Inspirational Illustrations: Easy come easy go …to sea

1970s, Angela Landels, british boutique movement, bus stop, Gill y Jacques, harpers and queen, Le Bistingo, lee bender

Left: Cotton crepe dress from Bus Stop, 3 Kensington Church St. / Centre: Silk jersey dress from Gill y Jacques, 47 Charlbert St, NW8 / Right: Ban-lon dress from Le Bistingo, 93 King’s Road

Illustration by Angela Landels. Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Harpers & Queen, July 1972.

Inspirational Images: Joan Collins in Bus Stop

1970s, british boutique movement, bus stop, cosmopolitan, Inspirational Images, joan collins, lee bender, norman eales

Photographed by Norman Eales

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, March 1973

Inspirational Images: Taking the wrap in Bus Stop

1970s, Berndt Brenken, Blades, bus stop, cosmopolitan, Inspirational Images, lee bender

Photographed by Berndt Brenken

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, September 1975

Far From the Madding Crowd

1970s, Ann Reeves, biba, british boutique movement, bus stop, Inspirational Images, irvine sellars, jeff banks, John Carter, lee bender, miss selfridge, mr freedom, peter robinson, petticoat magazine, topshop

Left to right: Dress, Jeff Banks, £9.90, P.R’s Top Shop. Dress, Ann Reeves, £9.25, Miss Selfridge,

Soft country girl dresses falling just below the knee in dark flowery prints ready for autumn, great for now. Looking sweet and old-fashioned with padded shoulders, sweetheart necklines or rever collars and cuffs – and all they really need is you and some romantic thoughts!

Very David Hamilton/Sarah Moon influenced shoot by John Carter. Scanned from Petticoat, July 1973.

Left to right: Beige dress, Jeff Banks, £9.90, Lady Tramp SW3. Mr Freedom hat, £2.50. Cream dress, Bus Stop, £9.95.

Left to right: Floral dress, Jeff Banks, £15.90, Irvine Sellars, sizal hat £2.50 from Biba. Black print dress, Ann Reeves, £9, Miss Selfridge.

Video: London Fashion, 1975

1970s, Bernshaw, bill gibb, british boutique movement, bus stop, Jaeger, Jane Cattlin, Janet Ibbotson, katharine hamnett, lee bender, ossie clark, stirling cooper, tuttabankem, Yuki

Oh I do so love finding a ‘new’ video such as this on Youtube – many thanks to the uploader. Promoting the 1974 London Fashion Show at Earls Court (featuring designs by Frank Usher and Bernshaw in the footage) it then moves to a variety of locations (Trafalgar Square, Regent’s Canal, random studio, back to Trafalgar Square…) to promote clothes by legends such as Ossie Clark, Bill Gibb, Lee Bender for Bus Stop, Yuki, Stirling Cooper and ‘Kate Hamnett’ for Tuttabankem, it also features the underrated [and somewhat forgotten] designers Jane Cattlin and Janet Ibbotson. Enjoy!

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

Inspirational Images: Fashion’s Upper Crust

1970s, bus stop, caroline baker, corocraft, duc, lee bender, nova magazine, stirling cooper

Cheesecake sweaters by Phyllis Collins at Stirling Cooper. Voluminous batwing sweater by Lee Bender at Bus Stop. Jewellery by Corocraft.

Not only is this a delightful image, but I have a green version of the ‘cheesecake’ Stirling Cooper jumper. Whee!

Photo by Duc. Nova Magazine, January 1972. Scanned by Miss Peelpants.

The New Avenger in Lee Bender

annacat, bus stop, chelsea girl, harold ingram, jean varon, joanna lumley, lee bender, murray arbeid, norman hartnell, polly peck, terry de havilland, the avengers, website listings

I have just listed some stunning new pieces over at Vintage-a-Peel, but the real star of the show has got to be this incredible Lee Bender for Bus Stop skirt and halter top set. For it is identical to the one worn by Joanna Lumley in a photocall for The New Avengers in 1976. Deliciously bright and saucy, and the one thing which might distract the world from your pudding-bowl haircut!

Photos and links to other newly listed items follow underneath…

Late Sixties cord jacket (click to view listing)

Murray Arbeid 1980s turquoise cocktail dress (click to view listing)

Terry de Havilland 1970s gold glitter shoes (click to view listing)

Norman Hartnell early 1960s chiffon and soutache evening gown (click to view listing)

Annacat 1960s blue velvet jacket (click to view listing)

Harold Ingram 1970s knitted top (click to view listing)

Polly Peck 1960s white cotton blouse (click to view listing)

Chelsea Girl 1970s stripe jumper (click to view listing)

Tom Bowker for Jean Varon 1970s silver lamé top (click to view listing)

Short and Sweet

19 magazine, 1970s, alistair cowin, bus stop, gillian richard, gladrags, Illustrations, lee bender, medusa, michael roberts, mr freedom, stirling cooper

I feel sad for the summer which never quite came to these shores. We had some nice days early on, but nothing consistent. I’m no sun worshipper, and I freely admit to preferring autumn, but it would have been nice to have been out and about a little more frequently in a little less clothing. I’m considering a little seaside jaunt in October, so I’ll just have to wear this kind of gear with some thick tights, hat and a coat over the top.

Stunning illustrations from 19 Magazine, May 1971, by Michael Roberts. I did a little reading up on Roberts, and he seems like a fascinating, Renaissance-style man. I pay far more attention to the names of illustrators these days, for obvious reasons, and it’s always nice to discover something about these all-too-often unsung artists.

Rest in Peace, dearest Sarah Jane Smith

bus stop, doctor who, doctor who companion fashion, elisabeth sladen, jon pertwee, lee bender, sarah jane smith, tom baker

One of the few recent passings which has actually left me rather embarrassingly weepy, perhaps because of the childhood significance (although Sarah Jane was long gone as a companion by the time I was born, I grew up watching her episodes on scratchy VHS…). I can’t really say any more than any of the other fans are right now, and I didn’t know her to say anything very personal. So I will do what I do best, posting some of my favourite images of Lis Sladen as Sarah Jane, Bus Stop wearer extraordinaire and one of the best Who-ladies ever….