Single-breasted blanket check coat, £21.50. Black corduroy peddle-pushers, £5.95. Both by Lee Bender at Bus Stop. Nylon socks, from Mr. Freedom, 60p. Black suede high-heeled peep-toes, by R. P. Ellen, £5.95. Net veil with poppies, from Fenwicks, £1.45.
Swagger around this autumn in one of the most dramatic coats ever. Gone are skimpy shapes, instead there’s a swirling full-cut look, strongly reminiscent of the ‘Fifties. Back comes the walking-out coat and the ‘jigger jacket’. Big checks —the bigger the better—are hot news. Striped ankle socks and tarty high heels complete this new look.
Model is Anjelica Huston.
Photographed by Bob Richardson.
Scanned from 19 Magazine, October 1971
Mainly blue all-wool plaid swagger coat with inverted back pleat and tabs on cuffs and shoulders, from C&A, £14.95. Plaid peddle-pushers, by Phyllis Collins at Stirling Cooper, £6. Striped socks, from Mr. Freedom, 60p. Black suede peep-toe, sling-back shoes with rust insets, from Dolcis, £4.99.
Yellow and black check coat in pure new wool, by Stirling Cooper/Sheraton*, £19.95. Black wool gaberdine peddle-pushers, by Gordon King, £7. Woolly socks, from Mr. Freedom, 90p. Black suede and patent heels, by Ravel, £5.50.
*Coat is an Antony Price design for Stirling Cooper. With thanks to Sheilagh Brown for the information.
Floppy red wool coat with red and white tartan patch pockets, collar and yoke, from Mr. Freedom, £20. Black wool gaberdine peddle-pushers, by Gordon King, £7. Green and white socks from Mr. Freedom, 60p. Black suede high heels, from R. P. Ellen, £5.95.
Striped sweater, by Phyllis Collins for Stirling Cooper, £4-50. Grey wool peddle-pushers with turn-ups, £5-25. Fur fabric swagger jacket, £14.95. Both by Lee Bender at Bus Stop. Stripey nylon socks, from Mr. Freedom, 60p. Brown suede high heels, by Ravel, £5-50.
Navy blue and pillar box red fur fabric three-quarter-length coat with patch pockets, by Sheridan Barnett for Simon Massey, £13.95. Black corduroy peddle-pushers, by Lee Bender at Bus Stop, £5.95. Socks, from Mr. Freedom, 60p. Black suede high-heeled shoes, from Ravel, £5.99.
Striped polo neck acrylic sweater, by McCauls, £2.60. Rust wool jigger coat, by Lee Bender at Bus Stop, £15.95. Tight wool plaid peddle-pushers, by Phyllis Collins at Stirling Cooper, £6. Yellow woollen socks, from Mr. Freedom, 90p. Rust suede sandals with black heel and platform, from R. P. Ellen, £6.95.
Brown and white checked coat with skirt flaring from a high-fitted waist, in Courtelle pile fabric, from Universal Witness, £15.75. Black corduroy peddle-pushers, by Lee Bender at Bus Stop, £5-95. Green and white striped socks, from Mr. Freedom, 60p. Black suede high-heeled shoes, from Ravel, £5-99. Netting from all large stores.
Admittedly it takes a good eye, the sort that can look over a pile of old garments and see what you can make of them, and they of you. Then it needs a little adventure, to team old clothes with improbable but right accessories. It may also demand scissors and a needle and thread, but it’s the perfect way to beat imitation—and inflation.
Photographed by David Tack.
Scanned from Honey Magazine, November 1974.
I’m always delighted and fascinated by articles like this, somehow proving that certain interests are just innate in some people, and some things simply never change. Fifty years later, new generations are still discovering the joys of second hand clothes as though nobody ever thought of it before.
