Tuppence Ha'penny

{Style Inspiration} 1939 Spring Fashions

2013-03-12T21:30:00.001Z

Yes, I'm back from my little unplanned absence, which was due to slight technical hitch (my laptop power supply went kaputt! Luckily the computer is just fine, I just couldn't switch it on til the replacement arrived). To celebrate, I bring you some fabulous pre-war early spring style inspiration from Vogue magazine, 1939. I love the incredibly detailed trend report for 1939's spring suits.

Some suits come in a wave of colour - lipstick-red jersey, for instance. An amethyst tweed suit chimes in perfectly with the grey hair of older women. Or you might mix colours - putting a cinnamon jacket with a black skirt, or a corn-yellow jacket with a navy-blue skirt. Grey is a colour that's heralded for spring - and, as a deviation from grey, try a pink-and-grey plaid jacket with a grey skirt. Plaid-and-plain is a strong contender, perhaps a blue-and-white plaid jacket with a blue skirt. Navy-blue and black are eternal.

Architecturally, spring suits are up to no freakish antics, but every one of them will give you something new to think about. Shoulders are strong, but not bombastic. Revers fairly high. Closings often hidden away under fly-flaps. A newcomer in neck-lines is the oval one shown [below]. Square neck-lines prosper. Jackets are mostly short - boxy boleros, or nipped-in basques. Here and there, a long jacket turns up - happiest choice for an older woman. Skirts stay quite short, and range from plumb-line straight ones to full, pleated or gathered ones. The skating-skirt carries on.

The trend report is even supplemented by a handy guide to the fashionable fabrics of the season. There are accessories too, but I'll save those for a future post.

{Vintage Kitchen} Sausage Cobbler (1947)

2013-02-26T09:30:00.000Z

It seems like most of my Vintage Kitchen recipes so far have been from 1947 - I'm not sure particularly why, since I've consulted my entire collection of magazines for recipes.

This week I served up "sausage cobbler", which is in fact actually Toad in the Hole by a slightly more country-cottage-chic name.

I made it exactly as directed, using spicy beef sausages from the local butcher instead of pork. And obviously not in a Yorkshire pudding tin. And do you know what? It was delicious. I'm actually slightly surprised how good all the recipes I've tried so far have turned out to be - most of them are great storecupboard stand-bys, and in fact I've already made the fishcakes again since (using smoked mackerel fillets - worked great). This recipe is another that's headed onto the to-make-again list - it's dead easy, requires almost no preparation and makes great winter comfort food - the only thing I'd do differently is to caramelise the onions a bit first to add a little more flavour.

London Town

2013-02-22T09:30:00.000Z

A while back I was contacted by Swagger & Swoom to ask if I would be interested in one of their bow ties or cravats. They sell a vast selection of silk and cotton bow ties in both self-tie and pre-tied, and a wide variety of cravats in traditional silk paisleys, wool tartans and more - as well as other gentlemen's accessories including braces, handkerchiefs, cummerbunds, cufflinks, and some rather snazzy socks.

With so much choice I found it difficult to narrow down my selection, but eventually opted for the London Icons design.

I didn't think I could carry off the Marlene Dietrich androgynous look, so rather than wear it the traditional way I lengthened the adjustable straps and wore the bow tie as a headband. I like repurposing items and finding new ways to wear them. I mean, I know it's hardly revolutionary, but it's good to remind oneself to think outside the box when accessorising - whether it's a scarf for a belt, a brooch as a buckle, or a bow tie as a headband.

Printed cotton bow tie (worn as headband), Swagger & Swoon; Wool cardigan, estate of a family friend; vintage cashmere sweater, charity shop; 90s skirt, charity shop; Belt, can't remember (car boot or charity shop); Gloves, Tesco; Shoes, from my own shop stock (some sizes still available - enquire if interested).

Do you have a top tip for outside-the-box accesorising?

Think Pink

2013-02-21T13:07:00.000Z

Oh yeah, so I have pink hair now. I had actually envisaged a more pastel pink shade, but I wanted it done for the Vintage Mafia Valentine party at the weekend and didn't have time to order online, so I thought I'd give this shocking pink a whirl since it was what was available on the high street. I confess I'm not altogether convinced on the wisdom of the idea - I think I may have gone a bit overboard on the size of the section. I suppose I had hoped it would give me an instant effortless cool. It hasn't. But I think I like it all the same.

