S10 Ep3 SUE POOLE: secondhand fashion advocate and founder of At Source Vintage - on the Oxfam style challenge that sparked 6 years of secondhand-only, and her vintage collection.

On today's show, we're chatting with Sue Poole, the founder of At Source Vintage. Sue's love for fashion started young – she remembers many bold fashion moments from her teens – wearing a turquoise pencil skirt with rainbow leggings, buying her first designer piece, shopping the charity shops in London.

In 2020, Sue made a decision that changed everything: she stopped buying new clothes completely. What started as participating in Oxfam's Secondhand September challenge – where she committed to only wearing the secondhand pieces already in her wardrobe – turned into a permanent lifestyle shift. Four years later, she hasn't bought a single new item.

This commitment didn't just change how Sue shops – it revolutionized her entire relationship with fashion. She went from following trends and scrolling through brand algorithms to becoming a vintage expert who tracks down 1970s YSL toweling caftans, collects Celine blouses, and once scored an '80s Hermès velour lounge suit on eBay for £18. In 2022, she launched her own curated vintage business, At Source Vintage, and since Sue's been featured in British Vogue, she showcases at London vintage fairs, and her Instagram is a masterclass in styling vintage pieces in ways that make them feel completely contemporary.

We talk about the styling challenge that started it all for her, and how secondhand shopping is actually about right-sizing our relationship with clothing – finding your style through vintage, breaking free from consumption cycles, and proving that you don't need to buy new clothes to dress incredibly well. It's a fun one, so let's dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• [3:27] Sue's always been a fashion-lover, and shares her early style memories.
• [6:38] Her earliest secondhand experiences and London's vintage scene
• [9:46] Why she took Oxfam's Secondhand September Challenge in 2020.
• [11:23] Practical strategies that helped her stick to buying only secondhand
• [14:57] How the challenge transformed her relationship with fashion
• [19:51] How her personal style has shifted since adopting a secondhand wardrobe.
• [22:28] Getting off trend cycles and tracking down vintage versions of runway pieces
• [26:52] The joy of researching vintage pieces and dating labels
• [29:52] Starting At Source Vintage, her curated vintage brand
• [37:20] The rise of secondhand shopping and what has changed
• [43:55] Her vintage wishlist and holy grail finds
• [50:29] Her best deal ever: an £18 Hermès lounge suit on eBay
• [54:33] Shout-outs to vintage sellers and fashion historians to follow

EPISODE MENTIONS:

• Sue's Instagram
• At Source Vintage
• British Vogue feature
• Portobello Market
• Oxfam Secondhand September
• Somewhere in Hackney
• Kate at Converted Closet
• Jacquemus runway video
• British Heart Foundation charity shops
• Frock Me
• Second Life Markets
• Angelina - Just What You Know
• Rebecca - Documenting Fashion
• Frank Akinsete - Souled out at the House of Provenance
• Known Source
• Orsola de Castro on Pre-Loved Podcast
• Emily and Clare Press on Wardrobe Crisis

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• 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/
• 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod

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