Pillage my Wardrobe!!! August 21st: bargains galore! Roll up, roll up!

On August 21^st the Vintage Mafia are having another one of their small but perfectly formed Vintage Sales and Socials at the LoveShake in Shoreditch. East London…I know!  But it is a very short walk from both Old Street and Liverpool Street stations and the venue is a charming homage to a fifties shake bar, why not combine a trip to this with a trawl around Spitalfields, a short walk away and liveliest on a Sunday. The word ‘social’ is in the name of this event as you can  also grab a drink, a shake or a burger whilst you rummage through the rails or just sit down and chat.

Beautiful Emerald Vivien of Holloway circle dress.

The clothes are in the sale due to overfull wardrobes, duplicate clothing and size fluctuations. There is no 80’s tat, moth eaten pieces on their last sad legs and they are clean and in good condition.  Apart from frocks there are accessories and other small items and these range from vintage to repro to high street reflecting the past. Finally, and importantly for us all, the prices are very reasonable and unlike on-line goods you can try them on before you purchase.

Tara Starlet pink home front dress size 14, hardly worn.

It is here that I declare an interest as I have been kindly allowed to sell some of my things at this fair. In my case I am clearing the decks due to things not fitting (as some of you know I have been ill). I’ll have a good sprinkling of large size 12’s, 14’s and even the odd size 16. There will be (real) vintage, repro and up-market High Street  all laundered and in good or honestly described condition. Amongst these is a fantastic late 50’s wiggle dress in burgundy with a gold thread, a sweetheart neckline and a cinched waist which I really wish I could shrink,  its a large 14 small 16. I also have a fantastic pair of Japanese geta style sandals with Japanese silk thongs but a wedge heel with bright stripes. I bought these from a shop in central Japan and they would set off a fifties beach outfit brilliantly.  

Also on the rails will be an emerald satin Vivien of Holloway circle dress with bolero in a 14 and two Big Barbara Brown repro dresses in size 12 and size 14 including the lovely 30’s style spotted Evita dress. 

Tara Starlet Peggy, fantastic speckled bengaline fifties shape, size 14.

Additionally I have two Whistles 40’s style tea dresses (generous size 12’s) and two Tara Starlet dresses: the Homefront tea dress with flowers (14) and the Peggy (also 14) which have hardly been worn. I also have pure silk evening dresses from Jigsaw (contemporary) and Coast (30's style). All of these dresses cost £70.00 - 120.00 for bog standard High Street prices. I may also, if I have the time beforehand be selling some original art work and cards. I'm not a seller really and I don't do ebay as I cannot get to a post office without getting up early on a Saturday morning; so please catch the train /boat/camel East and pillage my wardrobe, I want to see my frocks go to good homes! Any questions pop me a comment or email me.

Redlegs x

Vivien of Holloway shop review.

Exterior of Holloway Road Shop.

Vivien of Holloway’s designs are probably the most instantly recognizable within vintage/retro styled circles. Her trademark polka-dotted creations with full fifties circle skirts preferably filled with a confection of netted petticoat can be spotted at most vintage events. This popularity had initially put me off buying one I find it off -putting when strangers point to you and name your dress manufacturer before you have even been introduced. Then there was the fact that I am concerned there is actually a limit to how many polka dots one should own. I currently possess thousands and feel like a lyric in a Libertine’s song already. Also I had heard that it was quite difficult to judge the fit and sizing on-line. Several girls I knew had to return their orders and had become frustrated. Personally I think this is simply an innate risk with mail-order goods and you just have to try until you find the right size and learn to love your local Post Office. The fact that many V of H items are boned gives them a three dimensionality that is hard to reflect in flat measurements of inches and cms.

Polka dots!

Recently I have increasingly felt that it was time to give this popular brand a whirl, and there were a number of reasons for this. One was that I have seen the titular Vivien around and about, a glamorous voluptuous blonde lady and a fine advertisement for her wares. I believe you should judge the dress by its maker, I was always going to like Lulu Guinness bags because I like the way Lulu Guinness looks.

The proprietress at her counter.

