Star vest dress, belt and hat from Cordoba. Elliott lace up sandals. Ric Rac cotton patch blouse.
Slip a shawl over summer and dream the days away in a land of your imagination. There couldn’t be a more beautiful way of letting a long sticky heatwave slip by than with these gentle colours made by a bleaching sun and these homespun clothes in soft country shapes. Whether you make it all the way to a shady plantation or just as far as the nearest cornfield, the scenery around any home this summer should look pretty good. Build up layers of cotton checs, sand suede overslips and warm rainbow knit waistcoats because even the sun can havee tantrums sometimes. Pack a pair of laced sandals and one huge-brimed straw hat.
Fashion by Sue Hone.
Photographed by John Carter.
Scanned from Petticoat, 22nd May 1971.
Travers Tempos cotton madras skirt. Angela puff sleeve blouse. Harriett bolero. Butler and Wilson bracelet. Russell and Bromley sandals. / Sujon long madras skirt and vest top. Butler and Wilson pendant. Van der Fransen shawl. Miss Selfridge bag.
Hans Metzen skirt, jacket and shorts. Ravel sandals. Herbert Johnson wool belt. Antiquarius pendant.
Tie-dyed quilted cotton dress from Wallis shops. Butler and Wilson flower necklace. Ravel sandals. Biba scarf.
Voile kaftan by Ric Rac. Multi-coloured shorts by Foale and Tuffin. Crochetta bolero. Ravel sandals. Titfers bag.
Crepe skirt and matching blouse by Van der Fransen. Elliott lace up leg sandals. Choker from Butler and Wilson.
Travers Tempos madras cotton dress. Crochet waistcoat by Crochetta.
Wallpaper, 10p. a 2ft. x 3ft. sheet. Each sheet has a border which can be trimmed off with a Stanley knife and steel rule and used for edging. Butterfly mirror from a junk Shop. Plywood boxes, painted with Biba Brown Flat Oil Paint, £1-80 per litre, and edged with wallpaper border, used as table. On table: feathers, 65p. each. Brown velvet shade, with gold bead fringe, £7-50. Gilt lady lamp, £5-05. Lacquered basket, full of beads, from 55p. Brown velvet wastepaper basket, £3-60. Satin and velvet cushions: small £2.10 each, large £2.95 each. Brown velvet used as bed-cover, £2.35 per square yard. Huge terracotta plant pot and dish from any good nursery. Both painted with Biba Brown Flat Oil and Biba Gold, £1.25 a litre, and varnished with clear polyurethane, from hardware stores. Old wardrobe was given a coat of Biba Brown Flat Oil Paint and edged with wallpaper border. Foreground: table and seat both made out of plywood, as before. On table: brass mirror tray, £4-50. Long-lasting candles, 60p. each. Brown mirror glass cigarette box, £5.50. Sundae glasses, £1.15 each. Crockery: cups 35p. each, saucers, 20p. each. Brown felt on floor, 95p. per yard.
How do you turn your bed-sitter into a cosy, welcoming den, with a seductive hint to it, so that a friend would love to come back with you after an evening out on the town? 19 asked Barbara Hulanicki of Biba for her expert advice on this and here are some of her easily imitated ideas to jazz up your pad.
Choice of colour schemes is very much a question of taste, but we chose Biba’s beautiful brown and gold paper and brown paint because they’re warm and intimate to live with and neutral enough to display favourite bits and pieces. Brown floor felt is a cheap alternative to carpet, but it is difficult to keep clean. If you can stand doing it, sanding tt-e floor gives a beautiful surface. pywood pieces, cut to size by your frendly local do-it-yourself shop and glued or nailed together, form excellent boxes for tables and seats. If yoire clever with a screwdriver, you night even manage to hinge one side and use the boxes for storage.
Painted and edged with wallpaper border and then varnished with clear polyurethane. they make effective and decorative furniture, which will tie in beautifully with your room scheme. An alternative to expensive antique plant pots is to buy terracotta ones and again paint with colour and seal with clear polyurethane.
A pegboard livens up a dull wall and when painted and bordered with paper looks as if it’s meant to be there. Half-inch thick insulating board—again cut to required size— is super stuff for pinning notices on.
The bed is covered in brown velvet and scatter cushions. Everyone knows it’s a bed, but it doesn’t have to look like one and this way successfully forms an integral part of the room. An ugly wardrobe can dominate a bed-sitter, but is usually a necessary evil. Given the same treatment —paint, wallpaper trim — it actually looks pleasant and merges effectively with the wall.
Judging by the jumble of sticks and pots in most girls’ bedrooms, storage space for jewellery and make-up is also a problem. Barbara’s cheap, chic and neat answer to this is a tin tool-box, stocked by most hardware shops. Painted and varnished, it looks really effective.
