PENNY LANE

31 12 09

2009-12-31T16:25:00.004Z

Now that Christmas is just about over, and the new year is literally hours away, it's time to think about what's going to happen next. For me, its my birthday! The bad news is I'm only 19 days away from turning 22 - urgh! But the good news (without sounding too much like a spoiled brat) is that I get more presents!
I had been looking at these shoes from Miss Selfridge:

I tried on a size 7 which were massive, and then the 6 came up so tiny that it pinched my toes. I guess unfortunately it's not meant to be, which is a shame because they are gorgeous! So I sent them back, and hopefully I might be able to find a similar pair somewhere else.

Also, my wardrobe situation is DIRE. At the moment I'm sharing (yes, sharing!) a tiny corner cupboard with my boyfriend. I have such a small amount of space I have about 4 bin bags of clothes in my loft because I just do not have the room for it all! Plus I have to keep my coats in my mum's wardrobe and my shoes in a big box under the bed! This is what I'm dealing with:

Horrific! Maybe one day I will have a beautiful walk in boudoir/wardrobe room, but for now I'll have to make other arrangements! Thankfully we have decided to get one of those all-in-one Ikea wardrobe units with the built-in draws etc. like this but with sliding doors on the front:

Currently in my teeny tiny wardrobe I have managed to squeeze in:
10 blouses/shirts
4 t-shirts
7 vests
5 other tops
6 bodies
11 cardigans
9 jumpers/sweaters
4 blazers
12 skirts
3 pairs of shorts
1 pair of trousers
3 pairs of leggings
2 playsuits and
31 dresses

Which comes to a grand total of 108 items of clothing!!!! In that tiny space!
So once our brand new wardrobe arrives, I can organise everything into neat sections, and I might even sell a few things that I haven't worn in a while because after sorting through everything I have in my wardrobe it's quite obvious that it has gone way past an addiction! Not that I want to stop hoarding, I'm just making room for more!!

PS: Happy New Year to you all!

17 12 09

2009-12-17T17:42:00.003Z

Todays outfit:

3 12 09

2009-12-03T14:46:00.002Z

Oh dear it's been a while since I've posted anything, sorry! I'm a bad blogger! How is everyone? All looking forward to Christmas I hope?!
Well, over the last few days I've been making a list of all the things I would like for Christmas, one of them being this amazing pair of boots by Office:

They are a copy of these boots by Chloe:

And here they are in red worn by Sienna Miller:

They're a very good copy I might add! Plus a lot cheaper - the original Chloe pair are about £750 but the pair from Office are much less expensive at £100.
They arrived at my house this morning, and I love love love them, the only problem is I have to wait until Christmas to wear them! Booo!

What have you put on your Christmas list?

21 10 09

2009-10-21T20:46:00.004+01:00

I did a bit of shopping today to try to find a black fake fur coat. I didn't find one I liked in the end, but I did buy a cute black dress from H&M and the most awesome pair of boots ever!!! They are identical to the ones from Miss Selfridge that I have been lusting after for ages (but are £70!!)

So I got these babies from Peacocks for £30! Woop woop!

There are only minute differences, like, the hardware is not such high quality metal, and the leather isn't as shiny but other than that you can hardly tell that they are £40 cheaper! Today was a good day :-)

8 10 09

2009-10-08T18:06:00.003+01:00

I'm quite liking this leather jacket from TopShop - especially the studs on the collar. Although, I'm not really too sure that I like what's going on with the pockets.

YO, TOPSHOP, I'M REALLY HAPPY FOR YOU, AND IMMA LET YOU FINISH, BUT ACNE HAS ONE OF THE BEST LEATHER JACKETS OF ALL TIME! OF ALL TIME!

Please someone buy this for me? :'(

29 9 09

2009-09-29T16:36:00.003+01:00

Just because the weather is getting colder, it doesn't mean that your style has to go into hibernation! After having a skim through the fall 2009 rtw runway shows, I found two looks that will liven up your winter wardrobe - plus, I have re-created the looks using items from the high street (because not all of us can afford to spend £800 on one dress!!)

Houndstooth

-Graphic houndstooth adds a lighter touch to winter's black palettes
-Oversized checks, ass seen at Preen, give the look a contemporary cool element

Preen

Dress £35 from Debenhams
Fur Coat from H&M
Boots £95 from Miss Selfridge

Shaped

-Razor-sharp cutting skims curves with super-fine accuracy
-Black and charcoal grey make for a dramatic, graphic palette

Elie Saab

Dress from Warehouse
Shoes £100 from TopShop
Gloves £18 from Asos
Tights £5 from Dorothy Perkins

16 9 09

2009-09-16T17:01:00.002+01:00

I am absolutely in love with everything velvet at the moment! The item that I want the most is this gorgeous biker jacket by Christopher Kane (but it is £848!!!!!!! ouch!!) it is so so so so perfect! Damn I wish I was rich! :'(

There are, however, some more affordable items on the high street. I found these two in TopShop:

Dress £35

Shrug £30

8 9 09

2009-09-08T18:33:00.002+01:00

I recently purchased this awesome leopard print body from TopShop, and I've got one or two things to wear with it, but I'm looking for other items to buy that can go with it. I made up two outfits (one using items from TopShop, and the other using items from Miss Selfridge) and I think now I need to start saving up so I can buy everything!!

TopShop outfit: Skirt £38, Shoes £75, Bag £85.

Miss Selfridge outfit: Leggings £35, Shoes £25, Belt £18, Bag £25, Earrings £6.

2 9 08

2009-09-02T14:14:00.002+01:00

I'm back! I survived Reading (just) but I've almost totally lost my voice :-( boooo!
Anyway I was having a flick through the weekend newspaper supplements when I got back home and came across a very handy list of designer/high street collaborations! Yay! Put these dates in your diaries ladies:

Preen and PPQ at very.co.uk - available from September 7th

Matthew Williamson at Debenhams - available from September 21st

Giles at New Look - available mid-November

Jimmy Choo at H&M - available from November 14th

Louise Gray, Poltock & Walsh, Scott Wilson and many more at asos.com - available from late September

Adam for Mango - available from mid-October

Ashish, Peter Jensen, Emma Cook and Preen shoes at TopShop - available from September 21st

Pierre Hardy at Gap - available from September 30th

27 8 09

2009-08-27T00:02:00.002+01:00

I have not abandoned this blog! Things have just been quite busy as of late. Am off to bed now; my coach for Reading Festival leaves at 10am tomorrow! Woooop! xx

4 8 09

2009-08-04T15:58:00.002+01:00

Some current trends, and their high street versions:

Big Shoulders (jackets)

Rick Owens jacket £1,085

Miss Selfridge blazer £45

Topshop coat £85

Big Shoulders (dresses)

Topshop dress £38

Acne dress £125

Warehouse dress £20

Tough/Edgy

Warehouse dress £50

Topshop dress £45

Miss Selfridge dress £28

Eighties

Dorothy Perkins dress £40

Miss Selfridge dress £28

Topshop dress £35

Runway images: style.com
Collages by me!

3 8 09

2009-08-03T23:17:00.002+01:00

I recently re-watched The Grifters, a film about con-artists starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening. I haven't read the book, but I have read another book by Jim Thompson called The Killer Inside Me which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I will probably get the book and read that too. My favourite character is Myra (played by Annette Bening) because she has the coolest outfits throughout the movie.

My favourite item has to be the leopard print biker jacket! Apologies for the poor quality photographs, I had to take them on my phone from the screen. Why is it that you can't take screen-shots whilst the DVD player is open on Mac computers?!! Rubbish! Anyways, here's the trailer:

28 7 09

2009-07-28T18:23:00.002+01:00

CURRENT WISHLIST:

run dmc vest from forever21 £9

rose print corset top from topshop £35

polkadot crop top from topshop £14

lace tunic from topshop £18

stripe body from topshop £18

stud skirt from oasis £75

wolf t-shirt from asos £20

sonia rykiel t-shirt from asos £80

denim dress from asos £35

black lace dress from asos £37.50

chain waist dress from miso £29.99

floral dress from miso £22.99

20 7 09

2009-07-20T19:15:00.002+01:00

I don't usually wear a lot of jewellery, but that's mostly because I hardly have any, as I tend to always focus my buying towards items of clothing! However, I have had my eye on a few pieces that I really want. The first two are from Lady Luck Rules Ok, which I have loved for years; their stuff is just so cute! The russian doll necklace is personalised with your own name on it too!

LLROK song bird necklace, LLROK russian doll name necklace.

The 'Yeah!' necklace is from a shop called Me & Zena that I just recently saw in a magazine, I really love it but I resent paying £22 for something that was probably about £2 to manufacture - if that! The same goes for the Tatty Devine necklace too. £40?!?!?!!!!!!! Come on!! But still, they are both really nice and if I had that much money to waste I would totally buy them.... or I could just get somebody to buy them for me? :-D

Me & Zena "Yeah!" necklace, Tatty Devine jarvs specs necklace.

13 7 09

2009-07-13T18:01:00.002+01:00

Ahhh! I know it's been ages since my last blog post - sorry!
I did a bit of shopping the other day and bought myself a few bits from TopShop. I usually tend not to shop there because everybody always ends up looking the same, but I am in dire need of new clothes and I couldn't find anything anywhere that I liked! Why is fashion rubbish at the moment? Or am I just looking in the wrong places...?!
The top is quite a nice shape, there were loads of crop tops I liked but when I tried them on, they just looked like maternity tops! Definitely more suited for people with a smaller bust! The leggings are sooooo comfy though, I have a feeling that I'm going to be living in these from now on!

1 7 09

2009-07-01T23:19:00.003+01:00

I have just come across a vintage retailer called Atelier-Mayer that I thought I would share with you. Here is a little bit about them from their website:

"ATELIER-MAYER.COM is a website dedicated solely to the global phenomenon of 20th- century vintage. Inspired by the late Klaudia Mayer, an Austrian haute couture tailor whose atelier was originally founded in 1927, the company has updated Madame Mayer's heritage to the 21st century in the form of a luxury online boutique for vintage fashion lovers, collectors, students, designers and artists."

Here are some of my favourite pieces from the website (if money were no object!!!)

Jean Patou Cream Coat Style Dress £345

Hand Embroidered Bodice £51.75

Garolini Suede Heels £92

Black Lace Pillbox Hat £92

Valentino Gold Petal Earrings £80.50

23 6 09

2009-06-23T15:32:00.004+01:00

Whilst I was in New York I was looking forward to going to the vintage market I had heard so much about in Hell's Kitchen, but unfortunately I couldn't find it!!! (If anybody could tell me exactly where it is that would be great!) I was quite disappointed but I did find some really good vintage shops in the East Village. I can't remember what the name of the shop was, but it was super cheap! I found two gorgeous beaded cardigans for $30 each, after seeing similar ones in a shop nearby for $70!!!

