Brisbane Vintage Fashion Fair - September 2012

The Brisbane Vintage Fashion Fair is the longest standing vintage clothing expos in Brisbane.   (I can remember attending one of these at the old venue in West End back around 2008.

The fair has grown a great deal since it's early days and now fills two large areas at the Eagle Farm Racecourse and attracts some of Brisbane's more well known vintage sellers - such as Hobohemia , Deja Vu Vintage and Vintage Advantage.

The most recent fair was on 7th & 8th September 2012.  I went with two of my best girls, PoisonedKitty and Lovely C.

Lovely C was wearing a dress she had sewn from Vintage Vogue sewing pattern V2787 (re-release pattern).  I really had to admire her choice of fabric as well as the sewing skill involved.  She looked fabulous.  She was also debuting new shoes she had bought in Adelaide and was topped off with a vintage hat owned by PoisonedKitty.

PoisonedKitty was wearing a 1950s dress she had made from some gorgeous cherry and strawberry print fabric bought while holidaying in Japan. She paired this with a cute cardigan from Japanese Lolita fashion brand, Angelic Pretty, a black velvet head bow and heels and adorable red framed cat eye glasses. 

As for me, I wore a vintage late 1950s Summer frock, bought at the Love Vintage Fair in July, a white cardigan from Japan and beige Wittner peep-toe heels.  I carried my goods in little 1960s cane purse.

 I went with the intention of buying a few shifts, a hat, a bangle to match the dress I was wearing in either blue or yellow.  I was also hoping I would find another skirt or dress - 50s or 60s era.  I set a spending budget of $150 (not including the $10 entrance fee to the fair).

I came across some gorgeous pieces early on, including a black feather band hat for $48 at The Vintage Advantage stall.  I told myself I'd get it if I came back around... of course it was gone an hour later when I had decided!  It is hard to walk the line between not spending too much too early and making sure you don't miss a good opportunity.

I ended up buying everything on my shopping list - and a few things more:

• blue slip  ($5 bought from PoisonedKitty)
• short pale slip  (Two for $7 from a rummage box)
• dusty blue short nightie  (Two for $7 from a rummage box)
• blue bangle to math the dress I was wearing   ($3 from the Vintage Advantage)
• pink furry 50s bonnet-hat   ($37 from the Vintage Advantage)
• light dusty blue 50s skullcap  ($25 from unknown seller)
• enamel daisy brooch  ($12 from Cassie's Corner)
• mint green early 60s Summer dress  ($76 from Cassie's Corner).

The blue nightie needs the buttons replaced as one has been lost and I foresee cute pearlescent, champagne coloured buttons...  The blue skullcap really needs a steam because the edges of it are quite dirty.  Buying it was a spur of the moment decision that I later regretted because it requires steaming when I don't have a steamer and I have nothing to wear with it at all.

The Brisbane Vintage Fashion Fair had a very nice range of sellers.  The plethora of vintage clothing sellers were balanced out with a few modern reproduction sellers (clothes, jewellry and parasols).  There was only one or two homewares sellers but a number of clothing stalls had a few non-fashion items of interest mixed amongst their wares.  Though most stalls were top-heavy with 1970s clothes there were still plenty of fantastic finds from the 60s and 50s and earlier.