A festive outfit for work

First and foremost, I wish all my blog readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

This will be the last post of the year and I decided to make it a festive one.  I have wanted to do some work outfit posts for a while but it is difficult because I leave for work early in the morning and I'm too tired by the time I get home.  I'm not a vintage purist when it comes to work clothes either - comfort and practicality is important for me - so I mix vintage with repro and mostly wear separates.

 

Whilst I don't buy repro dresses, I am a fan of certain repro separates and I cannot get enough of this Collectif skirt.  In fact, I did a swap with my friend Vicki exchanging one of my vintage plaid skirts to get this one!  Swapping vintage for repro, crazy isn't it?!  Except the vintage one was a little too big for me and this one fits quite nicely so it was a good swap. 

 

 

I wish they did this skirt in other colours, I would definitely get more!  It has easily become my go-to work skirt this festive season.

 

 

I don't own many Christmas specific vintage items but I just love these holly leaf screw back earrings!

 





Do you wear purely vintage to work or do you like to mix vintage and reproduction clothing?

 

 

Top: Vintage sweater from I can't remember where!

Skirt: Collectif

Shoes: Clarks

Necklace: Vintage from trader at Bows and Braces Fair

Earrings: Vintage from Etsy

 

When in Bath...

... do as the Romans did and visit the Roman Baths!  And this is exactly what we did when we visited Bath back in October.  Bath is one of my favourite cities in the UK and I have blogged about it before. 

 

Here are some photos of my outfit before we set off.  I had gone for an early 1950s dress (which you can't really see as it is hidden) and jacket.  My favourite era is the mid 1950s - early 1960s but it was nice to go for an earlier look this time.  This dress was purchased on eBay for a bargain price, with the intention that I would wear it to work as it was so cheap.  But when it arrived, I really liked the pattern and decided it was "too nice" for my work.  This often is the case when I purchase vintage clothing for work.  As a result, I wear a mix of repro and vintage to work.

 



And here are some photos taken at the Roman Baths.  I have visited the Baths before but many years ago so it was nice to go again.  I always find it difficult to take outfit photos for this blog whilst I am out and about, as we often need to take a few with different poses and I do wonder what the other people around me must think!

Dress: Vintage from eBay
Jacket: Vintage from Blackout 2 in London
Bag: Vintage from eBay
Shoes: Office (but they have a great vintage style and are so comfortable!)
Earrings: Vintage from the Clerkenwell Fair

A taste of the good life

I am still trying to catch up with my outfits from the summer and this outfit was worn on a day spent in Bournemouth and Poole.

 

 

I purchased this Jonathan Logan dress on the Facebook group "Ooh La La."  Whilst I don't find a lot to purchase on this group, I do feel particularly pleased when I get a good bargain like this (£25!) from a UK seller.  Jonathan Logan is one of my favourite 1950s designers and there is a plethora of dresses on Etsy with this label.  I have a couple more Jonathan Logan dresses, which I aim to feature on this blog soon! 

 

 

This last photo was taken in Sandbanks -  the fourth most expensive place to live in the world!  It was lovely strolling around and taking a peek through the big gates of these mansions.

 

Dress: Vintage from OLL on Facebook

Shoes: Marks and Spencer

Bag: Vintage from eBay

Necklace: Vintage from Bows and Braces Vintage Fair

Earrings: Vintage from Clerkenwell Fair

Bracelet: Vintage from Rhythm Riot

Sunglasses: Vintage from Vera Mode (at the Midcentury Market)



Back when it was warm...

We have been blessed with some unseasonably warm weather as of late in England but this past week there has been a sudden drop in temperature!

These photos were taken a few weeks back when it was still warm enough to wear summer dresses and sandals.

 

 

I have had this early 1960s L'Aiglon dress for some time even though this is its first outing on the blog.  It's colours are perhaps more suited to Spring rather than Autumn.



 

I don't own many of these 1950s beaded cardigans but this one matches the dress pretty well. 

 

 

When I purchased this wicker bag, I never thought about pairing it with this dress but it matches the colours perfectly.  So much so that I think it was destined to be worn with this dress!  I now can't wait until next Summer when I can wear this dress (and bag) again.

 

 

Dress: Vintage from eBay

Bag: Vintage from eBay

Sunglasses: Vintage from Vera Mode on Etsy

Shoes: Next

Cardigan: Vintage from eBay

Bracelet: Vintage from eBay

Earrings: Vintage from Etsy

 

 

 

 





The dress that almost made it to Goodwood

In my last post, I showed you the outfit that I wore to the Goodwood Revival but that was not the outfit that I had planned to wear all along, this dress was the one I had wanted to wear...

