Audrey Hepburn married twice, the second time in 1969 to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti. They married in Morges, Switzerland and she wore was a pale pink minidress with matching hood by favourite designer Hubert de Givenchy. Givenchy also designed some of Hepburn’s most iconic movie looks including her Sabrina dress, the amazing 1960s mod costumes(…)
If you’re like me, you love a bit of nostalgia at Christmas. Plus since everyone I have to buy for seems to already have everything they need it’s nice to indulge in a little retro fun! I thought I’d share some of my favourites I’ve found whilst trying to find a Christmas gift for my(…)
The wedding of Wallis Simpson to Edward, Duke of Windsor in 1937 was one of the most scandalous marriages of the 20th Century. In order to marry ‘the woman I love’ who was an American 2-time divorcee and therefore seen as totally unsuitable to become Queen, King Edward VIII was forced to abdicate the throne.
We tend to think of 1950s swimwear as being the height of style and sophistication, and some of it WAS beautiful, but as you can tell by these photos some of the more experimental items of beachwear were more miss than hit! The giant puffy beachball look anyone?
The can-can dancers of the Moulin Rouge in Paris, probably taken some time in the 1950s judging by the hair and make-up styles. Those flying leaps into the splits look really painful! The backstage photos showing them warming up before a performance are really interesting too, they were all so bendy!
As promised when I published my favourite women’s outfits from this year’s Goodwood Revival, here are my pick of the most dapper gents. Their outfits are all 1940s, 50s or 60s themed and I think you’ll agree that they all look splendid! As always there were so many military uniforms, that I decided not to(…)
Sadly I couldn’t make it to Goodwood Revival this year. It’s the first year we’ve missed it, but happily Matt Hind from Men’s File was there taking his amazing photos so I didn’t have to miss out entirely! Here are some of my favourite looks from the Goodwood Revival 2015. The fashions range from 1940s(…)
1928 was an interesting turning point in 1920s fashion. The boyish figure of the mid 1920s was starting to become more feminine again with female curves starting to re-emerge from androgyny. The tubular flattening underwear of earlier in the decade was becoming more forgiving (or at least more womanly in shape), and once again women(…)
Tomorrow Queen Elizabeth II overtakes Queen Victoria as the longest serving monarch in British History. I was born in the 1970s so she’s always seemed very much an older woman to me, so I thought it might be nice to see some photos of her as a young woman. I particularly love the photos of(…)
The forecast heatwave seems to have arrived in full force today and it’s far too hot to actually dance, so here are some vintage photos of people dancing their socks off to keep us all entertained. Thinking about doing exercise is almost as good as doing it, right? Oh, and I’d like to know your(…)
Have you heard the amazing story of this vintage 1950s wedding dress? It was anonymously donated to the charity St. Gemma’s Hospice (who are based in Yorkshire, UK) with the following note pinned to it: “I wish any lady who takes this dress to have a life with her loved one 56 years like I(…)
1930 bridged the gap between the decadent 1920s and the introduction and enforcement of the Hayes Motion Picture Code which cracked down on immorality, nudity and general fun at the movies*. Here are some of the films released in this year. They range from the sublime to the ridiculous and from racy to glamorous not(…)
My thoughts have definitely turned to summer after the last week or glorious sunshine, so I thought I’d share some of my favourite retro ideas for having fun this summer. Go on, re-live your happy childhood memories in the garden this summer! Plastic Potato Gun Blasting friends and family with tiny chunks of potato never(…)
I visited the Wedding Dresses (1775-2014) exhibition at the V&A last week. It was a fantastic display of bridal fashions ranging from incredibly wide 1700s dresses which would make you turn sideways to get through doorways (I explained that really badly, I mean this kind type of thing), to modern day celebrity wedding dresses. The(…)
How did women go from the straight laced Edwardian era to free and easy fashions of 1920s flapper in just 1 decade? The catalyst was the same that changed not only fashion, but society and many aspects of everyday life: war. The Edwardian Era Just in case you’re not sure what Edwardian ladies looked like,(…)
I visited the V&A a week or so ago. One of my favourite museums in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum is an eclectic mix of sculptures, religious art, design and fashion, but on this visit I wanted to spend some time in their Fashion section. One thing which really surprised me was the size of(…)
I don’t profess to be any kind of historical costume expert, but I do have an interest in vintage fashions and I love a good wedding dress. Because of this I’ve spent hours both looking at old wedding photos and watching Downton Abbey, and it strikes me that they don’t seem to tally at all!(…)
Vintage high school photos taken in 1942 at McGuffey High School in Miami. Aren’t these great? I love the different hairstyles, some are so fancy. I wonder whether they wore their hair like this every day or whether it was a special effort on photo day? Can you tell from the photos who the different(…)