Another was the ever widening range of tea dresses, forties dresses and sarong dresses. The range of fabrics has also expanded with plenty of non-spot choices. The final impetus to buy was the opening, last year, of a new shop located naturally enough, in Holloway Road. Whilst Holloway Road itself can be shabby there was nothing grubby about the shop. It had a light spacious feel. The eponymous dresses were lined up in orderly fashion on rails at either side. I approve of this wholeheartedly as I loathe having to edge around displays and racks. The vintage element was not over-egged; an old fashioned display case fronts the till and contains all the nick knacks you might need to accompany the clothes. Changing rooms at the end of the room are faced by a series of free standing mirrors. Also a good idea as they can be adjusted and there is space for potential customers to see those skirts swirl and swish. Whilst the shop radiated a fresh orderly prettiness the place was utter bedlam! I had not read the small print on the website about bridesmaids booking slots at the weekends. The place was heaving and the four changing rooms were indeed commandeered by a group of giggling bridesmaids. The staff revealed themselves to be a positive asset, they managed the combination of politeness and firmness required to handle clueless bridesmaids and impatient non-bridesmaids . The bearded one was dispatched to the neighbouring café and I waited patiently.

It was actually really interesting to observe others changing. A group of blonde, faintly chavvy girls in Allsainty clothes were instantly transformed by the polka-dotted circle dresses into extras from a Dennis Potter drama. What I noted immediately was how much the designs showed off all figures. Stick insects suddenly achieved curves and the curvy girls were clearly made to fill these frocks. I enjoyed seeing the staff persuade recalcitrant twenty somethings into belts to remind them their waists didn't sit right under their busts. Paradoxically the bridesmaids seemed more feminine but also more sassy. Another peculiar thing was that they seemed cleaner and fresher. That shabby jersey jeans washed - out look makes girls look dirty as well as scruffy! The Vof H dresses are actually a great idea for weddings, inexpensive, flattering to most shapes, you can do the same dress in different colours and they can be sold on.

The fact I had to loiter for a while was a good thing because I decided to try on more than I intended and picked a couple of random choices. The dress I had my eye on was not available in my size in the fabric I wanted, I was advised that new stock came in mid-week and that was the time to come. I anticipated that the sarong dress, with its tapered skirt and flattering wrap detail was likely to suit my figure which strays into ...ahem ...rubenesque territory. I chose a couple of these. I also tried a bolero top. This is a stroke of genius. Bingo wing sheafing is important, those with busts also have to sigh and accept that bra straps are a necessary evil. Also a little shoulder coverage is just simply elegant. However I grabbed a couple of the circle dresses. I had always thought these, with all their fabric would be unflattering to anyone who was not thin or tall. The 'sugar plum fairy fear 'I call it. However a Mexican day of the dead dancing skeleton fabric dress called out to my Goth nature. Having picked one of those to try I thought ‘what the hell, I’ll try one of the ultra-satiny bright ones,' mentally I had discounted them because on the hanger they looked slightly stage costumey.

Upon trying the dresses I was surprised to find that the internal bodice was sturdy enough alone to cope with my considerable prow. This was assisted by the fact the bodice area is designed to fit quite snugly. None of this was uncomfortable. The sarong dresses were good, providing a curvy elegant silhouette however the size was a bit too tight, however if I lost even a kilo or two it might sit quite nicely. Then I moved onto the circle dresses, I loved the skeleton one. The halter top is very flattering and the swish of the skirt deeply satisfying on a girly level. The wild card was the vividly coloured silk dress. Not what I would usually wear, but when I came out in it the response from the assorted vintage types waiting was ‘buy that one!’ So having walked in intending to buy a sharp silhouetted deeply coloured dress I emerged with two swishy circle dresses and spent more than I intended (boleros were of course needed to accompany them). I am wearing the brightly hued one this weekend and we’ll see then if I look like a jolly green giant!

The green satiny circle dress.

I don’t have any gripes about the clothes at all, within the reasonable price range the finish, production and fabrics are what they should be. What I would like to stress is that the range, although comparatively limited is very flexible. It occurred to me that a lot of the simple block colour fabrics could be dressed up very well using trimmings. I am think of doing this to the sarong dress and bolero in black which I think might work really well with a fringed trimming I have seen. Vof H’s clothes are also becoming very popular with other alternative groups in London, they work as well with cyber-punkish dreads as they do with Victory Rolls. I would recommend visiting the shop if possible to try dresses for size but to avoid the weekends if possible. A weekday visit could, I think, be a nice relaxing experience. Finally the caff next door did a nice light Turkish breakfast and a copy of The Chap was on sale at the counter: Top stuff!

Minn x

Vivien of Holloway homepage here: http://www.vivienofholloway.com/

All photographs copyright Vivien of Holloway.

Plastic Fantastic! jewellery made of plastic.

