THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER IS hobbisl38. CONGRATULATIONS hobbisl38 DARLING WILL BE IN TOUCH TO ARRANGE YOUR PRIZE! This week’s prize is a fabulous £100 to spend at award-winning designer boutique Darling. The Darling range is the vision of Nadia Moraes, the London based designer and entrepreneur who created the label. As an(…)
Fashion fades, only style remains the same – Coco Chanel. The photo is of Helen Wallace, cousin to Bess Truman photographed in 1925 looking fabulous in a fur cape and hat.
Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis will know that I’m a Sixties girl at heart, and most vintage I buy is from the 60s or 70s. So I relished the chance to try something a little different with this lovely vintage 1950s dress. I was lent it by Helene at Revival Vintage(…)
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)(…)
A woman with good shoes is never ugly – Coco Chanel Hmm, Coco Chanel had quite an acerbic way with words, most of her quotes are interesting but provoke strong opinions in everyone who hears them! The girl in this photo is Eveyln Nesbit, who was known as the ‘Most Beautiful Girl in the World’(…)
A how of 1940s shoes from the cover of McCall Style & Beauty magazine from 1942. I’d love to know how all those ladies are standing on one leg, what must this picture have looked like from backstage?!
Guest post by Cass Brookes. Over the last few decades we’ve seen a number of fashion blunders, but thankfully these have been offset by a handful of triumphs that have stood the test of time. Designers from most eras have looked to the past for inspiration, making some tweaks along the way in order to(…)
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(…)
As I think I’ve mentioned before I ‘m not quite ready to embrace an 80s revival yet. The memories are just too vivid from the first time round, but I do love a nice sequined top. They remind me of all the things I loved about the 80s: glamorous outfits from Dallas and Dynasty and(…)
After the end of World War 1, the 1920s were a time of optimism and exuberance. Fashions for women were more relaxed than ever before, suiting a slim athletic figure in contrast to the tight corseting of previous decades. 1920s wedding styles are having a resurgence at the moment, partly perhaps because of The Great(…)
Isn’t this a lovely outfit? The 1930s were so stylish with the slim fitting long and mid-length dresses. I love the sailor-styling and the bows on her shoes – so elegant! The lady is Miss Hera Roberts on board HNLMS Java, 10 October 1930. You can read more about her here.
It’s wedding season, so it got me thinking about how lovely vintage bridal styles are. When I got married nearly 11 years ago, I wore a 30s-inspired wedding dress – which I still love, but I love fifties style bridal gowns too. This vintage 50s dress in particular is so pretty! Clockwise from left: Faux(…)
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER IS KIMBERLEY GRANT. CONGRATULATIONS KIMBERLEY, STYLE ME BETTY WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU DIRECTLY TO ARRANGE YOUR PRIZE. This weeks prize is a truly unique set of beautiful 1950s vintage jewellery, thanks to Style Me Betty. Isn’t it pretty? The set comprises a pink rhinestone-set brooch and matching(…)
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(…)
Swedish actress Greta Garbo photographed in 1925 just before she made the move to Hollywood (and before she had her Hollywood transformation). It’s very different to her American movie image isn’t it?
My favourite decades for vintage clothing are the sixties and seventies. The only problem with this is that there was so much synthetic material around.. rayon, polyester, nylon and those just aren’t the fabrics to be wearing when its 30 degrees outside. That’s why I love this vintage shift dress so much, it’s from the(…)
1920s Hollywood star and silent movie actress Lillian Gish photographed by Charles Albin, New York, 1922. Aren’t her gloves and veil pretty? Such a lovely photo!
When the economy is tough, there’s nothing more important than finding ways to save money. A lot of people feel as if they have to stop buying things altogether, but there are other, less restrictive ways to go about saving money. One of the best approaches to take is to start buying vintage goods. To(…)