This is one of my very favourite dresses, and I've shown it here a few times. Sadly the delicate rayon fabric is starting to show strain at the shoulders. I've reinforced it with iron-on interfacing and darned over, but I try not to wear it too much - tough when it's so damn adorable! Unfortunately it's one of the major problems with vintage clothing, and aficionadoes are faced with a dilemma, our loyalty divided between a duty of care to preserve vintage and antique clothing, weighing against a desire to wear them and enjoy them and bring life to them.

1940s dress, ebay; Sash, made by me; Necklace, car boot sale; Gloves, Spitalfields vintage fair; Crochet tights, New Look; Shoes, Clarks via charity shop.

So... what do you think of the hair? (another outfit post coming soon)

And how do you feel about wearing delicate vintage clothing?

{Vintage Kitchen} Fish Pancakes (1947)

2013-02-12T09:30:00.000Z

Today's recipe is in honour of shrove Tuesday, pancake day! I promise it tastes a whole lot nicer than it looks - unfortunately my food photography skills could do with some work. The recipe came from a 1947 magazine, which also helpfully provided instructions for pancake making.

I used tinned red salmon (which made it all a pretty pink colour) and added peas. I didn't have any prawns. Not much else to add except it was very yummy!

Because I'm basically a total novice in the kitchen (I know, how bad is that? I can bake, but actual food is a bit beyond me - hence this series) and don't even know how to make a white sauce, I consulted another magazine - this one from 1942 - for instructions.

{Style Inspiration} Eastern Promise

2013-02-10T09:30:00.000Z

In honour of Chinese New Year, here are some beautiful vintage Chinese adverts and posters dating from the 1930s to 1950s - I love that in some the girls are dressed in traditional style Chinese clothing, and in others western fashions.

{Vintage Kitchen} Famous for your teas (1947)

2013-02-07T12:21:00.002Z

It really isn't difficult to become tea famous and tea can be made quite a delicious meal with very little trouble. Tea-time baking is one of the most enjoyable forms of cookery, too. Nothing gives a cook a greater sense of satisfaction than to take a batch of golden scones or a perfect cake from the oven, and every housewife knows the glow of pride she has when her visitors round the tea-table exclaim, "Nobody has teas like yours!"

So here are some recipes to help you become famous for your teas.

Bear in mind that this is not long post-war and food rationing is still very much in force, so these cake recipes are light on sugar and fat, and heavy on cheap flour (although flour rationing had just been introduced the previous year due to Britain's disastrous wheat harvest) - compare the proportions to a classic Victoria sponge which uses equal measures of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Also note: NO CUPCAKES. Despite their acquired reputation as a 'vintage' tea-time treat, cupcakes were rarely seen on tea tables in the 40s and 50s - if they were made at all, it was for children's parties and they were called fairy cakes.

I put it to a vote, and the ginger cake won out. I used double the amount of ground ginger in the recipe, adding two generous teaspoons - and it could even do with another one for a richer ginger taste. I used wholemeal self-raising for about a quarter of the flour, and also replaced some of the caster sugar with soft light brown sugar for a more molasses-y flavour. Other than that I made the usual substitutions - real butter instead of margarine, and real eggs instead of dried. Oh, and I forgot to add sultanas - oops.

The result was more of a tea-loaf than a cake - as you might expect the proportionally low sugar and fat content leaves it somewhat drier than a classic sticky ginger cake (adding sultanas would probably help combat this), but goes very nicely with a cup of tea.

Oh, and in case you're wondering (I had to google it), a "gill" is a quarter of a pint - 5 fluid oz or 142ml.

{Style Inspiration} Colourful Winter Dresses

2013-02-03T09:30:00.000Z

I love bright colours all year round, but I feel it's especially important in the grey days of winter - a splash of colour helps to lift one's outfit and one's mood. And who could help but be lifted by these wonderful war-era dresses?

Beautiful bright dresses in Sears, 1939 - love the green one!

Sears, 1940

Everywoman magazine, 1943

Everywoman magazine, 1945 - I love the slimming contrast panel on the brown suit jacket.