In the same shop I also found an original 1960s coat in a beautiful green colour, but it had a fur collar so I didn't get it. I did however get these two dresses; both of them need taking up at the bottom, and with a little bit of (poor) photoshop magic I can see what they will look like after I make them shorter!

I also went to the Lulu Guinness shop in Greenwich Village and got myself an adorable vanity case. I love the 50s pattern all over it! But I feel like it's too pretty to actually use!

I had a little furry friend supervising me whilst I was taking the photos, but she got tired and fell asleep! :)

18 6 09

2009-06-18T16:46:00.004+01:00

I'm back in England now, unfortunately, but I had the best holiday ever ever ever! I love New York! I want to live there!!
I did manage to find a few good vintage shops, but not nearly as many as I hoped. I tried looking for the market in Hell's Kitchen but I couldn't find it, so gutted about that! I will take some pics of my finds and show you, but for now here's a little peek into what we got up to in America (We met real sailors!! Wooh!)

30 5 09

2009-05-30T20:34:00.001+01:00

I'm off on holiday to New York and Florida for two weeks, so I will be back soon! X

21 5 09

2009-05-21T17:46:00.004+01:00

Today I was on the hunt for a big bag to use as my carry-on luggage when I scoot off to America at the beginning of next month (yay!), I searched high and low, cheap and expensive, and found... nothing. Okay, I only looked on the high street, but still, when did the high street get so rubbish?! Have I just been away from these shops for so long that I've forgotten what poor quality their stock is? Or has it become increasingly worse over time?! Anyway, there was one bag which I kinda liked, in River Island. Exhibit A:

At first glance, I loved it. Chain strap - love, quilted - double love, patent – triple love! But then I realised I was looking at the back of it, and didn't notice the huge hideous badge that was on the front! What is that thing?!! Is this River Island attempting to make their accessories look designer? Is this their attempt at a double C Chanel logo?! WRONG WRONG WRONG! So tacky!
After being totally deflated I went into TopShop with the hope of something better. I didn't find a bag, but I found the most adorable cardigan! It's not TopShops own design, but one of the concessions, by a brand called Motel Rocks.

I tried it on and it is sooo uber soft, and has the coolest buttons!

At £50 I thought it was a bit pricey for a cardigan, but I knew I would wear it over and over, so I treated myself!
Then when I got home, I looked on the internet for a bag and came across this beauty:

It’s very similar to the River Island one, but the strap is a gold chain instead of silver which I think looks better, and it doesn't have that horrid logo on the front. Plus, the strap is much longer AND it was cheaper! Success! I have practically everything I need for the holiday now, minus a wash bag, but I've wanted a Lulu Guinness vanity case for ages now, and seeing as it's going to be cheaper in America, I'm going to get one over there. Sorted!

Wow, that's the longest post I've done in a while!! xxx

20 5 09

2009-05-20T18:03:00.002+01:00

I have been watching Gok Wan's new show and thought I would do a couple of outfit posts on the last episodes catwalk face-off. Two of the looks they sent down the runway were nautical and floral. Both really good trends that come around every summer, and both really easy to wear. I have made an outfit that is almost identical the one that was on the show, then I did my own version. Enjoy!

Nautical - Gok's version:

Skirt – New Look
Vest – TopShop
Blazer – My Theresa
Shoes – Giuseppe Zanotti
Bag – Oasis
Earrings – Aerie
Scarf – Forzieri

Nautical - My version:

Dress – TopShop
Wedges – Charlotte Russe
Clutch – Simply Soles
Brooches – Monsoon
Earrings – Mod Cloth
Headband – Dorothy Perkins

Florals - Brix's version:

Dress – Luella
Bag – Dior
Shoes – Christian Louboutin
Hat – Accessorize

Florals - My version:

Dress – Dorothy Perkins
Shoes – Christian Louboutin
Bag – Yes Style
Fascinator – Hats In The Belfry

9 5 09

2009-05-09T20:55:00.004+01:00

Movie Maidens is a fantastic website devoted to the most beautiful actresses from the 20s to the 50s. There is an entire library of images of each actress, from Louise Brooks to Marilyn Monroe and loads in between. Here are some of my favourites:

5 5 09

2009-05-05T21:59:00.002+01:00

I wish that I knew about the website Vintageous.com when I had my school prom, I would have loved to have worn any one of these fabulous dresses. I imagine that films like Hairspray have made these kind of dresses really popular for school proms, but nobody wore anything like this at mine! I wish I could go back and wear one of these dresses, probably the red one, or the pink one with bows, in fact I don't think I would have been able to chose!

Actually, when I was looking through the Vintageous website, I came across a dress that was acutally used IN the movie Hairspray! How cool is that?!!

29 4 08

2009-04-29T19:02:00.001+01:00

I counted my shoe collection today, and I currently have 15 pairs! I know that most of you probably have a lot more, but that is quite a large number for me! Especially seeing as I only wear about 3 pairs out of that collection!
However, although I have more than enough pairs of shoes, my desire is not quenched! I found all of these gorgeous shoes on Etsy, each one with a sweet bow feature:

1. Black velvet - £6.75
2. Navy and white flats - £12
3. Cream pumps - £10
4. Silver metallic - £19
5. Pink suede - £13.50
6. Navy flats - £16.80
7. Black patent - £30
8. White and polka dot - £16.80
9. Brown with gold - £24

28 4 09

2009-04-28T20:15:00.002+01:00

I am soooo gutted that I missed the opportunity to buy this dress. Everything about it was perfect; the shape, the colour, the print! It was a little bit expensive for me so I waited a bit to see if I could save up, but alas, I was too late!

See, how pretty is that?!
Have you had anything fabulous that you missed out on?

24 4 09

2009-04-24T21:55:00.003+01:00

Last night I went to see one of my favourite bands, Camera Obscura. If you haven't already heard any of their music then I strongly urge you to start immediately!
Here's the video to their latest single 'French Navy' and another of one of their most famous songs 'Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken'.

To hear more, visit their myspace: www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

20 4 09

2009-04-20T20:11:00.004+01:00

The weather was absolutely gorgeous today, so my boyfriend and I decided to have a picnic at Hainault Forest near where we live. I made some home-made fried chicken, which was amazingly delicious even if I do say so myself! I also wore my new dress that I got from work, you can see it in a picture my boyf took with his old polaroid camera:

Hope you all enjoyed today's sunshine! I am off to get some dinner xxx

16 4 09

2009-04-16T17:42:00.002+01:00

I have just discovered a fantastic website that sells vintage couture, it's called (not surprisingly) Vintage Couture. It has loads of designers, and also some anonymous items that are equally as gorgeous! Here are my favourite picks from the collection:

Pierre Cardin Coat £654 and Dress £335

Christian Dior Dress £804 and Nina Ricci Dress £2,547

Chanel Suit £4,024 and Chanel Earrings £150

1950s Evening Dress £805 and 1950s Suit £201

13 4 09

2009-04-13T18:16:00.002+01:00

I have always been a lover of hats, but have never been able to indulge in this affection because my head does not seem to agree with the hats I put on it! They always end up looking awkwardly perched and just not quite right. I do, however, still like to look at all the beautiful vintage millinery that is out there - purely for the wonderful craftsmanship, if nothing else.

I found these gorgeous photographs of some fantastic headwear, from the Vintage Vogue pool on Flickr. Here are a few fabulous vintage hats that I found for sale:

1950s Pink Silk Platter Hat from Etsy

1950s Floral Net Hat from Etsy

1950s Pink Velour Hat from Vintage Hat Box

1940s Taupe Felt Hat from Vintage Hat Box

1950s Ivory Velvet Net Hat from Ruby Lane

1950s Large Floral Hat from Posh Girl Vintage

12 4 09

2009-04-12T01:41:00.004+01:00

A little while ago I made this dress from a vintage 50's dress pattern. I lost interest in sewing for a while but now I'm eager to get some new patterns and start making some things to wear!

Here are some of my favourites that I'm thinking of buying and making:

1960s Dress Pattern from Best Vintage Patterns

1950s Dress Pattern from Best Vintage Patterns

1950s Dress Pattern from Moms Patterns

I am also really lusting after this coat from Etsy but unfortunately including the shipping to the UK it's about £60, which I know isn't much for a coat but I'm so skint at the moment! Plus, summer is approaching so I think it might be a bit of a useless purchase... but I want it so badly!! Please pleeeease somebody buy it for me! I will love you forever!

I might have to resort in making something for myself in a similar fabric. I found this pattern (the one on the right) which is sort of similar:

1950s Coat Pattern from Best Vintage Patterns

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter tomorrow! My mum is cooking us a BIG turkey dinner!! I can't wait! xxx

7 4 09

2009-04-07T20:50:00.003+01:00

In one of the newspaper supplements last Sunday there was an interview with Miss Polly Rae about 'silver screen hair and retro make-up'. I thought I would put up some of the tips she gave because she always looks so glamorous!

HAIR

1. "There's an art to doing retro styles. To create classic 1940s victory rolls, first put your hair in pin curls and leave it to set. Backcomb to make the hair more malleable, then use a bristle brush to smooth it out. Twist the hair around the fingers, curling inwards, back towards the head. Pin with kirby grips, then spray with Elnet."
2. "My hair is quite limp, so I have clip-in extensions that I dye to match my natural colour."

If that explanation sounds a bit complicated, here are some of my favourite video tutorials of how to get pin-up hairstyles:

I really want to get some of those foam rats to make some victory rolls with. If I do try one of these hairstyles I will definitely post some pictures!

MAKE UP

1. "I go for the typical 1940s look: pale, flawless skin, strong eyebrows, eye shadow in the creases of my eyes, thick black liner, layer upon layer of mascara, bright red lipstick and the token beauty spot."
2. "It's always got to be red lipstick. I've just found a new one, Mac's Lasting Lust, a true red. This is the only one that doesn't come off."
3. "You're not complete without strong eyebrows. Pencil them in with Mac eyebrow pencil in Strut."
4. "I use Stargazer, the classic stage lashes. I had to hunt them down, but now they are everywhere."
5. "To add sparkle, I apply an iridescent Mac shimmer powder on my body, and touch it up during intervals."

I found a handy tutorial on youtube of how to do vintage pin-up style make up:

All quotes are from The Sunday Times Style Magazine

1 4 09

2009-04-01T18:36:00.003+01:00

On Monday my boyfriend, some friends and myself bought tickets to Reading Festival this summer! Then my wonderful boyfriend bought me some super cool leopard print wellies to wear for it! (They are only £8 from Primark if you are interested)

Can you spy my little helper?!
I have been thinking about what I can wear, because I obviously can't wear my usual vintage dresses. I am anticipating the weather to be nice seeing as it will be in August, but knowing British weather, this is probably just wishful thinking! So, I have been creating outfits on Polyvore. I know I am planning waaaay in advance, but that's just how I roll - super organized!

