RAFTA Winner 2023 - Anne Shearer
Back in 2021 we started the Revival Award For Terrific Attire (RAFTA) to reward our customers for showcasing our products on Instagram with a winners certificate & a £10 gift voucher to spend in our shop. At the end of the year we then hold the RAFTA grand finale where the overall winner would receive a massive £100 Revival gift voucher as well as one of our prestigious RAFTA medals.
Our first ever winners were Craig & Sarah Jenkins who have since become good friends of the business and have even featured in photoshoots for Revival. In 2022 we chose the incredibly stylish Pascal Meinke from Germany as our winner. Every year we are increasingly impressed with the fantastic entries from customers located all over the world. Please keep tagging us in your Instagram photos as we love to see how you style our clothing.
After much deliberation we crowned Anne Shearer from Scotland as our latest RAFTA champion! Hundreds of you voted for Anne to win & we couldn't have picked a more deserving winner. As soon as we looked at her Instagram page, we were in awe of her vast vintage wardrobe. She epitomises vintage glamour & we love that she chooses to dress up every day instead of saving her outfits for special occasions. She also looks absolutely incredible in our suits!
Before we have a chat with our winner, let's take a look at all the other entrants from 2023. Make sure to go follow them on Instagram for plenty of vintage outfit inspiration.
January - Ayden Best (@ayden1952_insta)
Despite his young age, Ayden already has a very clear sense of vintage style. We love to see more teenagers getting into vintage fashion and his collection of 1940s suits is enviable. We thought he looked incredibly sharp in our Clubman suit!
February - Malan Zana (@zhanesu)
Otherwise known as Zhanesu, Malan impressed us with his classic forties looks and dapper vintage suits. This talented chap also shares his own vintage style comic strips via Instagram and his characters are often dressed in charming retro outfits.
March - Nico Fehn (@germantimetraveller)
Nico's Instagram page is filled with exemplary vintage menswear looks from the 1920s to the 1940s. His talent for layering different pieces and combining patterns is truly impressive. He always looks fantastic in one of our Fair Isle tank tops.
April - Chay Jessica Croden (@forteas1940s)
Chay is the owner of the incredibly popular Forteas 1940s tea room in Haworth, West Yorkshire. She is best known for her decadent afternoon teas but we think she also deserves credit for her sense of fashion. It's always a pleasure when she visits our showroom and our Beau Belle dress looks stunning on her.
May - Boaz Schuurman (@boaz_schuurman_)
Boaz caught our eye with his refined vintage looks. This young gentleman has an impressive collection of vintage suits and overcoats which he layers to perfection. We love his penchant for waistcoats which he often wears over one of our vintage formal shirts.
June - Siobhan Mitchell (@lilybellknits)
Siobhan specialises in vintage style knitting and we love looking at her beautiful creations on Instagram. We'd highly recommend commissioning her if you're after some unique forties style knitwear! She looked incredible in our Majestic suit and even had a hat made specially to match.
July - Charley Spencer (@victory_vintage_)
We spotted Charley wearing our yellow Spirit dress for an event at Black Country Living Museum and were instantly enamoured with her flawlessly styled vintage outfits. She always looks so glamorous, even when wearing more masculine tailoring.
August - Tracey Kenny (@traceyannekenny)
Tracey is someone who looks absolutely stunning in our vintage skirt suits, especially our powder blue Freedom suit! She is based in Yorkshire so it's always a joy when Tracey gets time to visit our showroom.
September - Allen Smith (@allensmith2443)
Allen is one of our most supportive customers and we love it when he pings us an email with his latest vintage style outfits. We think he looked particularly dapper in our Gadabout cream linen suit.
October - Nicola Bartlett (@thatgirlgoesdigital)
We adore Nicola's bold and colourful 1960s Mod looks, especially the blue dress she wore for her wedding! She also looks lovely in 40s style outfits as seen when she wore our green Melody dress to the 1940s weekend at Avon Valley Railway.
November - Ian Warrington (@ianwarrington60)
Ian has such a classic sense of style and we enjoy seeing the dandy outfits he puts together for work. He uses textures and patterns to great effect, making a strong sartorial statement. We thought he looked brilliant in our navy blue Granville waistcoat & trouser set.
December - Anne Shearer (@very_vintage_anne)
Our last RAFTA of the year went to our eventual winner, Anne. Her outfits are always so thoughtfully put together with carefully chosen accessories and great use of colour. She pulls off forties and fifties styles so elegantly, and we're big fans of her signature floral brooches.
