In my opinion what’s hot in women’s vintage right now can be categorised into three main groups.  I am basing my style file on high street looks and what my fashion  conscious customers are asking for in our vintage store right now.

BIB AND BRACE

Dungarees are the long and short of this trend.  Always

Denim Cut Off Dungarees

denim but full length, rolled past the ankles, shorts baby and 80s high waists with no bib just long chunky shoulder straps.  They are such a useful staple.  Most wear with a T shirt but I’m loving big collared 70s printed cheesecloth shirts under them.  such a refreshing alternative to all the tiny prim collars we have had such a long run with….think Felicity Kendal in the good life

SIXTIES

Peter pan collars, block colours and A line shapes are

1960s White Mod Coat

what we need to create this prestine look.  Such a sleek silhouette, no ruffles and flounces welcome here thank you very much.

Dresses and mild weather coats alike reflect this shape.  Kate Middleton shows off her baby bump in a sleek Mulberry version, this white coat is my pick from our own collection.

We think ours is uncannily similar to the one worn by Naomi Watts at Louis Vuitton for Paris Fashion Week.

FLIRTY SOMETHING

Floral dresses and skirts have that first date appeal.  We have an 18″ rule for our skirts to make the shop floor grade right now.  We want fun & flirty or they’re out by the waistband and into the overlock & sew pile.  It’s a fun and flattering length that suits all figures.  We like to wear them high with heels that are low.

Knife pleats, button through and 80s style prints are top of the hit parade right now.

Close up of Flocked fabric

Once in a while we buy garments which have a raised velvety flocked finish.  Usually 1950s dresses but we have had tops and bags plus 1980s dresses and tops.  Just bought a 50s powder blue prom dress recently which had a cream flock design and it made me curious as to the origin of flocking and how it is added to fabric and other surfaces.  Because of my interest in vintage clothing I have tended to associate flocking with garments but how wrong of me to type cast it.  I discovered it can be applied to lots of different surfaces and can be used for many practical solutions too.

First stop Wikipedia where I learned:

Flocking is the process of blasting hundreds of tiny synthetic fibre particles which loo

Revival green dress with apricot flocking

k a bit like mini hairs (called flock) onto a surface.   Nowadays, this is usually done by the application of a high-voltage electric field.  In a flocking machine the “flock” is given a negative charge whilst the surface to be flocked is earthed.  Flock ‘hairs’ fly vertically onto the fabric or surface attaching to previously applied glue.

It also refers to the texture produced by the process.  Flocking of an article can be performed for the purpose of increasing its value in terms of the tactile sensation, aesthetics, colour and appearance.  Read more about the history of the process by clicking on the Wikipedia link.

I have also associated

Lemon flocked 50s fabric

but it can also cover a surface completely to give it a fine velvety finish such

Black flocked handbag

as you might find on packaging for pens or on children’s Silvanian family type figures.  Since I researched it a bit more I am seeing the stuff everywhere.

We all remember flocked wallpaper which has had a bit of a comeback recently but I also discovered Flocking is used fore more  functional reasons including insulation, slip-or-grip friction, and to reduce reflectivity.

Flocking in the automotive industry is used for decorative purposes and may be applied to a number of different materials. Many rally cars also have a flocked dashboard to cut down on the sun reflecting through the windscreen.   There was an exhibition called “Flockage: the flock phenomenon”   dedicated to flocking a couple of years ago at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museumin Bournemouth.

Revival 50s green & apricot flocked dress

A beautiful flocked 1950s dress at Revival

I still love to see a flocked 1950s dress but at least from now on I will have a greater understanding of the process behind the delightful 3D affect it produces.  We were at Leeds Town Hall vintage fair this weekend and I spotted one or two on the stalls particularly on taffeta prom dresses.  Unfortunately it can lose some of it’s texture in areas of high wear example under arms but doesn’t always detract from the beauty of the clothing.

I know we haven’t had much of a summer but I’ve still been able to wear my favourite vintage dresses albeit with a cardi

Blouse, dress, cardi

gan most days.   The worst thing for me about the weather getting even chillier is that I have to pack them all away.  This year I am embracing the ‘anything goes’ trend and adding blouses underneath them in contrasting colours and prints.

Stripe blouse under floral dress

Some of my 50s 60s dresses have a pinafore style top they

work perfectly with ladylike blouses, peter pan collars and the like.  Add a pair of fine wool tights (expensive but worth it) and a thicker cardi or blazer and you’re as good as wearing a ski suit.

