between fashion and turbocharged capitalism, so you can get excited by other stuff: sewing skills, materials, human ingenuity … canned fish. Next year, go there. For now, thrift is a cultural force with staying power. That means it has its own trends. Here are a few I spotted this weekend.

1. Edicures

I have long banged on about the toxicity of nail polish. I tried an eco version once but –apologies for lowering the tone – it looked like dried wee. I therefore loved Festival of Thrift’s edible nail-manicures. Ilana Mitchell of wunderber.org.uk grafted pieces of striped boiled sweets on to talons. A festival hit.

2. Discothrift

In the recent past, customised thrift has been a bit daytime thing, more geared towards a tea party than a night out. That’s gone. As a sign of a new burst of confidence I spotted glitzier elements of customisation. See as evidence these thrifted shoes, upcycled with bits of mirror. Disco upcycling should only be encouraged. As should Carboot Disco Bingo, a popular FoT pastime.

3. Vintage dresses for modern bodies

Wartime austerity created thrift as a design for life in the early 50s and it’s not surprising that many thrifters love the look. But a recurring frustration if you’ve got swimmer’s shoulders and contemporary proportions is that real vintage is so blooming tiny. To go the DIY route, Burda Style has reissued loads of brilliant dress patterns in modern sizes.

4. Intergenerational fashion packs

We know that moving as a carefully coordinated unit = fashion power, but this is magnified when your mum and gran are similarly dressed to the nines in thrift chic. There were lots of family style outings at FoT, but my favourite was this trio representing a lesson in graduated tones. They never buy new. “It all starts with our glamourpuss grandmother,” says Kimberley Knowles.

5. The utilitarian up-do

Not to be confused with wedding hair or going-out hair, the utilitarian up-do means business. It attracts thrifters because it goes up with the help of cheap-as-chips bobby pins (though you mustn’t scrimp on these) and you can even build a bun around an old pair of tights (clean of course). If you spray enough and sleep carefully, it can last a few days.

6. Matching your hair to your hat

Frou-frou textured 60s hats, some with stitched-on fabric fruit, were around everywhere at the festival, and are yet to attract a “vintage” price tag (possibly because they are numerous and a bit quirky). My favourite modern twist was camouflaging retro hat to match pink hair. I’m calling it Barbarella Plus.

7. Waterthrift

Saving water is ecologically important and necessary but usually doesn’t float as a trend. It did at FoT! There was Amy Sharrocks’s charming Museum of Water to set the tone: she has collected different water receptacles from all over the world and presents them in cabinets. Then I found adorable Libby McTimoney dressed as a tap. Elsewhere there were a lot of very nice-looking vintage taps for sale.