john bates

Vogue’s Christmas: Send in the Clowns

bill gibb, clowns, david bailey, Gina Fratini, john bates, marie helvin, seventies fashion, thea porter, Vogue, zandra rhodes

It’s oh so quiet…

…over here, isn’t it? I haven’t turned to ice, or been out enjoying the snow too much to blog. No, I’m back in the West End, with my latest one-woman show….. ahhh, just joking! I’m back at the ballet, dressing the newest version of The Nutcracker and the schedule is a bit punishing for all involved. So I’m grabbing moments when I can, to post out my wares and try to keep on top of things. But sadly, it means that I’m barely able to keep up with all you lovely bloggers and get half of the things done before Christmas that I needed and wanted to do. Argh! Anyway, to keep you going until I have time/energy to blog again, here is one of my all-time favourite Vogue shoots from December 1975. Beauty and grace personified…

Apologies to any coulrophobes out there!

By John Bates

By Gina Fratini

By Jorn Langberg

By Bill Gibb

By Thea Porter

By Zandra Rhodes

Main dress by Hanae Mori

By Nettie Vogues

Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe

Just to let you know, I can still post out before Christmas although I wouldn’t recommend relying too heavily on the postal service, given current weather issues and Christmas rush. But even if it doesn’t get there in time, remember, a vintage piece is not just for Christmas…

Scannin’ some Bourdin’in

1970s, bill gibb, guy bourdin, Inspirational Images, janice wainwright, john bates, nova magazine

Dress by John Bates at Jean Varon

An amazing Guy Bourdin photoshoot from Nova, December 1972.

I’m missing a precious Annacat/Ossie page (don’t even get me started on magazine sellers again…) but what’s left is still pretty amazing. Honestly, modern fashion photographers can only hope to come close to such works of art created by innovators like Bourdin.

Top: Sheilagh Brown for Coopers, Bottom and below: Janice Wainwright

Janice Wainwright

Dress by Bill Gibb

Top: Sheilagh Brown for Coopers, Bottom: John Bates for Jean Varon

Dress by Gillian Richard

Geeky Cobblers (and other listings)

annacat, biba, bus stop, chelsea cobbler, georgina linhart, hats, jean varon, john bates, john stephen, lee bender, platforms, shoes, terry de havilland, website listings, yves saint laurent

I wanted these Chelsea Cobbler boots to fit me so badly. But my spindly calves put paid to that desire, so they’ve just gone up on the website. Then, flicking through a 1970 copy of Nova (as you do), I spy them on the rarely-spotted designer Georgina Linhart. Geek heaven + spindly calves = Geek Hell. Or something…..sigh. Please will somebody very lovely buy them from me?

Other newly listed pieces on the site include:

Annacat

Bus Stop by Lee Bender

Bermona

Biba

Terry De Havilland

Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

John Stephen

John Bates for Jean Varon

Lowy and Mund

Unsigned (poss. Mary Quant)

Inspirational Images: Stripy Oliver and a mesh panel Varon

jean varon, john bates, oliver reed, sixties

I am dying of envy over here. She has a mesh panel Jean Varon LBD and a stripy Oliver Reed with his sexy paws all over her. Lucky lucky lucky…..

Photo by Hans Feurer. Vogue, April 1968. Via the amazing Youthquakers site.

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.

Forbidden Fruit

Jacqui Smale for Spectrum

Wallis Shops

Catherine Buckley

Frank Usher


Hang Ups, Too

Lee Bender for Bus Stop

unsigned 1970s moss crepe

Sportaville

Bridget at Strawberry Studio

Yvonne Jacovou at Cornelius

Pret-a-Porter


unsigned 1930s


John Bates for Jean Varon

Kiki Byrne

Woodland Nymph

annacat, jean varon, john bates, personal collection
Photos: Tracey Fahy. Model and ballerina: Holly Owst.


Dirndl dress by John Bates for Jean Varon. Plunging jersey dress by Annacat. Styled by….me! Both pieces are from my private collection.


Photoshoot in Queen’s Wood, Highgate. Typical British “August” weather tried to stop us, but I think they’re beautiful shots. Thank you so much, ladies!

All images are © Tracey Fahy. Please do not use the images without asking permission.



Miss Peelpants goes continental…

christian dior, david bailey, florence, Inspirational Images, italy, jean varon, john bates, polly peck, susan small, Vogue
John Bates for Jean Varon


I can’t quite believe it. My first proper holiday in three years! And it’s somewhere I’ve dreamt of going for a painfully long time. I studied A Room With a View for English A-Level, and this did nothing but exacerbate my already quite intense passion for Italy. I went to the Lakes a long five years back, but my soul still desires Florence.

I’m trying not to get TOO excited. But it’s not working. I have ironed my loveliest sundresses and prepared a few Sixties evening minis, and I’m just praying for ash clouds and strikes to stay WELL away from us and our well-earned break. It’s also timed for my birthday, and I can’t think of a better way to spend it.

A few weeks back, I spotted this amazing spread in Vogue from 1967. Bailey on location, which instantly makes Bailey a lot better than usual. And the clothes are gorgeous (particularly the Varon). But the most important aspect is the Florentine backdrop.

I. Can’t. Wait.

p.s Obviously this means I can’t post items and deal with sales until I return on Tuesday. But it’s still first come, first served for sales, so you can still buy if anything tickles your fancy over on the website.

Susan Small

Londonus

Susan Small

Christian Dior London

Susan Small

Polly Peck

Prima della mia vacanza….

british boutique movement, celia birtwell, jean varon, john bates, ossie clark, seventies fashion, sixties, stirling cooper, website listings
Stirling Cooper

New listings! Oh yes….

Miss Novell

John Bates for Jean Varon

Ossie Clark

Louis Caring

John Bates for Jean Varon

Victor Costa

Act III

Simon Ellis

Designers and models

amanda lear, bill gibb, christopher mcdonnell, jean muir, joanna lumley, john bates, mary quant, zandra rhodes

One of my favourite Telegraph magazine spreads (May 25th, 1973) featuring some of my favourite designers (and, for a few, their partners) with their favourite models, wearing favourite pieces from that season.






Tales from the Nursery

Foale and Tuffin, Inspirational Images, jean varon, john bates, seventies fashion, Vogue
Clothes by Foale and Tuffin
Ninny Nanny Prettycoat
In an oatmeal petticoat.
The fuller the sleeves,
The sweeter the roses.

Delicious nursery rhyme themed spread from Vogue, April 1970. Photographed by Elisabeth Novick. I have included the strange nursery rhymes they have mangled created. Even though I think they’re a load of tosh. Why so literal, anonymous Vogue writer? Why not just use the originals and leave something to the imagination?

The photos are pretty incredible though, which makes it all worthwhile….

Be a fine lady and wear a fine dress,
Fragile as Bo-Peep’s, cut like a caress.
Sleeves are the prettiest,
Bloomers the wittiest,
In light silk and voile, paisley or crepe.


Clothes by Poole
Take a tuck, take a tuck tailor’s man.
Sew me some voile fast as you can.
Frill it and smock it,
And colour it white.
Then add pretty bloomers not quite out of sight.

Clothes by John Bates for Jean Varon
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Wearing brown paisley and blue.
The skirt length was midi,
The bodice was pretty,
The trousers were brown paisley too.

Clothes by Francis Vaughan
Mary Mary silk and suede
How does this garden grow?
With smocking green
And pinafore
And hollyhocks all in a row.

Clothes by Lady Fingers
Several yards of ice-cream crepe,
Several yards of stitching,
Smock it high and frill the cuffs.
The dress is quite enchanting.