0:00:02 > 0:00:05We've got over ten years of Flog It! behind us.
0:00:05 > 0:00:06That's hundreds of programmes
0:00:06 > 0:00:10and many thousands of your objects valued and sold.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13You've brought in something rather special, really, haven't you?
0:00:13 > 0:00:16150. At 140...
0:00:16 > 0:00:20This is where we let you into some of our trade secrets.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51On today's show, it's all about looking good
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and we'll be giving you the lowdown on what to buy for fashionable
0:00:54 > 0:00:58ladies and gentlemen, and some tips on what names to look out for
0:00:58 > 0:01:00when you're buying vintage fashion.
0:01:00 > 0:01:06Got to be the right designers - Chanel, Dior, Vivienne Westwood.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11We've got a show that's bursting at the seams with old-style glamour.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14- Looks awful, doesn't it?- No. - Then you do the Mata Hari bit...
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Oh, wonderful.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19And we've lined up a fabulous collection of tips
0:01:19 > 0:01:21for the fashion-conscious.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26Look always for pieces which are identifiable as designed by somebody
0:01:26 > 0:01:30in particular or is associated with a fashion house or a label.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Fine clothes and jewellery have always been the mark of wealth
0:01:39 > 0:01:42and sophistication for men as well as women.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Recently there's been a real boom in the market for vintage.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48The whole vintage market has really expanded over recent years.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I mean, you've got people like Paloma Faith that have been
0:01:51 > 0:01:53tweeting pictures of her at a retro fair recently
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and that's really good for business, you know, it gets the young people
0:01:57 > 0:01:59interested into an emerging market
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and they might expand out of it into other areas.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Perhaps you have something in your wardrobe or jewellery box
0:02:05 > 0:02:07that could be worth a small fortune?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11The current look is to mix and match old and new quite legitimately.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13I think there's a trick in this business.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17What you do is you go and find a whole load of plastic jewellery
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and kitsch stuff and then you call it retro or vintage
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and put some extra prices on it, and then it sells.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I can remember as a child walking to many a local jumble sale with
0:02:29 > 0:02:33my mother and having lots of fun buying things for next to nothing.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35But they do seem to be a thing of the past nowadays,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and that's partly due to online auction sites
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and the rise in interest in vintage and retro fashions.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45If you know what to look out for, there's some serious money
0:02:45 > 0:02:49to be made out of old clothes, and that's where our experts come in.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I was at an auction sale the other day
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and I bought a pair of patent leather shoes.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Fit me perfectly - size 8 1/2 -
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and I looked pretty good wearing
0:03:00 > 0:03:05those in my DJ and they cost me £4.50.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10As David's shoes show, this is an emerging market and prices are low,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14so it's a great time to collect and invest for the future.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Here are some of our most interesting items from over
0:03:16 > 0:03:19the years on "Flog It!" and what we've learned from them.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21First, here's Christina,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26who fell for some iconic accessories from the '60s and '70s.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Oh, yes, Margaret and her lovely handbags, her collection
0:03:28 > 0:03:32that she brought in that I think held quite a few memories for her.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36She used them, which is so important with vintage textiles as well,
0:03:36 > 0:03:37it's so important to use them.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40But not abuse them, because obviously they're only worth
0:03:40 > 0:03:41something if they're in good condition.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44You've got the most wonderful collection of handbags.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Where's it all come from?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Most of them I acquired in a trunk from my late husband.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- It was given to him to dispose of. - Right. Have you ever used them?
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Erm, this one I have, yes. This one I have and I used it at...
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- ..quite a grand ball in Brighton. - Oh, fantastic.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06I think I was drawn to them mainly because they were
0:04:06 > 0:04:09so wonderfully representative of their era.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13I mean, that wonderful black and white check, that was just so...
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Inspired the swinging '60s and...
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Oh, it's just fabulous, loved it, and the '70s Perspex and...
