Pre-Loved Podcast with Emily Stochl
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!
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