Sunday 31 October 2010

1960's Hats for Sale

Just a quick post to let you all know that I've listed some original '60s hats on Ebay. Most are wholly or partly made of fur, which isn't to my taste, but I inherited them from an elderly relative and want them to go to good new homes!

There's also a sheepskin hat that's pretty cute, and a modern wool one.

Grab a hat on ebay here.

Saturday 30 October 2010

A Quiet Halloween

I'm being boring this year and have no plans for Halloween aside from pizza and Strictly Come Dancing. I did enjoy, however, carving a Jack 'O Lantern today and using its innards to make a velvety cream of pumpkin soup (using a double cream substitute for a healthier take on it!). You can find the recipe on the BBC Good Food site here. Scooping out the contents of the pumpkin felt a little like surgery of some kind, very gruesome! I really do like the taste of pumpkin though and the other night I was lucky enough to enjoy a home-baked pumpkin pie at a small girly gathering hosted by my friend Victoria.

It was a chance to wear my Vivien of Holloway tea dress (LOVE it!), and I battled with hot bendy sticks again to attempt some vintage hair. It worked out much better this time, but as I didn't use mousse before rolling, just some heat protector spray, the curls dropped out pretty quickly over the evening and left me with a soft wave rather than curls. Still, it's more promising, and I vow to keep at it! Please excuse the manic look in the second picture - we'd had quite a few glasses of mulled wine by this point...

Wednesday 27 October 2010

A Spot of Shopping



This last week I have discovered a new local place to shop for vintage - an antiques centre in Cowbridge. They had a few items that made me sigh, including a pair of shell-shaped Art-Deco wall lights in chrome and glass (£98) and a lovely pair of champagne glasses in an unusual shape that I'd seen an example of only a few days earlier in the 1949 film 'A Letter to Three Wives' (not a brilliant film, the odd fashion-moment to enjoy). There was also a stall with the most impressive range of teacups I've ever seen! I left empty-handed however, as I've made quite enough trigger-happy internet purchases recently.

I've finally obtained a pair of Heyday trousers in grey, but have to lengthen them before I can wear them which is frustrating. Other than that, they're fabulous and I'm already making a list of what other colours I want them in! I've also bought some vintage inspired underwear, the book 'Style Me Vintage' by Belinda Hay, a vintage M&S petticoat and a rather glamorous looking hairbrush.
The hairbrush was a necessity - all of the vintage styling books and videos recommend you use a natural bristle brush to brush out your curls, and I'm completely converted. The shine you get from using one beats any styling products. I didn't have the budget for a coveted Mason Pearson brush, so I headed to TK Maxx and picked up a huge Italian natural bristle brush that looks exactly like a Mason Pearson, for just £12. Bargain. I'll be sure to post some pictures at a later date - I'll be tackling each of the styles in Belinda's book.

Next on my shopping list is some '30s and '40s blouses to wear with both the trousers and my Tara Starlet high-waisted skirt. I also need to stock up on some winter-weight stockings - I always order mine from Stockings HQ.

On a more depressing note, the lovely dress I won from Shristi Studio has not arrived, we suspect it's stuck at customs! And there's nothing we can do about it!

Poirot Fashion Special: Episode 1, "The Adventure of the Clapham Cook"

Ta-da! My first fashion special on the David Suchet Poirot series!

We kick off with the very first episode, "The Adventure of the Clapham Cook", where the standout fashion is not from the ladies, but from Poirot himself who looks exceedingly dapper from start to finish!




However, I know very little about men's vintage fashion and so I won't dwell on that aspect. The episode doesn't have any of the high-class characters that feature so predominantly later in the series, and so we get a sense of practical, well-worn and respectable middle and working class dress. This does mean that it's not the most exciting and dramatic episode for fashion.



In fact, Miss Lemon is the best-dressed! Now, she's always well turned-out, but in quite a lot of Poirot you don't tend to notice her against the glamour of the starlets and disgustingly rich old ladies with their fabulous hats and gowns and furs. In these screenshots, Miss Lemon's wardrobe is impeccable and highly wearable.




Are you inspired by any fashion in this episode? Top of my wish-list would be the chocolate and cream dress, but I know that's just a fantasy and I'd never find one in my budget and size! The cardigan and blouse/day dress combo is a simple one to pull together though, and for cardigans with big bows on you don't need to go any further than the high street at the moment, it's teeming with them! British girls try New Look or H&M, Americans try Forever 21 perhaps.

I confess, I haven't read the original Agatha Christie story, so this post is purely fashion based and not a commentary on the adaptation, though I will try and do this with future posts wherever possible!


I hope you've enjoyed this post!