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Oh, just lovely. Really loved it.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23This has got the most wonderful label inside it.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26It says, "Saks Fifth Avenue", which is one of the most luxurious
0:04:26 > 0:04:29stores in New York and it's fantastic, I love it.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31And to have come from such a luxury place...
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's the most wonderful product you can imagine, somebody going to
0:04:34 > 0:04:37New York, picking this up as a souvenir of their wonderfully
0:04:37 > 0:04:40glamorous trip to New York and tripping back down Fifth Avenue.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43And this one here, this one's Italian.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46I think this is quite 1960s, 1970s.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48These very clean lines here, this use of this new material -
0:04:48 > 0:04:52this is quite Perspexy and... It's just really glam, isn't it?
0:04:52 > 0:04:56It oozes glamour. With a nice original strap to it, as well.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I think we don't get as many vintage textiles
0:04:59 > 0:05:02and clothes as I'd like to see because by their very nature,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05clothes go in and out of fashion and you tend to bin them
0:05:05 > 0:05:09or get rid of them or charity shop or whatever,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and you don't really think of them as being of particular value,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15whereas that's obviously why they are of value, their scarcity.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18It's great that they are in really, really good condition
0:05:18 > 0:05:21because to a costume collector, that's really very important.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And handbags are a wonderful thing to collect,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25they don't take up too much space.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27So, Margaret, why are you selling your collection?
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Where I store them in the box room,
0:05:29 > 0:05:34my chimney is rather giving trouble and it's getting damp,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38so the condition might deteriorate,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40and that is the reason.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42They are getting back in vogue,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44but they're not really going to be hugely valuable
0:05:44 > 0:05:46because I think people who are collecting
0:05:46 > 0:05:49handbags are collecting them because they're still relatively affordable.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52But I think at auction... If we were to put these forward to auction,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55we'd be looking at putting them probably as one lot.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57I think it'd be best to sell them all together
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and I think we're probably looking somewhere in the region
0:06:00 > 0:06:03of maybe £30-£50 for the group, something like that.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- How do you feel about that? - I would like...
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- I would like 30 in my pocket, shall we say.- OK.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10'I think it's very difficult to put a value on things like that,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12'especially when only one or two of them'
0:06:12 > 0:06:15had particularly good names and labels attached to them.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Because the thing with vintage textiles,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20collectors will tell you that they can't collect
0:06:20 > 0:06:22everything from that particular maker,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26so you have to choose the very best of what you find.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Good advice. A collector should be picky and go for quality.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31With a few names amongst them,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35how did this ready-made collection fare at auction?
0:06:36 > 0:06:41- Assorted handbags and evening bags. - Handbags and glad rags. Here we go.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46- At £40 I'm bid...- Oh, brilliant. - 40, here to be sold. 40.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50May I say 50 on the bags there? At 40. With me, 50, a lady's bid.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- Brilliant.- I have 60 on the book. 70, do you want?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56At £60. On the book at £60.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Five if it helps you, it goes at 60, will be sold.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Five, you want? £60...
0:07:00 > 0:07:05- Margaret, that's fabulous. £60! - Brilliant.- That's great.- Well done.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08That was a tough call, really. Hard thing to put a price on.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11So, what is a good starting point for a budding
0:07:11 > 0:07:13collector of vintage style?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I think handbags would be a sensible item to collect because often,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19as a smart handbag, it wouldn't have been used as much,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23so it would show slightly less signs of wear or damage.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25And they were brought out for special occasions
0:07:25 > 0:07:28and things like that, so look for good condition pieces.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Personally for me, it would be handbags, shoes, hats, coats...
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Pretty much everything!
0:07:36 > 0:07:40One of "Flog It!"'s most glamorous contributors was Millie Rich -
0:07:40 > 0:07:44such a vibrant character. She appeared on the show twice.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48In 2003, she wowed Mark with her stylish items
0:07:48 > 0:07:51shown off with great flair and elegance.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53How can you forget Millie Rich?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Of course I remember her, she was wonderful.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- I've brought a Dior hat...- I love it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01..which looks absolutely nothing in the hand, this should be worn,
0:08:01 > 0:08:02plus a parasol.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04This is from Paris.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08It was given to me as a present by a long-forgotten admirer.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13- Don't have my eye out!- But now I've reached my...- Oh, fantastic.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16..reached my early plenties, I think it's a bit too flirty for me.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18It is very flirty, isn't it?
