Etsy Seller Profile: Jayne of Strumpets Bazaar

Here is an interview with the lovely Jayne, who runs the incredible vintage shop Strumpets Bazaar. Jayne is a member of one of my favorite Etsy Teams I am a part of, the Tattooed Vintage Sellers Guild! If there was ever a guild I would want to be a part of, it is this one. So without further ado, here is Jayne on vintage, tattoos, politics, and more!

Jayne of Strumpet's Bazaar, Modeling her shop's 50's Ocelot Print Sheepskin Coat. Photo by Clare Hocter

50s Circle Skirt

Nora : Tell me about your shop ? What do you carry? Who is involved? Why did you start? 

 Jayne: My shop carries vintage clothing, accessories, bric a brac and books. I’ve always been a magpie for all kinds of vintage so I didn’t want to limit myself to just one thing or another. Anything that catches my eye may be included and I don’t stock anything I wouldn’t be happy to own myself. I stock items up to and including 1980s. At the moment it’s just me running the Bazaar although my husband helps out with market stalls as well as casting his critical eye over my finds and offering help and advice. The impetus for starting the shop stemmed from getting married in 2009 – when both me and my husband chose to wear vintage outfits and accessories at our wedding. I got totally addicted to the thrill of collecting during this time. Of course some things I bought didn’t quite work their way into our outfits so I started stockpiling the extraneous items. I decided to start a shop in order to have a focus and a purpose to my habit!

Kitsch Shot Glass Set in Stand

Nora: What tattoos do you have? Tell us about them?
Jayne: I have one large tattoo which was designed for me by a friend and covers my back from beneath my right shoulder blade down to the top of my left buttock. It encompasses a rose, a snake, and a two headed woman being pulled in opposite directions. The way these elements are put together resembles a skull. I’ll let you make your own story out of that….

Tan Ostrich Art Deco Handbag

Nora:  Is fashion political?
In the sense that fashion represents power and status – yes. And that’s probably the main reason why I don’t engage with current fashion trends. Much as I enjoy looking at new fashion as an art form, I don’t like the way we are encouraged to feel that we must have the latest Prada handbag or Jimmy Choo shoes to validate our existence or prove ourselves a success. I prefer not to wear anything that has a label showing. People pay extortionate amounts of money to have the same clothes and accessories that everyone else is aspiring to. I prefer to take myself right out of that equation by wearing vintage and second-hand clothing. I can be more certain that no-one else will turn up in the same outfit and I’m more comfortable not competing with others in that way. Oh and it costs me a lot less too.

For Recipe (and photo) click HERE. Yum.

 Nora: 
What is your favorite dessert?
Jayne: Sticky toffee pudding.

Nora: Who/what are your biggest style influences?

Annie Lennox would totally wear this!

Jayne: I love the 40s and 50s best of all. Being short and having an hourglass shape the clothes suit me best and, strangely, I can buy vintage dresses from these decades and they will fit me perfectly whereas I could trawl down the high street for hours and never find anything that fits properly.
Modern day individuals I admire as style icons include Annie Lennox, especially in her men’s suits, and currently - Janelle Monae who looks awesome in her tuxedo and quiff (can you spot a theme there….?)  

Nora: What is your best vintage find?
Jayne: Hmm that’s a tough question – I think of the items currently listed in my shop I would say the 1950s Cresta Couture dress. It’s a beautiful dress just waiting for a large busted, tiny waisted woman to bring it new life and is just perfect for the forthcoming party season. I also love the velvet Horrockses dress which was difficult to do justice to with a photograph – you can’t quite make out the flashes of red. It’s a classic 60s shape which is never going to be out of fashion – very Audrey Hepburn. It’s a collectable label too although Horrockses are best known for their full-skirted print dresses. I believe that this one is a sample so it may or may not have made it to production and is potentially quite rare. I haven’t seen another like it. 

1950's Cresta Costa Dress

Red 70's Disco Dress

 Nora: Anything else you would like readers to know about your shop, you, your process?
 

Jayne: I enjoy researching the items I find in order to be clear about age, history and value. This can make my process a bit slow but ultimately more rewarding. I have also recently enjoyed organising a photo shoot as a creative way of showcasing some of my current stock (full album here: www.strumpetsbazaar.com/page2.htm ). I hope to do more of that in the future. All in all, my etsy shop means much more to me than a way of making money – I find it a very rewarding and creative enterprise and it has brought me into contact with some inspiring like-minded people.






All photos used with permission of Jayne from Strumpet's Bazaar