I had originally planned to wear this dress with my straw tilt hat but the weather report suggested there might be some rain.  I am definitely one for wearing weather appropriate clothing and a straw hat with the possibility of rain did not sound like a good idea, which is why I made the change to my navy dress and hat.

I did not get to wear it to Goodwood this year but I am glad I got to wear it this Summer.  It has the perfect fit and works well with my white accessories.  Although black and white gingham is quite a popular print, I love how the white embroidery makes the dress a bit different.

I am always very happy to promote vintage shops that I have had good service from and this dress came from one of those shops - Cut + Paste on Etsy.  I bought another Jonathan Logan from this shop a few months ago (which is yet to feature on this blog but it will do some day!) and this dress has been my second purchase.


Dress: Vintage from Cut + Paste on Etsy
Belt: Vintage from eBay
Shoes: Vintage from many years ago!
Bag: Vintage from eBay
Necklace: Vintage from trader at Bows and Braces Vintage Fair
Earrings: Vintage from Etsy
Sunglasses: Vintage from Vera Mode Vintage

Goodwood Revival 2014

Last Sunday, my boyfriend and I attended the Goodwood Revival.  You may remember I blogged about the 2012 Revival here. 

As the weather looked like it was going to be somewhat unsettled for the Sunday, I decided not to wear the outfit that I had originally planned and went with a different outfit which you have already seen on this blog here.  So this post is more about the event rather than my outfit (although I did choose some different accessories to go with the dress this time!)

This year's event was bigger and better than 2012!!  As I didn't attend the 2013 event, I do not know if the changes made were present last year or were new to this year.  For instance, the "Over the Road" area was much bigger and they made more of a feature of the Car Show.  There were just so many cars that we didn't get to see all of them!

Pretty much my favourite car colour!

There was also a dedicated 1950s area this year (which I don't recall there being in 2012) which had hot rods, airstream food vendors and a stage with Rock 'n' Roll bands playing.  Despite our intentions to do some jiving during the day, we were just too tired from all the walking/ standing that we didn't get to do any!

I also managed to meet up with my friends Vicki and Nicky who went for the day.  Vicki runs the awesome vintage shop This is Vintage in Bournemouth.

When I went in 2012, the planes were behind the fence in the airfield but this year you could get up close and touch them!  This was definitely one of the highlights of the day!  You often see classic cars at events but you don't normally get to see these types of planes, so it was good to get some photos!

Another minty dream machine!

And as with 2012, I managed to get to the Best Dressed Finals but did not win...

You can see fellow Vintage blogger Alex from The Forties Floozy in front of me during the parade!

Photo taken from the Goodwood Revival website

Photo taken by Men's File photographer Matt Hind (my serious face is also my moody face!)

All in all, it was a great day out!  My legs hurt so much by the end of the day (I changed in to ballet flats at lunch time but even that didn't really help) - there is just so much walking around and not many places to sit down and relax!  You may also be surprised to hear that I did not even look at any vintage clothes shops!  There were a lot of vendors but I really couldn't be bothered to sift through racks of vintage when there was so much more to see and do.  My boyfriend also enjoyed his first Revival so I think we will probably go next year.

I would love to know if you went to this year's event or have been to previous events!



Seeing spots

I never buy dresses or skirts with polka dots on them.  Polka dots are so ubiquitous on reproduction 1950s dresses that when I see them on vintage 1950s dresses, they just don't appeal to me.  That's not to say that I don't like polka dots because I actually do!  So when I saw this dress in a shop in London recently, I was very much drawn to it, even though I had reservations over the polka dots!

 

 In the end, I decided that I needed to buy it as it was just too cute to pass up!  It was deadstock with the labels still attached, my size and the seller gave me a really good price that I simply could not turn this down.

 



 

One of the reasons (but certainly not the main reason) that I wear vintage is because I like that it is a more uncommon way of dressing.  But as there are now a lot more people wearing and sourcing vintage (which is definitely a great thing!) you often find that the vintage dress you love to wear because of its unusual print is popping up on Etsy again and again. 

 

When my Mum saw my Stylecraft Miami wicker and lucite bag she loved it so much that she said she wanted one herself!  I reasoned that because it was vintage, I was unlikely to be able to find her one.  But I was determined to have a look and on my first Etsy search, I found another one so I bought it for her!  It is actually a little bigger than mine but it is still Stylecraft Miami and the same style of bag, as you can see.  In fact, in the last couple of weeks, I have seen a third bag on eBay in this style!  Vintage, yes.  Unique, certainly not!