0:08:18 > 0:08:22'You have to picture who would use a parasol.'
0:08:22 > 0:08:26You have to think of a petite Edwardian, Victorian lady
0:08:26 > 0:08:31who was promenading down the seafront on a hot summer's day.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35And equally, a wonderful thing from the 1950s,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39this wonderful travel hat in classic black design.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- May I show you the hat? - I'm...I'm yours.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45- Don't stop, I love it! Hold that.- I will.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Are you getting all this?
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- Looks awful, doesn't it?- No. - Then you do the Mata Hari bit...
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Oh, wonderful.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The key thing to the hat is it was by Christian Dior
0:08:57 > 0:08:58and it was a scruncher -
0:08:58 > 0:09:02you scrunched it up and then it popped back into life.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05'The fashion house of Dior has become worldwide
0:09:05 > 0:09:08'renowned for its quality, classic design.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:13I think the key thing to fashion collecting is name.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18It's got to be the right designers - Chanel, Dior, Vivienne Westwood.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21We must look at this wonderful parasol you brought in.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And if we look at it now and open it up...
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- This is very gaily decorated, isn't it?- It is, isn't it?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Erm, with these wonderful flowers and things
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and this lovely sort of velvet edge into the...
0:09:32 > 0:09:37- It's very Folies Bergere. - It is very Parisienne.- Yes, quite.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41- And all hand-stitched on the inside. - It is.- You never see handwork now.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Tell me, why are you wanting to sell these lovely possessions?
0:09:44 > 0:09:48As I say, now I've reached such advanced years, I thought perhaps
0:09:48 > 0:09:53somebody younger could reap the benefit of its flattery.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56What do you think we should do, sell them as one lot in a sale?
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Well, I'll take your advice, you're an expert.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00I think we should and we'll try them...
0:10:00 > 0:10:02I bow to your superior wisdom.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- Oh, Millie, you're such a flatterer. - I know.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- And it'll get you everywhere, you know?- It has. I'm here, aren't I?
0:10:08 > 0:10:12- Exactly. On a second run. - Thank you so much.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16- Now, what if we put £70-100 on the two of them?- That sounds wonderful.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- And give them a go, and see what happens.- Absolutely, absolutely.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- And we...- I'll tell you what I'll do with the money.- Go on.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I'll put it in my running away box and join the raggle-taggle gypsies.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Fantastic, and I didn't even have to ask you the question.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- I know, and I knew you were going to. - Exactly.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33So, the stylish Millie Rich's items go under the hammer.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37But will the Dior label entice the buyers?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39How have you been since the first series?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Well, people have been stopping me, it's amazing.- Do they?
0:10:42 > 0:10:47I didn't know that I was so noticeable but apparently I am.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50- But you look so fantastic. - More, more.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- Don't stop, don't stop. - And you look so much younger.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Well, naturally, I shall be 86 on my next birthday.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- This is your lot, your hat and parasol.- Two items, lot 202.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06£20 for the two. The Dior hat and the parasol, 20, I'm bid.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10I'll take five on the lot. At £20, maiden bid, 25.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Bidding, 30. 35. 40.
0:11:14 > 0:11:1845. 50. 55.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- It's climbing.- 60.
0:11:20 > 0:11:2265. 70. No?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- Lady's bid in the seating at 70. - At least we've done it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Round at the back of the room.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29I'm selling it. Done, then, at 70.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- Oh, I'm so thrilled we've done that. - It's quite respectable, isn't it?
0:11:33 > 0:11:38- It was.- And your number, madam, is 7340. Thank you.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- I've got a bit of a surprise for you, Millie.- Really?
