I have just read the most fabulous book! Silent Murders is a stylish murder mystery set in 1920s Hollywood. Not only is it an un-put-downable (that’s totally a word) story, but it’s set against a fascinating backdrop of real life film stars. The main character, Jessie, an ex-Vaudville actress with a rather shady past, lands(…)
‘I learnt one thing on my honeymoon – to take drugs’. Tiger Woman is the autobiography of Betty May, a bohemian wild-child and the unlikely heroine of this truly astonishing story. Born in a poverty-stricken area of London, we hear Betty’s shocking journey which culminates in her becoming a notorious 1920s flapper and artists muse,(…)
I had to share this with you today. It’s a bit different to my usual posts in that it’s not about 20th century fashion, cinema or cake, but I found this book was fascinating and I thought you might too. Anyone who’s a designer out there will know about Pantone and their colour guides. I(…)
The nights have started drawing in here, and the weather has definitely had a more autumnal feel to it over the past few days (probaby something to do with the persistent North wind which is battering us at the moment). I love this time of year though. To be perfectly honest, I love all times(…)
It’s not often I’m lucky enough to come across a book with indulges my love for all things vintage, so I was delighted when I started to read Astor Place Vintage and found that it combines my love of a great story, with a passion for vintage fashion and my fascination for the past. The(…)
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER IS Martina Alban. CONGRATULATIONS MARTINA, YOU WILL BE CONTACTED TO ARRANGE DELIVERY OF YOUR PRIZE. Amanda Rosenbloom, proprietor of Astor Place Vintage, thinks she’s on just another call to appraise and possibly purchase clothing from a wealthy, elderly woman. But after discovering a journal sewn into a fur(…)
I love cookery books. I have an enormous collection of them. So many in fact that they’ve spilled out of my kitchen bookshelf onto windowsills and work-surfaces. So imagine my delight when my lovely friend Lou Lou introduced me to a ‘vintage’ cook book: “right up your street” she said, and I totally agree! The(…)
I’ve been thinking for a while about doing some kind of study-at-home course to learn more about the history of fashion.When I chose my university course all those years ago I didn’t choose things which particularly interested me, I chose something which I thought would be fun (I got to live abroad for a year)(…)
I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of Vintage Swimwear Patterns: Historical Patterns and Techniques this week. It’s a fabulous book, and absolutely fascinating. It contains around 25 patterns for retro swimwear, ranging from the 1880s to the 70s. Each pattern has a photograph of the original swimsuit from which the pattern has(…)
This is a real gem of a book – I wish I’d had it when I was planning my wedding all those years ago! It tells you everything you need to know if you want to plan a vintage themed wedding, including the wedding fashions of each decade illustrated with vintage photos and real-life brides(…)
Can a dress really change the world? Well, perhaps not in an ‘ending famine and promoting world peace‘ kind of way, but there are plenty of iconic dresses which represent turning points in culture and society over the past century. The Design Museum’s Fifty Dresses That Changed The World is a fascinating and entertaining little(…)
When I first started finding out about vintage fashion I had a pretty good idea of the stereotypical fashions from each decade. There were flappers in the 1920s, smart suits with padded shoulders and neat little hats in the 40s, nipped in waists in the 50s, minidresses in the sixties (and so on). The one(…)
1940s Fashion: The Definitive Sourcebook is the most wonderful book! It’s packed with nearly 500 pages of 1940s fashion photos and illustrations which take you through the whole decade: from wartime austerity and fashion influenced by the war effort and rationing, to Christian Dior’s iconic ‘New Look’ from 1947. If you’re fascinated by vintage fashion(…)
The fabulous Sammy of Sammy Davis Vintage has released her long-awaited e-book: The 100 Best Vintage Shops Online. I got my copy yesterday and I’m a overwhelmed with how good it is! It’s an absolute MUST for any vintage enthusiast. For the vintage novice it gives you great reasons why you would want to wear(…)
A great new vintage book arrived on my doorstep a few days ago: Wearable Vintage Fashion by Jo Waterhouse & Clare Bridge. This book is a real find for anyone who is looking to get into vintage: whether you want to adopt a 1950s look for every day, find a great 1920s fancy-dress outfit, or(…)
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED – THE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED HERE YOU CAN SEE OUR CURRENT COMPETITION HERE. This week I’ve been given a copy of Style Me Vintage: Clothes, a guide to sourcing and creating retro looks by Naomi Thompson to review – and giveaway to one lucky person! This is how the book(…)
THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED AND WE HAVE ANNOUNCED THE WINNER HERE. YOU CAN SEE OUR CURRENT COMPETITION HERE. Audrey Hepburn is one of the most enduring beauties of our time – her photos are also the second most popular on We Heart Vintage (behind Marilyn)! The grace and effortless charm of Hepburn has been captured wonderfully(…)
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. YOU CAN SEE OUR CURRENT COMPETITION HERE. This week, I was delighted to receive a copy of Cult Eyewear: The World’s Enduring Classics, thanks to the nice people at Merrell Publishing. Happily I also have an extra copy to give away! As a lover of vintage fashion and design this(…)