I tend to get side-swiped with jewellery. I enter shops determined to buy that much needed skirt, or if I feel really motivated a pair of trousers. The problem is that subconsciously I cannot escape a basic physiological anomaly:the possession of a waist. It is a truism that in Britain dietary changes mean that the differential between hips, bust and waist is rapidly evaporating. However it hasn't in my case, additionally I am cursed with child- bearing hips and a more than ample prow. This means that finding clothing can be a tiring and lengthy experience. The presence of revolving towers of glinting glass, winking brass and frilly ribbons that wait to tempt me in nearly every store is an irresistible distraction. Even Sainsburys sell jewellery, although as they compete with cheese, wine and chocolate the temptation is easier to resist. Nonetheless I have a lot of jewellery, particularly earrings. I am also indiscriminate in my taste. Ethnic beads, pearl studs, dangling stones and gem encrusted skulls all find a place in my jewellery box;although I seem to wear the same pairs repeatedly. And there seem to be a remarkable amount of single ones, they are like socks and mysteriously resistant to staying in pairs!

My little ghosty Tatty Devine necklace.

I do have a few distinct preferences. One is for plastic, as a fan of vintage naturally I hanker after bakelite bangles, 1940's fruit brooches and 50's clip-on disks. However it is a material that has become popular again in terms of contemporary design. This is largely, I suspect, the result of the efforts and popularity of Tatty Devine's pieces as she seems to me to have championed the use of plastic as a fun, creative jewellery medium. This company has a couple of shops including one centrally in Covent Garden and also sells on-line. I had been after their ghost pendant for a while having seen a friend wearing it. Fortunately I received one for Christmas and it garners comments every time I wear it, children are particularly intrigued which means they shut up which is a good thing. The company has certain motifs they continue to produce but they launch sporadic new collections. I was very taken by a range based on those most monochromatically stylish and maligned birds: the Magpie. I luckily also received a pair of magpie stud earrings for Christmas from the same jewellery fairy. The stuff seems expensive considering the perceived cheapness of the material. Indeed cheaper items which are obviously inspired by this company's designs are available from Topshop and other fast fashion outlets. However these lack the wit and the originality of Devine's designs. A new range, based upon paper parasols is particularly stylish because they offer a great combination of retro-verve and contemporary design. Colourful, they have a summery vintage feel and will compliment 50's dresses and rockabilly styles such as the clothing produced by Vivien of Holloway. The barrette in particular is going to look superb fastened to the side of an up do and I expect to see lots this summer.

Magpie Earrings.

Hair Barette (current collection).

Another company similarly utilising plastic and new materials is Paraphernalia. They produce pieces based on a seemingly simple material, images laminated within plastic. These, however, are real conversation pieces. Anatomical drawings of hearts hang from throats, Marmosets peek from brooches and Galleons set forth to explore the new world. I expect their Alice collection to do particularly well in the light of 'Alice fever'. Again this stuff is not cheap but it is original and the price very reasonable for its striking qualities. The look can be challenging but it fits in particularly well within a nouveau-Victorian, steam punkish look. My personal favourites are the brooches which are based on Ernst's illustrations from his famous revolutionary graphic books. This are sinister but appealing and I think 'deadlier than the male' is a fine theme for any feminine accoutrement.

Paraphernalia Brooch.

However the designs are not all as charmingly gothic, some are simply extremely cute. The animal items, particularly the bracelets (one of which is shown below )are lovely and likely to elucidate 'ooohs!' rather than 'oh!' . Another set of designs suitable for bluestockings are in the 'bon mot' range; charm necklaces which feature the portrait of a writer alongside a famous aphorism or quip.

Cute owl bracelet (I am buying this!)

Oscar wilde's words of wit dangling from your neck..

I have been talking so far about modern producers of plastic jewellery, but for those who want to spend a little more and get something special there is nothing more iconic than a Lea Stein fox. Lea Stein produced her most famous designs in the 70's and her company continues to manufacture high quality plastic jewellery to this day. They combine a mid century aesthetic with elements of fifties fun and more than a dash of 20's and 30's style. Although her dog and cat brooches are charming it is the fox that is collected,quite obsessively, by some. There are sought after colours and types of plastic, different coloured eyes and even patterns, such as the harlequin. All however conform to the classic Stein fox design. They look absolutely fantastic against a fur collar or a dark background. Really a Lea Stein fox is the only jewellery you need to wear, they are quite large. But be warned, someone is bound to wander up to you, jab at your breast and start conversations about it. Expect to pay any where between £80.00 -£150.00 but this is for a piece of named costume jewellery.

A selection of Lea Stein animal brooches.

One of the infamous foxes...

Tatty Devine homepage here: http://www.tattydevine.com/boutique/index.php

Paraphernalia homepage here: http://paraphernalia.nu/

Info on Lea Stein and items for sale here:http://www.decogirl.co.uk/Lea%20Stein.htm