{Vintage Kitchen} Macaroni Curry with Green Peas (1947)

2013-01-30T10:00:00.000Z

Yes, really. Many of the recipes in my 40s and 50s magazines are variations on fairly traditional fare - pies, stews, meat 'n' veg, that type of thing - even though Indian style curries were popular as far back as the Victorian era. But, particularly from the later 40s, people were starting to get a bit more experimental with foreign foods - only it seems that these foreign foods were largely viewed all in the same bracket, which occasionally results in some rather unexpected combinations. Enter Macaroni Curry. With tinned peas. Yes.

Also all curry must involve sultanas. Why? Still, I thought this somewhat wacky Indian-meets-Italian-meets-the-British-palate recipe would make a fun experiment for my vintage kitchen series, so I figured I'd give it a go.

I used wholemeal penne instead of macaroni, and made it pretty much as directed (only without the sultanas, and I forgot to add the peas, can you believe?!) Anyway, it turned out tasty enough, although I don't think I'll be rushing to make it again. Perhaps without the pasta though - the basic curry recipe is sound enough, but I think it'll go better with rice.

The Fan Museum

2013-01-28T09:00:00.000Z

When I posted of my resolution to get out more in London, I was delighted to receive an email from reader Suzie suggesting a meet-up and visit to the Fan Museum in Greenwich. This bijou little museum has a collection of fans numbering in the thousands, which are displayed in themed exhibitions lasting a few months each. Previous exhibitions have included "Fans in the Age of Plastics" last year, which I'm very sorry to have missed, and "War and Peace", which would also have been fascinating (I was able to snatch a glimpse of the programme from that one, in the gift shop). The current exhibition "The Fan in Europe 1800-1850" certainly didn't disappoint however, and we sighed and swooned over intricately carved fans of translucent horn set with shimmering cut steels, fans of delicately carved ivory and bone, and exquisitely painted paper fans with gilt details.

The Fan Museum also has a delightful Orangery where they serve afternoon tea, which I thought would be a lovely for a vintage social. If you would be interested in such a thing (it would be £10 per person, which includes entry to the museum) please let me know by email or in the comments.

They also do fan-making classes for £20 - how cool is that?!

{Style Inspiration} 1940s Sweater Girls

2013-01-27T10:00:00.000Z

Sears & Roebuck, 1942 - my current ambition in life is to make a sweater just like that green one, with the Scottie dog embellishment

Puff-sleeve knitwear in Sears & Roebuck, 1942

Triple bow sweater knitting pattern

Sears & Roebuck, 1943 - love that gathered, stripey yoke on the red sweater

Jumper with diamond pattern yoke

Bucking bronco, plaid and squirrel sweaters in Sears & Roebuck, 1943

Sweater with striped cuffs and bow tie

Gorgeous Scandinavian style knits in Sears, 1946

Playing Deck of cards fairisle sweater, Bestway knitting pattern

Advert for Femina knitting wools, 1948

Cherries in the Snow

2013-01-24T09:02:00.000Z

Did I mention I love snow? It was coming down steadily all day Sunday, and I couldn't resist going out for a little promenade in the swirling flurries of snowflakes. There's just something so, so fun about crunching through freshly fallen, powdery snow. It was cold though - colder than the previous day - and I can tell you I was glad of my layers of cashmere and wool.

We wandered to one of the two nearby Victorian cemeteries, which was so wonderfully serene covered in a soft, sparkling layer of white. We strolled around a while, enjoying the peaceful stillness of the place and the quiet beauty of carved Victorian memorials under the still-falling snow.

Rabbit fur hat, ebay; Wool cape, charity shop; 1950s wool skirt, etsy; Cashmere cardigan, Hobbs; Leather gloves, Christmas present; Crochet tights, New Look; Shoes, New Look via charity shop; Handbag, purchased in Thailand; Umbrella, New Look.

Sadly the snow has all since melted, but fingers crossed it might snow again before the winter is over - snowy outfit posts are fun!

Shop my hat collection!

2013-01-23T09:26:00.000Z

Hat storage was starting to become a real problem, so I've selected some of my collection for sale: I've listed several on ebay - the first lot ends tomorrow, so hurry and get your bid in!

