Shopping with Hong Kong's vintage expert

Want to know how Hong Kong’s celebs perfect their too-cool-to-care vintage look? Thomas Lee, barber turned vintage clothing purveyor to the stars, sounds off on where to shop and why the vintage fad is not catching up amongst regular Hong Kong folks.

CNNGo: What is vintage?

Vintage clothing is something with taste and value. It tells us about bygone lifestyles. Many things that are in vogue now take inspiration from the past.

I just got a Hermes-designed stewardess’ blouse from an old lady who used to work as a Cathay Pacific stewardess in the 1970s. Back then the fashion house designed outfits for flight attendants. Now, that's what I call vintage.

CNNGo: Would you say vintage is big in Hong Kong?

Many Hong Kongers cannot accept the concept of buying old things. They are inexplicably wary about who’s worn them in the past.

I have customers coming in and finding pieces they like, but leaving once they learn that it’s secondhand. Locals also like chasing trends and buying new items, so it’s hard for vintage shopping to truly take off here.

Even now, four years after we opened this shop, most of our clients are design students, stylists, or people who have lived abroad. We also have celebrities like Eason Chan and Candy Lo shopping here.

CNNGo: How do you source your vintage pieces?

When I first started the shop, I got all my pieces from friends. I started promoting the shop to literally everyone I met and urged people to bring in their old things. Now the pieces pour in weekly, mostly from customers themselves.

CNNGo: Any tips for people who want to master the vintage look?

The idea is to dress nonchalantly. Your outfit doesn’t have to match meticulously. For those just starting out I suggest throwing on some old accessories first, like a vintage watch.

Vintage isn’t limited to clothes. You can go vintage with the décor at home, for instance. Vintage is a lifestyle; an attitude.

 

CNNGo: Where can we go vintage shopping in Hong Kong?

Midwest in Tin Hau has casual American-style clothing; Retrostone has lots of secondhand t-shirts from the 1970s and revamped vintage clothing. I also like Vintage HK, which has funky, moderately-priced vintage and consignment pieces.

 

 

 

getting there

Midwest, Shop 58, G/F Victoria Centre, 15 Watson Road, Tin Hau.  www.midwest-vintage.com

Retrostone. 1/F, 504 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, tel +852 2838 6419; B28, Basement Trendy Zone, Mongkok, tel +852 2152 9697; 1/F, 23 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel +852 2368 8859

Vintage HK. 57-59 Hollywood Road, Central, tel +852 2545 9932

Thomas Lee is the owner of Select 18. Shop A, ground floor, Grandview Garden, 18 Bridges Street, Central, tel +852 9127 3657