We're delighted to introduce you to Autumn, our new Vintage moderator and a passionate member of the Lucky Sweater community. Living on the outskirts of Milwaukee, Autumn's love for secondhand fashion and vintage finds runs deep. From her beginnings in thrifting to her current adventures on Lucky Sweater, her journey is a testament to sustainable fashion and community bonding.

Dive in to discover her favorite vintage treasures, her insights, and her memorable trades on Lucky Sweater.

Autumn, we are so excited to have you on the mod team. Can you tell us a a little about yourself?

My name is Autumn and I live just outside of Milwaukee with my guy Daniel, our two young children, and a highly dramatic chihuahua mix named Opal. I’m an active member of my local Buy Nothing group and spend my summers growing flowers to give away to my community.

How did you first get into secondhand and vintage clothing?

My slow fashion journey began in high school with thrifting. Growing up in a small town with limited shopping options, I turned to secondhand stores in the search for clothes that made me feel most like myself. I love that Lucky Sweater gives folks a place to make connections and explore their style without spending anything!

What was your favorite vintage treasure you have ever found? Where did you find it?

This is such a hard question! There have been so many. I did my first year of college in Missoula, Montana, and at that time I had this amazing coat that I got at a vintage store there. It was with me for many, many years and I’d say it became a signature piece of mine. It was kind of a cape shape light blue boucle wool blend with a pink lining. It did have sleeves and just one fancy clear acrylic button. I wore it a ton then sent it back into the secondhand universe.

What’s your favorite decade when it comes to vintage clothing and why?‍

Definitely seventies! I have a hard time saying no to bold colors and prints.

What is your advice for people who are just starting to try our vintage clothing?

Browse! Of course the vintage community on LS is a great place to browse vintage, but also take a look at online selling platforms and see what jumps out at you. I think there’s this idea (that is luckily becoming a bit outdated now) that the primary way to incorporate vintage into your wardrobe is to spend hours thrifting and hope you find a gem, but there are definitely more accessible ways to do it.

I think another approach is taking a look at the pieces in your closet that you wear a ton and seeking out vintage versions of them. Maybe you’re a fan of those super soft and beautiful Aliya Wanek sweatshirts. If so, a vintage sweatshirt might speak to you as well. 

What has been your favorite feature of the Vintage community so far?

I have truly loved reading everyone’s memories of the pieces they’ve posted to the community so far! I think that’s one of the most magical parts of vintage clothing. 

What excites you about the future of the Vintage community? 

I’m just super excited in general to watch the community grow! 

Do you have any favorite Lucky Sweater traders so far?

My favorite lucky sweater trades tend to be pieces that I never would have sought out to purchase myself, but have quickly become wardrobe staples for me. I love being able to try out stuff that’s outside my comfort zone style-wise in a low risk way. A really good example of this is a rust colored black crane jumpsuit that I traded for last winter! (See photo above!)