About Us

My name is Fran, I am the owner of Because Of The Times and a general all-round vintage and second-hand clothing advocate. I founded Because Of The Times in January 2023 with the simple aim of bringing wearable, everyday vintage into modern-day wardrobes and making choosing vintage instead of new as simple as possible.

While working in luxury fashion, I started to become aware of the sheer impact of fashion as we know it, the constant cycle of newness and the throwaway culture that comes attached to it and the effect this has on people and planet – even when it comes to high-end designer clothes. I’ve always bought vintage but this really kickstarted a change in my buying habits, and consequently my relationship with my wardrobe. If there’s a gap for something in my wardrobe now or I do see something I like on the runways or elsewhere, my mantra is “it must already exist!”. And I’d say 99% of the time, it does. 

However, if you’re new to buying vintage, it can be an overwhelming space, partly because there’s so much of it – which is great. But this can make it hard to find the right pieces that work for you (indeed, it took me a long while to work out which kind of pieces work for me). My aim with Because Of The Times is to source pieces that slot into your existing wardrobe and don’t require you to think too much about how to style them – a vintage 1970s blouse will pair with anything from your favourite jeans all the way through to tailoring.

We have four pillars that dictate how we select our vintage:

WEARABILITY. Our pieces will slot right in to your existing wardrobe instantly. They’re styles that don’t require you to think too much about how or when you’re going to wear them, and that you can wear time and time again, with even the most simple of things.

DETAILS. Be it a pleat, a pintuck, an ornate button or a ruffle, each piece has a detail that makes it stand out.

QUALITY. Each piece is carefully considered for its quality, be that its construction, fit or fabric. We lean towards more natural fibres like linen, cotton, silk and wool, not only because they look and feel nicer to wear, but also because they have a lower impact on the environment, both at the start of their life and the end. Well-made pieces made from synthetic fibres still feature: the longer pieces are in circulation, the better.

LONGEVITY. The longer we keep and wear our clothes, the better it is for the environment and the stronger our the relationship with our wardrobe. When we select pieces, as well as asking ourselves if it’s something we would wear, we also ask ‘Is this something I would wear in 5 years time?’.

We hope you find pieces you love now and will cherish forever in our collections. Don't forget to tag us on Instagram in your purchases: @becauseofthetimes_vintage