Never let it be said that I only show you the interesting and fancy outfits.

Today I thought I’d show you a more dressed down, comfortable outfit for a Sunday afternoon.

Most people (women!) seem to wear trousers or jeans as their go to comfort outfit, but I’ve never found them a comfortable thing to wear. I have a pair of jersey palazzo trousers, and my Lady K Loves Rosie Trousers (which I just killed the zip on, sob!) which I will wear in a (very cold) pinch, but otherwise I am a confirmed skirts girl.

So, this Sunday when I was heading out for a nice Sunday lunch and a visit to Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair, this is what I chose to wear.

❤ Dress - Vintage 1940s ❤ Jumper - from a Bootfair ❤ Coat - Principles via eBay ❤
 ❤ Shoes - Clarks via eBay ❤ Brooch - Vintage from a Bootfair ❤

I went for What Katie Did seamed tights instead of stockings for a bit of extra warmth, and considering I was planning a big roast dinner and some beer I decided red lips were a bit too high maintenance and went with Soap & Glory Red My Lips.

The dress is a fairly loose fit on the waist, and long enough to be quite warm, so for me this is a low-key Sunday outfit. There still seems to be an overwhelming public opinion that anyone not wearing jeans or a track suit is “dressed up”, so I still manage to give off the impression that I’ve made quite an effort with my outfit, which is a bonus as far as I’m concerned!

I have nothing more interesting to say today as I have to go and plan a far more elegant outfit for #zomgbloggersbash tonight and I have a train to catch!

So. Tell me about your weekend….

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Today I have a bit of an exclusive book review for you!

Style Me Vintage: Clothes: A Guide to Sourcing and Creating Retro Looks isn’t due out until next week, but I have an advance review copy, so I’m going to tell you if it’s worth buying!

I have to be honest and confess that the reason I have an advance copy is that I not only know Naomi from Vintage Secret, the book’s author, but I’m mentioned in the book a few times as well. In a mention on vanity sizing (I’m the industry expert, so ner), on the recommended reading list (naturally) and in the thank yous at the back (which made me smile!)

That aside, I intend to provide an unbiased and fair review, much as I did with its 2 sister books Style Me Vintage: Hair and Style Me Vintage: Make Up.

Fortunately it’s really very good, so that’s a relief!

Like the other books in the series it has the same beautiful matte textured cover. The inside layout uses vintage fabric prints as page backgrounds and has a nice “dip in and outable” feel.

This book is far more text heavy than the other 2 as it’s content is not so easily definable. Thankfully the book steers away from relying on the “step by step” concept of the other 2 books, and instead is a really useful beginners guide to shopping for vintage looks and creating a vintage style.

The “Getting Started” section contains a bit of a general introduction to the world of vintage for those who haven’t dabbled before. It includes a definition of vintage that is (in my opinion, obviously) reasonably fair, putting across the purists view, but acknowledging the collectability of clothes from the 1980s as well as more recent items that will be future classics. This section also includes handy general hints on shopping for vintage, and, importantly, suggestions on how to use it to create your own style rather than recreating others looks.

The main part of the book is broken down by decade, from the 20s-80s. Each section has a shopping list of general shapes and styles, which is handy if you’re going for a general 60s feel look, for instance, and not sticking to only ever buying vintage. It also contains a general overview of the fashions of the decade as well as illustrations of formal and informal looks. Often these kind of books are a little over simplistic, giving the impression that only one look was popular in each decade. In Style Me Vintage there is a representative spread covered for each decade, considering the limited space. The beginning section also contains a reminder that each decades popular styles weren’t confined to that decade, but spilled over into each other.

Finally there is a useful information section at the back. There are discussions of Shapewear and Swimwear, labels to look for, tips on where to shop and the all important recommended reading list! My only comment on this section is that I feel that the “How to get into Vintage Clothes” section might have fit better with the shopping tips at the front, as getting in and out of vintage dresses in changing rooms is a horror I know well!

If there’s one thing I might have added to this book it would have been a section on discussing vintage and body shapes/sizing. Vanity sizing is mentioned (and with a kindly pointer to my blog no less!) but so many women turn to vintage because their bodies don’t fit into the modern mould that a page on fit and maybe a diagram on how to take your measurements would have been a handy addition.

If you’re a dabbler in vintage, or you’ve never quite had the guts to go into a vintage shop at all then this really is an excellent starting point. It gives pointers on shop etiquette, isn’t too heavy to read and looks beautiful. It’s also a great reference for narrowing down what sort of decades you might find shapes and styles that appeal to you in and is incredibly comprehensive for such a small book, which isn’t surprising considering Naomi’s encyclopeadic knowledge!

If you’re already a vintage aficionado then there will be little in this book that will be an amazing revelation to you, but it still contains some handy hints. At the very reasonable RRP of £9.99 it’s certainly still worth getting your hands on as a quick reference for decades you’re less familiar with, or just for that excellent recommended reading list! I also found the labels to look for a handy guide, as I’ve never been a particular label queen and I’m sure I must have walked away from some astonishing bargains because I didn’t recognise the labels.

Style Me Vintage: Clothes is due for release on 1st February. It is currently £5.89 on Amazon . Alternatively Waterstones appear to have it in stock for £6.49.

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Happy Burns Night!

I hadn’t planned to do this today, then I felt guilty because I’d done Chinese New Year on Monday and I do like a nice haggis supper on Burns Night, so I thought in the interests of fairness I’d take a look at Tartan today!

Burns Night is poet Robert Burns birthday on the 25th January and started being held around the early 1800s after Burns death. It includes speeches, toasts, poetry readings, and, importantly, Haggis. If you haven’t tried haggis you really should. It sounds disgusting but I think it’s delicious with a spicy oaty flavour.

But onto Tartan! I was a big fan of tartan mini skirts and trousers when I fancied myself a punk in the 90s, but since then I’ve reserved it mostly for pyjamas and the occasional shirt I’m afraid. I’ve fancied a full tartan skirt for a few years, but not been able to find one I could afford and my seamstress skills just aren’t up to, well, anything!

I’ve dug out some vintage photos of women in Tartan, though they were surprisingly harder to find than I expected.

And a few places to pick up some tartan of your very own. (Top tip, wool tartan skirts are a common Charity Shop find)

1940s Tartan print dress – £78.98 on Etsy

1950s Tartan Cloak – £28.30 on Etsy

Tartan Wool Ladies Skirt - £55 on eBay

For the more sizing flexible world of vintage repro we’re back to Vivien of Holloway who has the most amazing tartan pencil skirts.

Tartan Wiggle Skirt – £45 Vivien of Holloway

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