Another way of double fluffing is a 50s dress with a fine wool crew neck jumper with a separate collar added.  I have a little pearl one that I add to all my plain knitwear at the moment.  On top of that I layer a fluffy angora or cashmere cardigan.  I think that’s the key really having lots of different textures going on.

80s blouse under dog tooth

Even adding a petticoat to a summer suited vintage dress adds extra warmth around the knees if you please! and that gets the thumbs up from me straight away.   Better than sitting at my PC with a blanket over my legs like I normally do when our weather’s at it’s coldest.  Embarrassing when someone walks in,  I stand up then end up tripping over two meters of tartan.

So we’ll see how it goes,  for now I am facing the elements head on in my cotton printed dresses and extending the parameters of my Spring Summer wardrobe before it goes up in the loft in a suitcase with the beach towels and holiday inflatables (I have children!).

HEAVY METAL

Guest Blogger Lucy Clews has composed her second BLOG for us where she explores the use of metallics and jewellery to compliment Autum Winter 2012 styles. We have added pictures and links of our vintage originals to reflect her ideas.

Metal clasps, buckles, chains, buttons, jewellery and accessories are lurking in everyone’s cluttered drawers. Remember those

Vintage medal brooch

large gold hoop earrings you treasured that touched your collar bones. It’s time to change from metal chavvy ‘bling’ to how things used to be:

only the finest jewellery one would wear on a Sunday.

Gold embelished shoes

It’s normally fancy formal evening events when you fashionista types parade your carats. Pro

ms, dates, weddings, anniversary’s, you name it. But when does the metal really, truly come out? At night. As if lippy isn’t enough, or those platforms, or the velvet dress, we are still missing something. Broaches are so easy to wear for an evening, you pin it and wear it without hearing the tinny jangling of bangles every time you reach for your drink. Metal hair accessories are stylish and practical too; metal headbands, twist clips and embellished kirbies will reflect the light to produce a shiny, classy result. Even nail polish with tincy tiny metallic sequins can be bought from high street shops: the metal infection is spreading daily.

1950s black & gold dress

A pretty pendant with a small charm or jewel, a delicate ankle bracelet combined with gold rimmed sunglasses can transform a mundane Monday back-to-the-office-for-another-long-week look into your spring dusted magnum opus. Metal doesn’t have to be piled on to work; quite often on some frames less is more.

Gold or silver?… Silver or gold?… I hear your brain mechanisms churning the thought. As is my answer to everything: BOTH! The

general ‘rule’ is warm colours = gold, cold colours = silver. You can even wear both together, if not vary it depending on the colours of your clothing. Rich, ruby reds and intense, velvety crimsons combine unbelievably well with silver to lighten and brighten.

Gold bag and purse

As for the purple + gold combination, that will leave you thinking you are royalty.

Amber crystal beads

If you’re reading this and thinking “but I don’t wanna be the next Jacqueline Wilson!” Fair play. If jewellery isn’t your thing, not only can metal be worn as a single key piece, perhaps a chunky cuff or hand chain, but more subtly too. Make customising your plan of action. Change plain buttons on a jacket for brass ones, replace leather strap on your handbag for a chain… get things pierced – if you dare! This winter follow the military trend by customising a green coat: add metal badges, medals, broaches, pins, anything to acquire that aged look.

Studs. They’re everywhere. Studded shoes, bags and purses are perfect to provide a touch of metal to an outfit, as the effect is

Silver Bride

refined, casual and not overpowering. Personally, I think punchy studs on smooth leather and shiny studs on suave velvet work best as the textures contrast and complement one another.

Metallic colours are a stylish alternative to tangible pieces, and sometimes easier to wear too! Metallic dresses have time and time again been strutted up and down the red carpet, and on the catwalk too! This year Christian Dior’s Metallic Accent Wedding Dress proved to dazzle, as did the white and gold outfit of the GB Olympians in the opening ceremony; both in the name of metal.

Thanks Lucy we think your BLOG is bling kin good!!

Revival Tie Dyes

Unless you have been walking around with your eyes shut over the last couple of months you’ll notice tie dye is back with a vengeance.  Anyone coming to our Huddersfield store right now will think they have dyed and gone to heaven because we have a sky dye pile of them! You can also check them out online.

Tye Dye Tease

Tie-dye is a process of resist dyeing i.e masking selected areas of the fabric from the dyes.

The earliest form of tie-dying  originated in Japan as far back as the 8th century.   They used a number of labor-intensive resist techniques including stitching elaborate patterns and tightly gathering the stitching before dyeing to form intricate designs for kimonos.

