'Queen of Thrift' Bay Garnett once styled Kate Moss in a £1 top

RTÉ News​

5 days ago

Stylist Bay Garnett, whose mum hails from Tyrone, has spent over two decades proving that second-hand doesn't mean second best.
From putting Kate Moss in a charity shop banana print top on the cover of Vogue, to influencing the rise of vintage as high fashion, Garnett has built a career on a following your fashion instincts and a deep belief in what she calls "thrifting karma."
Having styled the likes of Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Chloë Sevigny in second-hand gems; Garnett recently hosted the Style to Sell Studio at Westfield Good Festival in London on May 17, advising shoppers on how best to make a sale from unwanted garments.
So, she breaks down her top tips for buying and re-selling pre-loved clothes to get the best look, sustainably and affordably.
1. Remember: some pieces are priceless
Garnett's most iconic find was just £1 and has ended up becoming a piece of fashion history.
"I put Kate [Moss] in a banana print top that I really, really loved, that I got from Cancer Research," she says. "Phoebe Philo [then creative director of designer Chloé] called me and said, 'Can I borrow that top?' Then she used it on the Chloé runway, and it's gone on to be quite famous."
Years later, Vogue interviewed her about the shoot – and the now iconic top. "The Chloé version is now a collector's item – [the likes of] Lily Allen collect them," says Garnett.
"I've got the original upstairs still – I talk to it like it's my dog, 'you've done very well, haven't you'," she laughs.
2. "Go with a sense of purpose of what you're looking for"
Garnett's cardinal rule for vintage treasure hunting is to have something in mind to give you guidance when shopping.
"I do genuinely believe in thrifting karma," she says. "It's really important to go with a sense of direction, and when you have a sense of direction, you have a sense of purpose […] then I believe that you will find something that you love."
She shares a story of when her daughter wanted a T-shirt from Urban Outfitters with the words 'San Diego' sprawled over the front. During a trip to New York, "I said, I'm going find you a T-shirt like that San Diego one," Garnett recalls telling her daughter.
"So in my head, I was like, San Diego, San Diego T-shirt in a thrift store […] it kind of just appeared out of nowhere and I was like – that's insane."
Whether you're seeking a Seventies jacket or a Zara skirt that's now out of stock, she insists: "You can't expect a charity shop to do all the work for you."
3. Check the labels, quality – and the men's rail
When it comes to spotting true gems, Garnett is specific. "I personally look for a Seventies label. I look for faded denim that's proper vintage."
Checking the labels of clothes to understand the garment's make-up and going in with a list of popular brands from certain decades will help you find good quality clothing that meet your requirements.
"I also advise people to go to the men's rail, because you can find amazing men's shirts that can be a bit like The Row," she says.
4. How to resell: Photograph, measure and add a note
Garnett doesn't just buy second-hand but sells it too, and has clear advice for making your pieces shine online.
"The way that you photograph it is really important […] and what's really important, I think, is listing the measurements," she says. "I want to know if the shoulders are going to actually fit my shoulders."
If you're a frequent seller – Garnett says to go the extra mile so you stick in the buyer's mind. She recalls receiving a note when she purchased a jacket from a seller in the US: "It said 'Dear Bay, I have travelled halfway around the world just to be with you.'
"If you're a regular seller, I think adding a personal touch is a really nice way to do business."
5. Celebrities and second-hand: "They like it more"
You may think celebrities needed persuading to wear charity shop pieces for photo shoots: "Actually, the opposite has happened," says Garnett. "Whenever I put vintage on a celebrity or a model, they go, 'I love this'."
She recalls dressing Carey Mulligan in a Seventies puffy-shouldered shirt she'd plucked from her own wardrobe. "She was like, 'I love it,' and it was interesting to me, because she loved something […] that had been worn for years.
"It just has a different energy."
6. The red flag when buying new
While second-hand shopping is undeniably sustainable – it can get confusing when buying new.
"As soon as a new brand says on their Instagram profile, 'sustainable', that immediately makes me [sceptical] – you can't just use that word," she says.
Instead, she champions transparency and action over language. "Nothing's absolutely sustainable if it exists, if it's being produced."
'Greenwashing' is part of a wider issue when it comes to the environmental impact of fashion. Garnett believes real change must come from the top. "Things need to change in a really kind of radical way […] we need blanket legislation."
7. Second-hand style icons
When it comes to wardrobes she'd love to raid, "The Italian film actress Anita Pallenberg or Chloë Sevigny," Garnett says, "I think they're two people with an absolutely original take on style, and I find their wardrobes very interesting and eclectic, but also probably singularly stylish.
But if she could delve well into the style archives, "Marie Antoinette's would be a lot of fun!"
Garnett's approach to fashion as a whole is refreshing in a world of micro-trends. "If I see something new that I really love – then I'll buy it," she admits, "but if I'm going to buy something new, I'm going to sling it on every day."
Still, for Garnett – and for the rest of us slowly learning to treasure rather than consume – second-hand is more a lifestyle than just a shopping habit: "you have to have a sense of energy when you go thrifting to find something," she says, "and that's part of the fun."