Now on to our interview with our RAFTA champion for 2023, Anne Shearer! We asked her a few questions to find out a bit more about her interest in vintage fashion and personal sense of style.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I'm Anne, 55 and I live in a small, rural village in the heart of beautiful countryside in Scotland. I live with my husband, Danny, and our very spoiled cat. I have two grown-up sons and one beautiful granddaughter. I work as a College Lecturer at New College Lanarkshire, where I teach Health and Social Care. I have worked there for over 25 years, and still enjoy it as much as I did when I started all those years ago. I'm an avid reader and can happily spend days curled up with a book. My husband and I share a love of walking, and we are fortunate to have some truly gorgeous places to explore right on our doorstep. My husband also likes all things vintage (which is handy!) and we both love to travel. We attend as many vintage events as we can fit in every year, and love them. It's such a wonderful community to be part of and we have made some great friends along the way.
How did you get into vintage fashion?
I've always loved vintage fashion. I was a teenager in the 80s, and even then I always had a touch of 'vintage' which I tried to incorporate into my outfits. It wasn't until I was in my late 30s that I found the confidence to wear vintage or vintage-inspired clothing full-time. It wasn't an overnight thing - it happened gradually. But once I began my journey into full-time vintage, I realised that I had found what made me happy. I am fortunate that I can wear what I like to work, and my students seem to enjoy my style. I hope that in some small way, I can inspire each of them to express themselves in a way that makes them smile when they look in the mirror.
Where do you get inspiration for your looks?
My maternal Grandmother, whom I adored, always had the most beautiful photo of herself, taken when she was 19 on her living room wall. From a very young age, I loved that photo and always wanted to look like her. I had many lovely conversations with her about the fashion of the 1940s and 1950s, which is when she grew up. From there, I began watching old movies and we would often watch them together. She died at the grand old age of 93, and was immaculately turned out her entire life. She was my first and main inspiration, and will always be where it all began.
These days, I get a lot of inspiration from social media - especially Instagram. I always think there is a lovely wee 'corner' of Instagram which is filled with amazing people who all love vintage and share the most fantastic content. It's a great place to be, and I find everyone to be so supportive and kind. So, as well as sharing fashion tips, hair styles and other vintage-related content, I am inspired by the kindness and generosity of souls that I communicate with on that platform.
Of course, I still love old movies and will regularly spend an afternoon sighing over costumes and hairstyles. I collect vintage magazines, and they are also a great source of inspiration to me.
What are some of your favourite vintage/vintage style pieces?
My favourite 'true vintage' piece of clothing is an utterly divine swing coat which belonged to my great-grandmother and was recently passed on to me by my lovely Mum. She had it in her wardrobe for years and had forgotten all about it. It's the most stunning shade of blue, and I am looking forward to wearing it at some of the vintage events we are attending this year. My Mum is a great knitter and over the years she has produced some lovely vintage cardigans and scarves for me, as well as a beautiful two-piece suit which she has just finished, and I haven't yet had the opportunity to wear. I treasure all of them; because so much love went into making each one.
What drew you to the garments you've purchased from us?
Being a UK size 12 - 14, it's not always easy to find true vintage pieces in my size, so I have a lot of reproduction in my wardrobe as well. I try to shop sustainably and buy pre-loved items when I can. However, I bought a Socialite suit a few years ago, and I have worn it so many times that it has been a real investment. I know I will continue to wear it often because it is so versatile. I was invited to attend the King's Garden Party at Holyrood last July and I knew it had to be another suit from Revival for that. I had many lovely compliments that day and felt very comfortable in it. I also have several dresses that I have bought from Revival. For me, they are all quality items that will last and last.
What might you spend your Revival gift voucher on?
My husband has been amazed that I haven't spent my voucher yet - normally it would burn a hole in my pocket until I used it! However, we have been invited to three weddings this year and I am finding it hard to choose from all the lovely things on the website. I think it will most likely be another suit. I do love the Socialite range of suits, and they are just so versatile, in my opinion. I was delighted to be chosen as the RAFTA winner, and blown away by all the wonderful comments that people left. I'm sure I will find something else that I adore as much as the Revival pieces I already own.
Thank you so much Anne for taking part, it was brilliant to learn more about your love of vintage and we hope you enjoy your prize! If you would like to be in with a chance of winning your very own RAFTA & becoming the next RAFTA champion make sure you tag @revivalvintageuk in your pictures on Instagram.