Inspirational Editorials: Splitting the Difference

1960s, 1970s, british boutique movement, bus stop, celia birtwell, Chelsea Antiques Market, Chelsea Drug Store, cherry twiss, christopher mcdonnell, hans feurer, Inspirational Images, king's road, lee bender, marrian mcdonnell, mary quant, ossie clark, quorum, radley, The Purple Shop, Vintage Editorials

Crepe skirt and printed chiffon blouse both at Quorum. Pink patent shoes at Elliott. Tights from Bus Stop.

If you are prepared to forsake the mini this summer for the midi or maxi, you will find that designers have compensated for covering the legs by boldly slashing the skirts at the front, the back and the sides. Photographed at The Chelsea Drug Store.

This is a fascinating editorial for a few reasons. Firstly it is photographed at the legendary Chelsea Drug Store, showing off the incredible interior to perfection. It singularly fails to credit Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell with their garments for Quorum (an odd oversight given their fame at the time…). It is also a glorious insight into the mini/midi/maxi debate of 1970 and shows us the transition between late Sixties style and the early Seventies. The clothes are familiar as early Seventies, but the shoes are not yet platform and still stuck in a low block heel.

Photographed by Hans Feurer. Styled by Cherry Twiss.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from The Telegraph Magazine (exact date unknown, Spring 1970)

Cream jersey dress at Marrian McDonnell. Gold sandals at Elliott. Onyx and silver ring from The Purple Shop.

Printed voile dress by Mary Quant. Suede granny shoes by Elliott. Victorian pendant at The Purple Shop, Chelsea Antiques Market.

Orange crepe dress at Bus Stop. Orange suede sandals at Elliott.

Dress by Radley Gowns from Quorum. Shoes from Kurt Geiger. Victorian pendant from The Purple Shop.

Inspirational Images: Ossie Clark, 1976

1970s, british boutique movement, Butler & Wilson, celia birtwell, harpers and queen, Inspirational Images, ossie clark, quorum, Terence Donovan

Loose top with huge sleeves tucked at the wrist in orange, blue, green and red silk chiffon print designed by Celia Birtwell; £164. Matching knee length skirt with tucks at the hips and tie waist; Ossie Clark £164, Quorum 54 Radnor Walk, SW3. Art deco necklace in green bakelite and chrome; £20, Butler & Wilson, 189 Fulham Road, SW3

Photographed by Terence Donovan. Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Harpers and Queen, January 1976.

Charlotte Rampling: Handle with care

1970s, Barry McKinley, celia birtwell, charlotte rampling, cosmopolitan, Deirdre McSharry, harriet, Henry Miura, Inspirational Images, ossie clark, Randall Lawrence, stirling cooper

Charlotte Rampling, who has made the headlines by living with two men and “loving them equally” – Randall Lawrence here is one – has recently married the other, Brian Southcombe. But there’s no breakup in what she calls “her family”. Here Charlotte cuddles up to her Best Man, a champagne girl in a pop outfit. Pepsi top and trousers by Harriet.

Some stunning photos of the divine Charlotte Rampling, wearing some incredible clothes, scanned from [a slightly crinkly copy of] Cosmopolitan, April 1972. Shame the copy is so utterly, horridly anti-feminist. What gives, Deirdre McSharry? This is Cosmo, after all…

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, April 1972. Photographed by Barry McKinley.

Even the most liberated, jeans-uniformed, free-thinking women will be melting at the seams this summer. She’ll be babying herself in cheesecloth, swathing her shoulders in chiffons, oozing into tight, bright “message” clothes and generally dressing up as if she hadn’t got the vote. If your mind is ticking over OK, what’s the matter with appearing as “woman-as-a-sex-object”? A little female fragility never hurt a good fight yet … If you dress in a fragile manner you’ll be handled with care.

Stirling Cooper blazer and trousers. Wavy Navy shirt by Browns.

How to be tatooed while staying a lady. Charlotte has the art in this cheesecloth t-shirt and leather trousers. Tattoos turn a lot of men on - but if not you can just slip this lot off. By Henry Miura.

How to be tattooed while staying a lady. Charlotte has the art in this cheesecloth t-shirt and leather trousers. Tattoos turn a lot of men on – but if not you can just slip this lot off. By Henry Miura.

Cream flannel trousers with straps by Ossie Clark

Blouse printed by Celia Birtwell and designed by Ossie Clark

Inspirational Editorials: Socks, smocks and combinations

1970s, celia birtwell, cherry twiss, Foale and Tuffin, Inca, Inspirational Images, jap, marrian mcdonnell, ossie clark, Peter Knapp, telegraph magazine, Vintage Editorials, yves saint laurent

Anna Karenina dress in white alpaca by Bellville Sassoon.

Cherry Twiss delivers another brilliant shoot for the Telegraph Magazine, 17th December 1971.

Photographed by Peter Knapp. Scanned by Miss Peelpants.

Combinations in bright ginger wool, and ginger fox bolero designed by Yves Saint Laurent.

