There’s no shortage of well-dressed women in the world, but the ones who continuously catch our eye seem to have mastered the art of mixing vintage and secondhand pieces with current high street and designer labels. Each day this week, we’ll ask one of them to share their tips and tricks—from where to find the best Thai silk fisherman pants to how to avoid looking like a period actor. Today, Langley Fox Hemingway, the Los Angeles–based model and illustrator, talks the California flea market scene, Indiana Jones hats, and non-judgmental shopping.
What are your favorite vintage stores or flea markets?
I like the flea market on Melrose and Fairfax in Hollywood that happens every Sunday. I also enjoy Squaresville and Cherry Pick in Los Feliz, the Painted Bird, and Ragg Mopp in Silverlake, and every once in a while, the Rose Bowl flea market that happens monthly (though that one can be overwhelming, so I really have to be in the mood to search!).
Do you have any strategies when it comes to vintage shopping?
I can’t really go into normal stores to shop. I like that everything is one of a kind and things are a little weird—it makes it more unique. You generally have to try on and know that most items will have some damage or need a little alteration.
How did you first get into vintage?
I first got into it early in high school. I remember looking at older girls who bought vintage clothes and admiring them for their originality and way of combining things. I also have always been a big fan of old musicians and classic movie stars, which is now of course “vintage.”
What labels or eras are you constantly hunting for?
I don’t really look for brand names, just things I like that are cheap, such as dresses from the sixties and seventies, suede or leather jackets, brimmed hats, old T-shirts, leather boots or oxfords, any sort of original overall, or maybe just something really silly.
Do you collect any vintage items?
I collect a lot of hats—I love hats!
What’s on your current wish list?
I think I could definitely use some more good T-shirts now that summer is rolling around and maybe a little classic briefcase for a purse (my last one broke!).
What advice or tips would you offer to a vintage shopping novice?
Go into a vintage store when you feel good, you’re in the mood to browse and try on, and know that no one will negatively judge what you pick out as long as you don’t judge it. Oh, and don’t be afraid to be silly!
What’s your favorite vintage find?
Currently my favorite vintage item that I own is my vintage Indiana Jones hat that I got for $6. I like to wear it almost every day, and I decorated it with my grandfather’s pilot pins so it’s extra sentimental.
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