There is nothing formal about these clothes even though a few years ago most people would have thought they were. They look exotic because the fabrics are either Eastern, or mixtures of Twenties silks and chiffons. Everything is quite simply cut and easy to wear; it is only the fabric combinations that are elaborate. There are many women who don’t like to admit, even to themselves, that clothes are of any importance in their lives — just because they are not striding around in shorts doesn’t mean that they lack style, they just don’t want to be instantly pigeon-holed by what they wear. The clothes shown here are perfect for all those women who “don’t care about fashion”.
Report by Valerie Wade.
Photographed by Sasha.
Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, April 4th 1971.
New dress from old fabrics; the bloomers are Thirties patchwork silks, the bodice is Indian and the sleeves Persian. Obviously no two are identical. From Emmerton and Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market, 253 Kings Road, SW3, £25.
Indian quilted chiffon skirt and bolero (£32) over gold painted chiffon blouse (also on cover), £10. All by Mohanjeet, from Browns, 27 South Molton Street, W1.
Skirt and blouse made from Twenties and Thirties silk chiffons. Skirt £15, blouse £10. From Emmerton and Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market, 253 Kings Road, SW3.
Reversible Indian wrap-around skirt and jacket in soft quilted lawn, £45. By Mohanjeet, from Browns, 27 South Molton Street, London, W1.
Multi-patterned dress in thick Indian cotton, £28. By Mohanjeet, from Browns, 27 South Molton Street, W1
Properly faded blue jeans at Emmerton and Lambert. Bright red braces at Mr Freedom. T-shirt by Kansai Yamamoto at Boston-151. Cowboy boots at The Westerner.
Jeanz Meanz summertime, anytime, new blues, faded blues, long legs, a look that’s sexy, tough, goes with workshirt or Saint Laurent blazer, a bright old idea that began with the Gold Rush and just keeps on looking great…
Photographed by Caroline Arber.
Scanned from Vogue, July 1971.
Blue jeans and cotton battle shirt by Jigsaw. Blue cotton singlet, Boston-151. Brown suede boots by Mary Quant.
Mid blue cotton jeans by South Sea Bubble. Stripe vest, Margit Brandt for Scorpio. / Thick brushed denim jeans from Wild Mustang at Take Six. Tartan shirt by Electric Fittings.
Denim blue jeans by Landlubber. Plaid shirt by Electric Fittings. Leather boots from Mr Freedom.
Embroidered calico voluminous blouse and slim-fitting shirt by Buckle Under; cotton lacy antique petticoats from a selection at Charley’s Stall.
One of the finest editorials of all time, from the dream team of Caroline Baker and Harri Peccinotti at Nova. You can’t help thinking about the clear influence of the Impressionists, such as Renoir, on the aesthetic, but also about how this shoot must itself have been influencing other people for years afterwards. For example, Picnic at Hanging Rock was released a mere three years later and the petticoats, parasols and lace-up boots can’t help but remind you of that.
As a side note, but a pretty impressive one at that, the ‘nursery print’ Miss Mouse dress featured here has also just gone into my Etsy shop. So you can pretend it’s 1972 and you’re ‘shopping the look’.
Photographed by Harri Peccinotti.
Fashion by Caroline Baker.
Scanned from Nova, July 1972.
Flowered Liberty-print square neck frilled blouse and long skirt, both by Foale and Tuffin.
Embroidered muslin smock and gathered skirt by Buckle Under. White cotton lacy antique petticoats from a selection at Charley’s Stall.
Cheesecloth smock blouse and wrap-around skirt by Richard Green.
Nursery print cotton camisole dress and petticoat skirts by Miss Mouse. Lace up boots at Anello and Davide.
Cotton jersey jumpsuit and frilled cotton voile petticoats, all at Biba. All antique parasols from a selection at Emmerton and Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market. White cotton stockings at Anello and Davide.
Long-sleeved calico blouse with gathered neck; skirt and cotton satin petticoat, all at Laura Ashley. Lace up boots at Anello and Davide.
Nursery print cotton pinafore dress by Gillian Richard. Cotton satin petticoat at Laura Ashley. Lace up boots at Anello and Davide.
