Romantic Revival

1970s, anello and davide, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, biba, Brosseau, bus stop, catherine buckley, charlotte martin, Feathers, Harri Peccinotti, Hope and Eleanor, Inspirational Images, Jean Charles Brosseau, lee bender, Mouche (model), ravel, The Purple Shop, Tony Berkeley, Tony Berkley, Vintage Editorials

**Tawny shades of hazel and honey**: Brown cloche hat, veiling, long brown and white cotton dress all from Biba. Shell ring from Hope and Eleanor. / Long brown and white cotton voile dress from Biba. Large brown crochet shawl by Catherine Buckley. Heart shaped ring from Hope and Eleanor.

Spring has taken on a romantic air – with light dresses, billowing skirts and full sleeves. The fabric for day is cotton, especially voile. For evening, crepe is a great favourite. The lines are seductive – wear low v-necks, hats with lots of veiling and an antique brooch. Find an old shawl or crochet your own. If you’ve time to hunt you needn’t spend much money.

Some of my favourite designers, my favourite looks, one of my favourite photographers and two of my favourite models: Charlotte Martin and Mouche. Perfection.

Photographed by Harri Peccinotti.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, April 1970.

**Old Fashioned Prints in Pink and White**: All clothes from Biba. Ivory brooch from The Purple Shop.

**Caviar and Champagne dresses**: Hats from J. C. Brosseau from Feathers. Veiling from Biba. Dresses by Tony Berkeley. Beige shoes found by our model in a junk shop.

**Melange of navy, white and pink**: Crochet hat from J. C. Brosseau. Short navy crepe dress from Tony Berkeley. Shoes from Ravel. Brooch and ring from The Purple Shop.

**Art deco revived:** Silvery lace hat from Feathers. Dress and coat by Lee Bender for Bus Stop. Black patent shoes from Ravel. / Beige lace pull on hat from Biba. Dress by Lee Bender for Bus Stop. Red leather shoes by Anello and Davide. Beads from Hope and Eleanor. Brooch from The Purple Shop.

**Interludes of brown and white crepe:** Hat from Biba. Dress by Tony Berkeley. / Hat from Feathers. Dress by Tony Berkeley. Both shoes by Ravel.

Burgundy wool suit from Bus Stop. Leather gloves from Biba. Leather and suede boots by Anello and Davide. / Burgundy wool trousersuit and hat from Biba. Boots by Anello and Davide.

Romantic white afternoon dresses: Dresses by Louis Caring. Hats from Biba and J. C Brosseau. Scarf from Emmerton and Lambert.

**Nuances of delicate navy and white**: Hat by J. C. Brosseau. Dress by Tony Berkeley.

Inspirational Editorials: Class of ’70

19 magazine, 1970s, alice pollock, anello and davide, british boutique movement, bus stop, C&A, catherine buckley, erica budd, Foale and Tuffin, Inspirational Images, Jan de Villeneuve, John Bishop, John Craig, lee bender, medusa, quorum, ravel, Rosie Nice, Sacha, sally levison, Sharcleod, Travers Tempos, Vintage Editorials

Left: Violet pullover from C&A. Black knickers by Erica Budd. Shoes from Sacha. Right: Lilac pllover and matching knickers both by Erica Budd. Blue shoes by Anello and Davide. Leather belt from Medusa. Scarf from Rose Nice in Kensington Market.

Autumnal perfection…

Photographed by John Bishop.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from 19 Magazine, September 1970

Black crochet hat by Sally Levison. Black jersey shirt by John Craig. Black gaberdine midi skirt by Lee Bender for Bus Stop. Shoes from Anello and Davide. Crochet shawl from Catherine Buckley.

Both knitted outfits by Alice Pollock for Quorum. Boots by Ravel. Scarves by Rosie Nice at Kensington Market.

Left: Dress by Gillian Richard. Hand-knitted Shetland wool shawl by Foale and Tuffin. Shoes by Ravel. Right: Petrol blue jumper from C&A. Rust jersey skirt by Mary Quant’s Ginger Group. Blue lace shawn by Foale and Tuffin. Shoes by Anello and Davide.

Deep ochre wool hat found at a jumble sale. Tomato red and white long line pullover by Shar-cleod. Gaberdine skirt by Travers Tempos. Boots from Ravel. Silk scarf from a selection at Rosie Nice in Kensington Market.

Royal blue crochet hat found at a jumble sale. Blue and white flecked pullover and matching skirt by Erica Budd. Boots from Ravel.

The Best of British Boutique

1960s, 1970s, biba, bill gibb, british boutique movement, catherine buckley, celia birtwell, frank usher, Gina Fratini, jean muir, jean varon, jeff banks, john bates, ossie clark, twiggy, wallis, website listings

Bill Gibb

There are new listings-a-plenty over at Vintage-a-Peel, with some of the biggest and brightest names in British fashion from the Sixties and Seventies. Ossie Clark, Bill Gibb, John Bates, Jeff Banks, Twiggy, Gina Fratini, Jean Muir, Catherine Buckley… plus some beautiful modernist jewellery to go with it!