1950s red velvet and sequin "Juliet cap" cocktail hat

40s-50s cellophane straw topper with millinery berries

1940s-50s black velvet asymmetrical Dutch cap style hat with cocque feather trim

1950s black satin bonnet with polka dot rose

1950s straw and tulle pillbox cocktail hat with millinery rose

1930s fur felt topper with Art Deco trim

1950s - early 60s pink petal covered pillbox

1950s wool felt hat with faux pearl trim and huge bow

1950s white straw 'platter' sunhat with millinery cherry/berry garland

1950s black velvet beret

1980s wine velvet veiled pillbox

c1940s navy blue straw hat with a huge bunch of celluloid cherries

A note on shipping: As hats are easily damaged, I'll have to ship them in boxes. This inevitably raises the postage costs as cardboard boxes can be quite heavy, though of course it also means that more than one hat can ship in the same box for very little extra. All the postage costs listed are rough estimates (I'll refund any excess if it turns out I've overcharged) and include tracking (£1 within UK, £5 international).

{Vintage Kitchen} Hungarian Goulash

2013-01-22T09:30:00.000Z

What embodies winter comfort food better than a good old-fashioned stew? This week's Vintage Kitchen recipe comes from a 1950 magazine feature all about stews of the world - Belgian Beef Stew, Italian Veal Stew, Rabbit Stew and an Arabian Stew that, ironically, uses pork as the main ingredient. I decided to try the Goulash mostly in honour of Michael McIntyre's utterly hilarious herbs and spices sketch, which still makes me giggle even after seeing it at least a dozen times.

Hungarian Goulash
from Everywoman magazine, November 1950

To serve 4 people
1-1½ lb stewing beef; 2 large Spanish onions; 2-4 oz lard; 2 heaped teaspoons paprika; 1 clove garlic; ½ pint water or stock; ½ cup sour top-of-the-milk cream or yoghurt; cornflour.

Melt the lard in a saucepan. Chop the onions finely and cook them very gently in the fat until they're soft and transparent. (Keep the lid on the pan). Meanwhile wash the meat, cut it free from fat and gristle and chop it into squares. When the onions are half-cooked remove the pan from the fire and stir in the paprika. (I sometimes use even more paprika than this – some kinds seem milder than others.) Blend in well but do not fry. Add the meat and the stock. If you like you can add some carrots at this stage, and some tomato puree. Cover and cook slowly until quite tender; how long will depend on the meat – probably about 2 ½ hours. When it is ready the meat will be soft and the gravy should be quite thick, but you can thicken it with a little cornflour if necessary. Stir in the sour milk or yoghurt and boil for a few minutes longer, stirring all the time. Accompany, if possible, with beans or peas and serve in a ring of rice or mashed potato. Dust the goulash with paprika and chopped parsley before serving.

Since there's just two of us I used half quantities (except I did use about half a pint of water, and I also used a couple of cloves of garlic to give it a bit of a boost). As usual I switched out the lard for a couple of generous knobs of butter because that's what I had. I threw in a few roughly chopped carrots as suggested, and a good squeeze of tomato puree.

And the result?

So good! The paprika gives it a nice kick (I used quite a lot), and the long, slow cook leaves the beef super tender. It went very well with leftover rice from the night before - and maybe next time we'll have it on mashed potato.

This is so much fun, this vintage cookery lark. In fact I'm enjoying it so much that I'm going to start trying some of the more 'out there' recipes. Next week: Macaroni Curry and Green Peas - a real recipe from 1947.

SNOW DAY!!!

2013-01-21T09:30:00.000Z

Yes, snow requires capitals and three exclamation marks: It's that exciting. It also requires an appropriately snow-bunny outfit.

I've previously extolled the virtues of skirts and dresses for cold weather, and I stand by it all 100% - for weeks now I've been rotating various wool pencil skirts, my two vintage quilted skirts and my me-made London Calling circle skirt. A full skirt with insulating layers of petticoat underneath is excellent protection against the chill - add a pair of knee-high socks and I'm cosy-warm for a stroll in the snow.

I love the pink, grey and navy tones in this circle skirt, and I picked them up through the rest of the outfit. For a different way with a beret, I styled the front of my hair and wore the beret over the rest like a snood.