Blondie t-shirt - Forever21
Acid Wash Jeans - TopShop
Headband - Asos
Studded Bag - Asos
Leopard Print Wellies - Primark

Gingham Halterneck Top - Vivien of Holloway
Denim Shorts - Jane Norman
White Hair Flower - Flowerclip.com
Skull & Rose Wellies - Shop Mania

Playsuit - Fruition Las Vegas
Tote Bag - Shana Logic
Plimsolls - Asos

White Vest - TopShop
Red Skirt - American Apparel
Heart Print Wellies - Monsoon
Heart Sunglasses - Mod Cloth

31 3 09

2009-03-31T18:58:00.003+01:00

I have been catching up on Season 2 of Mad Men - the most glamorous program on telly! I have only watched the first 4 episodes so don't ruin anything for me! If you have not seen it then you need to start watching it right now!!
Not only are the story-lines captivating (with the most gorgeous lead ever, Jon Hamm, above) but the fashion is to DIE for. Here are some of my favourite outfits from what I have seen so far:

Betty has always been one of my favourites. She is so glamorous, even when she goes horse riding she looks impeccable (unfortunately they didn't have a picture of her in her riding outfit, but there was a gorgeous tweed blazer involved!) Looking at pictures of Betty makes me want to grow out my fringe (yet again!) and dye my hair blonde! The pink cocktail dress she is wearing here is the exact kind of thing that is making me want to get into costume design.

I think Peggy has been having quite a few really good outfits this season; I love a good check and these are some of my favourites.

The evening-wear and cocktail dresses have been absolutely gorgeous. I am in love with Peggy's red dress here; the peter-pan collar, the bow - it's fabulous!

Men, listen up! This is a goooood look. Not so much Pete, but the guy on the left looks so freakin cool! Why oh why was I not born long enough ago to have lived through an era like this??!

Oh dear!

2009-03-30T16:14:00.004+01:00

I seem to be having a problem with my photobucket album!
It tells me my photos will be back on the 4th of April so bear with me!!

24 3 09

2009-03-24T20:04:00.003Z

Phew! It feel like it's been forever since I last did a proper post! I have been so busy lately I just haven't found the time. As well as working in the shop, I am now the official blogger for Vivien of Holloway!! Woop! You can read the blog here.

I was buying a birthday gift for my mum earlier in the month and spied a lovely dress in TopShop that I had to get. I mostly love it for the print, which reminds me of tea parties, but it's also made from jersey which makes it super soft and so comfortable to wear. The weather was nice for a while but has been getting rubbish again lately so I have put myself in a more idyllic location!

I also spent a whopping £16 on magazines! Oops!! The first one was Lula, which is the first ever issue I have bought and I was not disappointed! It has the most beautiful photography I have ever seen.

And the second one was a magazine called Amelia's Magazine, and it said it was the last issue that they were ever going to publish so, of course, I had to have it! I flicked through and it looked really cool, with loads of illustrations:

So, how have you all been? Done anything exciting lately? xxx

20 3 09

2009-03-20T02:03:00.002Z

I'm so sorry for being such a bad blogger!! I have had NO spare time for the past week or so and am trying to get on top of things. I will have something for you lovely people to read soon, I promise! xxxx

10 3 09

2009-03-10T17:44:00.004Z

If, like me, you are a lover of 50's rockabilly and pin-up style clothing then I have found the perfect shop for you - Vivien of Holloway.
It sells seriously sexy dresses with matching boleros and seperates in a variety of fabrics (polka dot, gingham, floral, tartan) and also petticoats, belts and flowers in loads of different colours to complete the look. There is so much choice, the only problem is figuring out which one you want! You might recognise the full-skirt 50's dress from our fellow blogger, Ranna from Only Shallow.

Also, (because I am such a good blogger!!) I managed to snag Vivien herself for a quick chat:

What year did you open the shop?
I am not sure, but I have never worked for anyone else I have been making Vintage style clothing and selling them since I was 15 - so over 20 years.

Are you interested in vintage clothing? If so, where are your favourite places to shop?
I love Vintage clothing, but respect it, so it is good to have reproduction to party in. Also, the sizes in Vintage are quite resticted as people were generally smaller then. I started wearing Vintage clothing when I was about 10. I prefer Vintage fairs for shopping as you get many dealers under one roof, there is a new one at Cecil Sharp house in Camden I am going to check out on 5th April.

What's your favourite vintage period?
I love the late 40's early 50's styles. Such Glamour.

Where did the inspiration for your designs come from?
I design what I would like to wear myself. So I need get moving for Summer now, making more seperates or I won't have a thing to wear!

Here's a selection from the website:

Vivien also sells 40's style dresses and trousers. I love the grey trousers, they would be great for a Katherine Hepburn look.

I think my favourite is the red/black polka dot pencil dress, which I am seriously going to have to buy myself soon!
If you want to see more of what's on offer go to www.vivienofholloway.com or for an even BIGGER selection (I bet you didn't think it was possible, huh?!) you can visit the shop in Camden at:

The Arches,
49 Kentish Town Road,
London NW1 8NX

Open: Tuesday until Saturday - 10am to 6pm.
(Closed Sunday and Monday)

The actual store is above a motorbike shop, which is really cool! And if you do decide to pop into the shop, I will be working there for a few Saturdays so come in and say hi!

7 3 09

2009-03-07T21:02:00.006Z

If you love clothes with a girly edge then you will love Erin Fetherston's Fall 2009 collection; there is some serious full-skirt action going on! I would kill for any of these outfits (although I'm not a fan of the black and white stripe tights), especially the middle dress in the second-to-last picture. Deeeelicious!
I like the fact that there is quite a lot of black but I also love the last two dresses, and I'm a sucker for anything with bows or polka dots. I'm also not really sure what's going on with the hats but I think the shoes are killer!! I need to get myself a serious pair of platforms right away!
This isn't the whole collection, so if you want to see it all then go here.

Images from Style.com
Collages by me.

28 2 09

2009-02-28T16:31:00.004Z

Bags glorious bags!!

Tapestry

Vintage Tapestry Saddle Bag £3.99 from eBay

Vintage Tapestry Kelly Bag £136 from Heavenly Handbags

Vintage 1950s Tapestry Purse £10 from Etsy

Satchel

Vintage Black & Brown Leather Satchel £3 from eBay

Vintage Brown Satchel £17 from Etsy

Antique Alligator Satchel £275 from Ruby Lane

Clutch

Vintage Gold Metal Evening Clutch £33 from Vintage Bag

Vintage 1950s Sequin Clutch £18 from Etsy

Vintage Blue Pink and Red Clutch £8 from eBay

Quilted Chain Strap

Vintage Red Quilted Chain Strap Bag £1.20 from eBay

Vintage White Quilted Chain Strap Purse £8 from Etsy

Vintage Black Quilted Chain Strap Tote £40 from Rokit

Woven

Vintage White Woven Case £30 from Rokit

Vintage Gold Basket Weave Purse £5 from Etsy

Vintage Black Suzy Smith Woven Bag £40 from eBay

24 2 09

2009-02-24T22:25:00.001Z

I have compiled a list of vintage sellers on eBay (US & UK), and if you have any others that you like then feel free to mention them in the comment section :-)

Anouk Vintage

Annie Boomer Vintage

Bleu Bird Vintage

Bunny Hut Vintage

Calendar Girl Clothing

California Vintage Connect

Denise Brain

Fast Eddie's Retro Rags

Funkin Junkie

Hipsters Playground Vintage

Jumblelaya Vintage

Le Robo

Liebemarlene Vintage

Lullie Vintage Clothing

Mademoiselle Vintage

Mama Stone Vintage

Mel's Shoppe Vintage

Mill Street Vintage

Magnitude Vintage

Mousevox Vintage

Noirohio Vintage

North Star Vintage

Pretty Prease Vintage

Sally-Jane Vintage

Spanish Moss Vintage

Sleepy Head Vintage

Thriftwares

Timeless Vixen Vintage

Tin Roof Vintage

Violetville Vintage

20 2 09

2009-02-20T19:19:00.004Z

A short while ago I received a fantastic book called Vintage Shoes and I just had to share some of the amazing photographs from it with you. It has a foreword by Christian Louboutin and is about 218 pages of eye candy!! Here are some photos and text from the book:

1900-1919: Edwardian Elegance

The most significant shoe style of the Edwardian period was the Louis or French heel, which had an hourglass outline that went in at the waist and flared out at the bottom. The combination of graceful shape and sturdy construction meant that the heel was both easy to walk in and elegant to the eye.

A black and white leather slip-on shoe, circa 1912, made by William Arnold of New York.

A coloured Danish magazine illustration of 1914 depicts a woman trying on but not buying shoes, all with the popular Louis heel.

A red leather shoe by Hook Knowles and Co, circa 1900. This low-heeled shoe is laced with broad red silk ribbon.

A pair of white satin strapped shoes from the first decade of the twentieth century, intricately beaded and fastened with pearls.

Boots with buttoned gaiters were worn for many outdoor and sporting activities such as cycling, golfing and walking, usually with a skirt that rose up to 15cm off the ground. The men's boots (top) are in patent leather with a fawn cloth gaiter, circa 1900, while the women's are in grey suede and date from 1910.

1920s: The Modernist Shoe

Modernism changed the look of the shoe in the 1920s, as Cubist aesthetics, Bauhaus austerity and American streamlining entered the vocabulary of the designer in the form of Art Deco. A key change in the 1920s was the disappearance of the boot. The new shortened skirt created an unsightly gap between he top of the boot and the hem of the skirt, a gap the yawned wider and wider as the decade progressed.

From top, a pale eau-de-nile velvet shoe with a green diamanté fastening from Edward Rayne, 1928; a brown satin evening shoe by Stead and Simpson, decorated with a golden hand-painted phoenix from 1922; and a 1925 golden kidskin T-bar dancing shoe by A Rambaldi, covered in hand-painted flowers.

A pair of buttercup yellow satin pearl-button bar shoes with a darker toned crepe-de-chine and turquoise rosette detail, circa 1920-25.

Silver metallic T-bar shoes with a Louis heel.

The infamous French showgirl and music hall star Mistinguett with her vast collection of high-heeled shoes.

Hellstern's trademark deluxe satin pumps with an enamel-and-rhinestone Art Deco buckle and Louis heels. The high-cut vamp encloses the foot.

1930-1947: The Hollywood Heel

As the 1930s progressed, women across the whole spectrum were able to buy into the new glamour of the decade. T-straps and bar shoes continued the popularity they had enjoyed in the 1920s and heels became higher and higher, reaching over 3 inches by the end of the decade. High slingbacks were considered very sexy and became standard issue for pin-up girls and any film starlet who wanted to suggest a rather naughty image.

A red kidskin and clear vinylite draped evening sandal with front fastening buckle by Newton Elkin, circa 1941.

A streamlined lace-up 1937 day shoe by Perugia that is a study in restrained elegance.

Carmen Miranda modelling platforms in 1944. As the most popular entertainer in 1940s America, she popularized this towering shoe. Here she displays her extensive shoe collection.