Femme fatale suit in embroidered black crepe – clinging skirt, waistcoat and jacket worn with bright yellow silk shirt by Ossie Clark

Red fake fur jacket by Annacat

Highwaymancloak from Mariian-McDonnell worn over knitted jodhpur suit

Highwaymancloak from Marrian-McDonnell worn over knitted jodhpur suit

Borg fur kimono-cut jacket and ankle length trousers by Foale and Tuffin

Fake fur jerkin by Jap, worn with combinations by Yves Saint Laurent and Peruvian socks from Inca

Red velvet smock by Jap and socks, helmet, armbands, bag and scarf from Inca

Inspirational Images: Floating daisies on the beach

1970s, celia birtwell, Inspirational Images, ossie clark

Photographed by François Gillet (Bournemouth College of Art)

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from the British Journal of Photography Annual 1972.

Inspirational Editorials: Who Needs Skirts?

1960s, british boutique movement, celia birtwell, chinoiserie, countdown, fulham road clothes shop, Inspirational Images, mary farrin, Mog, ossie clark, Peter Knapp, sunday times magazine, sylvia ayton, thea porter, vidal sassoon, Vintage Editorials, zandra rhodes

Satin trousers, matching jacket, 17gns by Ossie Clark from Quorum

Above is the notorious Lamborghini suit, most famously worn by Twiggy. I honestly love everything from this editorial. Except that the Lamborghini suit doesn’t suit me at all, and I am speaking from bitter experience there.

Photographed by Peter Knapp, carpets from Peter Jones.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from The Sunday Times Magazine, December 1st 1968

Brocade chiffon three-piece outfit with harem pants, 20gns by Ossie Clark from Quorum.

Trouser suit trimmed with snakeskin by Mog, 16gns, Countdown.

Velvet waistcoat £20, and brocade harem pants £16, by Thea Porter Decorations Ltd.

Angora cat-suit by Mary Farrin, 22gns

Dungarees by Zandra Rhodes and Sylvia Ayton, £8 10s, Fulham Road Clothes Shop. Sweater by Laura, £18, Vidal Sassoon Boutique.

Inspirational Images: How a Continental Sees You

1970s, Bernshaw, celia birtwell, cosmopolitan, Daniel Hecter, edward mann, Inspirational Images, Just Jaeckin, katharine hamnett, Kayser, laura ashley, ossie clark, Pierre Elegante, radley, Russell & Bromley, tuttabankem, Vintage Editorials

Time for a little flirtation. Dress by Ossie Clark for Radley.

Possibly one of my favourite, most lush photoshoots of the period by the legendary photographer (and filmmaker) Just Jaeckin. Scanned from Cosmopolitan, February 1974. That Ossie dress? I am largely speechless with desire… except for occasional gurgling sounds.

Lunch can be the nicest meal of the day... Dress and jacket by Daniel Hechter. Hat by Edward Mann. Russell & Bromley shoes. Photographed at Drones, 1 Pont Street, London SW1.

Be a liberated lady. Slip by Kayser.

Staying at home can be more fun that going out. Top and skirt from Laura Ashley. Man’s clothes all from Simpson’s, Piccadilly.

The lady loves to dance. Dress by Bernshaw, shoes by Russell & Bromley. Photographed at Bertie’s, 86 Brompton Road, London SW3.

Inspirational Images: Dress to decorate summer evenings

1970s, bus stop, caroline arber, celia birtwell, Gill Hutchings, Inspirational Images, lee bender, ossie clark, Pierre Elegante, quorum, radley, Simon Ellis, Sujon, Vintage Editorials, Vogue

Crepe dress by Simon Ellis, £8 15s

Photographs by Caroline Arber. Vogue, June 1970.

I wish summer would come. I wish my entire wardrobe consisted of these clothes. I wish every day could be a Caroline Arber kind of day…

Blouse by John Craig, £3 16s. Skirt by Pierre Elegante, £7.

Poppy red moss crepe dress with print by Celia Birtwell, by Ossie Clark for Radley, 11 gns at Quorum.

Dress by Gill Hutchings for Fair Lady, £4.

Blue-grey voile midi dress by Sujon, 7gns.

Rose and green jersey midi dress from Bus Stop, £6 15s

Mild Sauce: Wrap up well

1970s, celia birtwell, Inspirational Images, Meriel McCooey, mild sauce, quorum, Shirley Beljon, sunday times magazine, terry de havilland, Vintage Editorials

“Every designer has long scarves this season – decorating waists, flung over shoulders, slotted through necklines. Celia Birtwell, whose famous screen prints for Quorum enlivened some of their prettiest garments, has produced a new and imaginative collection of exotic zebra and tiger-printed chiffon fantasies which hide a multitude of flesh – even on our bonny pneumatic model. (In real life, Marinka works as a London barmaid.) The scarves come in three sizes, 44in. sq., 22in. sq., and 14in. sq., and cost £10, £6.50 and £4.50 respectively; they are obtainable from Quorum, Radnor Walk, Chelsea, London SW3, and also from their branch at Heath Street, Hampstead, London NW3.”

By Meriel McCooey. Photographed by Shirley Beljon. Mules by Terry de Havilland.

The Sunday Times Magazine. March 20th 1977.