There was a storm in a Tiktok teacup earlier this year when someone declared that resellers were the Landlords of the Millennial generation. In what felt like a heady mix of inverted snobbery and undiluted envy at some people’s eye for a bargain, they declared second hand clothes were only for the poorest people and it was immoral to be making money out of them. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that it must be one of the oldest jobs in the world. In centuries gone by, the finest clothes were left in wills, given to servants, resold, remodelled and recycled until they were practically rags – which is why we have so little left in completely original condition.
On top of this long history, here in the Seventies (and then right up until the present day) you can see the glamourising of second hand clothes as a perfect counterbalance to the ever-expanding, and ever-cheapening, fashion industry. I also can’t help noticing that the belted sack dress (see further down) and bangle combination looks like something you might have seen in Topshop in the early 1980s. Proving that secondhand is often more fashion-forward than what you find in the shops.
A new look at dressing gowns: Soft cotton or silky wrapover dressing gowns can easily be found at jumble sales and markets. Fastened with a pretty brooch or with a scarf tied round the waist, they’re much nicer to wear around the house than that tatty old quilted thing your mum gave you! A bonus is that they can double as a dress or even a coat over jeans for the daytime. Paisley print robe £1, from Portobello Road Market. Painted bone fan with slotted blue ribbon, Chimera.
A little colour goes to your head: To follow the 20s,30s look which has become hot fashion for the evening, why not add a little glamour to a crocheted or knitted beret by sewing on tiny bugle beads (they’re the cylindrical ones). A geometric or floral design can look good—or a motif on one side if you haven’t got the patience to cover the whole of the beret. Antique beaded beret from a selection starting at about £10 from Carla Sklan at Antiquarius, 135 King’s Road, SW3.
The soft touch pulled into shape: Most of the prettiest second-hand dresses to be found have waist measurements which are really enormous and the idea of darting and reshaping them can offset the low price. To combat this we cut a strip from the hem about 3in wide, cut it in half width-wise and doubled it over to make two strips to tie round the back. Even easier would be to attach two narrow ribbon ties. Our dress from a selection at Orange Box, Camden Passage, N1.
Two for the top:Hats are still one of the most important accessories you can buy or make, and they look especially good if they’re bedecked with feathers or trimmings. If your purse demands you try your own hand at millinery, we’ve come up with an idea for trimming a plain felt beret. Just make two small incisions approximately one inch apart and add a natty trio of brightly coloured feathers. This smashing felt cloche with painted applique flowers and leaves is more of a good investment at £10 from Diane Logan, 40 Chiltern Street, WI.
Best suited: Ladies’ tailored suits abound for a mere pittance in most second-hand haunts and, if you accessorise them well, they can become the mainstay of your wardrobe. But nothing ruins the line of a tailored jacket more than out-of-shape shoulders. If you carefully unpick the lining around the armhole and search about, you’ll find it’s probably the fault of deflated shoulder pads. Buy a new pair of foam ones (from haberdashery departments of large stores); enclose each pad in a little square of plain fabric and it’s easy to tack them into place. Another idea to liven up a plain crepe jacket is to add some contrasting fabric on the pocket flaps or, if you have the patience, embroider your initials on a breast pocket. Authentic tweed costume courtesy of Mrs Kilford. Collarless green crêpe embroidered jacket, Orange Box £4.50. Feather-trimmed felt hat, to hire from Diane Logan ; long crêpe-de-chine patterned scarf, Essences £2: belt from a selection at Fenwick ; cane, Biba ; fox fur, Orange Box £4.50; green earrings and double bird brooch, Medusa’s Heirlooms. All Orange Box clothes from Camden Passage, 33 Islington Green, London N1.
Taking your nightie to a party: It doesn’t have to be a choice between a jewelled gown or your old jeans for a party. A long old-fashioned satin nightie is just about the prettiest and sexiest thing you could wear—and you won’t look too dressed up or contrived. And if you do get home late and tired you’re dressed for bed as well. Ankle-length cap-sleeved embroidered pink satin nightdress £5, from Bombacha, 104 Fulham Road, SW3.