A British gabardine women's slingback with leather bow, bound in leather, circa 1947.

The decade saw every colour of shoe imaginable, including Elsa Schiaparelli's 'shocking pink' and sombre shades such as maroon, black, brown and navy. By the late 1930s, a wider variety of colours was available than ever before. Rainbow colours in suede and satin appeared, but darker, richer colours, with names such as 'fir green', 'Havana brown' and 'midnight blue', were also fashionable.

1948-1959: New Look Shoes

The euphoric end of the Second World War meant that the time was ripe for shoe designers to take flight with their imaginations and indulge female consumers desperate for a touch of glamour after the drudgery of war. In 1956, at an Italian trade fair, an aluminium heel was displayed. With this innovation, heels could be ultra thin and highly durable, and by the end of the 1950s, a 5 inch heel had become industry standard.

Careful coordinating of clothes and accessories was an essential fashion rule, as seen in these new season shoes from 1959, worn with stockings and skirts in toning colours.

A model holds an aluminium-heeled stiletto shoe made with black suede at a show of Dolci's autumn collection held in London, 1956.

Every occasion demanded the correct footwear. These 1953 red rhinestone-studded high-heeled opera pumps are from Charles Jourdan, the first shoe designer to place advertisements in high-end fashion magazines, which helped associate his name with haute couture.

An alternative to the high-heeled 1950s shoe was the low preppy loafer worn by many teenagers. Here a pair of side-buckled driving loafers are worn by model Gretchen Harris in 1957.

The opera pump was an expensive, decorative version of the popular court shoe that was worn by most women in daytime. Opera pumps like this red velvet rhinestone-studded pair by Palter DeLiso were worn at formal evening events.

1960s: A Youth Revolution

The death of Dior in 1957 seemed symbolic. A new decade was hovering on the horizon and an entirely new attitude to fashionable consumption was on its way, completely divorced from the rigid structures of French couture. Teenagers began to dictate fashion in a manner that was unprecedented, and the refined chic and structured silhouette of the 1950s was supplanted by the androgynous pre-adolescent body of Twiggy. Although, some older women still wore the stiletto style of the 1950s, but note the squared-off toes.

A model sitting holding a single carnation and wearing a dark brown velvet dress with a linen jabot at the neck by Chester Weinberg. On her feet are white crepe shoes with silver buckles by Charles Jourdan, 1967.

A brocaded and gold lamé shoe by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior, 1962.

A black Mary Jane heel by Charles Jourdan, 1966, with primary coloured rainbow detail on the heel and toe. A green-and-beige Mary Jane with Cuban heel for Pierre Cardin in 1969.

Ferragamo suede footwear modelled in 1965; on the right, a yellow suede ankle boot, on the left a blue suede buckled shoe. They are worn with colourful mismatching socks with pompoms.

The racy image of the miniskirted dolly bird in white Go-Go boots invaded fashion imagery and advertising in the late 1960s and became a shorthand for 'glamour'.

1970s: Biba and Beyond

In fashion terms, the 1970s is one of the most tumultuous of decades. A woman of fashion could choose to put on a pair of glam glitter platforms and a feather boa, a halterneck dress and a pair of silver disco stilettos or pierce her cheek with a safety pin and pogo in a pair of black vinyl fetish boots - all in the space of ten years.

Throughout most of the decade, the use of natural material predominated. The traditional rope sole of espadrilles soon became a feature of leather platform shoes. Here are a pair of orange ankle-strap City Lights Studio shoes from 1973.

The granny boot was a popular retro style in the early part of the decade. Here Twiggy wears a two-tone suede and leather lace up boot in 1970.

Plaited leather platform slingback sandals, circa 1970, and silver leather buckle 1970s platforms by John Fluevog for Sacha.

Appollonia Van Ravenstein, photographed by Norman Parkinson for Vogue in 1971 wears elegant high-fashion heels with a platform in a shape many associate with early designs of Manolo Blahnik.

Thea Cadabra created fantasy heels in the 1970s. Here she presents a cheeky Maid court shoe in monochrome patent leather with a heel sculpted by James Rooke.

1980s: Dress for Success

The 1980s was a label-obsessed era: logo-mania was rife and the names to be seen in were Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hérmes. Accessories provided a clear evidence of a successful lifestyle. Discretion was out and there was no such thing as a vulgar designer shoe. High heels dominated after Manolo Blahnik had re-established their reputation as a shoe of glamour, and a new heel shape was even devised; the cone shape.

Toe details on Gina shoes from the 1980s (top left of image). Highly decorated toes were a feature of the period.
Embellishment took many extravagant forms in the 1980s. Here, red suede Gina shoes have a silver diamanté ribbon detail and silver leaf decoration.

A 1980s red satin pump with toe rosette and a 1986 red-print peep-toe with bow decoration and needle heel. Both by Charles Jourdan.

A silver leather shoe by Christian Dior, 1987, with black-and-gold honeycomb detail on toe, heel and back. A 1988 blue fabric court shoe with red leather heel and yellow leather decoration by Charles Jourdan.

Gold-studded black slingback with gold leather, by Charles Jourdan, 1988; white and multicoloured upper with cut-outs from Charles Jourdan, 1983.

An example of Tokio Kumagai's 1984 'Shoes to Eat' series. The collection took inspiration from the artificial food used to temp customers in the windows of downtown Tokio restaurants. This pair of heels were covered in strips of red, raw artificial 'beef' made out of acrylic.

Also, today I received a little package through the post from Sandra over at Debutante Clothing. It was a cute little black clutch bag and belated birthday card! How sweet!

I think I might put the card in a little frame on my wall - thanks again Sandra!

18 2 09

2009-02-18T22:37:00.003Z

Yesterday I watched a movie that I loved when I was younger, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (with Lisa Kudro from Friends), it's a comedy about two dumb blonde girls who go to their high school reunion.

I remember loving the bright, fun outfits that they wore in the film! It was made in 1997 but it also has flashbacks to their years in school in the 80's. Admittedly, some of the clothes are entirely questionable, like the shiny dresses on the cover of the movie but there are some pieces that I would totally wear!

The patent red jacket is certainly not my taste but I love the leopard print.

In a few scenes Michelle is wearing a really cute matching cherry necklace and earring set. I found a similar one for sale at Sydney's Vintage Clothing for £90.

Here's a scene where they have a flashback to their high school prom. Their outfits are totally 80's Madonna, but I really like Romy's dress with the short pink skirt. It looks like something that you could buy in TopShop today!

They are even stylish at the gym - Michelle is rocking the nautical trend waaay before everyone else!

I mostly love the sunglasses in this scene, but the yellow and gingham are so cute.

I love this outfit because red has always been one of my favourite colours, but also because it also looks really mod.

I adore Michelle's pink scarf, and I believe that both of them are by Lulu Guinness because of her trademark lips and lipstick prints.

15 2 09

2009-02-15T15:20:00.002Z

According to Style.com here are the trends for Spring 2009:

Depression Chic

Geometry Lessons

Goddess Worship

Marrakech Express

Trash and Vaudeville

My favourite is, of course, depression chic. Hand me some feathers!

12 2 09

2009-02-12T22:01:00.005Z

I have been tagged by Agnes!

Describe your style.

Colourful, feminine, playful, vintage.

What are the staples in your wardrobe?

Vintage dresses in a variety of colours!

What is your signature look?

A vintage dress with a nipped in waist, a colourful pair of shoes, my white quilted handbag, faux fur coat and pearls.

What inspires you?

I get inspired by many things; watching movies, listening to music, looking at street style, and also looking at vintage fashion photographs:

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

Who is your fashion muse?

I don't have one in particular, and it changes all the time.

Favourite purchase of all time?

My faux fur coat. I wear it every day, and it was only £10 from a charity shop!

Biggest splurge?

I never really buy one expensive item, but sometimes I do go on big spending sprees and buy loads of bits all at once! Those are the best days!

What's your beauty routine?

I moisturise with Olay Classic Care Beauty Fluid. For make-up I use M.A.C's liquidlast liner in Point Black, Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara in black, Rimmel Kohl Eye Pencil in black, Estee Lauder Disappear Smoothing Creme Concealer, L'Oreal Paris True Match Powder, Chanel Powder Blush, and then whichever colour lipstick I feel like wearing that day (Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Lipstick in Lune Rousse, 17 Shine On Lipstick in Red Hot, Pink Power or Poncho Pink)

What jewellery do you never take off?

None, I always take jewellery off!

What are you wishing for?

I'm wishing for a lot more vintage dresses, shoes, handbags, jewellery, coats, skirts... the list is endless!

What are your obsessions?

Fashion (of course!), baking, collecting vinyl records and watching old movies

I tag Angela, Lady Melbourne and Carrie

10 2 09

2009-02-10T19:41:00.002Z

Yesterday I went charity shopping with some friends and picked up these bits:

This cute little cameo brooch. The face looks a bit mangled but I love the gold frame, especially the crown detail at the top.

I am collecting odd frames with pretty things inside to put on my bedroom wall. The little one was 99p and the larger one is a beautiful bouquet of pressed flowers from 1987.

Vinyl records:

The Cure - Lovecats (single)

The Glenn Miller Story Soundtrack

Favourites of the Forties

Hits from the Swinging Sixties

Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

The Glenn Miller Years (6 record set)

6 2 09

2009-02-06T19:14:00.003Z

I FINALLY got a job interview the other day, with the vintage shop Rokit on Brick Lane, so hopefully I will be getting a job there soon! Fingers crossed!! Anyway, I digress...
I have been thinking a lot about prints and patterns lately, because I seem to be slipping into a habit of only wearing black - which is very rare for me! So I decided to make some outfits on Polyvore to get some inspiration. Notice how all of the outfits are for the summer! I've had my fun in the snow and now I'm ready for some sunshine.
I guess this post is quite selfish, because it's just me indulging in a little fantasy and dreaming up outfits I would make if I had the money!

Outfit 1 daytime:

Dress £45 from TopShop
Shoes £208 by Sonia Rykiel from Far Fetch
Bag from Miss Selfridge
Necklace £5.90 from Forever21

Outfit 2 daytime:

Dress £35 by Reko from TopShop
Shoes £470 by Fendi from Browns Fashion
Bag £93 from French Connection
Necklace £5.40 from Girl Props

Outfit 1 evening:

Dress £60 from Lipsy
Leggings £29.36 from Lipsy
Shoes £23.60 from Sexy Shoes
Bag £1,483 from Chanel

Outfit 2 evening:

Dress £45 from TopShop
Shoes by Nicholas Kirkwood
Bag £85 from Rokit
Earrings from Forever21

3 2 09

2009-02-03T19:00:00.002Z

I have just been looking through the Spring 09 couture collections, and I have decided that I am in love with Elie Saab!!! The collection was absolutely gorgeous, and I want all of these dresses right away please:

That's not the full collection by the way, if you want to see it all go here.

Plus, I got another blog award, this time from the wonderful Oniomania! Thank you!