Sunday 24 October 2010

Cheltenham Vintage Fair & A Rococo Garden

Although the nights have been chilly, we've been blessed in the UK with some glorious Autumn days recently. Last Sunday I had a girly day out with my good friend Victoria, who incidently has had another sell-out vintage-inspired textile design out in Marks and Spencer (click here to have a peek!).

It was an early start but I'm so glad I was up to see the gorgeous countryside around Chepstow, part of it was like Lord of the Rings and I half-expected to see Hobbits popping out from behind the trees! We had a bit of a drive then to Cheltenham, to the Blind Lemon Vintage Fair being held at the Pitteville Pump Room, a rather imposing building dating from 1902 that you could mistake for being a lot older - something of a Georgian feel about the place.


Having been to a few Blind Lemon fairs, I was impressed with the quality of this particular one - lots of 1950s and earlier items, which you don't always get. Some items were unfortunately pretty pricey and most disappointingly teeny tiny, but that's just the way it goes with my Amazonian modern figure. I did however find a selection of 1940s dresses that were in my size, and I ended up buying a gorgeous wrap-front peachy pink dress that looked sad on the hanger but perked up immenseley once draped over womanly curves again for the first time in 60 years. I think clothes are like pearls in that you have to see them on the skin to see them at their best. It's easy to be dismissive of something on a hanger, but if you get in the habit of looking at the cut of a garment, you'll walk away with something fabulous that lots of other people have overlooked!

We then sat in the park outside the Pump Room and shared a flask of tea like old people do. In the picture below I'm wearing my 1940's repro skirt from Tara Starlet and a cardigan from Laura Ashley's sale that I simply couldn't walk away from once I'd seen its adorable quirky dog design!


After a leisurely drive through some pretty Gloucestershire countryside we ended up at the Rococo Gardens in Painswick. We'd missed lunch by about ten minutes, so alas were forced to eat cake instead. I had a spicy pepper-seed cake and Victoria had a light-as-air Victoria Sponge, washed down with fruit cordials. Feeling better after some food we spent a good couple of hours exploring the lovely gardens, with their orchard, vegetable plots, forest, maze and little buildings. It also gave me the opportunity to try out my new camera - I love the pro-focus mode where you get a short depth-of-field effect, like you would with an SLR.








Thursday 21 October 2010

Another Fabulous Give Away!

I've had my eye on some Besame cosmetics for a while, after a post Fleur (diaryofavintagegirl.com) did about them a few months back. Such gorgeous packaging for starters, which instantly make you feel far more lovely than the horrid plastic of modern brands. But it's the colour palette that is the main attraction - rich, classic colours that women have been wearing for years and years. Why mess with something tried and tested?

If you are hankering after some Besame cosmetics yourself then head over to The Rockabilly Socialite's page here for a Bountiful Besame Bonanaza!

Photo below from the lovely Fleur's page, doesn't she look amazing? I wish I looked like that when I applied lipstick, but it's usually in the tiny fluorescent light of the bulb over the bathroom sink, with me still in slippers and curlers in my hair!

Wednesday 20 October 2010

Calling All Poirot Fans!

Some time ago I received on loan, the complete David Suchet Poirot DVD collection. This has kept me entertained in hours of need, but there is so much wonderful fashion contained within it that I want to share it with you, dear readers!

So, my blog will feature a new Poirot Special, where I look at the lovely creations of the costume department, in an episode-by-episode basis! I hope you're all as excited as I am!

To whet your appetites, I want to share one of my favourite ensembles - a rather masculine driving outfit with a flat cap, leather gauntlets and a scarf to fly out in the breeze. Taken from the episode 'The Hollow'.



Stay tuned!

Saturday 16 October 2010

My City in The 1950s

I just found this clip (no sound unfortunately) of Cardiff in the 1950s. However, I think it looks more 1960s from some of the hair and make-up. Any other bets?


Friday 15 October 2010

Trials and Tribulations with Hot Bendy Sticks


It was time to experiment today with the bargain Nicky Clarke hot bendy rollers that my beloved picked up in a car boot sale for £2.50. I have been after some hot sticks for a while but haven't won any on Ebay, and I wondered if the hot bendy rollers would be as effective as hot sticks are supposed to be. My heated rollers don't work so well now that my hair is this long - but I have to say they worked a treat back in July for my sister's wedding, the curl was gorgeous and stayed in all night (pic below), though I'm not sure it was really an authentic vintage look.







So, on to the hot bendy rollers. First, a 'before' picture (excuse the awful expressions and shiny face, I'd just returned from a power walk!):





I have watched the videos on hot sticks by both Fleur and Lisa Freemont Street, and followed the advice to roll under and up, pre-treating my hair with mousse. The hair wasn't freshly washed - a day old.