Anything goes: To prove that even the most ordinary old dress can look bang up to date with just a little attention, we found this pleated black sack dress and re-vamped it. Pulled in at the waist with a wide red belt, with lots of red and black glass jewellery, black seamed stockings and your hair up, it soon becomes a show-stopper. Dress from a selection of oldies at Martha’s Market, Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High Street, W1. All jewellery from Chimera, Antiquarius.
For the good sport in you: Smart dresses and feminine bits and pieces are easier to find than casual sporty outfits, but here’s one solution to show the tomboy in you, and it’s a great way to use that too-big sweater or cardigan you’ve discovered. Team it with striped cut-off men’s summer trousers and a shirt or blouse and flat shoes—the whole outfit could easily cost you less than a fiver. For a more feminine touch, appliqu6—or even sexier, inset—your own lace motif on a blouse. You can buy one at a haberdashery store or cut out a bit of lace from an old petticoat. Hip-length baggy hand-knitted cardigan £1, striped cotton men’s shorts 50p, both from Portobello Road Market. Short-sleeved cream lace-inset Rayon blouse, Essences £3.50. Thin red leather and hessian belt, Fenwick. Huge perspex initial, Mid Twentieth Century at Antiquarius. See-through plastic tube bracelets, £1.50 each from Reflection and Light at Antiquarius. Socks and shoes, model’s own.
Two for the price of one: Above and below : Along with casual clothes, skirts are about the most difficult things to buy secondhand. Here’s a way to solve the problem and gain a matching blouse and skirt from a dress. First remove the side zip (if there is one), then carefully unpick the waist seam. Run a row of gathering round the top about 4″ in, then gently ease it up to fit your waist measurement plus 2″. Attach a strip of petersham about 14″ wide to the outside edge, turn in and finish off the side opening. For the blouse, turn up 1″ of the bottom edge, and thread with a narrow strip of elastic. Yellow and black floral-printed cotton dress, Portobello Road Market £1. Floppy cream silky blouse with elasticated waist and lace-trimmed collar and insets, shown with skirt, £3.50 from The Orange Box, Camden Passage, 33 Islington Green, London NI. Bangles and necklace from a selection at Chimera ; earrings from Medusa’s Heirlooms.
Tighten up: Baggy blouses and shirts may be the most fashionable shape but sometimes it’s nice to show your waist—and with this idea you don’t have to worry about endlessly tucking slippery material back into the waistband of your skirt or trousers. Gather the waist with two rows of shirring elastic, machined close together, remembering to sew a little lower than your actual waistline as the blouse will ride up a bit once it’s gathered. Our candy-striped cotton blouse is from the Portobello Road Market, 60p.
Mickey Mouse is an obsession of Michael Chow, figuring five times, in cast iron, in Chinese rug work, in china, in tin, and even in abstract—Oldenberg’s sculpture in front of the desk. Michael, who runs five restaurants and one club in London, and is opening a restaurant in Los Angeles, is a compulsive collector. His office in a studio flat in Knightsbridge contains a splendid Art Deco desk on a platform, an Art Nouveau rug, two Richard Smiths, and a Robyn Denny, all bathed in Mozart and Bach, with windows opening on to a flower-filled verandah. “It’s a thinking office more than a working office. I sit at the desk and toss a coin for where I’ll go to lunch.” Michael and Tina Lutz were married recently. Tina is wearing an orchid pink mushroom pleat Fortuny bought at a Christie’s sale.
