Meet the stall holder: Go Commando’s Philip Amery

He’s been one of our valued stallholders for six years and will be this year, you can find Go Commando at stall 149 in Goodwood Revival’s vintage market. For the rest of the year, Philip sets up camp at Portobello Market on Friday, St. Alban’s Market on Saturdays, Brick Lane on Sundays and Covent Garden on Mondays.

How did you get into vintage?

I was a building surveyor working in the city for 30 years. I hated what I did, and wanted to do something totally different. My first ever job when I was about 13 was working in a market in Wembley for an army surplus guy. I thought back to how much I enjoyed it. Then someone told me there was a free stall available at Covent Garden, which is the hardest antiques market to get into. Nobody was selling any military memorabilia – it’s mainly people selling jewellery and odds and sods – so I sent them some pictures of military hats and they gave me the slot.

Tell us how you first started collecting

I first started going around charity shops, and then house clearances, and then I moved into Portobello market which is a whole community of traders where you develop a lot of contacts. Before I knew it, people started to seek me out and give me stuff. In return I gave them half of whatever I sold it for. And for the last ten years I’ve also represented The Royal Navy Officers’ Charity, selling Royal Navy officers uniforms.

What drives your passion for military uniforms?

If you're going to do a job well, you have to have a passion for it, and I love what I do. I genuinely love every day that I work. There are only a certain number of uniforms, so the buying is harder than selling, and you have to be on the lookout the whole time. I just love anything to do with the military, and I love fashion. Selling vintage uniforms is where those two things meet.

Do you have a favourite era or is there an elusive piece that you're still looking out for?

I love the Second World War. I studied it for A-Level history so it's always been an area that I've enjoyed. Some of the uniforms I get have names in [them], and amazing stories come with that. There was a famous event called the Yangtze incident, just after the Second World War, that was turned into a Hollywood film. I had the uniform of the real life officer that the film was about. I find that very exciting and emotional, thinking about the amazing lives and the bravery of the people who wore these uniforms. I particularly enjoy collecting RAF uniforms, a lot of which I’ll have at Goodwood this year.

What do you look for when you are sourcing uniforms?

I’m not a tailor but I look very carefully at any item I’m buying to make sure it’s clean and in good condition. I never buy from children or grandchildren selling off their grandparents medals, because I think it’s part of their family story.

Who do you tend to sell to?

Beyond Goodwood there’s a wide and varied audience. During lockdown, Instagram became my saviour and opened me up to a whole new audience. I've sent uniforms all over the world, including Australia and New Zealand. There's a hotel called British Hills in Japan, where everything is British, so they’ve bought pieces from me. A lot of Americans will buy pieces for Halloween and lots of Chinese and Korean customers are very interested in the ceremonial uniforms. I also sell general army surplus for hiking and walking. It used to just be older people, but concerns about sustainability mean that I have a much younger crowd buying from me these days. And then of course I've had big fashion houses, including the designers for Alexander McQueen come down to Portobello Road and buy uniforms, just to copy certain features and details.

Any tips for people looking for military pieces?

There are lots of reproductions on the market these days, so people should always look at the labels to see if it’s authentic. Another way of telling is by looking at the buttons. If something is from WWII then it should have the King’s crown on it, rather than the Queen’s. At Goodwood, American Jeeps ferry people around and if you’re looking for a similar flying jacket then it’s worth knowing that the originals would have had buttons not zips. When it comes to getting something dry cleaned, it's important that you put tissue over the buttons so they don’t get ruined.

What is it that you love about Goodwood Revival?

It’s amazing. I love the feeling that you are walking back into history. There’s nothing like standing in front of the stall on a nice sunny day, watching everybody walking around. Almost everyone comes dressed up in amazing clothing. And there’s nothing like dressing someone up in a vintage uniform for the first time and seeing their face light up when they look in the mirror.

What will you be wearing this year?

I normally wear an old flying suit from the 1950s because it's very comfortable. I'll be selling them on my store as well. Occasionally I wear an old ’51 American jacket over it.

Discover how to unearth a vintage treasure with Goodwood Revival’s Style Advisor Bay Garnett.

Photography by Marcus Dodridge, Nigel Harniman, Toby Adamson, Chris Ison, Edd Horder and Stephanie O'Callaghan.