(secret tip: the lucite brooch and a few strategically placed safety pins kept the scarf draped 'casually' in place)

Outfit details: Nylon & angora sweater, ebay (99p!); 50s circle skirt, etsy; Gloves and angora-mix beret, Tesco; Bracelets, Primark; Scarf, Christmas present a few years ago; Belt, purchased in Thailand; Argyle socks, Topshop (circa 2004!); Shoes, New Look via a charity shop; Handbag, can't remember; Earrings, made by me from vintage buttons; Lucite brooch, ebay.

Although we live in London (we've got a proper London postcode and everything!), there's a surprisingly country village feel to this area. We're literally yards from the Grand Union canal, and just on the other side of this lies a large meadow which is a lovely place for a stroll. This is how we cross the canal - I'm sure you can just picture me in my heels, edging across that narrow, snow-covered lock gate, inches from the icy water, clutching my handbag in one hand and camera in the other!

But, on the other side...

{Style Inspiration} The News in Tartan & Tweed

2013-01-20T09:30:00.000Z

In honour of the upcoming Burns Night celebration on the 25th, this week's Sunday Style Inspiration is all about tartans, plaids and tweed from the late 50s. In case you're wondering the difference, the term plaid covers all woven checked fabrics, while tartan tends to be applied only to those associated with a particular Scottish clan, group or organisation (though in fact anyone can register a tartan).

Love the colours! 1958

A tweed suit with the right accessories exudes understated elegance, 1957

Tartan and tweed skirts, 1958

I'm in love with the little shoulder capelet on the left-hand jacket! 1957

Variety in plaid and tweed skirts: Slim, circular, gathered or unpressed pleats. 1957

Winter Woolies Knitting Pattern - 1945

2013-01-18T14:44:00.000Z

IT'S SNOWING!!! It's been coming down thick and fast since about 9 this morning and I can't wait to get some snowy outfit photos!

In celebration of the winter wonderland, I thought I'd post this knitting pattern from January 1945 - how cute is this for a snow day outfit? The intro's so sweet: "The problem of coupons often means you can't stretch them to a coat for the country, so why not copy our cover girl and wear an attractive sweater, cap and mitts?"

The sweater is sized for a 36" bust, but if you're a clever knitting lady you'll no doubt be able to figure out how to size up or down.

A Hat to Match

2013-01-17T10:24:00.000Z

Just a little out-and-about outfit, featuring one of my final sewing projects of 2012, a beret to match my teal pencil skirt. I used an early 50s hat pattern, which also has another two designs in the same envelope (which I hope to make available as PDF soon).

Although it's still waiting for a new set of buttons (you'd be amazed how hard it is to find a set of seven 1" black Art Deco coat buttons), I wore my lovely 1940s coat, giving it a furry makeover with the cuffs I wore ice skating and a faux fur cowl collar to match.

Wool beret, made by me from a 50s pattern; 1940s coat, ebay; Wool skirt, made by me; Gloves, vintage fair; Faux fur cuffs and cowl collar, Christmas gift from Mother; Peacock rhinestone brooch, given to me by my sister; Shoes, Marks & Spencer.

{Vintage Kitchen} Mackerel Fishcakes

2013-01-15T09:04:00.000Z

This week's vintage recipe comes from 1947, and is another one which makes use of storecupboard basics. That's one of the greatest things about vintage recipes - they generally have just a few main ingredients, and you don't have to rush out and buy half a dozen different spices. It's also all seasonal (plus preserved foods like tins), and furthermore - best of all - very cheap.

Fish and Potato Cakes
from Everywoman magazine, December 1947

To serve 4 people
½ lb boiled, well-mashed potato; 4 oz self-raising flour; ½ lb fish (smoked haddock, tinned salmon, pilchard or sardine); 2 tablespoons very finely minced onion; 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley; salt; pepper; a little lard or dripping; fine crumbs, crisped and browned; tablespoon or so of milk, or the oil or some of the liquid from the fish.

Mix the mashed potato and flour well together, stir in the fish (tinned varieties give a stronger flavour than cooked, white fish, but smoked haddock is very good when procurable), onion and parsley. Add seasoning. Use either a few drops of milk, or some liquid from the tinned fish, to make the mixture soft enough to mould into flat cakes. Press each flat cake into the crumbs until well covered. Grease a baking tin, put in the cakes and bake in a moderate oven for 25 minutes, when the outsides of the cakes should be crisp.

