Category Archives: Vintage

Leeds vintage fair does it again!

Posted in 30s, 40s, Leeds, Vintage by

I absolutely love Leeds vintage fair and today was the day yet again. A rather fab day was had I have to saay.
This is the suit I wore today, my housemate said I looked like a Butlins red coat, hopefully in a good way. It is quite remarkable i actually look semi-alive in this picture as I had only four hours sleep and felt like I was going to be sick from a serious hangover (housemates birthday last night….that’s how I roll!)
 I’m trying to be good money wise at the moment, so I didn’t go too overboard on purchases, but these are the two dresses I picked up!
First off this gorgeous black 1930s dress. I rarely buy vintage this old (to wear) but this was in such brilliant condition i felt like I needed it in my life. Very upstairs downstairs! The rouleau loops were a bit of a nightmare to get done up, but i think it is worth the effort. Pretty impressed with my own skills though as I didn’t try it on and just guessed it looked about the right size, and it was! I adored the shoulder pads and the draping of it too, such a Hollywood glamour look! It kind of reminds me of Elsa Schiaparelli’s designs…
(I’ve lightened these pics so you can properly see the detail!)
Then I picked up this beautiful dress too, not my normal style, but it was pretty cheap and I thought I might find an excuse to wear it! The lady who I bought it from has some absolutely sensational stock. She sells through ebay, Dolly Wiggins vintage I strongly recommend you check her out, she had a wonderful selection of 30s, 40s and 50s dresses all at v v reasonable prices at the fair. I could have bought more, but as I say I am (meant to be) on a budget!

Iris Apfel: The ultimate Geriatric Starlet

Posted in Iris Apfel, Vintage by

Today I’m sharing another of my style icons. Iris Apfel. What can I say? I hope when I reach 90 i might be even just a tenth as cool as her! The title of this post Geriatric starlet refers to Apfel’s own description of herself. Superb!


“Mrs. Apfel is the discerning curator of her own wardrobe. Sorted and stowed in a vast nearby warehouse, that wardrobe incorporates pieces commemorating high points in her life. “She’s a great storyteller,” said Mindy Grossman, the chief executive of HSN. “Every single thing she wears, she remembers a story behind it.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/fashion/iris-apfel-90-stylish-and-on-hsn-up-close.html?_r=2&hpw


Apfel claims to not be a collector despite her vast wardrobe. Which was epitomised in a comment made in an article for the guardian “Some people own such valuable clothing they would never dare to put it on. This is anathema to Apfel. There’s one lady who lives in the Midwest who has about 15,000 pieces. She once wanted to show Apfel some of her collection, and when she took out “this divine Geoffrey Beene dress”, Apfel said: “Oh my God, you must have had so much fun wearing it!” The woman was horrified. She said: “Wear it!? This is part of my collection. You don’t wear your collection!” Apfel said: “In that case I don’t have a collection.”


(this was so crazily relevant for my current project into wearing historical dress it got me very excited!)


http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/17/new-year-new-cool-fashion


Apfel’s prowess as a fashion icon was demonstrated in 2005 when The Met museum held a retrospective showcasing some of her vast wardrobe. (I highly recommend the book rare bird of fashion that accompanied the exhibition, it has some sublime images of the garments). Mac also dedicated a range to her with super bright colours recently!













http://lovelydisco.wordpress.com/


If you love the Iris’s style check out this wonderful piece written for the New York times where Apfel and some other super stylish New York ladies discuss their style. http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/garb-fest-2/





 To me these ladies really epitomise something about vintage style- and something about fashion itself. Fashion should be about having fun, wearing what you want to wear and dressing in a way that is an extension of your personality!

This is how 2011 looked for me

Posted in Hampshire, Leeds, London, Vintage by

With my beautiful best friend
I can’t believe that 2011 is coming to an end, it is a petrifying thought. 2011 has been the best year of my life. I remember at the end of 2010 my best friend and I Katie Rickard stating this is going to be our “year of opportunities” and goodness me, it has been (This is true for both of us by the way, my amazing best friend this year got a first in her undergrad degree from Warwick in politics and international studies, is now doing a paid internship with the OSC and has been offered a place at Oxford for her masters).
I started off the year working for Hampshire museums service on my placement, which I began in 2010. Although, it was really 2011 that was my crowning glory. Seeing the Little Black dress exhibition that I had worked so hard on open in February and receive amazing comments and feedback was really enthralling. It felt like such a vindication to see all of the wonderful objects I had chosen bring back memories and provide people with inspiration. One of the best things though was seeing the exhibition  awarded with a guide award in November 2011 for “best exhibition”. Wonderful stuff!

I continued my time at the museum service working on a number of other wonderful projects and meeting some truly amazing people. Although one thing I have to say is that my placement allowed me to meet one of the most wonderful people I know, my supervisor Alison Carter. Alison knows more about dress history than I think I could ever aspire to know. In the time I worked with her she taught me so much and offered me so many opportunities. Not only is she a fantastic curator and historian but she is also one of the loveliest most giving people I have met, and I don’t think 2011 would have been even half of what it was without her.
This year blogging and twitter have taken me to all new places ( I now have more views on my blog per day than I got per month at the beginning of the year!) Social media allowed me to meet Naomi Thompson, one of the friendships I feel most privlledged to have made this year. Naomi is best known as stylish and vintage personal shopper Vintage Secret. I helped Naomi out with her book Style Me Vintage which is out in February. (Just a tad exciting!) You can pre order on Amazon now!!! Naomi is another insanely kind and generous person who has allowed me to see some wonderful pieces from her collection and also allowed me into the vintage world of London. Without her I don’t think I would have plucked up the courage to go to some of the events I have been to.
On the Beautiful Naomi’s birthday in December. She was poorly, but still looks lovely as ever i think 🙂
Photo by Hanson Leatherby 

Undoubtedly two of the best nights I have been on this year have been The Vintage Mafia presents the Ric Rac Club. Fine frocks and fine company. Even if one did leave me with  a horrendous drunken injury (scarred hands, scraped knees and a bruised chin anyone?)
 Sophie, Simone and I at the second Ric Rac Club, photo by Hanson Leatherby
Both of these events I went to alone. But everyone was so welcoming that it didn’t matter. I have to say special thanks to Mara, Johanna , Sophie, Simone and all of the VM for really making these events so fun!
I turned 21 in August too and I have to say a huge thanks to all of my beautiful friends that came. Especially to the Tribe girls. There is no need for a gushing love in here girls, you know how much i love you all : )
Some of the tribe girls on my 21st birthday
Coming back to University  was a scary experience after a year out. But I am in the process of writing my dissertation which I hope should become a piece of interesting an exciting research on the wearing of historical dress. And my two design modules aren’t going anywhere near as badly as I thought they might do.
And at the moment I am applying for masters, here I am with fingers crossed that maybe I might just get offered a place at one of my universities of choice. I need to live the academic life!

 Emily, Laura and I showing off our dance moves

I have to also offer my thanks to my wonderful housemates, Vic, Ally, Emily and Laura. I love them all to pieces and my uni experience wouldn’t have been half of what it is without them. I have to say a huge thanks to them too for putting up with the vintage selling I do from my bedroom, taking in the ridiculous number of parcels I sell and putting up with all the fur coats I had stinking out the place for months!
So yes, professional life on track, uni life on track and for once maybe even my personal life is on track.
Wonderful.
Thanks for treating me so well 2011 and roll on 2012.
As Katie Rickard and I have defined it “A year of taking risks”