Antique cotton and lace liberty bodice and antique cotton petticoat dyed sugar pink with Dylon, all from a selection at Charley’s Stall. Cotton petticoat at Laura Ashley.
In this age of mass-production, finding clothes that have an individual look is becoming more and more difficult. But a few enterprising minds in London have got round the problem by buying old clothes, in beautiful prints that one doesn’t see these days, and remaking them in today’s styles. Though the styles are repeated, the materials are different and each garment is quite unique. If you don’t live in London, don’t despair. Look around for a clever seamstress who can copy the styles for you. Then, it’s a matter of combing jumble sales, or looking among granny’s cast-offs, for unusual prints. Don’t, however, cut up clothes in good condition. You’ll get a good price for these in London markets. And if you do come to London, go round the markets instead of the stores and boutiques – there’s a lot to be picked up!
An extraordinarily styled and photographed editorial featuring Van der Fransen, Emmerton and Lambert and Essences, all of whom were trailblazers in the world of vintage and recycled fashion.
This shoot also manages to answer two of my most frequently asked questions: what is your favourite editorial and what do you think the future of fashion will be. The former is probably a moveable feast, although this one is definitely up there with my other favourite, but the latter is still something I believe strongly. Especially in a post-pandemic landscape, I am not sure (and definitely hopeful) that we will ever see the same levels of mass production post-2020. Not for want of desire by the high street shops, but because people have maybe recognised that, actually, they don’t need armfuls of cheap synthetic, single-use garments. Perhaps the aesthetics and principles of these recyclers of the Sixties and Seventies will finally be adopted as our default? We could stop producing new clothes and fabrics right now and probably never reach the end of the piles of recyclable materials. And that’s not even taking wearable vintage garments into account. Do you feel your shopping habits have changed permanently?
Red wig by Robert at Ricci Burns.
Photographed by Christian Larroque.
Scanned from 19 Magazine, July 1972.
Beautiful old sun dress in rayon crepe and silk from Van der Fransen. Tights and shoes from Biba.
Navy and white smock in various prints of rayon crepe and skirt both by Van der Fransen. Tights and shoes by Biba.
Intricate patchwork dress and long skirt from Emmerton and Lambert. Green tights and mauve shoes from Biba.
Jenny Kee of Emmerton and Lambert at Chelsea Antique Market, wearing a Chinese kimono and trousers from a selection at Emmerton and Lambert. Model wears a blouse made up of old scarves in satin and silk from a selection at Emmerton and Lambert. Gingham shoes from Biba. Photographed at The Terrace Cafe, Chelsea Antique Market.
Slinky cross cut dress in various printed crepes and crepes de Chine from Essences. Blue tights and mauve shoes both from Biba. Scarf from Essences.
Patchwork dress of old printed fabrics from a selection at Emmerton and Lambert. Tights and gingham shoes from Biba. Plastic dragonfly at neck from Susan Marsh.
Spotted two piece from Essences. Tights from Biba. Shoes from Sacha. Lovely old shawl from Essences.
Navy blue and white print smock with contrasting sleeves by MEE Designs. Jeans from Browns. Clogs by Sacha. Photographed at MEE Designs at Antiquarius.
White satin Twenties style dress by MEE Designs at Antiquarius. Tights and shoes from Biba.
Slippery satin cherry-printed drainpipes by Alkasura. Acid green cotton jersey t-shirt by Janine Designs at Harold Ingram. Conker choker by Adrien Mann. Leather belt by Biba.
This post is brought to you in two parts. The editorial was, unusually, photographed by two different photographers in two different locations. Tomorrow I will post the photos from Brighton Pier (very exciting for me, as you can guess!). Today’s were photographed in Meeny’s, which was a King’s Road boutique started by Gary Craze in 1972 – specialising in American brands for both adults and children. Clearly showing the same influences as Mr Freedom, this is the first I’ve seen of the interior. The clothes are the very creme de la creme of boutique ‘pop art’ joyfulness.
Photographed by Dick Polak.
Scanned from Honey, May 1973.
