The Prettiest Prints

1970s, baccarat, caroline charles, Colin Glascoe, Foale and Tuffin, Ginger Group, Harrods, Inspirational Images, Jeany, Kati at Laura Phillips, Liza Spain, mary quant, mr fish, Peter Saunders Catalogue, Vintage Editorials, Woman's Journal

Two of summer’s new romantics, long, loose and floating in Sanghaneri Jaipur voile. Both by Colin Glascoe.

Bunches of summer flowers; delicate patterns and prints; and myriad beautiful shades are the ingredients. Mixed to perfection, they make up this – the prettiest mélange of summer dresses.

Photographed by Jeany.

Hair styles by Susi at Violet Adair.

Scanned from Woman’s Journal, July 1971.

Left: Scoop neck dress of Liberty printed cotton Right: Skirt and long sleeved blouse in Liberty printed cotton, worn with long reversible turncoat. All from Foale and Tuffin.

:eft: Exclusive Rajistani Jaipur hand printed dress on cotton voile from the Peter Saunders Catalogue. Right: Flowered cotton dress by Kati at Laura Phillips.

Long midi skirt and bolero of smoothest cotton velvet provide the perfect setting of this exquisite hand embroidered tapestry designed exclusively for Woman’s Journal. Available from the Art and Needlework Department at Harrods. Full sleeved organza blouse with deep buttoned cuffs by Mr Fish.

Sharply tailored suiy in grey and white Jacquard. The blouse, soft and full, with gathered sleeves and neckline, pours from beneath the jacket into delicate ruffles. By Baccarat.

Left: Spotted pinafore dress of silk over soft, white blouse with full sleeves, by Caroline Charles. Right: Close-fitting midi in sheer cotton voile by Mary Quant Ginger Group.

Do or Dye

1970s, bus stop, Fifth Avenue, Herbert Johnson, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, kensington market, lee bender, Nike Williams, roger stowell, Sacha, Second Skin, Syndica, Vintage Editorials

Originality being one of the spices of life, isn’t it about time you did a bit of gentle artwork on some of your plainer clothes? We appliquéd satin designs on unadorned cotton T-shirts, but if you haven’t the patience to appliqué clouds with silver linings, how about tie dye instead?

Hoping this gives some inspiration to keep yourself occupied and looking groovy over the next weeks and months of isolation! In all seriousness, I hope all my dear readers are safe and well. Since my Vintage business is on ice for a little while, I have brought magazines home to scan and hope to keep you entertained and offer some escapism (plus there are years of archives to get through!). There will probably be extra stuff over on my Instagram as well so do go and follow me there.

(Instructions on how to copy these designs are at the bottom of the post.)

Set and designs by Nike Williams.

Photographs by Roger Stowell.

Drawings by H. Abbo.

Scanned from Honey, August 1970.

Rising sunset appliquéd onto a plain white jersey vest by Syndica. Shiny satin trousers by Second Skin. Red wet-look boots by Sacha.

Riot of hearts appliquéd on to a long plain black vest dress, Syndica. Beaded leather thonged armband from Bus Stop

White cotton jersey long vest dress by Syndica, tie-dyed yellow with large white circles. Patchwork belt by Fifth Avenue. Beaded thonged rope by Bus Stop. Silk scarf from Kensington Market.

Satin appliquéd steamboat on a plain scarlet cotton jersey tunic, Syndica. Patchwork leather belt from Fifth Avenue. Canvas sunhat by Herbert Johnson. Satin trousers by Second Skin.

Pink cotton jersey tunic, Syndica, tie-dyed plum with a pink border print. Stretchy webbing belt from Fenwicks. Green perspex sunshade from Lillywhites.

Pink button-up vest, Chester Martin, tie-dyed red with pink leaf pattern. Red cotton scarf from Littlewoods. White plastic sunshade from Lillywhites.

Happy Legs

1970s, charles jourdan, cosmopolitan, Inspirational Images, platforms, shoes, Vintage Adverts

I don’t know about my legs, but my feet would certainly be happy to be wearing those incredible shoes which, after a bit of squinting, I have established were made by the legendary Charles Jourdan.

Scanned from Cosmopolitan, April 1973

Avengerswear, elsewhere.

1960s, avengers, avengerswear, diana rigg, emma peel, jean varon, john bates, the avengers

Watching Circus of Fear, a very enjoyable B-movie from 1966 with Christopher Lee and Leo Genn, I noted that the luscious Margaret Lee was briefly seen wearing a piece of John Bates-designed Avengerswear.

Margaret Lee with Maurice Kauffman who, funnily enough, was Honor Blackman’s husband.

This black and white crepe catsuit was worn by Diana Rigg in The Avengers and modelled by Jean Shrimpton (with stunt man Ray Austin) for Vogue in 1965. It was, like all the Avengerswear, available to buy from the shops but these pieces are so rare and I have yet to find this catsuit in all my years of searching.

Dangerous black and white crepe fighting suit by Jean Varon Avengers Collection. Made by Simon Ellis, 13gns. Photographed by David Bailey. Vogue, October 1965.

