Ahead of the Vogue Vintage Sale on 29 March, co-hosted by Jorja Smith and Iris Law and presented by eBay, Vogue is celebrating all things pre-loved. Not all vintage treasures are rare designer pieces loaded with fashion lore: from a perfectly worn leather jacket uncovered in a thrift store to a slogan tee sourced online, pre-loved items can (and should) be a key player in every modern wardrobe.
Victoria and David Beckham have form when it comes to matching his ’n’ hers looks. There was, of course, the – somewhat inexplicable – royal purple satin suit and dress that the couple chose for their wedding day back in July 1999. Just a month before that, the pair famously turned up to a Versace event in London wearing top-to-toe leather – an image that Victoria previously revealed still “haunts [her] like you wouldn’t believe”.
The Beckhams’ zip-up leather jackets, featuring a wrap-around popper collar, and matching trousers were from Gucci’s spring/summer 1999 collection – although notably, the jacket and trousers were styled separately on the runway. “The bizarre thing was it was a Versace event, but we turned up wearing matching Gucci leather,” she told Vogue in her Life in Looks video. “I think it was relevant at the time… I think so. Maybe it was just as funny back then; I just didn’t know about it.”
In many ways, the choice made sense, considering Victoria’s penchant for Tom Ford’s Gucci back then – from his black slips to a sparkly tube dress from spring/summer 1997. It’s even referenced in the Spice World movie, when Mel C says, “It must be so hard for you, Victoria, having to decide whether to wear the little Gucci dress, the little Gucci dress, or... the little Gucci dress!”
David, for his part, felt the matching leather looks were “right at the time”, while admitting they were “not his idea”. “Actually it could have been a lot worse that evening because we were walking out the door and I was like, ‘Why don’t we arrive on a motorbike?’” he previously told Vogue. “Obviously back then it felt like a good idea, but now talking about it, it would have been absolutely ridiculous. I’m not saying I regret them because at the time they felt right, but now I’m not so sure.”
Either way, the Beckhams’ twinning moment has gone down in the fashion history books, with pieces from Tom Ford’s Gucci era just as – if not even more – desirable now as they were back then. In fact, the leather jacket style worn by the Spice Girl-turned-designer in 1999, sourced via eBay, will be available as part of the Vogue Vintage Sale this Saturday. Meanwhile, Victoria still has her and David’s original looks safely stowed away in her own archive. How would she wear hers today? Two words: “I wouldn’t.”