Text by Gwenda Saar.
All items from Biba, unless otherwise stated. Model’s clothes from Biba.
Photographs by Manfred Vogelsanger.
Scanned from 19 Magazine, February 1973.
Bamboo hat-stand from a junk shop. Dried grasses from a selection at Harrods. Tin tool chest, with plastic drawers, from Woolworth or Biba, £1.75, painted with Biba Brown Flat Oil, £1.80 per litre, and coated with clear varnish.
Noticeboard made from half-inch thick insulating board, cut to size, painted with Biba Brown Flat Oil, £1.80 per litre, edged with wallpaper border.
Bold zi g zag pure wool swagger coat with sailor collar by Sheraton. Polo neck sweater by John Craig. Navy tights by Mary Quant. Peep toe ankle strap shoes by Biba. / Swirly blanket check coat with pleated back by Bus Stop. Suede sunray shoes by Dolcis. Both pairs of gloves by Kir.
The incredible swagger is back. We all know you’ve seen it before, hidden away in mother’s wardrobe, but forget the mothball version and look out for bold stripes, zig-zags and checks in bright primary colours. The difference is that these coats have neat tight-fitting shoulders and wide swirling skirts which swing when you walk-surprisingly flattering and easy to wear. So let the wind blow, all you need is a flash of panache and a splash of colour.
Photographed by Denis Peel.
Scanned from Honey, October 1971.
Window pane check swagger coat by Martha Hill. Lemon tights by Twiggy. Suede ‘Garbo’ shoes by Ravel. / Ritzy scarlet shaggy coat with wide swinging back by Martha Hill. Glace kid leather shoes by Zapata.
Bottle green and yellow McNeal tartan swagger coat by Richard Shops. Black leather shoes by Russell and Bromley. Navy leather shoulder bag by Biba. / Sage green wool tweed swagger coat by Elgee. Rust and burgundy suede shoes by Lilley and Skinner. Bottle green suede bag by Biba.
Sparkling black chiffon dress with plunging neckline and diamante embroidery, £250 from Thea Porter, 8 Greek Street, London W1
Japanese men are peculiarly affected by a glimpse of the naked nape of a Japanese neck. In Western cultures such excitement is generated by a panorama of bosom (as in this black chiffon dress by Thea Porter), or a smooth swathe of thigh. Here we show some revelations from the London autumn collections… hot numbers for the coolest of winter evenings.
All perfect for lockdowns, I’m sure you’ll agree! It’s also nice to be surprised by Ossie Clark every once in a while – with a corset being so vastly different in tone from what we would usually expect.
Photographed by Sam Haskins.
Fashion Editor: Cherry Twiss.
Hair by Paulene at Michaeljohn.
Scanned from The Telegraph Magazine, 8th November 1974.
Cream and brown two piece with lace split skirt and boned top by Ossie Clark. Shoes by Charles Jourdan, 47/49 Brompton Road, SW3
Slate blue dress by Yuki. Approximately £,165 from Fortnum and Mason, Chic of Hampstead, Heath Street, London NW3 or Lucienne’s, 89 Knightsbridge, London SW1. Gold and jade bangles from Jones, 52 Beauchamp Place, London SW3.
White silk chiffon and net full skirt and sheer top by Zandra Rhodes, to order from Fortnum and Mason.
Black jersey skirt with split front by Yuki obtainable from Fortnum and Mason or Chic of Hampstead. Sheer silk chiffon halter top by Sheilagh Browne, £14 from Quorum. Black suspender belt from Janet Reger, Bottom Drawer, 33 Southwick Street, London W2. Black stockings from Biba, Kensington High Street, W8. Shoes from Yves St Laurent, 113 New Bond Street, W1 .
Two things I will never fail to be tickled by are 1. The far-reaching influence of Biba Deco on Seventies style, up to and including the era of Punk and New Wave and 2. The fact that there was a National Dairy Council who would spend time and money making milk look sexy and elegant. Delicious!
From left to right: Black satin Oxford bags, Angela at London Town £5; black satin clutch bag with rhinestone star, Titfers £8. Orange and red blanket check pure wool bags with turn ups, Pierre Elegante £8; yellow felt clutch bag with navy satin trim and flower button, Titfers £4. Wool gaberdine rust Oxford bags with winged pockets and turn ups, Gordon King £7.50; navy felt clutch bag with white anchor and white satin trim, Titfers £4; cotton kerchief square 40p, Herbert Johnson. Rust two toned patterned wool tweed trousers with turn ups, Biba £5.50; Black suede clutch bag with rust suede trim, Biba £7.75. Red acrylic wool Oxford bags, Alistair Cowin £6.50; black blue and beige chevron felt clutch bag, Titfers, £4.20. Rust brown and ochre checked wool tweed bags with turn ups, Sujon £9.50; golden suede clutch bag with tortoiseshell flap, Elle £12.50.