I am now extremely curious to know whether this was something from Ms Lee’s own wardrobe which she bought herself, or whether the wardrobe supervisor (Charles Guerin) found it – oblivious to the fact that it was already a costume tie-in, or simply hoping that no one would notice. Or an even wilder theory is that it was the actual costume worn by Diana Rigg and already in circulation as a hireable costume. I suppose we may never know, but I thought it worth preserving for posterity.

Avengers collection promo, c. 1965. Scanned from John Bates: British Fashion Designer: The Sensational Years, 1963-1968

Zandra Rhodes’s Lead Sweaters

1970s, Browns, Inspirational Images, Jonvelle, Nell Campbell, Piero de Monzi, Vogue, zandra rhodes

Zandra Rhodes has started doing sweaters, startling sweaters. Designed a black kimono cardigan. Holes for arms to go through, rose pink edge and inset. Nell Campbell, small Australian dancer and actress, wears it, above, with Gamba’s pink wool leg warmers and a pair of black tights. Then, below, hugs Martin Sharp, Australian painter, wears another sweater that’s pink and green on top, huge green sleeved and blue ribbed into ducks’ tails. With this Zandra Rhodes black silk jersey skirt of lampshade frills; at Piero de Monzi. The sweaters, along with others dotty, frilly, fiercely striped, are in her collection at Browns.

Photographed by Jonvelle.

Scanned from Vogue, September 1st 1972.

Aquaphilia (Part 2)

1970s, alligator, Bermona, bus stop, chelsea cobbler, Dannimac, hans feurer, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, lee bender, mary quant, old england, Russell & Bromley, valstar, Vintage Editorials, Weathergay

Short, sharp, patent vinyl reefer jacket by Valstar. Perspex waterproof beach watch by Old England.

We know a girl… who can’t last the day without lashings of spray. We know a girl… who gets quite high on a bucket of tide. We know a girl… who gets no elation from dusty dehydration. We know a girl… who gets all her kicks from aquatic dips. We know a girl… who can’t get enough of that H20 stuff. We know a girl… who’s got pneumonia.

As promised, the waterproof outerwear counterpart to the last post.

Photographed by Hans Feurer in the Canary Islands.

Scanned from Honey, February 1970.

Polished patent vinyl trench coat by Valstar. Thigh high PVC wader boots to order from the Chelsea Cobbler. Cotton vest dress from the Kensington Antique Market.

PVC safari raincoat by Dannimac. Boots by Russell and Bromley. Kerchief by Kreier.

Zipped and fringed rubberbacked cotton cowgirl rain jacket by Valstar. Jersey trousers by Bus Stop. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.

Stormcoat in waterproof rubberised cotton by Valstar. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.

Long, lean fringed rubber-backed cotton trench coat by Valstar. Bandana by British Home Stores. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.

Buckled up PVC fisherman’s rain jacket with mtaching trousers and sou’-wester, all by Alligator.

Silver-studded, saddle-stitched rain jacket in PVC by Rainsport.

Belted mid calf gaberdine trench coat by Alligator. Jersey trousers by Bus Stop. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.

Skinny mini PVC raincoat by Rainsport. Sou’-wester by Bermona. Waterproof boots by Russell and Bromley. Perspex beach watch by Old England.

Lacquered PVC raincoat with matching trousers and sou’-wester all by Weathergay. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.

Aquaphilia (Part 1)

1970s, biba, Dorothy Perkins, Gossard, hans feurer, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Kayser, kensington market, lingerie, Lovable, Marks and Spencer, mary quant, Sunarama, Twilfit, underwear, Vintage Editorials

‘Next to nothing’ nylon bra by Twilfit. Black lycra pntie girdle by Dorothy Perkins. Sheer smoky stockings by Mary Quant. / Black and white nylon stretch boxer briefs from Marks and Spencer.

Stunning editorial shot by Hans Feurer in two parts, half waterproof outerwear and half delicious underwear. Waterproofs next time…

Photographed by Hans Feurer in the Canary Islands.

Scanned from Honey, February 1970.

Light white cut out nylon mini slip from Dorothy Perkins. / Coin spotted camisole bra with matching tricot and lycra porthole-design pantie girdle, both by Lovable. Stockings by Sunarama.

Soft Celon criss cross plunge line bra by Gossard. Pantie girdle by Kayser. Stockings by Sunarama.

Transparent nylon and lycra bra and pantie girdle both from Marks and Spencer. Copper stockings from Sunarama. Pearls from Kensington Market.

Chestnut and cream flared mini slip with see through midriff by Kayser. / Shiny wet look bra slip by Dorothy Perkins.

White cobweb nylon and cotton lace chemise slip by Biba. Pearls from Kensington Market.

All Night Long

1970s, Bata, biba, bus stop, Esme Young, francois lamy, gillian richard, Honey Magazine, lee bender, Malcolm Scoular, Martha Hill, medusa, rowley and oram, Syndica, terry de havilland

It’s the girl who still looks slinky by the time it’s light again who gets taken home by the Prince. We’ve found eight party frocks which look amazingly ritzy into the dawn when other night-birds have wilted.

A rescan from 2010, partly because it deserved it anyway but also in tribute to the legendary and much-missed Terry de Havilland, whose tiered snakeskin wedges make an early appearance here (credited to Rowley and Oram, who stocked his shoes).

Photographed by Francois Lamy and Malcolm Scoular.

Scanned from Honey Magazine, December 1970.