1960s With Curves

The 1960s was my first love in modern vintage fashion, in my teens (after my early obsession with the Victorian-Edwardian era), but I - along with many others - struggle to fully embrace it now because the classic 60s look better suits a very different figure type to my own. But there's more to 1960s fashion than blocky Mod shifts, so there's no need to avoid the decade altogether even if you don't fit the Twiggy ideal - here are my three top tips for ways to wear 1960s when you don't suit 1960s:

1. Pinafore dresses or jumper dresses like this one are great on several counts. If you choose a low-cut neckline you can layer it over a high-necked sweater for an authentic look that doesn't smoosh your chest into a matronly monoboob effect.

2. Look slightly further back to the early sixties for inspiration. The period between poodle skirts and Mod minis is no longer the stylistic grey area it once was, since the popularity of Mad Men brought it into the fashion spotlight, and many of the fashions (mostly the carry-overs from the 1950s) perfectly suit an hourglass figure. Think knee-length pencil skirts teamed with simple blouses and sweaters; "Joan Holloway" fitted sheaths; even lampshade-skirted sundresses and party frocks (early 60s full skirts tended to be gathered rather than cut on the circle).

3. Choose a fit-and-flare silhouette rather than straight shift shapes. Princess seaming is another feature of my pinafore dress, making it semi-fitted even though it doesn't have a defined waistline. It flares slightly in an A-line shape, skimming out over the hips and de-emphasising them. An all-round winner.

Outfit details: Pinafore dress, New Look (borrowed from my sister); Sweater, charity shop; Tights, can't remember; Shoes, Marks & Spencer; Bangles, various; Scarf, purchased in India; Earrings, purchased in Thailand.


PS: I'm aware I slightly fell off the face of the blogosphere this week - bear with me and I'll do the draw for the Style Me Vintage book giveaway as soon as I can!

Sale Sale Sale!

The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things. Mostly the fact that I'm running a SALE in my etsy shop. I've got some fabulous vintage clothes listed (modelled beautifully by Aimee of Bright Young Twins), along with original vintage fully fashioned stockings, my upcycled record bags and fascinators, and fabulous embellished shoes. And the best news is I'm offering readers 20% off with coupon code tuppenceblog20. If you've had your eye on something now's your chance to nab it for a bargain!

Clockwise from top left: Upcycled record hat embellished with 60s millinery; 70s does 30s gown with flocked strawberry print; Upcycled record clutch bag; 1950s crepe wiggle cocktail dress.

Go ahead and treat yourself, and support this blog - because if I can't make my rent I'll have to go out and get a real job, which will mean no more blog, and that would be very sad. So time to start dropping hints about what you reeeally want for your birthday / mother's day / Easter / early Christmas / Anniversary / Monday. And tell your friends - spread the word!

Clockwise from top left: Laura Ashley wool plaid suit with velvet accents; Upcycled record bag with Paris Kitty fabric lining; 1960s Chinese brocade satin cocktail ensemble; Upcycled record hat embellished with vintage millinery flowers.

Besides, how can you resist all this gorgeousness? Especially at 20% off!

1970s floral stripe sundress by Carnegie of London; Upcycled record handbag with vintage 50s atomic feedsack lining; Upcycled record hat with vintage millinery flowers; Vintage fully fashioned stockings.

Why You Should Love The Seventies

I've got to say, lately I'm finding myself drawn to some distinctly seventies looks! It sometimes seems like enjoying the 70s is some sort of "guilty pleasure", unfashionable amongst the vintage scene. It's a decade which sometimes gets a bad rap in fashion history (second only to the eighties) and - held responsible for the rise of poor quality, itchy crimplene and other synthetics, and a reputation for brown and orange everything - is often neglected by "vintagists" (while being embraced by mainstream fashion, in heavily diluted form). But the 70s did actually provide a wealth of fashion within quite a short time - one of the reasons it's been regularly plundered for inspiration by designers almost since it closed! So here are my four top reasons why you should love the Seventies:

1. Diversity Rules

To some, it's a decade where fashion was directionless, with diametrically opposed subcultures including punk, hippie and disco competing for the style spotlight. But, contrarily, I see these as reasons to love the seventies. It was in many ways the first "anything goes" era, where fashion became truly divergent. Really for the first time, fashion was not prescriptive: Skirts could hit anywhere from mini to maxi, you could opt for blousy and romantic, sharp tailoring, "ethnic" fashions like kaftans, or skintight lycra.

2. The Fit n Flare Silhouette

The standard silhouette - if there were such a thing in the 70s - was a fit-and-flare shape, flattering to virtually all figure types and a welcome alternative to the boxy, waist-eliminating shapes of the mid- to late-sixties.

