Questions & answers
The things people telephone about, answered here so you do not have to.
Is the jewellery real gold? Are the stones real?
No, and we would rather say it here than have you find out later. The jewellery is reproduction, made in the antique manner. The metal carries a plated gold or silver tone finish and the stones are simulated or lab-created. That is why a Victorian-style ring costs thirty dollars instead of three thousand.
If you are looking for genuine estate jewellery with certification, we are not the right shop, and any dealer offering you solid antique gold at these prices is not either.
Are the dresses genuine vintage garments?
They are reproductions of period cuts, made in modern fabric and modern sizing. A dress tagged "1950s" is cut after a fifties silhouette; it was not made in 1955. This means it fits a contemporary body, survives a wash, and comes in a size you can actually order — which most genuine sixty-year-old garments do not.
How do I choose a size?
Sizes run S to XXL, and each product page lists the range available for that piece. Our size guide gives the body measurements each size is cut for. Vintage-cut waists sit higher and narrower than modern ones, so if you are between sizes on the waist, take the larger.
If it matters, email us the piece and your measurements and we will go and measure that exact dress on the rail before you buy.
Will the colour match the photograph?
Closely, but not perfectly. Photographs are taken under daylight without colour staging, which is the most honest record we can produce, and every screen renders it slightly differently. Deep reds and greens shift the most. Ask us and we will describe the shade in words as well.
How long until my order arrives?
The shop trades Friday to Sunday and is closed Monday to Thursday, so parcels are packed on the days we are open. Orders placed at the weekend go out within one to two shop days; orders placed Monday to Thursday are packed the following Friday. Standard post then takes three to seven business days. Full detail is on the shipping page.
Can I collect my order at the shop?
Yes. Choose collection at checkout, bring your confirmation, and pick it up at 160 Houghton St during opening hours. There is no charge and it is usually ready on the next open day. We hold collections for fourteen days.
What if it doesn't fit?
You have thirty days from delivery. Send it back unworn with its tags and we refund the item. If you ordered the wrong size you pay the return postage; if we sent the wrong thing or it is faulty, we cover it. The refunds page sets out every case.
Can I return earrings?
Not once the packet is opened. Pierced jewellery is exempt on hygiene grounds and this is one rule we cannot make exceptions to. If a pair arrives faulty, that is a different matter and we will replace or refund it.
Do you ship outside the United States?
Not at the moment. We post to the fifty states and the District of Columbia. If you are abroad and there is a piece you badly want, write to us and we will tell you plainly whether we can arrange something.
How do I look after these pieces?
Dresses carry their own care instructions on the product page; most prefer a cold machine wash or a hand wash and drying in the shade. For the jewellery, keep it away from water, perfume and hairspray, wipe it with a dry soft cloth, and store it in the packet it came in. Plated finishes last for years treated this way and months when they are not.
Something on a product page looks wrong. What do I do?
Tell us. Email Support@sanfordkid.com with the page and what looks off. We would far rather correct a description than defend it, and corrections are made the same week.