The novelty print swing dress

A few weeks ago I attended the 'Retro Revival' event in Bournemouth and this is what I decided to wear...

I have to apologise for the quality of these photos, it is so much easier to take photos during the daytime on my phone (another reason why this blog is mostly dedicated to daytime outfits!)  However, this dress was just too amazing not to be featured here.  I first wore it at Rhythm Riot and I had tried to take photos there but they also suffered because of the night time quality of my phone photos.

This dress just fits like a dream!  I bought it from the Clerkenwell Fair (from the amazing stock of Tamara Watts) and knew I had to have it.  It has a rather awkward centre back zipper that does not go up all the way to the top but I can get over that.  It is so perfect for dancing because it has such a full swingy skirt.  ALSO, my guy happened to point out at Rhythm Riot that it is actually a novelty print and I hadn't even realised!  I thought it just had some sort of interesting floral swirly print but there are actually cherubs hidden within that! 

 

 

Dress: Vintage from the Clerkenwell Fair

Shoes: Johnson's

Bracelet: Vintage from Rhythm Riot

Earrings: Vintage from Etsy



Saddle Shoes

I have wanted a pair of saddle shoes for so long!  At first I tried to seek out a vintage pair but couldn't find any in my size and I was quite reluctant to buy vintage shoes online without being able to try them on first.  So I looked to the reproduction brands out there and when I saw the Rocket Originals saddle shoes, I thought they would be the ones for me.  When I tried on a pair early last year, I was a bit disappointed because they looked too chunky for my small feet.  So I gave up hope in finding a pair until I saw that Morellos sold saddle shoes... and I got the chance to try them on at Rhythm Riot (which was a good thing too as the size 3 I would have purchased online would have been too small!)  They didn't have my size in the colour I wanted at the Riot so I waited until after Christmas when I finally purchased my first pair of saddle shoes...

 

 

I have always been fascinated by the 1950s 'teenager' subculture and the saddle shoe is the epitome of style of that generation. 

The wool skirt is from Fab Gabs Vintage on Etsy and has woven hash symbols throughout in white and yellow (which match perfectly with my yellow Lucite confetti earrings!)  I love most of the items in this Etsy store but most are not in my size (this might just be a good thing!)  But this skirt was my size and I knew it had to be mine.  It has a lovely swing style and I can't wait to go dancing in this outfit.

 

 

 

Saddle Shoes: Reproduction from Morellos

Skirt: Vintage from Fab Gabs on Etsy

Sweater: Gift

Brooch: Vintage from Clerkenwell Fair

Lucite confetti earrings: Vintage from Etsy

Belt: Vintage from Etsy

Bracelet: Vintage from Rhythm Riot

Festive plaid

As I mentioned in a previous post, I want to buy more vintage separates and I have succeeded in buying quite a few vintage skirts in the last couple of months but as a consequence, I have not bought any dresses!  So this is another skirt post...

I did wear this over the Christmas period and it really is the perfect skirt featuring the best seasonal colours.  I also paired it with a Rocket Originals sweater that was a Christmas gift from my guy.  This sweater fits so nicely! 

 

 

You can also see my Luxulite set - I purchased the necklace first and then asked if I could have a matching bracelet made for me, which she did!  I love so much of the jewellery on her site, go check it out if you haven't already (I am currently coveting the 1950s style tiki necklace!)


Skirt: Vintage from Etsy
Sweater: Reproduction from Rocket Originals
Bag: Vintage from Etsy
Shoes: Marks and Spencer
Necklace and bracelet: Luxulite

 

Miss Elliette

So this is the outfit I wore to a wedding reception a few days before Christmas... an early 1960s Miss Elliette dress.  A search of this brand on Etsy brings up mostly late 1960s-1970s party dresses which aren't my style but I have seen a few 1950s-early 1960s dresses of the brand which are lovely.

I bought this dress about 4 years ago from the Beyond Retro in Brighton and it was very well priced for an evening dress.  When I've been to that shop in the past year, they haven't had much of a mid-century selection which was a bit disappointing. 

 

I used to have quite a collection of early 1960s party dresses and although I still love that style, I have sold most of them because I rarely got the chance to wear them.  I couldn't part with this dress (or a few others that I have kept) as it is such a great LBD.

 

Dress: Vintage from Beyond Retro, Brighton

Bag: Vintage from an Antiques Fair

Shoes: Dune

Earrings: Vintage from a trader at The Vintage Parade, Winchester

My new pencil skirt...