Then a mid-way picture:



They were fairly easy to use, quicker than the hot rollers I think. The tricky part for me is that I have layered ends, meaning I do get some escapee strands and have to spend a bit of time getting them rolled up too. The bendy ends do a good enough job of keeping the hair in place, but again I did get a few escapees and had to re-roll a few strands.



Then an 'after' picture, with no brushing out:



I was disappointed. It seemed a bit haphazard, with some bits of hair that had curled well, and others that were still straight!



Finally, after brushing out:





It really didn't work out for me this time. It looked a bit straggly and frizzy, so I ended up throwing it up into a ponytail. It did work quite well to get some volume for a '50s style ponytail, lots of bounce.



To make myself feel better after the disappointing outcome,I went to Penarth with my lovely housemate Laura, to my favourite local place for afternoon tea, the Blue Pelican Cafe. I had a nice pot of Earl Grey and a stack of pancakes with berries and creme fraiche. Just the ticket after a hair disaster. I'll report back after I've had another attempt.


Wednesday 13 October 2010

Heyday Fleur Dress Giveaway!


We all love a giveaway, and this has to be one of the best I've seen recently - head over to the Heyday blog and you can enter the competition to win your very own Fleur dress by leaving a comment! (photo above courtesy of Heyday).
Summer may be well and truly over here in the Northern hemisphere, but you could eek it out a little for Autumn by wearing the Fleur dress with chunky cardigans, boots and a good hat.

You can find the blog here, and the Fleur dress is available in the online shop here, so even if you don't win, you could just put one on your Christmas list...

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Autumn Walks

I've had some fantastic Autumn walks recently. We're very lucky in South Wales being so close to the sea, yet equally close to countryside, forests and mountains. I try and go for a walk everyday by myself, exploring parts of Cardiff and Penarth that I haven't been to before - they say the best time of day for a walk is lunchtime in the Autumn and Winter, to help combat the seasonal blues!

So here are some recent adventures - firstly, a walk by myself along Penarth's seafront, and up to the cliff top. It was incredibly windy, and the sea was so rough it looked like it was boiling. I was also saddened to see some old buildings ready for demolition - I think they must be Victorian, like the pier, so it's especially sad to see something of that age left to crumble.

Photos, from top: Autumn Street and the Victorian Pier; Seafront promenade; Choppy seas around the Pier; Crumbling Victorian buildings; More crumbling; An art-deco building safe and sound and currently an Indian restaurant and a post office!


(click on photos for a larger view)



On Sunday we had a trip to Aberthaw, a rocky beach close by, that has a power station on one end of it and beautiful views on the other! It was such a glorious sunny Autumn day, really breathtaking. My beloved and I took sandwiches and a flask of tea, and sat like old people enjoying the bracing sea air. This isn't an outfit post - I was just wearing casual Sunday attire suitable for rock-hopping, i.e. cuffed high-waisted jeans, a pair of 10 year old Skechers, a long cardigan and my boyfriend's flat cap!

Photos from top: Fields behind the beach; Seaweed rocks; A wild pony on the grassland; Aberthaw beach; Patterns in the Sand and my beloved's favourite rockabilly jeans and boots; Me!


I hope you're all managing to get out in the fresh air - resist the temptation to hibernate!

Monday 11 October 2010

New on Ebay: 60's vanity case, 50's style skirt and more!

I'm having one final wardrobe clearout before Christmas and have just put up some new items on Ebay. There's a really gorgeous 1950's style skirt by Shrinking Violet, that I've only worn once, and a fabulous original '60s vanity case, plus I still have that deadstock '50s housedress for sale. My personal favourite is the darling nautical skirt, but it just doesn't suit me so it has to go!

I have some veiled hats too if anyone is thinking of Halloween or perhaps burlesque outfits.
Have a look at all of the items here.

Friday 8 October 2010

Autumn Vintage Inspiration on the British High Street

This season I've spied quite a few vintage-inspired items around the high street, so here's a little roundup for you UK girls.

PEACOCK'S - Best for Budget Copies!

vintage inspired at Peacocks AW10


Dress: Pearl Lowe collection, designs based on vintage items in her wardrobe. I've tried this dress on and unfortunately the lace is yellowed not white, such a shame.
Lace blazer: a cheaper version of those available on Tara Starlet
'Brogue' ballet pumps: love the style but I can't wear shoes this unsupportive!


DOROTHY PERKINS - Best for Knitwear!

Dorothy Perkins Knitwear A/W 2010
All priced £25-£30, and the pink blush cardigan is in the maternity section, but it's adorable so I had to sneak it in!



Office - Best for Vintage Look Heels!
vintage inspired heels at Office
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