Welcome to This Old Thing, where ELLE UK’s vintage-obsessed editors wax lyrical about the very best things they find on their scrolls, from the icons to the cult finds - because buying everything new is so last season.
It’s arguably one of the more pedestrian things John Galliano has ever sent down a runway (he wasn't dubbed fashion's enfant terrible for nothing), but it's a simple logo T-shirt from his time at Dior, the J'Adore Dior tee, that now has cult status amongst the most keen-eyed resale addicts.
First seen on the SS01 runway (though you’ll have to squint to spot it under the tiers of tulle and layers of silk) the tongue-in-cheek design spearheaded the designer T-shirt revolution, democratising Galliano’s fantastical, exclusive vision and making a small slice of the house attainable to the masses.
Of course, before you could buy into a brand via a slogan T-shirt, you could do so via a fragrance. Galliano’s logo tees followed the house’s blockbuster perfume of the same name, which launched at the tail-end of the Nineties and became an instant commercial hit. But, while the younger generations were perhaps more likely to invest in a celebrity-backed scent (this was the era of Britney Spears’ 'Fantasy', after all), a relatively affordable tee - designer credentials writ large across the chest - was an alluring gateway into the luxury world.
Since then the logo has entered the fashion hall of fame, no doubt largely thanks to Sex And The City's Patricia Field who placed it not once (on Lucy Liu during her guest starring role), not twice (emblazoned across Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones' headscarf), but three times (lastly on Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw in the second film) across the series and films.
More recently, Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner have worn their own vintage Dior treasures, cementing the piece’s status as a brag-worthy second-hand score. After all, it's the perfect counterpart to those low-rise jeans you're gearing yourself up to wear. (Still scared? Play it safe with a pair of cargo pants instead.)
Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior
If you're keen to join the club there are plenty of original Dior hits currently hiding in the resale realm, and some are surprisingly priced. Look for slender Nineties baby tees, or go second-skin and sleeveless. And if you spy ‘World Champion 1947’ emblazoned across the back, don’t delay: it’s Galliano’s rebellious ode to Christian Dior’s revolutionary New Look collection, which was unveiled in that very year.
While J’Adore Dior might not have the same empowering energy as Maria Grazia’s more modern revivals for the house, we can all be feminists and enjoy a little Nineties nostalgia, no?