The more common method of Tie-dye is achieved through  folding the fabric or item of clothing  into a pattern  and binding it with string or rubber bands.  When dye is applied it only stains the parts of the fabric not bound or masked, the ties prevent the entire material from being dyed.  Other colours can be introduced by dipping the ‘knots’ or removing some ties and dousing the item in a  different dye colour.  Usually bright vivid colours are used.

Some people associate the casual bright look with 1970s hippies and festival goers.  There was a bit of a revival in the 1980s, we are finding they are very popular right now.

If you want to be a swirly girlie or a guy to dye for then take a look at ours or have a bash yourself.

HELENE’S TOP TIPS:

Tie Dye Colour Burst

1) The larger your ties the bigger the pattern.

2) Wet your T shirt or fabric first as it makes it much easier to dye than using them dry.

Tiedye car

3) Add salt or sodium carbonate to your water to help the dye work better.

4) Dry your ‘art work’ quickly with e.g a hairdryer or hot sun (we should be so lucky) to help set the dye and make it colour

fast.

Hope you have a colour blast whether you choose to buy or dye.

Finally this crazy dude is really dye-dicated he’s even used the quirky colour formations on his car!!

The dyes the limit…sorry that really is the last dye related pun, just can’t help myself…

Festival Fun- Rain, sun and muddy fields!!!

GUEST BLOGGER Jessica Latz talks us through her festival highs and lows.

Music lovers, the festival season is now upon us and we are looking forward to going to see our favourite bands.  With the likes of Leeds, Creamfields, Bingley and Bestival about to kick off,   one major detail we can’t help think about is the weather.  Is it going to rain?  Will the sun shine? Is it going to be chilly?…………. Probably a mix of all three.

No one wants to carry too many clothing  options around, after all we need to be hands free for our beers and air thumping!

Tie-Dye T Shirt

From previous experiences of festivals I believe clothes you are able to layer are the best option.  A cute summer playsuit with a denim shirt would be perfect if the sun comes out, this outfit could be teamed up with knee length socks and wellies or boots.  If it was to rain a skirt (not long, as it will damage the hem) with tights and a pretty blouse would work well teamed up with a thin camouflage jacket.

Not forgetting about the men, a tie dye t shirt with jeans would work well for all weather or shorts if it gets too warm, a thick jumper/cardigan or a denim jacket would work well if it decides to rain or turn cool.

I think the one definite must have essential for a festival is a chunky knit jumper or a hoodie.  Last year at Leeds festival I made the mistake of not taking any and when the sun finally went in,  I was so cold my ribs were hurting from shivering all night.   I had to spend a fortune on a cardigan at the festival- not a happy memory, take heed from my mistake!

Another must for everyone that won’t take much room in your bag are sunglasses and a hat. Sunglasses are great if the sun is bright there is nothing worse than trying to watch a band on a stage and the sun is beaming in your eyes. A hat is great for the last day of the festival; it isn’t a very flattering feeling knowing that your hair hasn’t been washed in three days, so to stick a hat on your head solves the problem.

Festival layer ideas

Apart from clothes don’t forget your ticket, beer, wet wipes, toothbrush, lip balm and dry shampoo, phew…now you have the kit you’re all set its time to go have some festival fun times.  What could be better than joining a crowd of people all enjoying their favourite bands playing into the sun set.

Have fun guys!!!!

Are you a Peplum Goddess?

 GUEST BLOGGER Jessica Latz gives her interpretation of the current peplum trend.  Thanks Jess. 

As all us fashion obsessed people know, London fashion week 2012 is coming up in the next month, and we are all eager to know what the next trends will be to get our wardrobes up to date.

Colourful 80s peplum dress

One of the key piecess that set this year off was non-other than the peplum, anyone that flicked through a fashion magazine or looked at the fashion sites on the internet this year would at least see one peplum outfit. As I gaze at my laptop looking through the London fashion week site I can see that the peplum trend is going to run through autumn/winter also it make me eager to find more information about it.

The word Peplum comes from the Greek word Peplos which was a body-length garment established as typical attire for women in ancient Greece by 500 BC (the Classical period). It was basically a tubular cloth folded inside-out from the top about halfway down; altering what was the top of the tube to the waist and the bottom of the tube t

Black and cream peplum dress

o ankle-length.  The garment was then gathered about the waist and the open top (at the fold) pinned over the shoulders. The top of the tube (now inside-out) draped over the waist, providing the appearance of a second piece of clothing. The Peplos draped over the leg, some other Greeks referred to them as ‘Thigh- showers’.

So there you go, that’s where it all started!