0:11:41 > 0:11:46- You know I like to shock. - Do you? In public?- No.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- Your hat was bought by your daughter.- No.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Yes, and she's here right now.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- Oh, Shula, why did you do that? - Cos you look so lovely.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- Oh, sweetheart.- I just thought you looked so beautiful
0:11:56 > 0:11:58that you shouldn't sell it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Oh, you're making me feel like crying.- Aw...
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- That's so sweet of you.- That's really sweet of you. Thank you.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08It just goes to show you're never too old to look good.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10And remember Mark's advice.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Name. It's got to be the right designers.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17They may know the top tips for collecting vintage clothes
0:12:17 > 0:12:20but not all our dashing male experts are going to win any awards
0:12:20 > 0:12:23when it comes to their own wardrobes.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27As you can tell, looking at me, I'm no expert in fashion.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29What am I wearing? A suit and a tie?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It doesn't come much more boring than that.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34But some of us do like to look our best.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38But on a more serious note, looking good isn't just for the ladies.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Chic accessories for men can be highly collectable too,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45as Anita will reveal.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49I had a wonderful swagger stick that was brought in by Janet.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Swagger sticks are marvellous, they're a fashion statement.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57They're all about showing off.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00And to have something that brings a smile to your face,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03is just really what the collectors want.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06- Janet.- Yes. - Where did you get this wee monkey?
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Well, he actually belonged to my great auntie
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and Great Aunt lived with Grandma and Grandad.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15She was my grandfather's sister and she was bedridden.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19So the thing I remember about it is, when she needed attention,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21sort of, a cup of tea or anything, she knocked on the floor
0:13:21 > 0:13:23and everybody went running.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25She was quite a formidable lady, yeah.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Well, you have sticks which are used to help you in walking
0:13:30 > 0:13:34- and you have other sticks which are fashion statements.- Right.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- And this is a fashion statement. - Right, OK.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- It's what I would call a swagger stick.- Uh-huh.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44A swagger stick would have been used,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48or worn, by a gentleman of fashion.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54Someone who liked his clothes, someone who liked to cut and dash.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59And he would walk along and enjoy the admiration of all
0:13:59 > 0:14:01the young ladies around.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06- It's made of, it's lacquered, ebonised stalk here.- Yeah.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12- But the most interesting thing about it is the handle here.- Uh-huh.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- Where we have this brass monkey. - SHE LAUGHS
0:14:16 > 0:14:20He's finely moulded, so the quality is there.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25At the turn of the century, people were interested in exotica.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Exotic animals from the... from distant lands.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32So this would have been something which would have been telling
0:14:32 > 0:14:36people they were up with all the modern trends, that they
0:14:36 > 0:14:39knew about the exotic travels that were
0:14:39 > 0:14:42being done by a gentleman of leisure at that point.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46So it was making a statement about himself,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48about what he knew.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Perhaps even the places that he had gone to.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Now, there are collectors for this type of thing, Janet,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58- but it's not enormously valuable. - No. No.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59- But it is collectable.- Yeah.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Did you have it on display, or...?
0:15:04 > 0:15:06No, well, as I say, it came from Mum's,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and then literally went into my loft.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Because, I mean, I'm not planning on being bedridden for a few years yet.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17- He wasn't needed.- So you won't be doing...- No.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- I hope not.- A-ha.- No.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- So it's time, really, to pass it on. Let it go to a collector.- Exactly.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28The value I would put on it would be between 30 and 50.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30- Right.- Would you be happy to sell it at that price?- Yes,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32if it gives somebody else some pleasure
0:15:32 > 0:15:35because he isn't going to sort of - he doesn't do anything for me,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- so he might as well move on.- Oh, right. Yeah. Well, let's put
0:15:38 > 0:15:41- a reserve price of, say, £25 on it. - Right, that's fine.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44As I say, you're not going to be able to fly to the Bahamas with
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- that money but it will go on to a collector.- Right.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54The early 20th-century swagger stick.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56With the ebonied cane handle,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and I'm bid - 50, to start it at 50.