Ossie Clark

Twiggy Boutique

Peter Barron

Biba

John Bates for Jean Varon

Moda of Malta

Frank Usher

Unsigned

Jeff Banks

Jean Muir

Gina Fratini

Wallis Shops

Unsigned

Catherine Buckley

Catherine Buckley: A vision in Edwardiana…

1970s, british boutique movement, catherine buckley, website listings

I don’t often post about individual garments listed over at Vintage-a-Peel, but some things are just that special…

Ethereally beautiful gown by Catherine Buckley, using fabric designed by Veronica Holden. Buckley is best known for her designs for Joanna Lumley as Purdey in The New Avengers. She otherwise maintained a low profile, producing idiosyncratically period-style fantasy garments, often incorporating original antique fabrics. This garment uses a replica fabric, a cream net with delicate lace flowers, embroidered flowers nearer the hem and hand-painted green and pink tones.

The style is unmistakeably, and almost accurately, Belle Epoque. From the delicate lace ruffles which cascade over the shoulders and down the back, to the deep ruffled hem, to the extraordinary fabric covered buttons which are the only fastening. Buckley’s pieces are always extraordinary and as near to couture as you can get from the British Boutique era. I would put her on a par with Thea Porter and Gina Fratini; less ethnic-inspired than Thea Porter and less utterly insane than Fratini, a truly ‘English’ look. Refined and feminine, sophisticated and elegant…

Available at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk or over on Etsy if you prefer…

We are not the first, and we will not be the last…

1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1960s, 1970s, biba, bill gibb, british boutique movement, bus stop, catherine buckley, cosmopolitan, ossie clark, yves saint laurent, zandra rhodes

I think it is safe to say that I love old clothes. I dream them, I live in them and I covet the ones I don’t have. But I am under no illusion that there is anything inherently unique or radical about this. The uniqueness comes from the impression of your personality in whatever you choose to wear. The fabrics, the colours, the shapes, these are the expression of my inner self in one, superficially superficial, way.

It is important to remember this: each generation thinks it invented sex, and I fear the same goes for ‘vintage’ clothing. This article makes for fascinatingly familiar reading. Commercialisation is the death knell each time, but in turn becomes the coveted piece of history for the next generation of disillusioned people (see the mention of Catherine Buckley’s old jacquard fabrics in the text of the article. My Buckley skirt is one of these pieces). The irony does not escape me; I wear clothes by Ossie Clark, Biba, Bus Stop… all of who were creating clothes heavily inspired by their own childhoods.

Just wanting a period look is not the important part, anyone can buy a reproduction and plenty of people will, the expression comes from the colours, fabrics, shapes and accoutrements you pick. There is absolutely nothing wrong with new clothing taking influence from old, although my thoughts on direct duplication are well known, but why would you limit yourself to the prints they have chosen this season? There are limitless possibilities when you look around you and take inspiration from a variety of sources other than from conventional fashion magazines or ‘how to’ guides.

That is partly the aim of this blog, and I hope to continue in such a vein for a long time yet…

The Cosmo Girl’s Guide to the Cast-Offs Cult… Cosmopolitan, August 1974.

Joanna Lumley in Catherine Buckley, The New Avengers 1976

1970s, catherine buckley, joanna lumley, the avengers

It’s of the greatest frustration to me that nobody has yet bought this beautiful skirt by Catherine Buckley. Made from antique fabrics, patchworked into a maxi skirt, it is a key piece of this designer’s work and a beautiful garment to behold.

I knew she had designed clothes for Joanna Lumley as Purdey in The New Avengers, but it had been so long since I watched the episodes, I didn’t remember many individual outfits. Even so, it was highly unlikely that the super-active Purdey would have been wearing a patchwork maxi skirt. Or so I thought. Seems Ms Buckley designed a split midi version for the episode ‘House of Cards’ which Joanna wears to perfection in an action sequence.

Here are some stills, and here is a link to the skirt. Buckley’s work is rare enough, and these patchwork pieces even rarer.

Put some Vintage-a-Peel into your Autumn wardrobe….

bus stop, catherine buckley, forbidden fruit, frank usher, janice wainwright, john bates, kiki byrne, lee bender, sixties, strawberry studio, wallis, website listings

Janice Wainwright

Ongoing, as ever, but I’ve put up some new listings over at Vintage-a-Peel for your delectation. Two things have already sold (hurrah for me and my gorgeous buyers, not so hurrah if you wanted them, but there’s plenty more to come!) but there’s just a whole host of beautiful new pieces to choose from.