Vintage Meets Modern: A Fashion Shoot in Halesworth’s Vintage Shops

As a professional photographer based in Suffolk, I spent a day shooting a fashion series that mixes vintage pieces with modern casual wear. Styled by Sue Hardy, the aim was simple: show how vintage clothing works alongside modern staples, whatever your age.

The Idea

We shot this on 4 March 2024. The plan was to mix eras deliberately, from properly elegant combinations to playful clashes of design and fabric, and see which pairings held up in front of the camera.

Mixing old and new is also an affordable way to build a wardrobe with some character. One look paired a Victorian-style cane with a new blazer, jeans and DMs, finished with vintage gloves and pearls. The day doubled as a scouting exercise for future locations and styling ideas.

The Locations

We shot in Halesworth, Suffolk, at Portobello East Coast and Valiers. Both shops are full of character and stocked with vintage clothing, which meant the backdrops and much of the wardrobe came from the same places.

The Theme

Vintage sophistication against modern practicality, with a colour palette that was allowed to be loud where the look called for it.

The Outfits

Sue built each outfit around one clear idea. The bird-print dress went with combat boots, the embroidered black dress was left to move on its own, and every look mixed at least two eras.

The red Cheongsam stood out against the vintage shop interior, the tartan skirt and fedora leaned retro without tipping into costume, and one of my favourite frames is simply Sophia walking the aisles in a pinstripe blazer with pearls and red gloves.

Posing a live model in a flapper-style dress among the shop mannequins gave us an image with a bit of mischief in it, and a theatrical outfit with a hot pink hat and tulle skirt finished the day on a playful note.

The Photography

I shoot environmental portraits in the spirit of Norman Parkinson. This day was a Canon 5DS with a 24-70mm lens, lit with a Godox AD200 in a 90cm rice bowl softbox, mostly at around f2.8 to lift Sophia off the backgrounds.

Editing was done in Lightroom with a custom preset that cools the background and warms the skin, which helps the clothing stand out.

Collaborations and Credits

Our model was Sophia, who switched between wildly different looks all day without losing energy. Special thanks to Catherine and the owners of both Halesworth shops for letting us take over their space.