I used tinned mackerel in tomato sauce, plain flour (because I didn't read the recipe properly) and fresh breadcrumbs (a couple of slices of bread whizzed up in the blender) rather than toasted.

Since the method basically involves mashing the ingredients together, once the potatoes were cooked it came together very quickly. The mixture was a great consistency for forming into patties, and good and sticky for the breadcrumb coating. The recipe made 15 fishcakes, and I baked them at 200°C for about 15-20 minutes.

And the verdict? Success! The fishcakes had a nice texture, quite dense, and were plenty filling for lunch or supper. The magazine suggested serving with an anchovy sauce, but I just went with mayo. If I'd been shopping beforehand and had the ingredients I would have made a tartare sauce, which would have gone very nicely.

We'll definitely be having these again - they're a really good standby meal, which takes hardly any time to prepare.

Oh, and say hello to my kitschy salt and pepper Dalmatian puppies! I haven't named them yet - what should I call them?

Coral Silk Blouse

2013-01-14T09:30:00.000Z

I finally got to photograph the blouse I sewed in December! It's made in a super-slippery silk charmeuse satin, in the most beautiful shade of bright coral - one of my "double star" colours according to my House of Colour consultation. The shops on Goldhawk road sell this stuff quite reasonably (about £10 a metre) in a rainbow of colours, and when I first embarked on this project I merrily planned a second in dove grey, then another in tangerine. But, well I have to be honest, I don't relish the prospect of working with silk charmeuse again! The result is beautiful though - the finished blouse is an absolute joy to wear, and I think it looks rather lovely. The buttons are vintage mother-of-pearl with a pretty carved design, and the buttonholes are hand-worked.

I was going for a sort of late 30s 'everyday luxe' look with my fine wool houndstooth skirt and a Deco era handbag. The double sash was inspired by something I saw in a 1939 Sears catalogue. The hat's not very thirties of course but hey, what can you do?

Silk satin blouse, made by me from a 1942 pattern; Skirt, made by me from a 1950s pattern; Polka dot scarf, purchased in India; Plain sash, made by me to wear to my sister's wedding; 1950s hat, car boot sale; 1930s-40s handbag, given to me by my sister; Shoes, Marks and Spencer (a Christmas gift from Matin); Gloves, Spitalfields vintage fair.

{Style Inspiration} Velvet

2013-01-13T09:30:00.000Z

One of the best things about winter dressing is the variety in fabric and texture - as if to make up for the cold, the fashion Gods gave us fur (faux or real), wool tartan, mohair and cashmere knits, and luxurious velvet and velveteen.

The feature from 1950 below says, "Velvet is the word that spells enchantment this winter - a bewitching fabric that brings out the deeply-lying richness of a woman's charm. It makes her eyes sparkle, her complexion glow, her hair gleam - there never was such a flatterer, especially in the evening when it looks its elegant best under artificial light..."

"You must judge carefully when it is best to use cotton velveteen or corduroy, or when rayon or pure silk velvet will give you the best results." Traditionally velvet and velveteen have been most popular for evening wear, but can also be worn during the day. It lends itself well to loungewear, or as accents - collars and buttons, for example, or "a plain afternoon frock will sparkle with life if you give it a velvet cummerbund."

Velvet party wear in Everywoman magazine, 1950

Marilyn Monroe wore indigo velvet capri pants in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 1953

Velvet lent itself well to the fluid fashions of the 1930s - this from Sears, 1938

Velvet for both afternoon and eveningwear, Sears 1938

Ball gown and swing coat in velvet, 1947

Velveteen separates in Sears, 1955

Rayon velvet fabrics in Sears, 1949

This adorable set was available in navy with red plaid or black with red plaid. Sears, 1939

Outfit Planning

2013-01-11T16:55:00.000Z

I had hoped to post an outfit today, but I broke my tripod recently (knocked it over and the plastic head snapped) and unfortunately the superglue I used to fix it didn't hold. So instead, as I jotted down the details of the outfit for photographing at a later date, I thought I'd talk a little about outfit planning.

Planning outfits might seem the height of fashion-victim behaviour (even as I write this I'm picturing Cher in Clueless running through her computerised outfit generator), but it does have its benefits.