Desert island printed dungarees by Richard Green. Gitanes printed jersey t-shirt by Marshall Lester. Crochet cloche by Emmerton and Lambert. Spotted kerchief by Meeny’s.Rock’n’roll printed skirt and bolero jacket and sun top all by Miss Mouse. Conker choker by Adrien Mann. Hawaiian surfing printed cotton shirt from Joanna’s Fleamarket Camel printed cotton t-shirt by Marshall Lester. Belt by Biba Hawaiian printed cricket vest by Jap at Joseph. Red vest by Outlander. Slogan printed cotton coated PVC aprons by Sari Fabrics from all branches of Habitat, DH Evans and Selfridges. Satin pencil skirts by Alkasura.
The style’s the same, but no two shirts are identical – they are made from 1930s remnants: £8 10s from Emmerton Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market, 253 King’s Road, London SW3.
Edina Ronay modelling some incredible pieces by Emmerton Lambert, one of the cult labels which emerged from the Chelsea Antique Market in the late Sixties. A classic example of the plundering of the 1930s by designers of the time but unlike those creating garments ‘in the style of’, they were instead using period fabrics to create a new, thrown together, patchwork kind of look. I think these have become my favourite kinds of pieces in recent years: perhaps because there’s a tangible link to both periods when you handle them.
Photographed by Hans Feurer.
Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, June 14th 1970.
Flashy rodeo look: all from Emmerton Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market.
Blouse, waistcoat and skirt from Emmerton Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market. Boots by Sacha.
Welcome to my fashion brain as it is at the moment, particularly the first and last images. This spread is everything I love about late Sixties/early Seventies style, and more. No change is permanent, I still wake up in a different mood each day, but for the most part I am feeling the need to cover up, tune out and drift around…
“Take the whirl of lace petticoats and the swirl of countrified prints. Add gypsy flowers, baubles, bangles and beads. Find yourself a long, lazy spring afternoon, relax – and think nothing but beautiful…”
Photographed by John Carter. Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Petticoat, March 1970
Spotted crepe dress and shawl by Mary Quant’s Ginger Group
Dress by Clobber. Feather cape from Chelsea Antique Market. Printed chiffon dress by Pourelle.
Dress by Clobber. Slingbacks by Ravel. Shirt by Mexicana. Skirt by Alan Rodin. Shoes by Ravel.
Dress by Clobber. Shoes by Modaine. Blouse by Stirling Cooper. Skirt by Bernshaw. Boots by Sacha.
Dress by Marlborough. Feather cape from Chelsea Antique Market.
When popstar Lulu announced her engagement to musician Maurice Gibb a few months ago, most newspapers published pictures of her holding hands with her fiance. Underneath were captions which stated: “Lulu shows off her sapphire and diamond ring.” But in the photos=graohs they were both wearing so many different rings it was impossible to make out which one was the engagement ring – or who, for that matter, was wearing it. Pictures like these show that there is a growing fashion for wearing masses of rings all crammed on at once. It’s a craze that has sprung up as a sort of antidote to the growing uniformity of clothes. Last winter when most people were racing around in pants, long sweaters and clumpy shoes, the only way of looking remotely original was to wear different scarves, unusual belts or jewellery. Actress Suzy Kendall (above), who has been a keen collector for some time, said that she picked up this selection while on location in Yugoslavia and in Rome, and she bought others from a shop in Chelsea called Anschel’s. The rest of the people photographed on these pages acquire their bits and piece in much the same way. This is a craze that doesn’t cost much. Avid collectors say that it wouldn’t work with real stones – they would look too flashy – and they prefer more original bits.
The Sunday Times Magazine, March 23 1969.
By Meriel McCooey. Photos by Malcolm Robertson. Scanned by Miss Peelpants.
Ossie Clark in knuckledusters
Boutique owner/model Pat Booth and Art Nouveau swan ring
Pop star Lulu without husband
Verne Lambert sells them [Lambert was one half of Chelsea Antiques Market’s Emmerton and Lambert]
Chelita Secunda, model agent, collects old enamelled versions
Oh I do love a good map. Especially a fantastically illustrated map of all my favourite shops in London in 1971. It is the nearest I will ever come to being able to walk around them. Sadness ensues…