0:15:59 > 0:16:0120. 5.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02At £25, the commission bid.
0:16:02 > 0:16:0430 in the room.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06At £30, it's against the book.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08- 35. 40.- That's good.
0:16:08 > 0:16:1045. 45.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12- 50.- Yes!- 50! 5.
0:16:13 > 0:16:1655, down at the front at £55.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- £55!- Wow!
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Better - that was better!
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- That's not bad, is it?- That's not bad at all.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24OK, I know there's a bit of commission,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27but it's not a great deal of money. It's not our most expensive item.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31What a wonderful starting point for a collection.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34For £50, it's nothing, really.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And you're getting something which has age,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40a little bit of quality and lots of fun.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44So let's take a closer look at some of those trade secrets.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49Buy vintage now, while it's still relatively affordable.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Condition and name are all-important.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And check in the back of your wardrobe - what you think
0:16:54 > 0:16:58is jumble may be priceless.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Look, always, for the pieces which are identifiable
0:17:01 > 0:17:03as designed by somebody in particular,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07or is associated with a fashion house or a label.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11You've got Gucci and that sort of thing. You've got Dior.
0:17:11 > 0:17:12Those are the names that people are after.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15If you've got something, by Vivienne Westwood,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18don't just discard it because, in years to come, I think it's
0:17:18 > 0:17:21going to be worth a huge amount of money.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23And the same is true of Stella McCartney.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25But it's not just about names.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Iconic style moments are key
0:17:27 > 0:17:30when it comes to collecting vintage fashion.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33You've got the tweed suits from Chanel, for example.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36You've got the New Look pieces from the 1950s,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38as well as Vivienne Westwood,
0:17:38 > 0:17:39the punk pieces that she designed.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Again, iconic pieces that really stand out
0:17:42 > 0:17:45in the whole history of fashion. That's what people are after.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50And there's nothing more distinctive than the look of the swinging '60s.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54The '60s were a time of great vibrancy in London.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57It was a youth-orientated cultural revolution,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00that emphasised the new and the modern.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02'London has burst into bloom.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04'It swings. It is switched on.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06'Everything new, uninhibited and kinky
0:18:06 > 0:18:08'is blooming at the top of London life.'
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Fashion was a symbol of the confident youth culture.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Young men as well as women were expressing themselves
0:18:14 > 0:18:16through their clothes. In the early '60s,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19men were strutting their stuff in the stylish mod look.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And later in the decade showing their hippie flair with
0:18:22 > 0:18:24bell-bottoms and tie-dye.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26I think there's a tremendous search for individuality.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Carnaby Street started it off,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31and so you can walk anywhere now,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and wear anything you like.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Areas of London, such as Carnaby Street and the Kings Road,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39came alive selling the cutting edge clothes of the era,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42from Mary Quant's geometric miniskirts
0:18:42 > 0:18:45to Ossie Clark's daring prints and fluid cuts.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Biba was one of the big names in fashion during the '60s,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50founded by Barbara Hulanicki.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Biba tasted its first success in the guise of a gingham dress,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56which featured in the Daily Mirror.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Biba's individual and fresh approach to fashion
0:18:59 > 0:19:02soon became synonymous with the coolest fashionistas.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06And if you have clothes from that era, you could be in the money.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08In Hartlepool, in 2005,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11I valued a stunning Biba ddress owned by Liz.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- You're modelling it for us! - I am, indeed.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17- I lived just around the corner from the Biba shop.- In London.- In London.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20There are a lot of vintage clothes collectors, and I think the sort of,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23the vintage and retro clothing is a strong textiles market.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Anything from things that you can wear from the Victorian era,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29right through to the 1970s.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- There's a market there. People still look for it.- Yes.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35The designer pieces are still affordable,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37as the Biba dress proved, as it went under the hammer.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39£80 for the last time. £80.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Come on, a bit more, please. He sold it. That was quick.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Hammer went down really quickly.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- We're happy with that.- I'm happy, yeah.- We said 80, didn't we?