31 1 09

2009-01-31T12:09:00.003Z

Ok, so for the past couple of days I have been compiling a list of British and American vintage websites. The list on my computer is much longer, but after looking through them all (153 websites to be exact!!!!) I discovered that a lot of them didn't exist any more or the quality and quantity of their clothes was so poor I didn't even bother with them.
For each one I have picked 5 of my favourite items, and now I think I might have to go on a massive shopping spree to buy them all!
So here's the crème de la crème of U.K and U.S vintage websites. If you know of any others that are good, please feel free to put them in the comments section, as I'm always eager to find out new ones. Especially any British ones, because good (reasonably priced) ones seem few and far between.
Enjoy :-)

British Vintage Websites:

1. Barton & Barton

2. Candy Says

3. The Frockery

4. It's Vintage Darling

5. Love Miss Daisy

6. Rokit

7. Vintage-a-Peel

8. Vintage Secret

American Vintage Websites:

1. American Vintage

2. Ballyhoo Vintage

3. Couture Allure Vintage Fashion

4. Debutante Clothing

5. Dorotheas Closet Vintage

6. Hooked on Vintage

7. Olive's Very Vintage

8. Plaid Pony Vintage

9. Posh Girl Vintage

10. Vintage Martini

11. Vintageous

12. The Vintage Peddler

13. Vintage Textile

14. Viva La Vintage

15. Viva Vintage Clothing

16. Woodland Farms Antiques

27 1 09

2009-01-27T21:56:00.003Z

I have been tagged by janetteria for having a fabulous blog! Thank you very much!!

The rules:
1. Put logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate 10 blogs which you think are fabulous.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Here are the blogs that I think deserve this award:

Couture Carrie
Debutante Clothing
Flying Saucer
Lady Melbourne
Liebemarlene Vintage
Mothersvea
Rags and Scribbles
Sally Jane Vintage
The Snail and the Cyclops
Wish Wish Wish

I am slowly compiling a huuuuge list of online vintage shops for you lovely, lovely readers. So stay tuned! xxxx

22 01 09

2009-01-22T18:51:00.003Z

SHOES

red shoes $35

yellow shoes $33

pink shoes $14

green shoes $22

orange shoes $25

purple shoes $16

blue shoes $15

DRESSES

red dress $60

yellow dress $50

pink dress $22.50

green dress $50

orange dress $45

purple dress $50

blue dress $24

20 1 09

2009-01-20T16:30:00.005Z

Apologies for being absent for so long, but I have been very busy because I turned 21 yesterday!!!
I had a magnificent day, mostly because my boyfriend and I went to The Ritz for afternoon tea!!!!!!!! My mum surprised me in the morning with it, she even paid for us to have a glass of champagne with it! Plus she had arranged for a driver to pick us up from my house and drive us there! It was the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my entire life! We weren't allowed to take any photographs inside, but I found a picture on their website of The Palm Court where we ate. It's even taken from the end we were sitting at:

Even the powder room was amazing. It was all pink marble! We ate little sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and little cakes. Everything was delicious! There was a pianist playing the entire time we ate, and then he started playing happy birthday and they brought me out a little cake!!

THEN when we came home I opened my presents. I already knew that my mum's present was going to be a holiday to New York for my boyfriend and me (not going until 1st June) but my boyfriend then surprised me with an extra week in Florida afterwards!!!!!! I still can't believe it! Hands down the best birthday ever!

Also my friend Dean gave me a drawing that he did of me:

I think it captures me quite well! haha!
Hope you're all well xxx

16 1 09

2009-01-16T17:47:00.003Z

Ballyhoo Vintage is one of my favourite vintage websites. It doesn't have a massive variety like some others but I always love almost everything they have in stock; and even though some items can be pricey, they are always beautiful and are usually from an earlier period. Here are some of my favourite pieces:

30s gingham dress £323

40s check dress £51

50s lilac dress £33

50s cardigan £23

60s floral dress £33

14 1 09

2009-01-14T16:16:00.002Z

I've just found a cool vintage shop on eBay called Trendsetter Vintage. The prices are reasonable (starting at $19.99 = about £13) and they have some pretty dresses like these:

blue lace dress £13

black fringe dress £13

red velvet bow dress £13

11 1 09

2009-01-11T14:55:00.003Z

Let's talk SHOES. Oh my, Sonia Rykiel, how I love thee! These shoes are sheer perfection.

from here.

Here is my (imaginary) letter to Sonia:

Dear Ms. Rykiel,
As you may or may not know, my 21st birthday is fast approaching and I would be entirely grateful if you would kindly send me a pair of your super cute suede and patent heeled pumps, you know, the gorgeous orange ones with the bow and patent toe cap (although the navy version would not go amiss).
I know, I knowww you have been busy with your très chic parisian spring 2009 collection - which I loved btw - and thanks for taking 30% of the original price, but don't you think it would be better if they were a little more... free?
Anyway, enough of this banter, I look forward to teetering around London in these babies soon.
Au revoir,
Ms.Penny Lane xx

10 1 09

2009-01-10T16:28:00.001Z

Sorry for not posting in ages, I was quite sick with what I think must have been food poisoning, but I'm all better now so i'll post something interesting soon!

4 1 09

2009-01-04T19:58:00.003Z

I am in serious need of some sunshine at the moment! I really miss the summer!! I miss going on bike rides, having picnics, being at the beach, road trips, BBQ's, long warm days...

picture from flickr

picture from flickr

At least now December is out of the way, I can look forward to spring coming along. Here's a few items that I have my eye on to get for springtime:

Check dress from Plaid Pony Vintage £22

Gingham dress from Vintageous Vintage £93

Floral dress from Vintageous Vintage £53

Pink plaid dress from Vintageous Vintage £48

Blue cardigan from Forever21 £13

Floral cardigan from Forever21 £17

Pink cardigan from TopShop £28

1 1 09

2009-01-01T22:32:00.002Z

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a good night, I have a bit of a headache today due to mass alcohol consumption, so this is going to be a short one!!! I didn't manage to get a photo of my outfit (sorry!)

What resolutions have you made for the new year?

28 12 08

2008-12-28T19:29:00.003Z

Hello hello! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas; mine was spent mainly drinking too many cosmopolitans and eating too many strawberry Quality Street chocolates, tea cakes and Cadbury’s chocolate fingers! I was lucky enough to get lots of lovely things, and I will put up some outfit posts soon of the vintage pieces that I got.
Today I went into central London with my boyfriend and his mum to do a spot of shopping in Harrods, which was totally packed because of the sale. Then we went to Leon in Spitalfields for some lunch – if you live in London you should definitely try this place, they use organic/ fair trade/ seasonal ingredients in all their dishes, which are delicious! This is what I wore:

Obviously I had a coat on over the top, because it is freeezing here! My bedroom is an absolute tip at the moment, so I put myself in front of a lovely floral background instead :-)
Since I haven’t got any photos yet of the clothes I got for Christmas, I thought I would show you some pages out of some annuals that I picked up at the Angels sale (that I wasn’t allowed until Christmas!)
This first lot is from an annual of 1950’s Elle magazines:

These two are from Elle magazine 1954-55:

This lot is from Elle 1956:

And finally, this last lot is from a book titled ‘Les Modes’ from 1901, so I assume it is some sort of fashion publication that was out in 1901. Unfortunately I can’t read any of it because it is in French, but the pictures beautiful:

23 12 08

2008-12-23T20:13:00.003Z

I probably won’t be posting tomorrow, and I definitely won’t be posting on Christmas day so I made a few outfits on Polyvore to satisfy your (and my own!) fashion needs.

Outfit a – this outfit is quite fun, my favourite item is the shoes; they are so deliciously 80’s!!!

Top – Yves Saint Laurent
Skirt – Lipsy
Shoes – Sexy Shoes
Purse – Chanel
Earrings – Michael Beaudry
Ring - Ice

Outfit b – this outfit is very girly, the lace and nude colours give the dress quite a vintage feel which I really like. Don’t worry the fur is fake!

Dress - Sretsis
Belt – Forever21
Coat – Debenhams
Shoes – Christian Louboutin
Bag – Anna Vince

Outfit c – I love rockabilly style, so this is my little homage to it. I really want to wear fake eyelashes but I can never get them to stick!

Top – Stolen Girlfriend’s Club
Skirt – Forever21
Bag – Betsey Johnson
Shoes – Yves Saint Laurent
Necklace – Forever21

Outfit d – this is my (dream) Christmas day outfit. It’s simple but very glamorous.

Dress – Acne
Shoes – Christian Louboutin
Earrings – Arden B

I hope you all have a very very happy Christmas, full of wonderful memories with your friends and family – and lots of cocktails! xxxx

20 12 08

2008-12-20T20:43:00.002Z

Here is an outfit that I dreamed up; maybe to wear on a little shopping trip? Definitely when the weather gets warmer though, otherwise the whole thing would be covered up by a big warm coat!!

Top - Miss Selfridge
Skirt - TopShop
Shoes - Minna Parikka
Bag - Etsy

19 12 08

2008-12-19T19:08:00.003Z

It is freezing cold here, but still no snow!!! I would do anything to make it snow all week over Christmas.

from here

from here

from here

from here

from here

15 12 08

2008-12-15T17:28:00.004Z

I have just seen the Zac Posen pre-fall 2009 collection... and I am in love!!!!

"Saying that he hoped his show would inspire during challenging times, Zac Posen returned to the flirty, forties-inflected clothes that are his signature—and, as it happens, recall the look that was popular at the end of the Great Depression. For day, there were trumpet-skirted suits in sober wools, though Posen might prefer his customer play it carefree in a groovy eel-skin trench and leopard dress. The collection was heavily populated with little dresses—cocktail frocks embellished with swingy fringe and body-hugging knits. Posen kept the serious evening dramatics to a minimum, making them highly viable choices for the long red-carpet season ahead." - by Meenal Mistry from Style.com

I have left out two or three outfits that I didn't like, but everything else is perfect. I love the colours: peach, maroon, mint, lilac, gold and I have always been a fan of leopard print!

runway images from style.com but put together by me!

12 12 08

2008-12-12T20:01:00.004Z

I thought I would share some sources of inspiration with you:

1. Effie from The Snail and the Cyclops. She not only has fantastic style but the best bedroom I have ever seen!

2. Piksi (i think her real name is Heini) is probably one of the most adorable girls on the planet!

(she owns the most perfect coat I have ever seen!!!!)

Who inspires you??

10 12 08

2008-12-10T21:49:00.001Z

Not long ago the wonderful Sandra from Debutante Clothing asked if I would like to a guest post on her blog; I was thrilled as it's a blog that I read daily and happily I agreed to write a little something to post. The post is about the evolution of the silhouette from the 1920's to the 1980's, and if you would like to read it you can find it here over at Debutante Clothing.

8 12 08

2008-12-08T15:53:00.003Z

Here are some of the things I got from the Angels sale, there are two other dresses that I didn't photograph because they need a lot of work and at the moment they look a bit hideous!!

