Welcome to the Velvet Revival Hall of Fame — a collection of some of the coolest, rarest and downright unusual vintage gems to have passed through our doors. From forgotten labels and iconic pieces to clothes with stories that deserve to be remembered, these are the finds that made us stop, look twice and occasionally consider not selling them at all. They may have moved on to new homes, but they’ve earned their place in Velvet Revival history.
G. Winship #96 Hockey Jersey
This one barely had time to settle onto the rail before it was gone. A fantastic Bauer hockey jersey carrying the name G. Winship and number 96, complete with the bold Blades design and, best of all, a handwritten personal message and signature on the front. It had exactly the combination we love at Velvet Revival — great sportswear styling, a connection to a real person and a story behind the garment. Someone else clearly agreed, because it was snapped up within 30 minutes of going on sale. One of the fastest departures from the shop and an obvious addition to our Hall of Fame.
Greg Bell Leather Vest
This Greg Bell leather vest definitely earned its place in the Velvet Revival Hall of Fame. Dating from around the late 1980s to early 1990s and made in Korea, it looks unusual enough from the front, but the real surprise is on the back — a full leather rucksack built directly into the garment. Complete with flap, metal clasp and expandable storage, it’s one of those wonderfully strange pieces of vintage design that makes you wonder why anyone thought of it in the first place — and why nobody seems to make anything quite like it anymore. We couldn’t find another example anywhere online, making this one of the most unusual pieces to have passed through the shop.
Schuylhill Valley ’78 Jacket
This fantastic 1978 corduroy varsity jacket was always destined for the Velvet Revival Hall of Fame. Made by Maple and personalised for “Beth”, it features “Schuylhill Valley ’78” across the back with a roaring panther emblem, giving it exactly the kind of history and character we love finding in genuine vintage clothing. After surviving for nearly 50 years and somehow making its way from America to our little corner of Woking, it didn’t stay with us for long. A vintage clothing dealer from Sutton spotted it, immediately recognised what a special piece it was and snapped it up. One of those brilliant finds that passes through the shop and reminds us why hunting for vintage never gets boring.
Chevignon Leather Jacket
A proper heavyweight piece of 1980s vintage style, this Chevignon leather jacket was an easy choice for our Hall of Fame. Chevignon built its reputation on premium leather and aviation-inspired jackets, and this beautifully aged example has all the character you want from one. The quality becomes even more impressive when you consider that an equivalent new Chevignon leather jacket today could retail at around £1,000. Proof that sometimes the best clothes aren’t hanging in a designer boutique — they’re waiting to be rediscovered on a vintage rail.
Handmade 1970s Leather Jacket
This incredible handmade leather jacket is pure 1970s style and easily earned its place in the Velvet Revival Hall of Fame. With its warm tan leather, oversized collar, shoulder epaulettes and beautiful woven leather detailing on the pockets and shoulders, it’s a genuinely individual piece from an era when clothing was made to stand out. Best of all, it eventually found exactly the right new home — sold to a genuine vintage enthusiast who fell in love with it and, we suspect, will treasure it forever. That’s what vintage is all about: finding the next custodian for something too special to be forgotten.
1970s Nike Windbreaker
This wonderfully simple Nike windbreaker dates from the 1970s, making it a brilliant survivor from the early days of the brand’s clothing. With its lightweight construction, classic blue colourway and old-school Nike label, it was a proper little piece of sportswear history. It eventually found exactly the right owner when a student from Woking College discovered it in the shop and immediately fell in love with it. Seeing a piece approaching 50 years old being discovered and appreciated by a new generation is exactly what Velvet Revival is all about.
Red Patchwork Leather Jacket
This striking women’s jacket by S.H.K Boutique is one of those pieces that immediately catches your eye. Made from 80% leather, it combines rich red suede and leather panels with intricate hand-finished-style stitching and woven detailing around the collar and cuffs. The patchwork construction gives it a distinctly bohemian feel and makes it completely different from the usual leather jacket. A beautifully unusual piece that deserved a place in the Velvet Revival Hall of Fame.
Cuthberth Facer Jacket
This 1980s jacket nearly had a very different ending. When it arrived at Velvet Revival it was stained, covered in bobbles and had a broken zip — exactly the sort of garment that could easily have been written off. After a thorough clean, plenty of de-bobbling and a zip repair, it came back to life and revealed just how much character it still had. I liked the finished result so much that this one never made it back onto the rail — I decided to keep it myself. A perfect example of why repairing rather than replacing old clothing is sometimes well worth the effort.
Shawn Antoski NHL Jersey
One of the more unusual pieces to pass through Velvet Revival, this is a Shawn Antoski #8 Philadelphia Flyers jersey from the mid-1990s. Antoski played for the Flyers from 1994–96 and wore number 8, including 64 regular-season games in 1995–96. What made ours particularly special was that it came to us as a match-worn jersey rather than simply a fan replica — a genuine piece of NHL history that somehow travelled from the ice in North America all the way to a vintage shop in Woking. Definitely Hall of Fame material.
Clarke County Eagles Letterman Jacket
This Clarke County Eagles letterman jacket is classic American varsity style and exactly the sort of piece we love finding at Velvet Revival. With its navy wool body, contrasting sleeves, huge embroidered “Clarke County Eagles” lettering and crossed baseball bats across the back, it looks like it has walked straight out of an American high-school yearbook. The individual patches and number detailing give it a personal history that modern reproductions simply can’t recreate. A proper piece of Americana and an easy addition to the Velvet Revival Hall of Fame.
The Vintage Jacket That Was Still Brand New
This is what we call a proper unicorn find. This beautiful red leather jacket is more than 20 years old, making it genuinely vintage, yet somehow it arrived at Velvet Revival still brand new with its original tags attached. The likely explanation was hiding in plain sight: the zip was damaged. It appears its original owner bought it, discovered the fault and, for whatever reason, never returned it or had it repaired. More than two decades later, we fixed the zip and finally gave the jacket the chance to be worn for the first time. Vintage and brand new at the same time — you really don’t find many like this.
Vintage Nike Track Top
This bold Nike track top, with its unmistakable purple, red and white colour blocking, was never going to stay on our rails for long. It was snapped up by a young guy from Woking who clearly appreciated a proper piece of old-school Nike. One of the nice things about selling vintage locally is that some pieces don’t completely disappear when they leave the shop — I still occasionally spot this one being worn around town. Much better than sitting forgotten in a wardrobe, and exactly what giving great clothing another life is all about.
Festival Trainers
These definitely earned their place in the Velvet Revival Hall of Fame. I decorated this pair of trainers especially for Sue to wear to a music festival, turning a fairly ordinary pair into something completely unique. Covered in hand-drawn faces, psychedelic patterns and ridiculously bright colours, they also have “LEFT” and “RIGHT” written on them to help Sue put them on the correct feet. Unfortunately, I wrote them on the wrong shoes. Whether that was artistic genius or basic incompetence is still open to debate. Either way, they’re loud, colourful, completely one-of-a-kind and exactly what festival footwear should be.