Gemma Zephaniah became interested in men’s vintage through the Mod scene – “I liked the cultural heritage it referenced and how versatile it could be for women as you can still look sharp and chic”. And while she says it’s difficult to find quality and authentic men’s vintage, compared to women’s, she now spends much of her spare time sifting the Brighton’s charity, specialist and vintage shops to unearth the men’s gems. Here she offers up tips on where to shop for affordable, classic pieces.

All too often men’s vintage is neglected and limited to one rail in the back of a shop or worse, you’re presented with rail upon rail of uninspiring shirts or garish Christmas jumpers that even your dad wouldn’t wear. So, where to go for good men’s vintage?

The high-street reproduces many vintage styles and it seems every chain is churning out their own versions of the peacoat. But what can be more debonair for a discerning gent than owning an original Navy peacoat? Starfish Retro Clothing on Gardner Street have a great selection of original items and Jump the Gun also onGardner Street stock new Stirlingwear US Navy pieces.

Men’s vintage clothing and accessories offers many  styling opportunities, allowing you mix items across eras and trends to create different looks. Take a staple item such as brogues: I found these beautiful John Loake brown brogues in the Mind charity shop on St.James Street for £35. With a classic suit these would invoke the 1940’s modernist gent, with Sta Prest trousers they become 1960’s Mod..

Elsewhere in Brighton, Wolf and Gypsy on Sydney Street has a great menswear section at the back of the shop of real quality hand picked vintage items  – original work wear jackets, Breton tops, preppy college sweatshirts, and a lovely selection of silk scarves. And Ivy’s on Church Street is like Steptoe’s yard of the rag trade. On a recent visit I found this stylish Burberry Harrington-style jacket for £15.

Men’s vintage style is also versatile enough to be adapted for women, with items worth looking out for including quality woollens, blazers and silk scarves – a Harrington jacket on a woman can also look great.

A selling point of men’s vintage has to be the quality of the item you can find. While a rail of grey suits can appear to all look the same, a key feature of men’s styling is attention to detail.

Suits and jackets are all about the tailoring, so pay attention to the cut, stitching, lining and quality of the cloth, which you can often judge by weight. A 1960’s bespoke made suit would have been made to last, and you can often find high end labels such as Yves Saint Lauren and Aquascutum on the suit rails of charity shops.

Finally an essential must for men’s vintage is getting your threads tailored. As many a vintage procurer will appreciate, it’s hard to find vintage clothes in your size, but with a few alterations that special item will become bespoke.

Blazers, macs and trousers can also be tweaked to a fit a woman’s shape. A fantastic Brighton tailors is Buddies on Upper North Street, which came highly recommended by the boys of Jump The Gun. Buddies offers a great old fashioned alteration and repair service and at very reasonable prices. Men’s vintage should be seen as an investment. A peacoat is for life!

Where do you shop for men’s vintage clothes? Tell us in the comments section below or by tweeting @vintagebrighton.