Black playsuit. I thought this was a dress when I picked it up, but was pleasantly surprised to find out it was a playsuit when I tried it on at home! It's made from crepe and has lovely bead work on the chest.

Navy 50's pencil dress. This dress has quite a lot of detail that I couldn't photograph, I think maybe I need to take pictures outside in natural light, but being winter the light faded fast so maybe another time! The neck line crosses over into a diagonal line with buttons and on the side it has a sash that falls to the same length as the skirt. I hope you can see what I mean by the little diagram I made!!

Navy/purple 50's dress. This dress has a beautiful floral lace collar, which is what caught my eye.

Peach 50's dress. I love the pockets on this dress! Plus it has an interesting neckline, and I love this colour.

My boyfriend managed to grab me a couple of simple black bags. (The envelope one is massive!!)

He also got me this wonderful navy blue Birkin style bag! It has a brown suede lining on the inside and a little clasp purse attached to the inside too!

I will post pictures of the other two dresses once I have done all of the alterations. Apologies for the naff photography, I'm new to this outfit shot malarky and will hopefully get better at it over time!

7 12 08

2008-12-07T20:48:00.005Z

As the weather is getting colder (groan) it's time for us to wrap up and keep warm - but this doesn't mean we should have to sacrifice fashion! Although I'm a big fan of black tights, a little colour on your legs is a fun way to uplift those winter blues. I've also found some fantastic patterned tights from mytights.com that will drag any outfit away from the mundane:

lace tights £10.77 (you can also get these in white, which would look great worn over a pair of black tights)

stud tights £35.72

pattern tights £48.89

floral tights £12.67

harlequin tights £12.67

P.S.: i'm getting my tripod out of the loft tomorrow so i'll put up outfit posts of the wonderful gems i nabbed at the Angels sale!!! :-)

6 12 08

2008-12-06T23:12:00.003Z

SO today was the day of the massive Angels sale that every single newspaper and magazine has been going on about for the past two weeks! OH MY GOD it was hectic!!! The sale started at 9am, and I thought I was being smart by getting there at 7am to be right at the front of the queue. Boy was I wrong! People had been there since 3pm YESTERDAY AFTERNOON!!!! As soon as I got in a ran straight to the 3's/40's/50's room (I had memorised the floor plan last night!) and managed to grab a couple of dresses but when I looked up the room was so packed I couldn't move. Some girls had already filled two bags worth of stuff! My boyfriend lost me and had to queue half an hour just to get into the 30's/40's/50's room to see if I was in there! Luckily we found each other again and we browsed the book section (which was empty apart from people sorting through their bags of clothes to see what they actually wanted and what they just grabbed in the heat of the moment!) and I found a couple of Elle magazine annuals from the 40's and 50's which I'm very chuffed about! In total I walked away with 5 dresses, a playsuit, 4 handbags, a belt and 5 books. Unfortunately I don't get any of these things until Christmas because everything was bought by my wonderful boyfriend as a Christmas present (although they do need alterations before they are wrapped so I think I will sneak in some outfit shots! Hee Hee!) Oh and I spotted Susie from Style Bubble but I was too shy to say hello, plus it felt a little stalker-ish!!
What I was looking for was a coat, but to no avail. Not that I really need another coat, but I seem to be collecting them! I found a couple of nice black curly fur coats but they were all real so I didn't get them. If this coat from Sally Jane Vintage was a little bigger in the bust I would be buying it:

As you can tell, I love just about anything with a bow on it!
Anyway, enough about me, what have you been up to this weekend?

5 12 08

2008-12-05T19:09:00.002Z

I was browsing online and saw that Asos have some very pretty jewellery. After quite a long time shopping in cheap charity and vintage shops, I resent paying £8 for a necklace or £21 for a brooch, but then I have to remind myself that high-street prices are always quite high (with the exception of Primark, but we all know what that store is like - if you don't, read Lady Melbourne's experience to find out what I mean!)
Anyway, I guess if I had a job it wouldn't be such a stretch, but for now I think i'll put a few of these items on my Christmas list:

Small gold bow necklace £5.88 - my favourite out of the lot! so cute!!

Large bow and black gem necklace £7.83

Large bow and pearl necklace £7.83

Rose necklace £8.32

Cut glass earrings £7.83

Chandelier drop earrings £7.83

Pearl brooch £21.54

4 12 08

2008-12-04T13:56:00.000Z

I saw a little column about vintage pop-up stores in The London Paper yesterday and thought I would share them:

Bernardo's Vintage Store
"This gem of a charity shop is stuffed with thousands of retro donations, hand picked from the other branches in the area, plus a few choice celebrity hand-me-downs. On offer are Holly Willoughby's signed Wedge Wellies, vintage Louis Vuittons from Rosamond Pike, Geri Halliwell's Spice Girl heels, plus other classy footwear from Twiggy and Dame Helen Mirren."
69 Broadwick Street, W1, until 31st December, Mon-Sat 10-7pm, Sun 12-6pm

Vintage Emporium at New Cross Gallery
"You don't have to go north for vintage fashion - the New Cross Gallery has swapped art works for clothes rails with this old-school free-for-all. Create your own unique look from any period from the 20s to the 80s with designer labels and French couture sources by Ooh La La Vintage. Or check out the end-of-season swap shop where you can refresh your wardrobe by trading in unloved items for new ones."
3 Lewishman Way, New Cross, SE14, until 31st December, Mon-Sat 10-7pm, Sun 12-5pm

29 11 08

2008-11-29T17:28:00.003Z

A couple of days ago I went shopping in Brick Lane with a friend and picked up these Salvatore Ferragamo shoes from Absolute Vintage. I had been looking for a pair of navy shoes, plus I have wanted a pair of these for ages now, so as soon as I tried them on I new I had to have them - they are so comfy!

They were only £15 which is about my limit at the moment because I am lacking funds, but my mum is giving me money to go to Battersea Vintage Fair tomorrow as a christmas present! Yay!!
Here are some things that I have been coveting recently:

50s blue suit from Past Perfect Vintage £163

40s floral dress from Fuzzylizzie Vintage £62

40s black crepe dress from Couture Allure Vintage £55

40s day dress from Vintage Martini £55

24 11 08

2008-11-24T19:20:00.004Z

I spotted some nice vintage inspired things in non-vintage stores recently, so I thought I would share them with you as I know wearing second hand clothing isn't everyones cup of tea!

Cardigan with fur collar by Betty Jackson at Debenhams £95

Lace top from Forever21 $22.80

Sequin cardigan from Forever21 $27.80

Also, I was reading about a really fun club night called Warped. It's a club that 'travels through time' and you have to dress in one of the eras (20's, 50's, 80's or the future!). They have live acts, such as burlesque dancers, and games, such as musical statues! At the end of each era there is a period of time where the appropriate music for that time is played and everybody dances. It sounds like a lot of fun and I definitely want to go to the next one! Apparently the next ones are on November 29th (this sat) and December 20th. It is held at The Mission Room, 26 Exmouth Market, London, EC1R 4QE if you are interested!! For more info visit their website: www.warpednight.com
Here are some pictures from their website. It looks like a lot of fun!

22 11 08

2008-11-22T13:53:00.005Z

I did get some people asking for an outfit post of the things I got from eBay recently so I thought I would give it a go. At the moment I'm just using the mirror inside my wardrobe door but I remembered that we had a couple of tripods in the loft so I'll get those down and hopefully get some better shots the next time an outfit post comes along!!

I had quite a lot of trouble with this coat! Firstly, it took forever to arrive because the seller said they had to suddenly move house. I was getting worried that I had been scammed but it arrived in the end, but the bottom half was badly wrinkled and my dry-cleaner guy said that it had been dry cleaned on a temperature that was too high and it was stuck that way. But my mum, being very handy with a needle and thread, unpicked all the panels, stretched them and sewed them back together and now it's perfect! Oh and don't worry the fur is fake :-)

This second outfit is a bit strange for me because I usually wear brighter colours, but I am keeping an open mind and I do quite like it. The knitted jumper has a really cute pearl detail around the neck, and I teamed it with a hounds-tooth skirt that I have had forever, some spectator shoes and a brown purse.

This outfit is from the 80's but the peplum on the top reminded me more of the 30's, although the print is probably too loud for that era. However, I think with the right styling I could get away with a look earlier than the 80's. This time I wore it with a pair of lipstick red shoes that I got from my friends vintage store called Mary Rose Vintage (that's where the black and white spectator pumps are from too!)

19 11 08

2008-11-19T00:25:00.004Z

I went to visit a friend in Leeds over the weekend and it got me thinking about moving out of my parents house and getting my own place (not that it would even be possible seeing as property prices in London are stupidly expensive and I'm still having no luck at getting a job because at the moment London has the highest unemployment rate by far!) but apart from those facts, it still got me thinking and dreaming about my own place! I have folders on my computer where I keep pictures of things I like for future reference so I apologise if I don't know where I got them from!!

This is an image of Dita Von Teese's bedroom - look how many hats she has!! I love her Art Deco dressing table and the soft pink colours. I would love a pink bedroom but I'm not sure how my boyfriend would feel about it! I would love to see the rest of her house, I bet it is absolutely divine!

I think this is a picture of something I was looking at on eBay. I love this French style furniture and have always wanted a dressing table because my room at the moment is too small.

I found an amazing Flickr profile called American Vintage Home that has all of these fantastic images of 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's interiors. I think this bathroom is so sweet with the alcove for the bath with the curtains, although I'm not sure how practical they would be! I just love the way they match the ones at the window.

I love the cheerful colours of these two kitchens. Having a lounger in your kitchen would be a bit odd though! Again it's all in the little details like the slots for trays and he novelty wallpaper.

I can't remember where this image is from but I think it was something about people that live totally in one era and they even use appliances appropriate to the time, hence that amazing cooker! The colours are so bright and happy!

I'm not sure if this photo is from American Vintage Home too or if I found it somewhere else, but it sure is something! Again the colour scheme would need to be changed because it's not fair to have such a girly house if you live with a guy!

Once again I don't know where this one is from! (If you do know feel free to let me know!) This wall of pictures with mismatching photo frames would look good in a hallway or next to a staircase to add some character. I especially like the mix of photography and paintings.

14 11 08

2008-11-14T20:33:00.004Z

Feathers are the embellishment of the season and they are a fantastic way to add elegance and luxury to your wardrobe.

Clutch bag - TopShop £60

20's style dress - Warehouse £150

Lilli Diamond dress - Dressing Vintage £133

Malcolm Starr dress - Dressing Vintage £398

If all of these are a bit out of your price range, you could easily buy some feathers from your local haberdashery and attatch them to a skirt or to the bottom half of a plain dress!

10 11 08

2008-11-10T20:09:00.004Z

I did a bit of work for my mum over the weekend, and now I've gone and blown all of the money on eBay!! eeek! I did get some really nice stuff though.