Of course, the major advantage of advance outfit planning is not having to think in the half-hour before leaving the house. Whether you've selected the main garments and potential accent colours in your head the night before, have a jotted note to remind yourself to wear those earrings with that blouse and skirt, or have a notepad of detailed sketches laying out precise garment and accessory combinations, it's a perfect way to look carefully co-ordinated at a moment's notice.
Another consideration is that planning helps get more use out of the clothes at the back of the wardrobe - the ones that usually get passed over in favour of your "go-to" everyday staples. If they really don't go with anything else you own then perhaps it's time to pass them on, but some pieces are worth putting a little extra thought into finding ways to wear them - it's just that you don't want to be doing that fifteen minutes before going out. Plan more, and defeat the 80:20 rule! (you know, the one about wearing 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time).
It encourages you to be more creative with your wardrobe. Rather than reaching for the same cardigan every time you wear that dress, actually making yourself think through different ways you can wear the same garment makes for more interesting and stylish outfits.
It also helps when shopping - if you get in the habit of planning outfits, then when you're out shopping, or browsing online, or planning your sewing list it becomes second nature to do a mental run-through of different ways to wear that dress/skirt/blouse/accessory before deciding to part with cash.
And inversely, it even helps identify gaps in your wardrobe, if you find yourself coming back to the same "what this needs is X" time and again.

How to plan outfits? Usually mine start from a particular garment - it could be a main piece like a dress or skirt, or something small like a pair of gloves or a necklace - and then I work out from there. Other times, I'll be inspired by a photo or magazine feature which I want to emulate.

Whatever the spark, I build the outfit up in my head, thinking about potential colour schemes (I try and challenge myself to use at least three colours if possible) and considering all the accessories - from gloves and hat to shoes and handbag to scarves and jewellery - then note them down. Generally it's in simple list form, but (for example when I was planning what colours to make my sew-along pencil skirts) I have been known to sketch the outfit and its accessories (which is obviously more time consuming - especially as I'm a bit rubbish at drawing - but also kind of fun as a quick reference guide).

However you do it, spending a little time outfit planning helps maximise your wardrobe's potential and will ensure you look sassy and stylish every day!

Do you plan your outfits in advance? Do you have a system? Any tips or advice to add?

Collecting Vintage Costume Jewellery

2013-01-09T14:56:00.001Z

Unlike the clothing, which as sellers become more savvy is becoming increasingly hard to find at affordable prices, vintage costume jewellery can still quite readily be found for pocket money - I think the most I've paid for a brooch was £15, and most of my collection were under £5. (As a result, my brooch collection has long since outgrown my first brooch board and I really need to make another one - or two).

I love kitschy vintage plastics. Bakelite is of course the holy grail of vintage plastic, but being highly collectable it's generally fairly high-priced. But other materials such as celluloid, lucite and early hard plastics aren't as trendy and so are much more accessible to those of us on limited budgets.

Kitsch plastic figural pins are my very favourite. These are the ones which can most often be found adorning my lapels (the ice skates normally live on my winter coat). If you're thinking about building a collection of vintage costume jewellery, think about which you're going to get most use of (that is assuming you're buying them to wear, which I hope you are because these darling pieces deserve to be seen). For me, the most versatile tend to be 'theme-neutral', like the bows or the oversize feathers and florals below. I also wear my dog and bird pins often.

How to buy vintage costume brooches... Unlike for most items, for which ebay would be my first stop, I've found it can be quite difficult to find a bargain on costume jewellery online - especially when you consider that the postage can add a hefty percentage cost. One way to get a bargain is to buy in small or larger 'lots' - that's how I bought both the florals above. The clear one came bundled with one other brooch, while the red daisy brooch was in a lot of eight (which also included the "to my sweetheart" envelope brooch above - I sold the rest, recouping what I paid).

The above all came from car boot sales and charity shops (except the enamel cherries, which was a gift). I can't remember exactly what I paid for each, but I'm pretty sure they were all under £3.

Building theme collections can be a fun way to focus your buying. I can't resist bird brooches whenever I see a bargain, and I have a bit of a thing for dogs and nautical themes as well. The poodle on the right is my newest addition - Mother bought it for me on a recent trip to Totnes.

