Story Donated By Rachel McAlley:
I was recently at my Aunt’s having Sunday lunch and she invited me to rummage around her fabulously stylish closet and I was allowed to choose anything I wanted.  I instantly fell in love with this bag, especially with it’s little story.

My Aunt tells me that in 1957, a few weeks prior to their wedding, my Uncle went to Marbella for a gentleman’s holiday and returned to the UK with this absolutely gorgeous black leather shoulder bag.  The bag was given as a pre-wedding gift to my Aunt and since then she has used the bag as little as 3 times. You can see from the photograph it’s in absolutely pristine condition.

I have used the bag only once since my Aunt kindly donated it, however at the time I was a little nervous and wondered if the people around me could sense how precious the bag was to me, and now I’m secretly thinking that I should lock it away for another 52 years.

But …. it does look pretty darn good with my outfit today, maybe I’ll put it away in a safe place tomorrow!
Rachel McAlley
aka LadyRach on Twitter

As told to Claire Anderson:
I am a very pretty ball-gown made from a beautiful silky, cottony fabric, with rich claret stripes. I was handmade in the 1950′s for a lovely curvy lady with pointy breasts. After that, I was altered to fit another lady, who had some funny ideas about straps and frilly bits. None the less, my useful upside down crumb catcher hid a multitude of stitching sins.

The following years were spent languishing in wardrobes, dressing up boxes and clothes rails of girls who were drawn to me, but weren’t sure what to do with me.

I’d given up all hope of living life in the limelight ever again until that rainy December day in 2007 when I found myself on a stall at Saltaire’s Vintage Fair. Peeping out of a packed rail, my fetching candy stripe skirt caught the eye of Claire, a blushing bride-to-be. She tried me on over her jeans and trainers in a cramped toilet (oh the indignity!) and didn’t seem that convinced. But there must have been something there because she did a deal with my owner – £44, with a pair of red Bally shoes thrown in – and I was hers.

I came to my new home, and waited.

Months later, I was pulled out, and my transformation began. Naomi Parker, a talented seamstress, got her hands on me and Claire, and worked her magic. She made me fit Claire like a glove. She removed my straps, took off the unsightly frill, boned me, stuffed me, sewed me, re-buttoned me, took parts out, but some back in, made me a petticoat – and there I was. The grandest, most beautiful wedding dress in the world.

I was so proud.

Now I’m stored away for Claire’s daughter to see, touch, try on and maybe even wear when she’s older. And then, who knows what the next chapter of my story might be, but I’m sure my journey is far from over.
Claire Anderson

Story Donated By Rachel McAlley
I was working on the Leeds Shopping Week 2008 project and one of the events I was hosting was a Swishing event, straight from the coolest New York and London second hand party scene.  The rules behind my Swishing event were as follows:
1 – all ladies could bring up to 5 accessories that they no longer wanted
2 – no fighting between swishers
3 – all ladies go home with gorgeous new accessories

I had around 20 ladies that come along to the Swishing party that was held at The Living Room in Leeds, each lady brought up to 5 items they no longer wanted (belts, bags, shoes, brooches, hats, gloves, jewels etc), all items were placed on a big table, and they were perused and tried on by the guests.  All accessories were placed back onto the table, all ladies were asked to leave the room and then the party started!

I blew a whistle and each lady ran into the room and grabbed an item that she wanted (one lady fell onto the floor in the madness of the rush) and then they left the room with their new accessory.  I blew my whistle 5 times until all the accessories were gone.

All proceeds (£5 entrance fee) were given to Yorkshire Breast Cancer Haven and any left over accessories were donated to the Charity for them to auction, raffle or giveaway.

The one and only accessory I had fallen in love with, and the one and only accessory that no-one wanted was the most amazing bright blue knitted woolen trilby hat.  And, as I was running the event I couldn’t take part until the very end.  But my wishes came true and it became mine.

Rachel McAlley

Story Donated By Susie Iveson @ Hearts Content Event

These sparkly pink ladies shoes – size 8 – were being bought by Susie Iveson for her friend Bill at a local charity shop. The shoes are the finishing touch to Bill’s drag costume – blonde wig, fuschia dress, fishnets – that he wears when they perform ‘Sisters’ together at St Peters Court Home For The Elderly in Leeds.

Bill and Susie used to sing in a choir together but decided it was time for a change.
Hearts Content

Story Donated By Casey Orr

This jacket was in my dreams. I specifically wanted this exact jacket. Not a jacket a bit like it. No, it had to be this exact jacket. I came out of the dentist’s off Town Street and went into the charity shop round the corner. They had almost-this-jacket. It was very much like this jacket, but not exactly like this jacket.

Then I went to the charity shop across the street, opposite Somerfield’s. And there it was, this jacket. Just like I’d dreamed it. No, not ‘just like’ I dreamed it – exactly like I dreamed it.
Casey Orr

Story Donated By Ella Dee

In 2002 my family and I went to Switzerland on holiday. I visited several charity shops around my hometown of Headingley. In the arthritis charity shop I came accross a bright yellow beauty! It was big and comfy and my 9 year old self felt wrapped up and warm, engulfed in its massiveness.