This little sweater looks super soft and I can't wait to snuggle up in it.

I have been looking for a beaded cardigan like this for ages. I'd like to get another one in cream.

This sweater is similar to the first one but I love the pearl detail around the neck. A girl can never have too many clothes I say!

This top and skirt set is actually from the 80's but the light fabric and the peplum reminded me of something from the late 30's / early 40's and I think with the right accessories it could look like it is.

I love this little brown kelly bag, and I think I will try to find one in every colour!

Today I watched La Vie En Rose, a film of the life of Edith Piaf. I highly recommend it because it was a fantastic movie, even better if you are already a fan of Edith's music but don't be put off if you aren't because it's still a good film even if you have never heard anything by her! (Although I'm sure if you live in England you would have heard it on the Specsavers advert!!) I tried to get a video to put in the post but annoyingly i can't access youtube at the moment, so you'll have to go look for yourself!

7 11 08

2008-11-07T12:51:00.001Z

Etsy is having a Vintage Market Sale tomorrow and Sunday, selling vintage clothing, accessories, jewellery and household items too! Here are a few things that I have got my eye on:

Black dress

Red Travel Case

Brooch and Earring Set

Black Handbag

6 11 08

2008-11-06T23:15:00.002Z

The party season is drawing ever closer, so I thought I would do a little post on an item that every girl has in her closet - the little black dress.

In 1926 Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel published a picture of a simple black dress in Vogue magazine. Prior to the 1920s, black had been reserved for mourning and was considered indecent when worn outside such circumstances, but with that one image Chanel changed everything. During World War II the black dress thrived in part due to widespread rationing of textiles and in part as a common uniform for civilian women entering the workforce. In the 1950s Hollywood femmes fatales were portrayed often in black as a symbol of a dangerous woman, and in the 1960s the younger 'mod' generation wore the dress in a miniskirt length whereas the older generation wore simple black sheath dresses, the most famous of all being Audrey Hepburn's dress in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

The 1980's saw the black dress in a variety of fabrics - lace, satin, taffeta, velvet, leather - and lengths, and it's charm has continued up to this day.

The 1920s - Antique Dress £1,021

The 1940s - Antique Dress £483

The 1950s - Antique Dress £220

The 1960s - Antique Dress £765

The 1970s - Posh Girl Vintage £120

The 1980s - Vintage Martini £92

4 11 08

2008-11-04T20:08:00.002Z

My dream car has always been a Morris Minor, I have wanted one for as long as I can remember. I just love their rounded shape and quirky design!

1948 saw the introduction of Alec Issigonis' Minor MM, which became the Minor II in 1952 and the Minor 1000 in 1956. The Minor series was built in many forms (Saloons, 'Woodys', Vans and Pick-ups) until 1971. The millionth Morris Minor was built in the first week of January 1961. I love the MM, II and 1000 but my favourite is the 1000 (below).

Will someone please buy me one for Christmas???? :-)

2 11 08

2008-11-02T13:05:00.003Z

The December issue of British Vogue has a fantastic fashion shoot by Tim Walker, one of my all time favourite photographers. What makes it even better is that it has Karen Elson in it, who is my favourite model, PLUS it is all based on Roald Dahl's stories! These are only some of the photographs, there are some other really good ones too but scanning takes so long you will have to buy the mag!

"He's balmy! He's nutty! He's screwy! He's batty! He's dippy! He's dotty! He's daffy! He's goofy! He's beany! He's buggy! He's wacky! He's loony!"
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

"Never smile at a crocodile..."

"Dear friends, we surely all agree
There's almost nothing worse to see
Than some repulsive little bum
Who's always chewing chewing-gum"
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Miss Honey - Matilda

A woman who my mother knows
Came in and took off all her clothes.
Said I, not being very old,
"By golly gosh, you must be cold!"
"No, no!" she cried. "Indeed I am not!
I'm feeling devilishly hot!"
Rhyme Stew

Charlie Bucket stared around
him in astonishment. This was
the craziest lift he had ever seen.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers,
She whips a pistol from her knickers.
Revolting Rhymes

Tag!

2008-10-30T17:13:00.003Z

I've been tagged by Kiss My Sass. I think it's my first tag ever!! It's called the happy tag, the rules are; mention the person who nominated you, list 6 unimportant things that make you happy, tag 5 blogs, state the rules, notify them with a teeny comment on their blog that they have been nominated!

Ok so here goes...

1. Watching old movies. I think Fred & Ginger movies are my favourite, but today I watched Gentlemen Prefer Blondes again and I loved it just as much as the very first time I saw it.
2. Baking. I love baking cookies, brownies, big cakes, little cakes, cupcakes - the lot! The trouble is that they get snapped up fast and then everbody wants more!
3. A vintage bargain. Nothing gets me more excited than finding a beautiful vintage piece that you know would be ten times the price if it were in a different shop.
4. Vinyl records. My favourite is 'Hits of World War II' that I found in a charity shop whilst visiting a friend in Devon. I play that record to death!!
5. My cats. I spoil them :)
6. Salad Cream!! I eat it with anything and everything. It's the condiment of the future. You heard it here first!

Instead of tagging, post your 6 things in the comments section. Just because I like to shake things up a bit!

27 10 08

2008-10-27T22:15:00.003Z

For those of you looking past the winter months and into the summer, here are some Spring/Summer 09 trends in vintage!

Trend 1 - Bright colours. Summer is the perfect time to be bold, so anything bright and eyecatching will work wonderfully.

1970's pink maxi dress - Dorotheas Closet Vintage £67.50
This dress really is something! Personally I would cut the sleeves of and maybe change the neck line to make the shape similar to the blue Michael Kors dress.

1940's mustard silk crepe dress - Vintage Martini £47.50
I love the shape of this dress, especially the draping detail on the skirt. Although the sleeves would need to be made shorter for the summer months, I don't think I would have the heart cutting something so old!

Trend 2 - Gold. Eveningwear has taken a glamorous turn with gold being the hot colour for those summer nights.

1950's Emma Domb gold brocade dress - Antique Dress £342
Emma Domb was a California dressmaking company from 1939 to the 1970s, they specialized in wedding, party and prom dresses, and were also known for fancy date ensembles.

1960's gold shimmer dress - Buffalo Gal Vintage £32
This dress is more of a subtle gold, but it does have some beautiful embroidery which makes up for its lack of shine.

1960's gold cocktail dress - Vintageous £85
The extra photographs on the website show the beautiful bow detail on the back of this dress.

Trend 3 - Floral. Floral is one of those trends that never really goes away, but comes around every summer. So take note - never throw out any of your floral dresses!

1950s yellow floral dress - Proper Vintage Clothing £50
I love this dress, it's so sweet! I can imagine wearing this to a picnic on a warm summers day.

1940's pink blossom print dress - Freudian Slips Vintage £75
This is my favourite item out of the whole post. I love the soft feminine print, and the dusty pink colour.

Late 50s-early 60s red flower dress - Tangerine Boutique Vintage £57.50
This dress reminds me of the red floral peplum dress from the Sex and the City movie. The figure-hugging shape makes it more chic and less girly.

26 10 08

2008-10-26T17:10:00.005Z

By now anybody who loves fashion will be well aware of the Autumn/Winter 08 trends, but with so many people rocking the same looks this winter, how do you stand out from the crowd? VINTAGE! Yes, yes, here I am banging on again about vintage, but there is no way you will ever see somebody wearing the same thing as you. So, I have made a list of a few items that will see you stylishly through winter.

Trend 1 - Sophisticated Goth. The biggest of all the autumn/winter trends. Lots of black, lace, velvet, but pretty details to make the 'goth' look wearable.

1960s black lace & chiffon dress - Past Perfect Vintage £57.50
I think this item is my favourite out of the whole post. I love the delicate lace overlay and the shape of the dress with the cinched in waist is so flattering for everyone.

1970's Frank Usher gown with cape - eBay £25
This dress caught my eye because I can imagine Mary-Kate wearing this in her cool goth/grunge way. Plus, the additional images on eBay show you how the cape can be used in different ways.

1980's black lace & velvet peplum dress - Babylon Mall £12
I love the peplum detail on this dress, which is also another very big trend at the moment. If the lace sleeves are a little too much for your liking they could easily be cut into short sleeves or taken off completely to make it a sleeveless number!

Trend 2 - Tartan. Another massive trend that is all over the high-street. I like this trend because you can just use a hint of plaid or if you are really brave there are some fabulous bright tartan numbers to chose from!

1970's green plaid circle skirt - Babylon Mall £9.99
The colours on this skirt are a nice change from the red based tartans, and remind me of being cosy by a warm fire!

1960's tartan wool skirt suit - eBay £12.50
This skirt suit is definitely not for the faint of heart! It is loud, unapologetic, and a must for somebody who likes to be noticed.

Victoria's Secret tartan bustier - Rokit £20
This tartan bustier would look great with high waist jeans, and is a perfect way to wear the trend in a more subtle way.

Trend - Oversized Knitwear. I chose this trend because everybody loves being snuggly sometimes, so here are a few items to keep you warm and fashionable at the same time!

1980's op art jumper - Nasty Gal Vintage £34
I love the pattern on this jumper, it looks like it could have been designed by Bridget Riley. Plus, if you are brave enough, it is just about long enough to be worn as a sweater-dress!

1980's black bow jumper - Etsy £5
I adore anything with bows on, and this jumper is no exception!! The sparkly lurex thread makes it an ideal jumper to wear over the Christmas holiday too.

1980's red, black and white batwing jumper - eBay £17
The design on this jumper is simple but eyecatching, and I am all for wearing bright colours during the winter months to lift your spirits on dull days.

20 10 08

2008-10-20T21:07:00.003+01:00

On Saturday I had two photoshoots that I styled for my uni course, which was really fun! I was a little bit dissapointed with the choice of models they gave us, because I had to physically put them in the positions I wanted because they didn't really seem to know what they were doing, but beggars can't be choosers! Hopefully we will be getting our shots back on a CD this Saturday so I will post some. Here's a sneaky shot I took of the first photoshoot:

The second look was more edgy. I called it 'Second Skin' and used this and this. I hope they come out ok, we will have to wait and see!!

16 10 08

2008-10-16T21:21:00.002+01:00

Today I found a hole in my only pair of high waist jeans, which are infact my only pair of jeans full stop! So I thought that it is definitely about time I got a new pair. Luckily, I spotted the most gorgeous pair of high waist jeans on eBay - the one and only Glenda jeans from Miss Sixty!! I have been wanting these jeans for ages. They are super high waisted and have an unusual shaped waistline, plus they were a fraction of the price that they went for when Miss Sixty had them in store. To be honest, I don't even care if they are fake Miss Sixty jeans, because I love the style so much that the label doesn't bother me!