Although I'm not really one for bling, I do love the understated glamour of marcasite. I owe my entire collection of marcasite brooches to my mother, with the exception of the one on the right, which I bought recently in a charity shop. It's a 'duette' - actually duette is a brand name, but has come to refer to all pins of this type - two matching dress clips fasten onto a brooch frame, so can be worn two ways. Art Deco and 50s marcasite jewellery can be found quite affordably, often cheaper than the slightly trendier rhinestone pieces.

See also: Top tips for Brooch Thrifting on Queens of Vintage.

{Vintage Kitchen} Savoury Muffins

2013-01-08T16:43:00.000Z

As per my New Year's resolutions, I'm instituting a weekly vintage cookery post. Having decided it was going to be on Tuesdays I rather took myself by surprise when suddenly it became Tuesday and I hadn't prepared my first post. So that's a good start!

So for my first Vintage Kitchen post, I made one of the few recipes for which I had all the ingredients to hand. Because there are basically only four, plus seasonings.

Savoury muffins
from Everywoman magazine, February 1945
2 oz lard; ½ lb flour; salt and pepper; a pinch of sugar; a little milk; slices of ham or Spam.

Mix the ingredients to make a light scone dough. Roll out lightly on a floured board to ½-in thickness. Cut into rounds. Place slices of chopped ham or Spam on half the rounds, cover with the other rounds, and pinch the sides together to seal in the meat. Brush the tops and sides with remade egg, and bake on a greased tin in a brisk oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with watercress.

Yep, that's it - fat, flour and 'a little milk' (how much is a little?!) to make the dough - no egg, no baking powder. It did occur to me afterwards that perhaps I should have used self-raising flour rather than plain, but the recipe didn't specify. I suppose you could use either - I imagine self-raising would give a lighter, scone-like texture, while the plain results in basically a shortcrust pastry.

I did amend the original recipe slightly of course: We don't have ham or Spam since Matin doesn't eat pork, so I used beef luncheon meat (which I thought was appropriately retro) for some, and cheese (not entirely ration-book friendly) in the rest. I also replaced the lard with butter. And I omitted to brush them with egg (it's only for a glaze, so just picture them a little shinier!)

And the results were... actually not that bad. Certainly not as bad as I feared. I don't know in what world they're related to muffins (either English or American variety), and they're perhaps not what you might call a taste sensation, but as a little lunchtime snack, with a dash of HP sauce or a little Branston pickle, they're surprisingly moreish.

Sewing For 2013

2013-01-07T08:30:00.000Z

Having a sewing schedule worked pretty well for me over 2012 - although I didn't complete everything I'd planned, I did like having a framework to refer to. So I'm going for the same again in 2013. I'm not going into much detail here because I like the unveiling to be a surprise, but this is a little peek into what you can expect to see over the coming twelve months.

January

Finish red 40s skirt
Make do and mend: refashion monogram silk blouse [started]
Pinstripe pencil skirt
Start sewing quilt top
House dress [started]

February

Green skirt
Valentine dress
Wool felt dress
Coat?

March

Birdie dress (a design from my sketchbook)
1940s Chevron shirtwaist (also from the sketchbook)
Sailor dress (carried over from last year! I could never find the right fabric)
Dominoes & Daisies tea dress (carried from last year)

April

1940s dress with contrast pleats (another design from my sketchbook)
Betty Grable outfit
Stripe 1940s shirtwaist
Grade pattern and make muslin for 1940s playsuit

May

Stripe blouse
(Spoonflower project) Clotheshanger sundress
Pedal pushers
(Spoonflower project) Hattie sundress

June

Pink stripe seersucker shirtwaist
Floral blouse
Playsuit

July

Circle skirt
(Spoonflower project) Poolside playset (carried over from last year)

August

Niagara halterneck dress
Rizzo turquoise blouse

September

Cowboy print blouse
Pink bow housedress
Navy skirt

October

Bow sequin neckline dress - wool crepe
Skirt suit (tailoring - eek!)
1940s trousers

November

Quilted circle skirt?
Plaid/check 40s pinafore dress

December

Christmas dress
Airforce blue A-line skirt

It makes me look like I'm really organised, but really it's just a way of breaking down my huge sewing list into a manageable format.