Bottoms Up

1970s, alistair cowin, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, Big Scene, Dorothy Perkins, gillian richard, gladrags, Guy Cross, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Jacqmar, Miss Impact, ossie clark, radley, ravel, Rodger Bass, Russell & Bromley, Shelana, Titfers, Toto, Vintage Editorials

Deep purple Polyester button-through romper suit, Dorothy Perkins, £3.95 (79s.); rust and blue rose patterned cotton mixture vest, Toto, £6.25 (£6 5s.); purple panne velvet plumed cloche, Titfers, £8. / Pillar-box red cotton jersey and Vincel dungarees, trimmed with yellow, £7, and bright sun-shine high-necked shirt, £5, both by Alistair Cowin. / Brick and rust moon-in-orbit sweater, Toto, £4.50 (£4 10s.); calico midi skirt with coloured nursery print border, Alistair Cowin, £8; beige suede ankle strap shoes, Ravel, £3.99 (£,3 19s. 9d.); dolls’ house patterned cloche, Titfers, £1.75 (35s.). / Scarlet jersey pinafore dress with yellow appliqued apples, Rodger Bass, £9.50 (£9 10s.); tangerine, blue and purple striped sweater, Miss Impact, £4.20 (4 gns.). / Dusty pink Acrylic jacquard jacket, £5.25 (5 gns.), and matching gauchos, £3.50 (£3 10s.), both by Gillian Richard; red panne velvet Wee Willie Winkle hat, trimmed with an apple, Titfers, £4.20 (4 gns.).

At last we’ve reached the bottom – the latest erogenous zone to be limelighted by shiny shorts, skin-tight jumpsuits and all kinds of sexy bum-huggers.

Interesting to note the dual pricing as the UK adjusted to decimalisation, and also that the Radley outfit in the photo below is actually an Ossie Clark design (I’ve seen it pop up with the Ossie for Radley label) but wasn’t properly credited as such.

Photographed by Guy Cross.

Scanned from Honey, March 1971.

Navy and scarlet polka dot cotton boiler suit, Alistair Cowin, about £4; plain pink suede boots, Biba, £8.97½ (£8 19s. 6d.). / Shiny pink cotton satin dungaree shorts, £6.50 (£6 10s.), and multi-coloured cotton nightsky printed shirt with drawstring neck, £9, both by Gladrags; sheer pink tights, Twiggy, £1; wine wedge-heeled shoes, Russell & Bromley; purple silk headscarf, Jacqmar, £2.37½ (47s. 6d.). / Slippery royal blue satin acetate shorts with bib top and scarlet satin patch pockets, Shelana, `£5.25 (5 gns.); red and blue running vest, Syndica, £3.15 (3 gns.); shiny pink tights, Twiggy, £1; wine suede wedge-heeled shoes, Russell & Bromley; burgundy silk scarf, Jacqmar, £2.37½ (47s. 6d.). / Ritzy yellow moss crêpe fitted jacket and black skirt with red, yellow and black inverted pleats, Radley, £14; black peep toe shoes, £4.99 (99s. 9d.). / Lilac and grape shady lady printed jersey pinafore with lilac shirt top, Big Scene, £8; maroon leather criss-cross sandals, Ravel, £5.97½ (£5 19s. 6d.).

Gay Young Things

1970s, art deco, Buckle Under, Jean Howell, Miss Impact, miss selfridge, paul misso, petticoat magazine, Sue Hone, Titfers, Vintage Editorials

Doing their thing Twenties style, He and She for £5.25 and an exotic piece of Art Nouveau, £6.25. The printed silk scarf on the former, Jean Howell, £3., brown jersey appliqued hat on the latter, Titfers, £3.15.

In spirit it’s Valentino, Jolson, Talkies and Tea Parties and that outrageous Charleston thing with kinky feather boas and twirly beads. In fact it’s dewey-eyed memories of the twenties matched with today’s sense of cheerful frivolity. It’s fun, it’s gay on a lot of today’s bright young people!

Fashion by Sue Hone.

Photographed by Paul Misso.

Scanned from Petticoat, 13th March 1971.

All the prints shown here are by Miss Impact on Banlon. The dresses come in maxi, midi or tunic length all either with or without sleeves. There are as many as nine different colours to choose from and all now being stocked at Miss Selfridge, W1. Long-limbed lady with turban on cream and lady with cloche, both £6.25. Red panne velvet turban with bunches of fruit, Titfers, £6. Rust brummed hat with more fruit, Buckle Under Enterprises, SW3.

All Dyed Up

1970s, biba, bus stop, corocraft, David Finch, gordon king, Inspirational Images, lee bender, London Mob, Miss Impact, mr freedom, petticoat magazine, Vintage Editorials

Velvet tie-dye dress from Mr Freedom. Canvas boots from Biba.

All sorts of things are getting the tie and dye treatment this summer – and we bet it will colour our autumn too! It’s easy to tie-dye jeans and t-shirts, just tie a knot anywhere, grab a packet of dye, and you’re away! But the experts have been getting at everything so you can buy it already dyed – summer colour has hit jersey, velvet and gaberdine to. So get dyeing!

Photographed by David Finch.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Petticoat, July 1970

Tie-dye vest by Miss Impact. Satin tie-dye pants from Gordon King. Woolworth plimsolls. Bus Stop cloche. Belt from Consortium.

Tie-dye vest from Miss Impact. Biba canvas boots. Lilac snakeskin belt from Bus Stop.

Tie-dye pants and top by London Mob. Specs from Corocraft. Knee socks from Bus Stop. Plimsolls from Woolworths.

Dress by Miss Impact. Socks from Bus Stop. Glasses from Biba. Plimsolls from Woolworths.

Satin tie-dye suit by Gordon King. Biba specs. Sandals by Xanthe leather.

New for Autumn/Winter

1930s, 1960s, 1970s, british boutique movement, bus stop, chelsea girl, forbidden fruit, jean varon, john bates, lee bender, louis caring, Miss Impact, psychedelia, roland klein, terry de havilland, wallis, website listings, young edwardian

Chelsea Girl

Tsk tsk. Slap my wrist. I’m pretty slack about putting website listings here on the blog, and I can only apologise. Here are some edited highlights (but there are plenty more already listed and more to come before Christmas!). Personal favourites are the original 1970s Chelsea Girl platform shoes, the black lace 1930s evening dress and Erte-printed John Bates for Jean Varon dress…

Unsigned original 1930s

John Bates for Jean Varon

Roland Klein for Marcel Fenez

Forbidden Fruit

Unsigned original 1960s

Terry de Havilland

Young Innocent

Lee Bender for Bus Stop

Wallis Fashion Shops

Miss Impact

Louis Caring

Unsigned original 1970s

Dateline Persia: Putting the peasants in their place

1970s, Alan Rodin, anello and davide, Angela at London Town, aristos, Baltrik, british boutique movement, clobber, Dolcis, gordon king, Herbert Johnson, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Martha Hill, Miss Impact, Ricki Reed, Sacha, Shelana, Simon Ellis, Sportaville, Vintage Editorials

Dirndl skirt and bolero by Sportaville. Boots by Anello & Davide.

Currently inspiring me (as someone who doesn’t enjoy stripping off in the much-awaited heat…) is this photoshoot from Honey, April 1970. Pretty much perfection, as far as I am concerned. Astonishingly, there is no credited photographer for any of the photoshoots in this magazine, so I’m afraid they will have to remain anonymous…