“It’s a photograph dress, not a wearing dress,” says Michael Chow. “And that reminds me of a story. This man sold a thousand tins of sardines, and the buyer rang him up and said, ‘I’ve just eaten one of your sardines. It was disgusting,’ and this man said, `You fool, they weren’t eating sardines, they were buying and selling sardines.’ “
White paper taffeta wedding dress, frilled, ruffled, goffered, tucked. To order. White hat with ostrich and snowy veiling. Both, Bellville Sassoon. Marquise and diamond earclip, £12,580, David Morris. Two strings of pearls, £935, £1,120, Tecla. Pure hypo-allergenic make-up by Almay: Sugar Plum Colour Moist Pearl Lipstick, Fresh Parsley Superlight Eye Shadow, Fir Green Creamy Cake Eyeliner, and Night Green Mascara. Soft Peach Near Nude Foundation, Hush Peach Blusher and Translucent Powder.
To look really beautiful for your own satisfaction, and other peoples’, is one of the pleasures of living—health, dress, make-up, joie de vivre in happy conjunction with each other. Here, the most beautiful of everything, together in beauty.
Model is Marie Helvin.
Make-up by Barbara Daly.
Photographed by Christa Peters.
Scanned from Vogue, December 1971.
Edwardian blue taffeta dress, right, sashed belled sleeves, a hundred ruffles. To order, Bellville Sassoon. Gold and diamond ear-rings, £790, Kutchinsky. Ring, great pearl in diamonds, Andrew Grima, £1,500. Make-up by Yardley: Ace of Hearts Moisture Creme Lipstick. Supertint Foundation Bloom, with Mini Blusher Rose Blush. Eyes: Pink Glow, Blue Streak and Jade Delight from two palettes of Cats-Eyes, made to come alive under the ultra-violet lights in discotheques. Eyebrows brushed with Slate Soul Set Powder Eye Shadow, lashes with Charcoal Mascarade mascara.
Burgundy crepe de chine dress, opposite, deeply V-necked, gathered under the bosom and sashed with a shaped belt. Very full sleeves drawn up along the seam and tied with a bow at the elbow. By Marcel Fenez, £30. Diamond star earrings, £2,200, at Cartier. Diamond crescent, £500, and diamond and pearl crescent, £360, at Collingwood. Make-up by Barbara Daly, with Gala’s Beige Barely There Liquid oundation, Sheer Blush Sheer Finish on cheeks, and Plain Chocolate Locked-In Lipstick. Eyes: Heather Liqui Tint, Black Liqui Lash mascara, Black Eyebrow Pencil. Nails: Extra Red Little Gem Nail Colour
Diamond constellation of stars, with a new moon of diamonds, set on a sky of blue plum moire taffeta, the huge petal ruffle of a long evening dress, rising in front to hide the camisole top, falling at the back. By Nettie Vogues, £55. Set of five Victorian stars, £3,250, moon, £525, at Garrard. Hair, here and on previous pages, by Leonard.
Linda Annunziato and Sandra De Campos are the exotic-sounding names of two models living in Lisbon who’ve decided to offer London girls the chance to be dressed in the fine old Portuguese traditions. They’ve got together beautiful Twenties and Thirties outfits like the crepe de chine tea gowns they’re wearing here, and cleverly sold them to London outlets like Vignette, in Antiquarius, 135 Kings Rd, SW3 . . . Meantime, if you’re ever passing down Portugal way, pop in to their newly opened shop Linsan, in Cascais (a pretty fishing village near Estoril), and get yourself a little antique number of your own.
“Sugar Daddy” by Ib Jorgensen. The ultimate evening ensemble trimmed with fox, from Fortnum’s fashions.
Photographed in the foyer of the Hotel Inter-Continental London.
Obviously please ignore the fur element, I mainly wanted to share this because I love Ib Jorgensen and his work doesn’t turn up in magazines much. Born in Denmark, he became one of Ireland’s leading fashion designers from the 1950s until the 1990s. One of my favourite dresses hanging in my closet comes from a range he did for Mattli of London, but it’s interesting to know he was also stocked in Fortnum and Mason.
