PUZZLE OF ‘VINTAGE’ VALLEYS KIT SALE
WORN PE kit from a Valleys school is being sold as “vintage” fashion gear on international clothes website ASOS. A sweatshirt said to have been worn by boys from Aberdare Community School is for sale on the website’s Marketplace section. The listing has aroused the curiosity of social media users.
That’s because, at a closer glance, the vintage clothes seller Goose Goose is based in a coastal area of north-western Lithuania called Vydmantai.
The seller is hoping to flog a single unit of the black jumper with yellow and red stripes, complete with the school’s logo, which is believed to be worn for gym lessons at the town’s school.
On the ASOS listing, Goose Goose advertises what appears to be its resident model wearing the sweatshirt with an upturned collar.
He’s dressed in rolled up blue jeans and New Balance trainers, with the “vintage sweatshirt” for sale for £14.
It lists the condition as “vintage” from the early 1990s – a claim made more curious by the fact that the Aberdare school only opened in 2014, following the amalgamation of Aberdare High, Aberdare Girls’ and Blaengwawr Comprehensive students.
On the listing, it says: “Very good condition. There is signs of natural wear as to be expected with all vintage clothes. there is no size written, please check the measurements. Model in the picture usually wears M size, height 190 cm/74.80 in. However, this sweatshirt fits from M to L size. Please check measurements by clicking on the size&care tab above.”
Attempts have been made by Wales on Sunday to contact the seller, whose mission statement on ASOS reads: “We take vintage seriously!
“We adore Sunday brunch with our Grandmas. We read old ld fashion books in the garden. We are passionate about real Ladies and Gentlemen, because we take vintage seriously. We focus on good price, h high h quality, l b best service and d fashionable clothes!”
When contacted, a spokeswoman for ASOS said: “ASOS Marketplace is a place for new, independent brands a and vintage boutiques from around the world. “There are more th than 1,000 boutiques on Marketplace, each of which have indivi vidual storefronts and bl blogs to represent the br brands. “ASOS Marketplace all allows millennial m micro-preneurs to lau launch their own br brands in a credible ret retail environment, giv giving young talent the opp opportunity to reach ASOS’s extensive global audience.”
Rhondda Cynon Taf council, the local authority responsible for the school, declined to comment.