In Switzerland the fleece travelled with me on our many visits. It kept me warm and survived many a snowball fight. It has now visited Luxembourg, Switzerland, Poland and North Yorkshire regularly and never fails to be a welcome asset to any journey.
Ella Dee

Story Donated By Hayley Avron

The first time I laid eyes on this dress was during my first week working for St. Gemma’s Hospice. I was working at the Street Lane shop, learning the tricks of the trade. The dress was hanging up in the sorting room downstairs. It was destined for the next Retro Fair and I was nowhere near confident enough to stake my claim on it so I held it up against myself when no-one else was in the room and then bid it farewell… When the fair came around, our paths crossed again and I gingerly asked to try it on, not entirely sure that it would actually fit me. Turns out, it was a match made it heaven…

It’s by a London designer called Russell Stuart and although I’ve not been able to find out anything about him, I have managed to find one other Russell Stuart dress (on EBay). I’ll keep hunting…
Hayley Avron

Story Donated By Helen Darroch

I found these shoes when living in the Jordaan area of Amsterdam on a street called Hazenstraat. It is a brilliant little second hand shop, run by the most laid back lady, with the biggest curly hairdo you have ever seen…well she does live in Holland I suppose (refering to her temperament, not her hair)… Whenever I would go in, she would be sitting in exactly the same place, a huge armchair, puffing on a cigarette in what could only be described as a den of soft furnishings and piles of higgledly piggledy bargains. This place has an air of excitement; a feeling of impending brilliantness (not even a word but you feel my excitement right?!) Upstairs there were baskets of hand-made lace,a vast array of fabulous shoes and a red velvet chaise longue in which to try on all the shoes.

I have big feet – UK size 7.5 and it was just my luck some rather large Dutch lady had given up her shoe collection of which I bought a few pairs.

I wore these particular shoes to my civil wedding ceremony along with a white trouser suit.

Thanks, oh big footed Dutch lady………
Helen Darroch

Story Donated By Helen Darroch

I found this dear little blue bag on a trip to Woodstock, New York on our way to visit friends for New Years Eve.

The shop is called “Castaways” and if anyone is ever in Woodstock, I highly recommend a rummage. I have been there 3 times and come out with great stuff on all occasions.Home of the famous festival (although it didnt actually take place in the town, but somewhere in a 100 mile radius), one would expect to find wild patterned polyester numbers and crocheted kaftans – and you can!

This village has a rich history including a large arts and crafts artists colony that started in the 1920′s. There are mountains, glittering streams, forests and lots of fresh air that many a New Yorker craves, making it a common place for New yorkers to have a second home.

This bag could have belonged to any one; a cocktail bag for a socialite from the Upper West Side? Someone’s Sunday best…who knows. But I love it and have worn it on many an occasion.

At the moment it contains a handful of sour gummy bears that I speedily emptied from a typically enourmous bag of candy we bought whilst at the cinema with my husband and four year old son.
Helen Darroch

Story Donated By Claire Anderson

Right, I’m very protective of my vintage shoe source, and I had to think long and hard about sharing this story…. I have the most amazing collection of footwear, mainly from the charity shops of Garforth and Shipley; in fact I am famous for my shoe collection at work, and probably wear a different pair every day – and the vintage, or second-hand if you like, are always the most coveted.

I love these shoes because they’re always so well looked after, and obviously someone has treasured them for years. I hope I can manage to look after them enough to pass them on to my daughter, cos they’re gorgeous…

If anyone who is a size five thinks about going vintage shoe hunting in Garforth or Shipley, just don’t – find your own patch… x
Claire Anderson

Story Donated By Jane Zanzottera

Despite the fact that a friend of mine described this shirt as “the most revolting thing I have ever seen” it has been part of my wardrobe for the better part of 11 years. I bought it from a charity shop in Kings Heath, Birmingham (a charity shop Mecca, or it certainly was then) whilst immersed in the heady bliss of first love. The object of my affections was as obsessed by charity shops as I was and many a Saturday afternoon was spent trawling these hidden gems together.

I loved my shirt from the moment I set eyes on it and proudly wore it the very same evening where I went out for someone’s birthday. Embarrassingly, I cannot recall whose birthday it was, but it was the first time I had ever tasted Mexican food and I paired it with a pair of red trousers. The red trousers were too much I fear and after that, whenever I wore it, I wore it with black trousers or a black A line mini skirt.

Incidentally, my friend was forced to eat her words, weeks after they were uttered, when Vogue or Elle had a fashion shoot with a shirt of similar colours and fabric pattern on!
Jane Zanzottera

Story Donated By Sarah Howells

What the…????? Yes this is a skirt marker, it does exactly as it says on the box. No, I don’t know either. Thing is, I bought it for the box cos it just looked inexplicable, but someone has defo used it. How accurate is it? It involved puffing some chalk dust out onto the skirt by some very complicated contraption, there is a measurement along the pole, but I keep wondering why? Why? Why? Anyway, I put it together to show you.

Dressmakers amongst you – don’t be jealous, even though I’m not sure what exactly it is, I’m fairly certain it’s rubbish. Another Community Shop, Armley purchase, and it definitely wasn’t more than £1. Are you surprised?
Sarah Howells

I bought this Panti-Hose And Tights Repair Kit a couple of years ago from Kirklands Hospice in Huddersfield. the thing I love about it is that its from a time when people really did make do and mend which is so different to how things are now. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t used it and and that whenever I get a ladder in my panti-hose I just go out and buy a new pair.

The picture on it really makes me laugh, its like an escaped pair of legs that will only be stopped by the Winfield Panti-Hose And Tights Repair Kit. Lord knows what those legs got up to whilst they were on the run, but they look like they’re up to some mischief.

When I was a teenager I remember reading in ‘Just Seventeen’ magazine that blobs of nail varnish stop ladders from running. But you could only really put the nail varnish on whilst you were wearing them which meant that you ended up with nail varnish daubed all over your legs. Hardly as sophisticated as the Winfield Panti-Hose And Tights Repair Kit.

Story donated by Abby Dix.