0:19:46 > 0:19:49But when it comes to the big sellers of vintage fashion,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52it's all about the person who once wore it.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56A diamond-encrusted 1960s Dior evening gown,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58owned by Elizabeth Taylor,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02reached over half a million dollars when it went under the hammer.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07And a pair of Queen Victoria's bloomers made a staggering £4,500,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11and everyone would love to get their hands on a classic James Bond suit.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15A snip at £46,850.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19But not all of us can afford this,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23so if you want to collect '60s fashion, my top tips are,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26look for designer names, such as Biba and Mary Quant.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Iconic pieces should always be desirable.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Miniskirts, kinky boots and kipper ties.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34And condition is a must.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37If it's moth-eaten, leave it well alone.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41And, last but not least, it should be seen.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Don't hide it away in your wardrobe.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47If you're going to buy vintage clothes,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50buy clothes that will fit.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51And that you can wear.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54I mean, it's all very well spending lots of money
0:20:54 > 0:20:56on a very nice Coco Chanel cocktail dress,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00but if you're size 16 and the dress is size 10,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02you've wasted your money, really!
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Buy what you like and wear it with pride,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and show off your individual style.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13So if you want to collect vintage clothing,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16there are lots of places to find it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Auction houses and specialist dealers are increasingly selling.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23But your best bet for a bargain is to look out at charity shops.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25But, remember, textiles decay,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28so check the condition of anything you want to buy.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Look at things through a magnifying glass.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And, also, if it's dark, shine a torch on them,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36or, better still, take them outside to the daylight,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40because all the imperfections will obviate themselves.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44You can still find iconic pieces very cheaply.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47It's worth bearing in mind, you're not just buying an item
0:21:47 > 0:21:51of clothing, you could be buying a part of British social history.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59In 2009, I learned the story of one of Britain's style icons,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02who herself had a love of all things vintage.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Without a doubt, her 1970s Victorian-inspired dresses
0:22:06 > 0:22:08are truly iconic,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11and look set to be collectable.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Laura Ashley and her business-minded husband, Bernard,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16hit the high streets of London with their Welsh-made
0:22:16 > 0:22:19ladies' fashions in the 1970s.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25How would a capital still swinging from the '60s react
0:22:25 > 0:22:29to clothes inspired by a rose-tinted view of country life?
0:22:32 > 0:22:34The look was wholesome.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Harking back to am Edwardian and Victorian period.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39High collars, lace, ribbon,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43floral prints and long hems created clothes that were pretty,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47conservative and definitely feminine.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Amazingly, young ladies all over the country packed away
0:22:50 > 0:22:52their kinky boots and miniskirts,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and covered themselves up in Laura Ashley designs.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57By the 1970s, the Laura Ashley empire
0:22:57 > 0:23:01had firmly established a place in the world of fashion.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05I've come to this country retreat to meet a lady who can give me
0:23:05 > 0:23:07an insight into the life of Laura Ashley.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Biographer Anne Sebba.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14So why was country life in Wales so influential in Laura's life?
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Laura was born in Wales.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Now, of course, that didn't remain in Laura's mind,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22because she went back to live in London,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24but she continued to come for holidays to Wales.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26She was put on the train with her sister
0:23:26 > 0:23:30and a guard looked after them, and it was these holidays in Wales
0:23:30 > 0:23:33that made a really deep impression on Laura.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Laura met and fell for Bernard Ashley, and after a long courtship,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40they were married and set up home in London.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Laura was determined to be a devoted housewife.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45This meant that any job she undertook could not
0:23:45 > 0:23:48interrupt her domestic chores.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Laura went off, in one of her lunch breaks,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53to the Victoria and Albert Museum,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55saw a patchwork exhibition,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59with all these wonderful little tiny Victorian prints,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02made into a brilliant patchwork quilt, and thought,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05"Well, I want to do this. This is something I can do at home."
