Ripley Vintage Fair

Today I went to Ripley’s Vintage Fair and I can honestly say that it is the best vintage fair I have been to! I had been looking forward to it for so long and couldn't wait to get dressed up and go! To tell the truth I felt like a bit like Bill Cunningham but Bill Cunningham having been thrown back to the Forties or Fifties. I was very snap happy, shall we say?

Wandering around I saw the most beautiful things, it was just how a vintage fair should be… but better. There were live bands playing, music from the twenties through to the fifties playing while people danced as well as a lovely performance from a lady called Lubelle Rose who sang, danced and wore a stunning cream floral dress. I felt like I had been taken to a mix of eras and it was so nice just to sit back on some rather colourful deckchairs and just people watch. It was such a fun atmosphere, everyone looked as though they were enjoying themselves and everyone that I spoke to were so friendly and happy to have a chat and a photo or two.

       Lulabell Rose 

The stalls sold your classic vintage pieces, there were the most adorable tea sets with matching cups and saucers, quirky ornaments, beautiful fur coats and so many large printed, floral dresses. But my goodness, I have never seen so many picnic sets! They were everywhere!

One thing I really loved about the content of the stalls, was that it was all real. Something that I really hate is when you go into a vintage shop where they sell “genuine vintage” and then you get home to find a tag saying “vintage style”. But what was so great about today was that the people selling the clothes knew what they were talking about and if you asked them they could tell you a bit about the piece you were looking at.

One lady who is incredibly clued up is Catherine Smith. A few months ago, she very kindly helped me with a project of mine which was based on the 1930s. She has the most charming shop, filled with incredibly beautiful clothes and accessories and will do her very best to tell you what she can about the garments. Keep checking back on here because I hope to do a post on Catherine Smith Vintage very soon!

One of my favourite stalls was a small table by “Sagodesign” who were selling vintage fabric. I don’t know what it was that drew me to it, maybe the patterns, maybe the colour. Whatever it was I thought they were very attractive. Think floral, floral and more colourful floral. I couldn’t help but think up so many pretty dress designs I could use the fabrics for.

The best part of the day though was of course the fashion! So because I have gone mad on the photos already, I am dedicating a post to just the fashion and the outfits I saw. Some people really made the effort and in my opinion - it was worth it!

All in all, I had a superb day. I saw the quaintest things and met to some very interesting people. If Ripley have another vintage fair like this next year, I will most definitely be returning, camera in hand and I would highly recommend this to any one else that shares a love of vintage, fashion or just wants a great day out.