The peplum as we know it came into fashion in the 1940’s starting with suits but then spiraling to tops, skirts, dresses and jackets.  Christian Dior favoured them for his New Look jackets.  The next big Revival between then and now was in the 1980s.  We think of a  peplum as an extended piece of fabric attached to the garment at the waist making a flap or frill of some sort usually enhancing or suggesting curvier hips.

40s peplum sewing pattern

Anyone can look great wearing a peplum garment, weather you’re on a night out, a casual look through the day or going to dinner with your friends. If you’re the sort of person like me who doesn’t really do over the top dressing up, you could easily wear a peplum top or jacket over a more casual look and add that little bit of something while not trailing too far away from the dressed down look. If you do love to dress up there are many ways of styling a peplum skirt, not wanting to add much detail on the top half as there will already be enough on the bottom with the pretty frills. Peplum skirts

and dresses have such a fun, flirty vibe, and pairing one with a delicate blouse will really emphasises that feminine look.
If you haven’t yet got an on trend peplum garment for your wardrobe yet, don’t worry as we always have a few origin

Wool peplum suit

al vintage ones in our Huddersfield store, particularly among our 1940s dresses and jackets, 1980s dresses and tops.  As I already mentioned it’s a look that’s here to stay through Autumn Winter.  Look for tweed and fine leather versions.

Once you do find the peplum of your dreams, whether it be a jacket, top, skirt or dress, when you are walking down the street wearing it you can smile to your self and think “I am a bit of a Greek goddess”  because oafter all that is where the peplum came from. 

PASS-THE-PARCEL

GUEST BLOGGER Lucy Clews age 18 from Newsome Huddersfield comments on the  dilema of what to wear in our changeable weather.

The weather in Huddersfield is, on the whole, unpredictable.  Quite understandably we see a sunny sky as we wake up, put on a polka dot

50s dress & jacket layers

tea dress with our favourite pair of court shoes only to return home sodden.  Other days we grunt at the sight of an overcast sky, then hours later feel our legs burning under a pair of black cord trousers.  Why is it when you look round that everyone else seems to be wearing exactly the right thing!  Do we learn from these recurrent mistakes? generally not.  Day in, day out, the conflicting optimistic and pessimistic in us gets us dressing for the weather but then it just changes anyway.  If only wardrobes were portable.

Well ladies and gentlemen, I have the answer, passed down through generations, but often forgotten.  The solution to the Yorkshire weather is LAYERS! That’s right: no more extremes such as expeditionary style woollen jumpers lined with thermal fleece and coated in a waterproof leather finish.  No flimsy, strappy holiday dresses with no back, all cleavage and  thighs!

The co-ordination of said layers is not necessary, as colour clashes can be eye-catching if vibrant tones

Casual layers with denim

complement and balance well together.   Prints should be kept to just one layer, whether that is the outer or inner, as it needs to remain the focal garment.  Additional layers should provide a support not repetition.  Mixing the type of fabric works well too – a silk blouse with a velvet blazer, a lace dress with a leather coat or a cotton tee with a denim jacket.  A shirt or blouse is an incredibly versatile item, it can be worn buttoned up to the very top, buttoned loosely at just the bottom, or unbuttoned to reveal a layer underneath.  For men and women alike denim any form is a winner.  It dresses down, it’s youthful, it’s subtle, it’s easy to wear, it’s easy to combine.
Legs are the tricky one.  Guys, my advice to you is ‘man up’.  If you’re wearing shorts while it hails – ‘man up’.   If your legs are smothered in Levis during a heat wave – ‘man up.’  Ah, now girls… showing a little leg is great, but when puddles are more common than complements, it’s sensible (sorry to patronise) to carry some tights in your handbag.  They take up very little room and believe me you’ll thank me for the advise when the evening takes a chilly turn.  Sure, the bog standard black or beige is fine, but why not experiment with patterns, colours, textures?  Alternatively knee length socks or even ankle socks over stockings – stay comfortable while you fashionably accessorise!

Guys layering ideas

Now, let’s make one thing clear at this point – brollies really aren’t that practical, are they? You move all your shopping bags into one hand so you can hold it,  positioning it so that you can’t see anything more than one arm length away from you.  This results in stumbling off the curb, bumping into lampposts… and don’t even get me started on when they turn inside out…. The solution?  A cap. A hat. A trilby, beret, bobble, pillbox or cloche.  You’ll not be able to resist Jumping over puddles, strolling along effortlessly swinging your ‘free’ arms, dancing around lampposts…. like a modern day Mary Poppins.
Pretend you’re a pass-the-parcel.  Each layer adds to the experience of the game.