Green Smoke

By Lou and Nic

I sup my coffee, and I’m careful not to spill it. Lou glances over with a nervous look as she appreciates the quality of the ‘Coming to America jacket’ I’m wearing. It’s vintage; it’s awesome; and it’s rare.

We’re discussing vintage Jets attire, as my jacket came from National Vintage League, the London-based legendary clothing outlet that heartbreakingly ceased trading in mid-2024. They were the pinnacle of classical American sports clothing traders and were extremely well known around the globe; it was not uncommon for them to ship items to well-known sports stars, TV personalities, and celebrities across the pond. I remember speaking to Hugh, the creator of NFL Vintage (its original name), when I was at an event held by NFL Girl, Liz, in Brick Lane in October 2018, and all Hugh had was a medium-sized rail of quality goods. We spoke about his favourite team, the Buccs, and how I longed for a Titans 74 Nick Mangold jersey. His knowledge of NFL history was amazing, and he promised to keep an eye open for it for me. Fast forward to Black Friday 2023, and he’s moved on to pursue a dream career in acting. While taking some well-deserved time off from starring as George McFly in Back to the Future: The Musical on Broadway, he strolls the streets of New York ‘thrifting’ and comes across a 2012-16 authentic Mangold home jersey. Of course, he reaches out to me to let me know. Legend!

Speaking of legends, the evolution of NFL Vintage turned into the National Vintage League (NVL) and eventually fell under the leadership of the amazing duo of Chris (a fan of that Washington team) and Willy, a staunch Raiders supporter. Both are fine fellows that would often let me know if there was a new Jets item to be had, and this meant that along with my Coming to America Jacket, I also obtained a rather dashing Curtis Martin hybrid jersey and, to top it all, a pristine Jets denim Starter jacket that has been the envy of many a fan of Gang Green. Hugh, Chris, and Willy, if you’re reading this, then thank you so very much. Not just for the wares you sold, but for your generosity, your hospitality, and most of all, your kindness. Bless you all; it wouldn’t have been the NFL UK it is today without you guys here in it.

Now, where was I before I went down memory lane? Ah yes! I am sitting with Lou, a Jets fan from London who, in my mind, is the venerable queen of Gang Green vintage. She shows me photos of her classic items on the iPad in front of us and eagerly proceeds to explain her love of the thrift hunt… 

“No journey is too great when one finds where he seeks”

Many people think it was Eddie Murphy who wore the jacket in the movie, but it was actually Arsenio Hall. I’m sitting here wondering if Nic should put an I Heart NY pin on it to make it more ‘authentic’.

I love vintage clothing, and yes, it’s pre-loved, but what I adore about it is the fact that it can be quite unique and has its own story! I specifically love rockabilly style and have spent many years honing my skills in finding and fixing vintage and pre-loved clothes.

My favourite piece is my suede Jets jacket, which I stumbled across when searching Facebook marketplace. It was up there for £80, but the guy took £70! Other beloved items are a recent oversized Pennington jersey (something about those Reebok jerseys I love!) and my 90’s belt buckle from Vinted. I’ll often help others find treasures online too. I post advice on my Instagram page and highlight where special items can be found. What’s the best way to get a gem of a Jets item? This is something I get asked about a lot, and I have some tips:

• Have an idea of what you are after (e.g., an ex-player’s jersey or a classic jacket—have in mind pieces you would love to have in your collection).

• If buying online, read the description and check the measurements; if it says a large, just check (pre-loved) might have shrunk, so ask the question (Vinted and Marketplace are great as people will always give you this).

• Also, check for any signs of wear and tear that are mentioned; are they fixable? Is it something you can live with?

As people come and go in the coffee shop, I watch some of them leave, and over Nic’s shoulder, my eyes focus on someone passing by wearing a New England cap with the original Pat Patriot on it (none of that flying Elvis guff, LOL). I’m that close to going outside and booing him when my eye catches the tailor closing up shop across the street. I turn to Nic and tell him that often I’ll buy something and know that I can fix it up, but if you’re not somebody like that, then make sure you’ll be happy with the imperfections or find a good tailor. My first port of call when I get a vintage piece is to always check it over. Was the description correct? And I always check out the points raised and work out the best way to clean or fix them if necessary. My suede jacket got a spritz of Vodka on the inside (FYI, that’s a great tip to remove musty smells from clothing!) and then left outside—the suede itself needed to be kept dry, and all it required was a brush. A bit of fresh air, and it was good to go.

If there’s a hole, then ask yourself: is it fixable or is it something to live with? Look at these in the description; if it’s on a site, you can haggle the price and then take that into account. Often, I’ve fixed seams with a touch of hemming web. This easily fixes holes and only needs an iron! So if you aren’t great with a needle and thread, then you can still fix things up. A warm bath with some liquid detergent is great for vintage jerseys and tops if you don’t want to use the washing machine, especially if the item is fragile; otherwise, go cold and go short with the wash. Better safe than sorry.

On the way here, we passed Drury Lane and couldn’t help but pop into Wow Retro, one of a couple of great vintage shops in Covent Garden where I’ve bought jerseys and caps. You just need time and patience to sift through them. Others include Rokit in Covent Garden, We are Cow Vintage, and Beyond Retro in Soho. There’s also a little vintage section in Primark on the corner of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street called Wornwell Clothing, which, whilst I’ve not found Jets stuff in there, often has a great section of NFL items, so definitely worth a look.

The coffeeshop staff informs us it’s coming to closing time; have we really been here that long? Nic reached for the iPad and asked about any online sites for historic goods. We discuss the benefits of ‘getting it in your hand’ (he informs me this is an old retail term), and I say there are some really good websites I highly recommend: Vinted/Marketplace and Gumtree, and most of the shops I just mentioned above have online stores and a selection of NFL items, so worth checking them out, and generally all have some kind of discount for first-time purchases (you got to love a discount code!!). It’s also worth looking at worththeweightvintage.com, vintage-folk.com, and gothrift.co.uk too.

We say our goodbyes, and I ponder my collection. There’s a game in London coming up, and I need new… or is that old? … attire. It’s time to thrift, and I’m always scrolling and looking and will probably have to reign in my own spending a bit. Damn you Jets! Why’d you have to be coming to London? I’m going to go broke.