OK, so as boring as this post title might seem, I was quite excited to purchase my first vintage style pencil skirt!  Pencil skirts are one area of mid-century fashion that I had never really conquered (along with trousers, but we'll get to that in another post.)  This is mainly because I never felt comfortable with something so figure hugging.  The only time you have seen me wear a wiggle dress on this blog is in this post and as I discussed there, I never buy wiggle dresses or pencil skirts online because you have to get the fit around the hips just perfect, something which I don't need to necessarily worry about when buying full/ circle dresses/ skirts.  

 

I had always wanted to buy a reproduction pencil skirt but as I had never tried any of them on, I assumed that they would be too snug around my hips (and I really don't like it when you are wearing a pencil skirt that is so tight, that it pulls around the hips!)  I was so impressed when I found this Vivien of Holloway pencil skirt at This is Vintage that I just had to buy it.  And I like it so much that I am even considering buying a black one to wear to work!

 

 

This is also the first thing that I have bought from VOH and I am looking forward to trying on some of their other items when I am next in London.  I would love to know what VOH items you have bought and what you think of them?


Sweater: Vintage from Rhythm Riot
Skirt: Vivien of Holloway via This is Vintage, Boscombe
Shoes: Marks and Spencer
Coat: Vintage from Clobber Vintage, Boscombe
Earrings: Vintage from Rhythm Riot
Celluloid brooch: Vintage from Lou Lou's Vintage Fair
Bracelet: Vintage from Rhythm Riot
Bag: Vintage from Vintage to Vogue, Bath

Rain, rain go away!

Gosh the weather has been terrible!  I really feel sad for those families that had their Christmases ruined due to flooding/ lack of power.  I really hope this rainy weather ceases soon (though no doubt it will be replaced by the super cold spell that seems to hit  the UK every January and February.)

These outfit photos were taken a few weeks ago, before the bad weather started. 

 

 

I bought this dress on Etsy at the end of the summer.  It is a nice medium-weight cotton making it ideal to pair with a cardigan and coat when the weather turns cold.  The funny thing is, I tried on this same dress in a vintage shop in Bath over a year ago but did not buy it then because I couldn't justify spending £95 on a day dress.  Then I see it on Etsy a year later for £35 and as it was my measurements, I could not pass it up!  It is by Blanes and fits so nicely.  It always makes me laugh when I see vintage garments described as "one of a kind" or "you won't find another one like it" when the garment has been produced by a designer and clearly more than one was made at the time! 

 

 

 

And my lovely 1950s winter coat!  I love this coat, it was such a good purchase at a fair in 2012 because most of these coats are not in my size!  You'll most likely see it a few times before winter is up.

 

 

Dress: Vintage Blanes from Etsy

Coat: Vintage from a trader at Lou Lou's Vintage Fair

Bag: Vintage from eBay

Shoes: Vintage from Tamara Watts at the Clerkenwell Fair

Cardigan: Zara

Gloves: Vintage from some fair

Brooch: Gift from This is Vintage, Bournemouth

Necklace: Vintage from Etsy

Looking forward to 2014...

I can't believe that there are only a few days left of 2013!  This has been the best year for me and I am certainly looking forward to 2014.  2013 brought some exciting developments and this blog is one of them.  I have enjoyed doing outfit posts and also being able to comment on all the blogs I love to read - you vintage girls are the best!  You have the best style and are a great source of inspiration for me.  I also wanted to take the opportunity in this post to say a big THANK YOU to those of you who read my blog and for your lovely comments - I really appreciate them! 

OK, on to my outfit...

I have tried to incorporate more separates into my vintage wardrobe.  Buying vintage skirts in a small size is pretty easy but one thing I have found is that buying vintage tops in a small size is definitely not easy!  Even buying reproduction or vintage inspired tops is really difficult - this is one thing I think that the repro brands out there really need to get on top of - especially when it comes to sweaters!  Does anyone else have this problem?  Do you have any suggestions for where I can get nice vintage or vintage inspired sweaters from (in a small size!)?

This is one of my favourite cardigans and has a rabbit fur collar (I like to call it my 'Thumper Jumper'...)  I bought this on eBay about four years ago and it was the bargain price of £9!  These days, these type of fur collar cardigans seem to be more around the £50 price, so I was quite lucky to buy this one at this price.  I am also wearing the cashmere sweater and ? Bakelite hoop earrings, both purchased from Rhythm Riot this year.  I don't own many Bakelite items so I am not sure (and to be honest, not entirely bothered) if they are indeed genuine Bakelite.  I didn't pay very much for them and I bought them because I just love the colour and style!

Hope y'all have a great New Years!  See you in 2014!

Skirt: Vintage from Etsy
Thumper Jumper: Vintage from eBay
Sweater: Vintage from Dress Circle Vintage at Rhythm Riot
Earrings: Vintage from Dress Circle Vintage at Rhythm Riot
Shoes: Marks and Spencer
Bag: Vintage from Vintage to Vogue, Bath