We’ve seen Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy, well now it’s Snoopy’s turn to join the gang and blazon the chest of Huddersfield’s trend setters. With a variety of Snoopy portraits on various snoopy sweatshirts you’re sure to find one to suit you. The fictional character Snoopy is from the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M Schulz and is known by most as Charlie Brown’s pet dog; who’d have thought that one day he would be a fashion statement. Limited edition snoopy sweatshirts are known to be collector’s items, be quick or be disappointed.

From Christina Hendricks to Dita Von Teese, 40′s and 50’s retro chic is having a well earned moment on the catwalk, on the high street, and as always…in the vintage shops. These ladies are bringing the trend out of the archives and back to life (not that 50’s glamour ever died). The 50’s look is that of timeless glamour and elegance, ladies start practising your victory rolls.

p.s Don’t ‘make do’ with highstreet imitations…treat yourself to one of these original  dresses at RevivalVintage.

Who is Gaia? What is she? The what is the thin spherical shell of land and water between the incandescent interior of the earth and the upper atmosphere surrounding it. The who is the interacting tissue of living organisms which over four billion years has come to inhabit it (Lovelock, 2006). Gaia is a metaphor for the living earth…translated, the earth has to merely shrug to course chaos. Today’s weather is a direct representation of Gaia taking hold, fighting back and reacting to our constant misuse of the earth and its resources…

Although it may sound hypocritical for the designers to be behind this notion, but what they are really saying is choose better…forget your disposable fashion; invest well and it will last a life time.

“I hijack my shows, and my status as a fashion designer to talk about all the things that I think are really important, the importance of culture and human rights. What I actually do to be more environmentally friendly is to say to people, ‘Buy less clothes.’ But that’s actually quite self-serving because I also say, ‘Choose well!’… But don’t spend a lot of money, it’s better to buy nothing than to keep on buying rubbish” Vivienne Westwood

Dare I say the S word! SNOW… in APRIL!! That’s all everyone is talking about, well… thinking sustainably and not wanting to p**s Gaia off anymore, follow Vivienne’s advice, if you have to buy new, “buy less” and “choose well”. However, the only true way to really be sustainable is to buy VINTAGE.

Blue, stone wash, frayed, cut off, shirt, jeans, flared, skinny, stretch, slouchy, double D… so many ways to describe the fabric of resistance, the fabric that exists in many forms and the fabric that probably (most likely) exists in everybody’s wardrobe in one form or another. Usually I would be all for you trying something new, embracing change and deviating from the crowd, however, denim is different…if it isn’t broke don’t fix it! Denim has been around since 1873 when Levi Strauss created the work-wear for a nation, since then it has taken on many guises but remains the trend that will never fail.

Preppy plaid suits graced the Autumn/Winter runways, with influences from Marc Jacobs (one of our favourites) and Rag and Bone. Although the models looked as incredible as ever, we question how practical and realistic it is to wear head to toe checks in the life of a mere mortal walking civilian streets and not a catwalk.  As we head into spring the flannel check is still as prevalent as ever, McQueen teamed it with stripes but we are suggesting a simpler, less intimidating alternative. Touches of check in the form of a classic flannel shirt is the answer for the ultimate effortless (really haven’t tried) look.

...a great look for men or women

The New Year is well and truly over and the word ‘new’ has been debased through over use. The New Year brings about this inherent desire to start over, clean the slate…start a fresh. Well what’s wrong with working with what you’ve got?…that’s what we’ve done. Re-working and re-using the old into fabulous new outfits. Here are a few combinations…

p.s having just had a birthday in the REVIVAL family we believe older is definitely the new ‘new’.

Bag…a container or receptacle of leather, plastic, cloth, paper, etc, capable of being closed at the mouth. A suitcase or other portable container for carrying articles, as in travelling.  A purse or money bag. Whichever way you describe your ‘bag’ it is definitely the accessory which has received the most attention in recent years, and the one which holds the most value in more ways than one. It is common to feel like you are carrying your whole life (or at least the important and most precious bits) around with you.

Bag lady…a homeless woman who lives and sleeps on city streets or in public places, often keeping all her belongings with her in shopping bags. This, once negative image, has been replaced with one of a woman who is keen to re-use her shopping bag or ‘bag for life’, a woman who is concerned for the environment (or at least how good it makes her look being concerned about the environment).

The bag as we know it has changed faces several times and the latest façade is that of the ‘the bigger, the better’. Yes…that’s true! For guarding your best kept secrets, the bag needs to accommodate all areas of your life and be able to go from day to night in one easy step.

Jane Shilton, to me, will never go out of style, new or vintage, and the Lacoste, bucket bag, encompasses the modern woman so well.  Whatever the size, don’t go too flash, Birkin – out, Shilton and vintage – in!

p.s ..size matters

The spring 2012 collections haven’t quite made it into the stores, on the shelves or on to our backs yet, but the 1920’s trend is clearly the way forward (backward). Spring 2012 is going to see a strong influence from the silhouette made famous in the 1920’s, with the determined attempt to discard the female curves. The 1920’s (the first time round) saw the disappearance of the female silhouette as we knew it. Instead favouring and showcasing a more mannish shape; waist –gone, bust –gone, shoulders – broader, and hair – a lot shorter. Corsets gave way to Latex girdles (sigh).

The catwalk Art-Deco trend has already influenced the choices of those deemed glamorous to walk the red carpet; Florence (Florence and the machine) and Diane Kruger have both been seen sporting fringing lately. This ‘flapper girl’ look is mirrored in the costumes of Baz Luhrmann’s soon to arrive ‘The Great Gatsby’, with jazz being a strong theme running through the film.

p.s you don’t really have to squeeze yourself into a girdle to pull this look off.

The late Alexander McQueen was a seasoned tailor; nurtured on Savile Row his ability to cut cloth and his eye for detail was evident in all he designed. It is so inspiring to see his signature live on in his labels latest collection, with a graphic and playful approach to checks and stripes. The emphasis on sharp tailoring is reminiscent of McQueen’s early days but it has been combined with a softer approach in the form of canvassed or deconstructed elements. Loose pyjama shapes offer a softer more feminine side to the look, while shirting comes with floral embroidery or pleating.

Last week I talked about ‘geek chic’ (for want of a better description), and I feel this collection reinforces and supports it so well.

p.s whoever said checks and stripes shouldn’t be worn together is wrong!