My Vintage Life: Khad McQueen

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In our ‘My Vintage Life’ mini series we spoke to three women who are truly mad about vintage. Our last instalment features student and avowed bargain hunter Khad McQueen, who draws inspiration from multiple eras to piece together her unique looks. 

My Vintage Life: Khad McQueen

Age: 22

Occupation: Queen Mary’s student, sustainable fashion enthusiast

Q: What was your best bargain vintage buy?

A: Too many! I got a great leopard print hat for £1 which I’ve worn out completely from wearing it literally every day… Also I bought a pair of Moschino and McQueen jeans from Serotonin Vintage for £50. I also love the East End Thrift Store, you can get a bag of clothes there for £10.

The intricate lining of one of Khad’s best finds

Q: What was the most expensive?

A: Really not a lot… I got the Virgin Mary jacket for £35, that’s probably the most expensive vintage item I’ve gotten.

Q: What’s your favourite place to shop vintage?

A: I’d say the East End Thrift Store, but that’s really a hit and miss. I used to go to a lot of charity shops too, but not since moving to Stepney Green, there’s not that many here.

Q: How much would you spend on vintage in a month?

A: Probably over £50, but it depends… sometimes I’ll buy like 10 things for £10, or I’ll buy one item for a little bit more. I don’t spend that much.

Wearing vintage sunglasses and a necklace Khad made herself, inspired by her Pakistani roots

Q: What do you consider vintage?

A: I think ’80s but probably not ’90s.

Q: Have you noticed a vintage revival amongst your circle of friends?

A: I’m actually the only one who’s like this out of my friends! But I’m definitely seeing a revival of it on social media, yeah.

Q: Why do you think vintage is experiencing a revival?

A: I think it’s trends – the ’80s are back in style – and loads of original ’80s stuff is in Brick Lane. You don’t even have to look for hours to find it. I have such a love-hate relationship with fashion, it’s oversaturated and repetitive but I love the creativity.

This bag was a great charity shop find

Q: How did you get into vintage and why do you love it so much?

A: I watched something about the fashion industry and the damage it does to the environment, and that really affected me; I realised how much people, including myself, throw away. I felt so disgusted that we’re doing it, it’s such a big contribution to global waste. At the time of my watching this there wasn’t really any awareness of it – now there is, which is great. I still own a lot of stuff, but most of it is vintage or second-hand so I guess its better. I also found out how cheap it is, and I love how everything you get has a history and you can imagine everything it’s been through; you never know if someone died in it or had the most amazing time in it! I actually use my sage stick (burning sage is seen purification by some cultures) to cleanse everything. I never used to and I’m not that spiritual, but one day I realised that I was wearing so much from other people.

Q: Have you got any tips for buying vintage?

A: You should be ready to spend a lot of time, and also to maybe not find what you were looking for in your size, which happens often. Be ready to get things tailored. Also, only get something when it truly speaks to you- over consumption of clothes is such a problem.

Follow our ‘Mad about Vintage’ series this week to find out more about the eclectic world of vintage fashion. #MadAboutVintage

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