 

Vintage twins!

 

Dress: Vintage from Dreamtime in London (one of the best vintage shops in London!)

Shoes: Rocket Originals

Bag: Vintage from eBay (Mum's bag is via Etsy)

Earrings: Vintage from trader at Clerkenwell Vintage Fair

 

 



Who wears short shorts?

Ooh man, dig that crazy chick!

First capri pants and now shorts, have I abandoned dresses and skirts forever?  Nope, but I do love these shorts!  I have wanted a pair of navy 1950s shorts for a long time... I couldn't find a vintage pair in the right size and the repro companies out there did not seem to make any navy ones so I was very happy to finally find these original 1950s shorts from Crush Vintage on Etsy.  I have bought a few things from them before and their items are always at good prices.  The shorts needed a little alteration as they were a little too big but they now fit great.  And I took them on their first outing to a picnic in the New Forest.

 



The summer weather isn't quite as hot as it was back in July so I haven't had many opportunities to wear this hat.

 

And these are my first Miss L Fire shoes!  I have wanted to purchase a pair for a while but could never make up my mind as to which pair I really wanted.  When I saw these cute sandals, I figured they would be great for my holiday next year and I snapped them up when they went on sale recently.  They are completely ridiculous, but how can you not love them?

 

 

Shorts: Vintage from Crush Vintage

Shirt: Vintage but I bought this so long ago, I cannot remember where I got it from!

Bag: Vintage from Etsy

Sandals: Miss L Fire Aruba sandals (currently on sale!)

Hat: Vintage from eBay

Earrings: Vintage from Etsy

Sunglasses: Vintage from Vera Mode

 



Capri pants!

I think it is safe to say that I definitely prefer dresses and skirts to trousers... having said that, I do love the 1950s capri pants that I see girls wearing and I've been dying to own a pair myself.  However, trousers/ pants are just so difficult to get right in the measurements!  Buying a full skirt or dress is so easy by comparison and it is for this reason that I have generally stayed away from buying vintage trousers online. 

Ballyhoo Vintage has a great range of 1950s and 1960s capri pants/ clam diggers/ pedal pushers and I really wanted a pair... so I bought these deadstock ones as they were not very expensive so I figured if they didn't fit right, it wouldn't be a huge waste of money.

 

They are super tight and there isn't much give in the fabric.  It is the right size (I actually had to get them taken in a little by the ankle) as any bigger and it wouldn't have the right look. 

 

 

I definitely feel more self-conscious wearing these than I do in any vintage dress I own but I do also like this outfit a lot (even if all I can see is hips/ thighs/ bum) so I would like to buy some more capri pants in the future.

 

 



 

We are currently in-between sofas in our flat so I used this opportunity to take some photos in the huge space we now have in our lounge.  This clock was the first mid-century item we bought for the flat.  It's great to be able to look at (and purchase!) furniture and homewares at vintage fairs, when before, I was only really interested in the clothing.

Yep, definitely super tight.

Capri pants: Vintage deadstock from Ballyhoo Vintage
Top: H&M
Necklace: Vintage from Etsy
Bracelet: Vintage from trader at Rhythm Riot
Bag: Vintage from Etsy
Earrings: Reproduction from Bow & Crossbones
Shoes: Topshop

Southsea Common

It was good to read your comments from my previous post about having too many floral print dresses and just to show you that I haven't completely gone off 1950s floral prints, here is an outfit I wore a few weeks ago...

 

 

These photos were taken on a lovely sunny day spent in Southsea (and you can see Southsea Common in the background.)

 

 

Following on from my last post, I know that I will still buy 1950s floral print dresses in the future but I like to find ones that are a little different.  I like the print of this one in particular because I don't own any other dresses that look similar.

 

 

For those of you who have been reading my blog posts for a little may remember this post which I did last year.  When I went to London last August, I went to Judy's Fair at Spitalfields where I met a girl promoting the fair.  I absolutely loved her dress and took a photo of her in it (which I included in the post.)  Then a couple months ago, I saw that the same girl was selling some of her clothes on OLL.  I did think if she was to ever sell this dress then I would need to buy it... and luckily for me, she was selling it and I bought it from her!  As she is a similar size to me, I knew it would fit (and it does) and I have since bought other things from her (I love finding someone in my size who is selling off their vintage wardrobe!)