This autumn there are bags everywhere: Oxford ones on your pins and clutch ones in the hand. The return of the straight trouser has brought with it wing lapelled jackets with padded shoulders and neat waistcoats. Underneath, a feminine touch to soften the butch look, blouses with floppy painters’ bows. And don’t forget your clutch bag tucked neatly under your arm.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Knitted silver lurex halterneck top by Erica Budd. Fox fur cape from Essences at Antiquarius. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave. Knitted silver lurex wrap over cardigan by Erica Budd. Fox muffler as before. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros. Black and glass beaded pendant necklace from a selection at Marie Middleton at Chelsea Antique Market.
Black and silver are this year’s popular Christmas colours. Sweaters are in silver lurex striped in black, black wool flecked with silver and endless other combinations. Shapes are halter-necks, dolmans, or little wrap-over cardigans – almost any shape will do. Accessories are bright and glittery. Add touches, like sticking sequins on your hats, and shoes, and you’re all set to outshine the fairylights.
Photographed by Christian Laroque.
Scanned from 19 Magazine, December 1972.
What a year. It’s hard to summon up a great deal of enthusiasm for the Christmas we’re about to have, but I’m looking backwards to look forwards, as I often do. I still seem to find joy and solace in art and aesthetics and I hope my posts have given you the odd moment of enjoyment and inspiration this year. Thank you for your support and to everyone who has bought vintage from me or liked/shared/commented on my blog and Instagram posts. Sending you my love and best wishes for a better year ahead.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Wool halterneck sweater with thin silver lurex stripes by John Craig. Black satin skirt from Bus Stop. Fox fur muffler from a seletion at Essences at Antiquarius. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave. Silver lurex sweater with thin black stripes by Marshall London. Fox fur muffler as before. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros. Christmas decorations from Woolworths.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Lurex cardigan with long sleeves from Biba. Long black satin skirt from Bus Stop. Fox fur muffler from a seletion at Essences at Antiquarius. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave. Black and silver lurex striped sweater from Biba. Black satin Oxford bags by Richard Green. Black suede shoes with silver snakeskin trim by Leicester shoes. Fox muffler as before. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros. Necklace from a selection at Marie Middleton at Chelsea Antique Market.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Green wool lurex flecked sweater from Universal Witness. Black satin skirt by Mushroom. Black suede shoes with silver snakeskin trim by Leicester shoes. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros. Glass and amber dress clip from a selection at Marie Middleton at Chelsea Antique Market. Charcoal grey lurex sweater with heart-shaped neck and lurex trims by John Craig. Black satin skirt from Bus Stop. Fox fur muffler from a seletion at Essences at Antiquarius. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave.
Hats on both models by Kangol. Sequins stuck on by hand. Black, gold and silver striped lurex sweater by Crochetta. Black satin skirt by Mushroom. Black suede shoes with silver snakeskin trim by Leicester shoes. Long yellow chiffon scarf from a selection at Essences. Black leather gloves by F. G. Shave. Necklace from a selection at Marie Middleton at Chelsea Antique Market. Black angora halterneck sweater, striped with silver lurex, by Crochetta. Black sequin jacket from Essences at Antiquarius. Black satin skirt from Bus Stop. Gold shoes from Sacha. Black leather gloves from Moss Bros.
Satin pants and superstar jacket, £17, Angela at London Town. Flower print chiffon blouse, £7.50, at Bus Stop. Quant tights, 75p. Saxone suede peep-toe shoes, £4.99. / Satin cut-off pants, £4.95, and sequined satin jacket, £6.95 at all branches of Bus Stop. Biba diamante star, £1.50. Edward Mann velvet beret, £3.85. Quant sheer tights, £1.25. Suede bar shoes, Dolcis, £5.50.
Party wear for the getogether season takes all the best of blazers and pants and sleeks them up in satins and velvets… or cools off with the prettiest dresses ever.
Clearly Christmas 2020 is going to be a uniquely muted season as far as partying is concerned, but I often avoid the throngs of people anyway. Years of working in theatre over the festive season meant that when I had downtime I would prefer to lounge around in satins and velvets in the comfort of my own home. I’m just glad you’re all finally catching up with how nice it is! In all seriousness though, sometimes the smallest things can make us feel the nicest – so even if you don’t feel like getting togged up in satin and velvet, I highly recommend doing something you would normally find ridiculous for sitting around at home. Sparkly hair clip, red lipstick or those skyscraper platforms you can’t walk in.
Photographed by kind permission of Mecca Dancing at the Empire Ballroom, Leicester Square, WC1
Fashion by Sue Hone.