3. Pick A Revival

Brands like Laura Ashley and Gunne Sax headed up the Victorian-Edwardian revival with high collared ditsy-printed cotton prairie dresses decorated in crochet lace edging.

source
Meanwhile, mainstream fashion was taking influences from the 1930s, 40s and 50s - each of which I'll be examining in more detail over the coming weeks.

4. Easycare fabrics

The frail silk crepe-de-chines and notoriously temperamental rayons of the 1930s and 40s are totally gorgeous, but so delicate that even entrusting it to the dry cleaners can be a nerve-wracking experience. So there's really something to be said for being able to chuck 1970s polyester and heavy cottons in the washing machine.

So come on, what do you love about the 70s? Who are your 70s style icons?

Spoonflower Bicycles Contest

It's competition time again over at Spoonflower! This week's theme is bicycles, and I've entered a retro "kitties on bicycles" print inspired by a 1950s dress fabric. The standard of entries is, as ever, incredibly high, but I'd appreciate it endlessly if you could get over and vote for me. Heck, even if you don't want to vote for mine I'd thoroughly recommend looking through all the wonderful designs - there are several I'd happily make up into a dress!

Vintage Bookshelf: Style Me Vintage - Clothes

The buzz all over the vintage blogosphere at the moment is all about Naomi Thompson's new book, "Style Me Vintage - Clothes". The book is a fabulous entry-level guide to vintage clothing, covering key looks decade by decade from the 1920s to 1980s.



Day and evening looks from each decade are detailed in checklists and modelled by Naomi's friends and family. Each section is also complemented with gorgeous fabric swatches - and you know how I feel about novelty prints!


There are also sections covering dating vintage, caring for vintage clothes, and shopping for vintage. This is the book you need if you're starting out in vintage and looking for advice to help develop your style. If only this book had been around when I was 20 I could avoided years in a style wilderness.


The book is beautifully presented and a great little reference - even if you're not a vintage beginner, it's great for a flick-through for inspiration.

And ooh, guess what? I have a copy to give away! Just leave a comment below to enter. If you'd like an additional entry, follow me on twitter and retweet the giveaway, then leave a second comment below. For good measure, I'll give you a third way to enter - 'Like' my Facebook page and share the giveaway there, and again leave another comment saying you've done so. The winner will be posted on Monday.

On Vintage Fur

This is something I've addressed previously, but animal rights protestors harrassing customers outside Beyond Retro in London has brought up the discussion again, and since it's such an important topic I felt it deserved a dedicated post.

Advert for Fur Coats in the Daily Mail, June (!) 1928
Let me start by reiterating that I personally don't have a problem with vintage fur. Although PETA's campaigning has given most of modern society a revulsion of fur I'd rather the old stuff be worn and enjoyed than be tossed out and end up on the scrap heap and in landfill - to me that shows less respect for the animal that died than wearing it and appreciating it. Equally, adding unneccessarily to landfill is both bad for the environment and against all the principles of "make do and mend" and "reduce, re-use, recycle" that are the basis of ethical fashion. Furthermore, if you consider the environmental cost of manufacturing new faux fur to replace that vintage mink coat you just threw out, it becomes decidedly un-eco - doubly so when the new faux fur will wear out and need replacing long before the mink would. These are the key issues for me and for other wearers - including vegetarians and vegans - of vintage fur.

That said, it has been suggested that interest in vintage fur might be turning the tide of acceptability of modern fur: After PETA's high-profile, supermodel-fronted campaigning in the 90s, fur fell dramatically from mainstream fashion favour, but there's a risk that vintage fur might be leading people to become comfortable with the idea once more, fuelling the modern industry.

I'm not an advocate of new fur, mostly to do with the conditions in which animals are kept and killed: just as I insist on free-range chicken (and always have done), I think it's important to recognise welfare standards for animals killed for their pelts, and the difference between free range fur versus factory farming. One commenter on facebook (who I won't name in case she doesn't want to enter the debate publicly!) said, "I feel that [organisations like] PETA place so much emphasis on not using animals at all, that there is no debate left on the standards used in production for those who are non-vegan. Their aggressive tactics and narrow span closes off debate rather than opening it up." One answer might be to campaign for stricter regulations regarding animal welfare in the fur trade, rather than intimidating the innocent customers of second hand shops.

But to bring us back to the central issue of vintage fur, to what extent does the eco-friendliness of vintage fur outweigh concerns about modern fur production? Where do you draw the line? I'm easily able to justify vintage fur on the basis of eco considerations, but find myself squeamish about new fur. Do you come down on the side of the eco, reduce/re-use/recycle aspect, or is all fur (and leather) evil? Would you happily wear vintage fur but balk at modern? Do you consider the fur and leather trades on a par with the meat industry? I'm aware this is an incredibly touchy subject, and many people have very strong feelings on the issue, so I'd ask that you (pretty please) try to keep the comments from becoming too inflammatory.