 

  

Dress: Vintage from Ooh La La! Vintage Swap and Sell Shop (Facebook group)

Shoes: Rocket Originals

Bag: Vintage from Etsy

Sunglasses: Vintage from Vera Mode

Bracelet: Vintage from eBay

Parasol: Vintage from trader at the Crikey! It's Vintage Fair

Earrings: Vintage from Ooh La La! Vintage Swap and Sell Shop (Facebook group)



  

 

Not another floral print dress...

I wore this outfit when I went out for dinner for my Birthday a few months ago.  I have to admit, recently, I have really gone off 1950s floral print dresses... I do really like this one but I see so many floral prints on Etsy that they all start to look the same.  I try to look for more interesting or different prints in 1950s dresses (and I seem to have bought a lot of plaid dresses!)  As a result, there will be a couple of floral print dresses in my wardrobe that I plan on selling as I know I won't be wearing them anymore.

 

 



I think the reason I still like this dress is that I like the black and blue combination, it is great for accessorising.

 

 

I got to wear my new Atomic demi parure on this occasion.  The brooch is almost hidden on this dress!  I don't really like clip on earrings and I try to purchase screw back styles where possible but when the earring are this amazing, then I make an exception. 

 

 

Dress: Vintage Carol Craig from Etsy

Shoes: Vintage from trader at a Vintage Fair

Demi Parure: Vintage from Etsy

Bracelet: Vintage from trader at Rhythm Riot

Belt: Vintage from Etsy

Bag: Vintage from Etsy

 



Atomic Festival!

So since my last post there have been a few changes in my little world... I have moved into a new place with my guy... and it's great!  I also have a new job... or I will do in a few weeks when I start it.  I will still be working in clinical research but in a different role with more responsibility (and more money!) in a different research facility so yay for me.  And I booked a holiday to America for 2015 (Yes, I will finally get to revel in all the VLV fun!)  And I managed to do all this in one week.  But now on to more important things such as....

Atomic Festival!  At the beginning of May, the first ever Atomic Festival was held at Sywell Aerodrome in Northampton.  I had tickets for the Saturday but I kinda wished I had weekend tickets because it was so much fun that I didn't want to go home on Saturday evening!

 

I am so glad that it did not rain... and although it was very sunny, it was a pretty cold start to the day!  This plaid dress was perfect to wear to this 1950s Americana event and I teamed it with my Rocket Originals wedges and then, later on in the day, my saddles shoes. 

 

 

This is actually the second Mr. Mort dress that I own.  The first Mr. Mort dress I have yet to wear even though I consider it to be one of my favourite dresses (how is that possible, to have a 'favourite' dress that I've never worn?!)  This one has a fully lined circle skirt and it's pretty heavy (it swings and hits your partner when you jive in it!) 

 

 

 

 

One of the reasons why I'm a bit gutted I was only there for the Saturday was that I missed the Poodle Parade on the Sunday.  I did get to snap some photos of this super chic lady and her lovely dogs though.

 

 

 

So I have to admit, I was not that enthused to see Demon Drome's Wall of Death but my guy really wanted to go so I went too... AND THEY TOTALLY BLEW MY MIND!!!  It was definitely one of the highlights of my day at the festival - the two guys and girl were amazing and I still can't get over the stunts that they did (they went so fast that I did not get any good photos but if you ever get the chance to see them at an event - DO IT!!!)

 

 

 

I love Classic American cars and I'm glad we got to have a good look around the cars parked in the field.

 

 

Not only was the Festival lots of fun but it took place at such a fantastic venue!  The beautiful Art Deco surroundings of the Aerodrome building and Aviator Hotel looked like they should be the backdrop for an episode of Poirot (rather than a 1950s event!) and I would love to go back one day to explore more of this venue.

 

 

There was so much going on but we managed to see The Revolutionaires later on in the day.  They were so lively and energetic, I hope to be able to see them again in the future.

 



 

To be honest, I don't remember much of Bobby Brooks Wilson's set at Rhythm Riot so I made sure I was right at the front when I caught him at Atomic.  He is so charming and sounds just like his Father, it was a great end to a great day.

 

There was also lots that I didn't take photos of, such as the racing on the drag strip, roller disco, Jive Championships, vintage traders, great food stalls...  Definitely an event I would like to go back to (and next time, hopefully, for both days!)

 

Dress: Vintage Mr. Mort from Etsy

Shoes: Rocket Originals

Sunglasses: Vintage from Vera Mode

Bag: Vintage from Etsy

Earrings: Vintage from Etsy

Bracelet: Vintage from trader at Rhythm Riot