Also lately I have been thinking a lot about pussy-bow blouses. It's an item that I don't have in my wardrobe but I would love to have one in every colour! Here are some of my favourite finds:

Malene Birger £120

Whistles £95

Marks & Spencer £35

Warehouse £40

Celia Birtwell for TopShop £45

13 10 08

2008-10-13T23:08:00.003+01:00

Hellooooo, it's been a while! I hope you haven't abandoned me yet!!
I spent the weekend looking after a little kitten with my boyfriend. Her name is Pudding, and I am in love with her! Isn't she adorable?!

Unfortunately we had to leave her with her rightful owners when we left today, but hopefully I will get to visit her again soon!
On saturday I went to my styling course at The London College of Fashion, and we were told that our photoshoot that we get to style is next week! I'm excited but very nervous at the same time because I really don't want to blow the chance of working with a professional model and photographer for free! I have some ideas for how I want each one to look (we get 2 different shoots.) The first one I want to style in a 50's/early 60's way , and I really liked this shoot from Britain's Next Top Model because it's so wonderfully kitsch! So, I am going to use a vacuum cleaner as a prop but have the model in more of a 50's prom style dress.

These are some pictures that I'm looking at for hairstyle ideas:

Then the second shoot I was going to go to the other end of the spectrum and have it super masculine and edgy, perfect for the current 'sophisticated goth' trend that is everywhere at the moment! I'm looking to get a really shaggy coat like the bottom picture and maybe some wet-look leggings, then loaaaads of metal jewellery! Here are some images I have been looking at for inspiration:

image from Forever In Fashion

last 3 images from Fashionation

7 10 08

2008-10-07T16:02:00.002+01:00

I do apologise for the lack of posts! I am still looking everywhere for a job at the moment - to no avail - so I haven't even been able to afford to go out anywhere, let alone buy myself any clothes!!
I'm feeling a bit uninspired at the moment, but hopefully soon I will get my spark back!
What do you do when you are feeling low or uninspired???

3 10 08

2008-10-03T20:30:00.002+01:00

I have an endless wishlist of items that I am constantly adding to, and have just added another! A cloche hat.
I first had the idea when I bought this beige coat from eBay, because the big fur collar reminded me of a 30's style (even though I think it is actually from the 70's)

I looked through the folder on my computer where I keep images for inspiration, and found this:

That is exactly the kind of thing I had in mind when I think of the coat in a 30's style. So I set about looking for a cloche style hat or something of a similar shape. The best one I found was this:

I really love the colour, and I'm having a thing for velvet at the moment so that's a plus. It also comes in black or a forest green.
I'm also hunting for lots of shoes that look like this:

The picture is from Sally Jane's wonderful blog, and I think they would top of the outfit perfectly!

1 10 08

2008-10-01T21:08:00.002+01:00

Why is it that when you have no money to spare you find so many things you want to buy, but when you have money there is nothing at all that you would spend it on?! Well, this is the former. I've just found this gorgeous 1930's evening dress on Etsy, but there is no way I could afford it!

I love everything about it - the sheer fabric, the white edges and most of all (of course) the huge bow. Oh well, I guess I'll have to let this one slide. I keep telling myself I probably wouldn't have somewhere fancy enough to wear a floor length gown to anyway, and I wouldn't have the heart to cut it shorter. If you can afford it, you'll find it here. How do you feel about cutting up vintage dresses? Yay or Nay?

29 9 08

2008-09-29T21:34:00.002+01:00

Last night I was lucky enough to see Chris Dean and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra who play big band swing music, with lots of Glenn Miller covers too. It was amazing! They are such talented musicians. It was mostly full of old people (my boyfriend and I were most definitely the youngest people there!) but most of them had dressed up for the occasion. I saw lots of pearls and sparkly tops! Also, at the same theatre in January - the day before my birthday - the official Glenn Miller Orchestra are going to be playing! So I have asked to be taken as a birthday gift. I'm so excited!!
Plus, to my delight, my boyfriend bought me a 1940's fashion catalogue from eBay that I had my eye on for a while, but couldn't really afford it (Miss Selfridge still haven't called back about the job! I am losing hope!) and it is 551 pages of sheer heaven!! It will probably take about a week to arrive because it's coming from America, but I'll show you some of the pictures that were put on the eBay page. I need to brush up on my sewing skills and get some of these beauties made for myself!!!

25 9 08

2008-09-25T19:38:00.001+01:00

Today I had an interview for some part time work at Miss Selfridge, so hopefully I will get the job and be able to buy my halloween costume. I'm going as The Bride of Frankenstein!! I can't wait!
Although I have been trying to curb my spending, I have indulged in some eBay purchases. However, the leopard print coat and the longer beige coat were bought by mother dearest because I have no winter coat and she didn't want me catching a cold! Bless!

This one I did buy myself, simply because I couldn't resist it after all of those thoughts about 1940's outfits. Luckily it wasn't too expensive. Oh eBay, how I love thee!

23 9 08

2008-09-23T17:58:00.003+01:00

Last night I watched The Good German with George Clooney and Cate Blanchett, and I was really inspired by Cate's costumes. She had some gorgeous outfits made up of pencil skirts and blazers worn with a belt over the top to cinch in the waist, and some equally fabulous evening dresses too.

I am definitely on the look out for some 1940's blazers now and a few more pencil skirts to add to my collection!

Blazer - Specialist Auctions £25
Skirt - Wallis £35
Shoes - Remix Vintage Shoes £97
Belt - Whistles £30
Bag - eBay £5

Blazer - eBay £12.50
Skirt - Wallis £35
Shoes - Remix Vintage Shoes £97
Bag - eBay £4.99

Dress - eBay £15
Shoes - Remix Vintage Shoes £89
Bag - Handbag Gallery £20

21 9 08

2008-09-21T16:12:00.004+01:00

The lovely Ranna from Only Shallow has opened up an eBay store! I have always loved her quirky european style (she is Scandinavian) that she creates by mixing vintage with high street, so when she announced that she was going to be opening an eBay store to sell vintage clothing I was very excited! The shop is called Tell Me A Story Vintage, and there is even a blog to go with it.
Here are some of my favourite items:

Red Victorian Blouse £7.50

1950's Yellow Dress £7.50

1980's Red Mini Dress £7.50

19 9 08

2008-09-19T01:34:00.003+01:00

I found these gorgeous shoes on TopShop's website, and I must have them!! They are so cute. I love things with bows, and red is my favourite colour, so they are the perfect shoe for me. Even better is the slight 1930's edge they have to them with the chunky not-too-high heel. The only thing stopping me is the price tag.

With a little bit of Photoshop magic I made myself a pair in purple and mustard. Take note TopShop!

Now, I was going to make some outfits to go with these on Polyvore, but it doesn't seem to be working. There are no items at all. Even the sets that I have already created have disappeared. Is anybody else having this problem? I have a suspicion it might be something to do with this Mac.....

16 9 08

2008-09-16T21:20:00.003+01:00

I have changed computers and am now using a Mac, but for some reason the options to change what type of font and the size etc have disappeared?? So it looks as though this is the font we are stuck with! Is it okay for everyone to read?

Today I watched a program that I had taped on Sky+ called Dance Britannia about 50's rock and roll music. It was basically an hour of heaven!
They had some of my favourite people including Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Elvis.

14 9 08

2008-09-14T15:34:00.002+01:00

One of my favourite models is Daisy Lowe (There is an article about her in today’s issue of The Observer Magazine for all who are interested.) Not only does she have an amazing face that looks gorgeous all the time without even trying, she has a really cool style too. I looked on style.com under their model search and she isn’t even there?!! What is that about?!

I think the reason why I like her so much is that she seems quite down to earth, despite being so sought after she was even hand picked by Karl Lagerfeld himself for the Chanel runway show! I started watching some of that program ‘Class of 2008’ that she was in but only ended up watching one episode – in which her and her long term boyfriend Will Cameron broke up. Ouch!
I really like her campaign photographs for Agent Provocateur; she’s one of the few people that can look sexy without looking slutty. Or maybe I am just biased because I love leopard print?!
In conclusion, Daisy Lowe is fabulous.

24 8 08

2008-08-24T15:57:00.002+01:00

After seeing an A.P.C cape in The Observer Magazine today, I realised how much I want one!! I found some runway images involving capes; my favourite is the Aquascutum one, I love that gold fastening detail.

I also found this image in a folder on my computer where I keep pictures of things that I like/inspire me. I love the velvet texture of hers, and that bag is gorgeous (mental note – add a doctors bag to the list!).

The A.P.C cape is £227 so it’s way out of the question, but I love everything about it – the plaid, the slit pockets and the diagonal buttons.

I really like this black on from eBay, especially because it has the same kind of buttons and funnel neck. I think I might try to win this one. Fingers crossed!

21 8 08

2008-08-21T17:12:00.003+01:00

As you may have gathered by now, I am a huge lover of vintage clothes. My favourite era’s are from the 1930’s to the late 1950’s early 1960’s. I do love fashion before the 30’s, especially Victorian costume, but right now I’m talking about clothes that I wear. I do love the colour and fun of 60’s fashion but it doesn’t really suit my body shape, 70’s fashion is a bit too garish and I’m not a big fan of paisley and some 80’s stuff is okay but I mostly like the 80’s-does-50’s looks from that era so I might as well just be wearing 50’s!
I have so much fun putting together outfits so I did a daytime and evening one for the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Enjoy!

Dress – Violetville Vintage on eBay currently £17.50
Shoes – Remix Vintage Shoes £97
Bag – eBay currently £19

Dress – Vintage Textile £700
Fur Wrap – eBay currently £100
Bag – Polkadot Jewellery £75
Shoes – eBay currently £5

Suit – Vintageous.com £157.50
Bag – eBay currently £19.99
Shoes – eBay currently £11.50

Dress – Vintage Textile £375
Bag – eBay currently £9.99
Shoes – eBay currently £75

Dress – Vintage Martini £29
Shoes – eBay currently £5
Bag – eBay currently £5.50
Necklace – Michelle’s Vintage Jewellery £22.50

Dress - Vintageous.com £132.50
Shoes – Hooked On Vintage £52.50
Bag – Alley Cat Vintage £17.50

20 8 08

2008-08-20T14:39:00.004+01:00

After much hunting I finally found a bikini I liked; it’s a super cute navy and white gingham halter neck one from TopShop.
I think it was slightly overpriced at £26 but it was the only one I could find that I even remotely liked! There were some really nice ones on the internet but they were more expensive plus they probably wouldn’t have come in time for the holiday.
Luckily, my Trashy Diva dress has arrived in time! I’m a sucker for anything with polka dots and this is no exception. It’s made from a lovely lightweight cotton but it’s double lined so it’s not see through like most white dresses.

I can’t even begin to imagine how many dresses they sold during their sale (which is still going on so grab yours quick!). Here are some other dresses by Trashy Diva that I have been coveting:
Navy ‘Avian’ Dress £82.50
Cameo ‘Ashley’ Dress £124.50
Floral ‘Ashley’ Dress £124.50

The last post seemed to be quite a success, would you like to see 'Spree vs Steal' on here as a regular feature? Let me know your thoughts!