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Went off to try and buy the prints, couldn't find them anywhere.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11So said to Bernard, "why don't we print them ourselves?"
0:24:11 > 0:24:14And they were restricted to tiny little squares,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17because that was all they had room on the kitchen table for.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21So the first products they made were table mats,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23which Laura would hem herself,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25or little square napkins.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28And Laura herself took them off to John Lewis,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31was terribly nervous waiting to see the buyer,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and their first order was almost as much as they could cope with.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37She waited up all night, hemming the squares,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41in order to complete a repeat order for the buyer a John Lewis.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43And that's how they got going.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47As production started to grow, so did the Ashley family.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And, with young children in tow, they moved to a bigger premises.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54The countryside was calling, so after a period in Kent,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56the family and the business headed to Wales,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59settling in the town of Carno,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03and opening a factory in the town's disused railway station.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07One of the main reasons that Laura really felt a family atmosphere
0:25:07 > 0:25:11in the factory was so important is because she didn't really believe
0:25:11 > 0:25:14that women who were mothers should have a full-time job.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16So she got round that in a number of ways.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20She would insist that Friday afternoons was free time
0:25:20 > 0:25:22for all the mothers and they went home.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Friday afternoon was definitely a time to be with your children.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28As far as she herself was concerned,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and by this time she had four children,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33so Laura got round it by saying that,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36actually, the factory was Laura Ashley.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39That is, herself. It was an extension of the family.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- So it was a way of her being able to have a full-time job...- Yes.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46..without contravening this very deep-seated philosophy
0:25:46 > 0:25:49that mothers should not work away from the home.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53She believed that domesticity was absolutely crucial.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56By the mid-'60s, Laura was ready to expand fully
0:25:56 > 0:25:58into the area of fashion design.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02With strong views on how she thought women wanted to be dressed,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Laura launched her range of ladies' fashions,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08and her first high-street shop in South Kensington, London.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11The floral dresses carrying the label, made in Wales,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13flew off the racks.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18So why were her dresses such a big success?
0:26:18 > 0:26:21All sorts of reasons. Don't forget, we're in the '60s.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Laura absolutely hated hot pants and miniskirts.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27She thought they were ghastly.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29So she reacted against that, to an extent,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34and she genuinely believed that for a woman to wear high necks
0:26:34 > 0:26:38and conceal was actually much sexier,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and that, you know, men liked to imagine
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- what was underneath...- Yes!- ..rather than revealing all.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47So it was a time when no country wedding in England
0:26:47 > 0:26:51was complete without a smattering and a sprinkling of Laura Ashley dresses.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54They were very countrified,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57but also very theatrical and romantic.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59The '70s was a time of change.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Greater sexual and political freedom meant women's roles
0:27:02 > 0:27:06were being redefined and, yet, in contrast,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Laura was still attracted to a rose-tinted view
0:27:09 > 0:27:12of the Victorian and Edwardian periods.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Did Laura lead the traditional life she wanted to promote?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Very interesting. She worked very hard to try
0:27:19 > 0:27:24and lead a much more rural life than, in fact, was possible,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27since she was the head of a multi-million empire by the end.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31She was always good at making the man feel that he was the one
0:27:31 > 0:27:33doing the important things,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and so, for example, when she went on a plane,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38she would take her needlework with her,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41and pretend to do her needlework so that Bernard
0:27:41 > 0:27:44could feel that he was the one doing all the man's stuff.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Because she believed that women wanted domesticity,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51and that's reflected in her dresses.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54And not to go into an office and look smart.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57That was the antithesis of what Laura cared about
0:27:57 > 0:27:59in her design philosophy.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02So, keep your eyes peeled for early Laura Ashley items.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Her fabrics and designs are unique,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08and could be the next big thing in the world of vintage fashion.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Clothes and jewellery go in and out of fashion all the time,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18but spotting a bargain never goes out of style.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20I hope you've enjoyed today's show.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Join me again soon for more Flog It! Trade Secrets.