Photographed by Roger Charity.
Scanned from Petticoat, 4th December 1971.
Velvet jacket, £23 and satin pants, £9 by Sujon. Richard Green voile shirt, £6.50. Feathers beret, £7.50. Dolcis shoes, £5.50. / Cotton pants and battle jacket, Travers Tempos, £12. Richard Green flower print shirt as above. Diane Logan knit hat, £2.75. Anello and Davide bar shoes, £3.50.
Purple lurex painter’s smock, Gillian Richard, £8. Pink and purple satin skirt, Biba, Kensington High Street, W8, comes with matching jacket, £12.50. Brocade skull cap, Diane Logan, £8.50. Black and purple shoes, £5.50 at Dolcis.
Check taffeta bermudas, £8 with jacket by Angela at London Town from Stop the Shop. Bo Riddley tie, 15p. Bead ring at Britannia Land of Plenty, 50p. Biba tights, 55p. Anello and Davide bar shoes, £3.50. / Long check taffeta skirt, £8.50 and blouse, £5, Angela at London Town from Just Looking, SW3, 2007 W1. Feathers pewter pendant, £5. Hope and Eleanor bead purse, £4.75.
Printed chiffon skirt, £8 with matching short top, £7 by Jeff Banks at Fotheringay and Hepplewaite, P.R. Top Shops. Bead rope, Bo Riddley, 15p. Leaf choker at Van der Fransen, £1.25. Dolcis shoes, £5.95 / Silky dress with sailor collar, £8 at Van der Fransen, SW6. Silky short-sleeved jacket Fotheringay and Hepplewaite, £5.75. Dolcis shoes, £5.50.
Long satin dress, Gillian Richard, £10 at Way In. Clobber blouse, £8 at Stop the Shop. Feathers hat, £6.50. Russell & Bromley suede and snake shoes, £12.95 / Liberty print dress, Sujon, £17 at Fifth Avenue, W1. Fringed shawl at Britannia Land of Plenty, £12.50. Bus Stop diamante slides, 99p. Dolcis shoes, £5.50.
Black cotton dress with red buttons and piping, Harriet, £9 at Just Looking, SW3. Red suede belt, embroidered from Feathers. Red and blue ties with beads, Bo Riddley, 15p. / Lilac and green puffed sleeved dress, Harriet, £13.25 at Harrods, SW1, Bentalls Kingston. Feathers choker, £2.50. Fringed knit shawl, Crochetta for Knits and Leathers, £6. Dolcis shoes, £5.50.
Sorry for the protracted absence over the past month. I realise I’m not the only one, but I have been experiencing serious fatigue from the events of the past year and I think the loss of Diana Rigg was some kind of final straw for me. I could see I was almost at the point of burning out and decided to take my foot off the pedal for a bit. But I get itchy fingers if I don’t scan for a while so I am gently starting up again, although it’s unlikely to be the same frequency as before. I’ve enjoyed the downtime too much and need to be careful with my mental health – as do we all!
I hope you’re all hanging in there ok, and that at the very least my archive has been of some distraction and enjoyment to you.
Biba cosmetics advert scanned from Honey, October 1971.
Hollywood film star printed cotton satin shirt by John Dove and Molly White for Jasper. Pure silk herringbone tie by Turnbull and Asser.
These are the ties that go with the shirts that are all part of the big 40s revival. Floppy silky shirts with subtly embossed patterns, and ties and scarves galore; they can be tied in bows, pinned with brooches, loosely knotted or worn like the men do. In fact, as long as they trail elegantly down the front of your shirt you can wear these ties just any way you like.
As a dedicated fan of long silk scarves (and silky blouses, and novelty brooches in fact) I’m just taking this editorial as my one stop guide to getting dressed this autumn.
Photographed by Christa Peters.
Possibly modelled by Ika Hindley (it looks like her mouth).
Scanned from Honey, October 1971.
Striped embossed crepe de chine blouse by Ronnie Stirling at Stirling Cooper. Paisley silk scarf by Chester Martin. Cicada brooch from Biba.
Feathers crepe de chine blouse by Ronnie Stirling at Stirling Cooper. Long spotted silk scarf by Chester Martin.
Avocado green crepe de chine blouse with fern pattern by Ronnie Stirling at Stirling Cooper. Silk chevron kipper tie by Turnbull and Asser. Egyptian stock pin from Biba.
Wavy patterned jacquard shirt by Jeff Banks. Printed silk scarf by Chester Martin. Sea horse brooch from Biba.
Flower embossed chocolate brown jacquard shirt by Jeff Banks. Long silk art deco scarf by Jacqmar. Flying eagle brooch from Biba.
Liz Eggleston 