Olivia Newton-John, a seductive siren if ever there was one, wearing an Indian cotton blouse £4.25, silk patchwork skirt £20, Afghanistan tapestry boots £27.50. All from Forbidden Fruit, 325 King’s Road, SW3, or mail order from Forbidden Fruit, 293a Portobello Road, W11 (provided you send 50p postage and packing that is). Embroidered Persian waistcoat £7 from Liberty, Regent Street, W1. Olivia’s seductively reclining on embroidered velvet cushions, anything from £4 to £40 at Rumak and Sample, in The Incredible Department Store, 92 Brompton Road, SW1. Sexy silk tiffany lampshade, £10.50 from Biba, 124-126 Kensington High Street, W8. Imported metallic wallpaper, £5.33 a roll including tax, comes from John Oliver, 33 Pembridge Road, W11. Add 33p postage and packing if you want him to send you some. Everything else comes from Liberty, and if you write to them, they’ll let you know about mail order possibilities. Black Chinese coffee table £45, Victorian frame stool £40, antique Italian column £18, hand-made Iraqi rug from £40. Reproduction painted icon £4.70, giant Boda goblet, one of a pair at £5.95, copper Persian tray £30, and copper Persian plant pot, £17.85.
Brown berets, by Kangol, £1.60 each. Brown galvanized-rubber jacket, £12. Beige and black check skirt, £5.90. Cream tights, 30p. All from Biba. Brown leather shoes, from Sacha, £10-99. Rust galvanized-rubber jacket, £12. Jacquard skirt, £5.90. Cream tights, 30p. All from Biba. Leather shoes, by Chelsea Cobbler at Che Guevara, £13.99.
Haven’t seen you around lately. But then it hasn’t been raining. Oh dear, look out, here it comes…
Photographed by Pelito Galvez.
Scanned from 19 Magazine, September 1973.
Berets, by Kangol, £1.60 each. Sweater, by John Craig, £3. Trench coat, by Sheraton-Stirling Cooper, £23. Tights from Biba, 30p. Shoes from Sacha, £15.99. Satchel, from Che Guevara, £15.95. Gloves from a selection at Harrods. Glasses from a selection at Digby Howard. Sweater from a selection at Harrods. Trench coat, by Sheraton-Stirling Cooper, £23. Tights from Biba, 30p. Shoes from Sacha, £10.99. Fishing bag from a selection at Moss Bros. Gloves from British Home Stores, £1.80.
Grey felt hat from a selection at Herbert Johnson. Beige raincoat, with padded shoulders, by Mary Park for Stirling Cooper, £26. Cream tights, from Biba, 30p. Wellingtons by Dunlop, £1.65. Brown leather shoulder bag, from Che Guevara, £14-95.
Brown felt hat from a selection at Herbert Johnson. Beige gaberdine trench coat, with check lining, from Burberrys, £36. Cream tights, from Biba, 30p. Brown leather brogue court shoes, from Sacha, £15.99.
Black felt hat, from Burberrys, £3.25. Black French jacquard taffeta raincoat, by Sheridan Barnett for Quorum, £55. Tights from Biba, 30p. Wellingtons by Dunlop, £1-65. Black gloves, from British Home Stores, £1-80. Glasses from a selection at Digby Howard. Hat from Burberrys, £4. Gaberdine raincoat, by Electric Fittings, £40. Tights from Biba, 30p. Black Wellingtons, by Dunlop, £1-65. Gloves from a selection at Harrods. Bag from Burberrys, £6.50.
Beige hooded mac, by Ian Batten for Stirling Cooper, £28. Cream tights, from Biba, 30p. Wellingtons by Dunlop, £1.65. Black clutch bag, in padded leather, from Lily, £17.99. Black leather gloves, from British Home Stores, £1.80. Brown felt hat from a selection at Herbert Johnson. Beige mac, with fly front, by Ian Batten for Stirling Cooper, £28. Cream tights, from Biba, 30p. Wellingtons by Dunlop, £1.65. Brown gloves from a selection at Harrods.
Liz Eggleston 