Plain Clothes

Life can be a treat on the sunny side of the street

1970s, Alan Rodin, Bata, biba, Bilbo, bus stop, edward mann, Electric Fittings, Franz Gruber, Hans Metzen, Honey Magazine, Ian Batten, Inspirational Images, Jacqmar, Jayne Swayne, kadix, Martha Hill, mr freedom, Plain Clothes, Sacha, sheridan barnett, simon massey, Vintage Editorials
LEFT: Calico jacket with navy and white spotted trim and wide Oxford bags, Ian Batten at Jayne Swayne, £9.75. Navy brushed-velour Harpo hat, Edward Mann, £2.50. RIGHT: Short green facecloth jacket and Oxford bags, Ian Batten at Jayne Swayne, £10.50. Striped clogs, Chelsea Cobbler, £11-95.

For all those who’ve never seen a Sunday afternoon Marx Brothers repeat, we’ve re-created their happy-go-lucky look so you can see what it was all about—lovely casual easy-to-wear clothes, extra long jackets, loose baggy trousers and happy looking Harpo hats. The total effect is amazing and pretty and guaranteed to bring a smile to the dreariest passer-by. For details of clothes, turn over . . .

Photographed by Franz Gruber.

Scanned from Honey, March 1972.

Bright tartan wrapover silk and linen mixture jacket, £14-95, from Stirling Cooper. Cotton blouse, Plain Clothes, E3.50, from Harrods, Way In, Hans Crescent, SW1. Rolled-up cotton and vincel Oxford bags, Alan Rodin, £4.50, from main branches of Wallis Shops. Two-tone suede lace-ups, Bata, £4.

LEFT Casual button-through cream Dralon jersey jacket with tie belt and large patch pockets, £14.50; side-buttoning trousers, £7.95; both by Hans Metzen. Coffee and cream leather lace-up ankle boots, Bilbo, £8.50; navy brushed velour hat, Edward Mann, £2.50. RIGHT: Speckled powder-blue and white Courtelle fitted jacket, £5.50, from Martha Hill, Marylebone High Street, W1. Rolled-up white corduroy Oxford bags, Sheridan Barnett at Simon Massey, £6.95. Navy and white bow-printed satin smock shirt, Electric Fittings, £8; wide navy leather belt, Biba, £3.90; multi-coloured suede lace-ups, Bilbo, £8.50; spotty silk scarf, Jacqmar, £2-50.

LEFT: Bobbly blue wrap-over Courtelle jacket with large patch pockets, £5.50; finely-striped Courtelle bib front blouse, £4, both from Martha Hill, Marylebone High Street, W1. Tight corduroy pedal-pushers, Sheridan Barnett at Simon Massey, £4.99. Long woolly socks, Mr Freedom, £1.20; leather lace-ups, Sacha, £6.99; felt pom-pom bowler, Edward Mann, £3.20. RIGHT: Voluminous corduroy zipped-up jacket, £6.95; wide pedal-pushers, £4.95, both from Bus Stop, Kensington Church Street, W8. Cotton spotted shirt, Dranella, £4.30. Thigh-high stripey nylon socks, Mr Freedom, £1.20; criss-cross clogs, Chelsea Cobbler, £9.95; felt pom-pom hat, Edward Mann, £3.20.

Crisp white crepe shirt with scarlet tie, Jayne Swayne, £5.25, from Bata International, Oxford Street, W1 and branches throughout the country. Brown, black and cherry red striped seersucker Oxford bags, Kadix, £5.95. Red plastic belt, Gay Designs, 80p; lemon and red leather lace-ups, Sacha, £4.99; enamel initial pins, Paul Stephens, 35p each.

Royal blue brushed-cotton tent jacket, Alan Rodin, £7.95. Candy-striped blouse, Plain Clothes, £3.50, from Harrods, Way In, Hans Crescent, SW1. Gaberdine Oxford bags, Kadix, £5.95. Silk scarf, Jacqmar, £2.50.

Shady Ladies

1970s, Adrian Mann, Bermona, biba, Bilbo, Buckle Under, Butler & Wilson, chelsea cobbler, Crochetta, Deco Inspired, Dickins and Jones, edward mann, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Jacqmar, Knits and Leathers, Lizzie Carr, Martha Hill, ossie clark, Plain Clothes, platforms, quorum, Richard Green, Richard Selby, Sacha, sheridan barnett, simon massey, stirling cooper, Sujon, Vintage Editorials
SEXY cut-away cotton knitted halter-neck top, Crochetta, £4, from Knits and Leathers, 5, Harewood Place, W1 and 2, Carnaby Court, Carnaby Street, W1; flaring jet black crêpe high-waisted trousers, Ossie Clark for Quorum, £10, from Quorum, Radnor Walk, SW3; flamboyant flocked canvas shoes, Chelsea Cobbler, £11.95; “Shady Lady” straw hat, Buckle Under, £7; carved rose bangle, Butler and Wilson, £5.50; artificial rose, Biba, £1.15.

Long languid shapes, tiny halter necks and easy voluminous trousers. Shades of 30s tea dances and glorious afternoons lounging amongst the hothouse palms in clothes that make you feel every inch a lady while keeping you cool on the hottest day.

Photographed by Richard Selby.

Scanned from Honey, July 1972.

LEFT: Sensuous halter-neck cotton vincel cross-over top, Lizzie Carr at Plain Clothes, £3.95. Slinky emerald green Tricel jersey trousers, £5, from Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High Street, Wl, mail order 25p extra. Antique flower-garland brooch, £5.50; ivory clutch bangle, £4.50; mottled horn elasticated bracelet, £4, all by Butler & Wilson; enamel flower brooch, Biba, 75p; peep-toe shoes, Bilbo, £7; daisy-clipped shoulder bag, Cingula, approx £9. RIGHT: Tightly ruched cotton striped top, Richard Green, £3.10. White Tricel mesh trousers, £4.50, from Martha Hill. Spotted-bow shoes, Sacha, £7.99; straw boater, Edward Mann, £1.90; bangles, Adrien Mann, 25p each.

ULTRY poppy red and white glazed-cotton top, £3.95, from Stirling Cooper, Wigmore Street, W1. Pure white Tricel trousers with self-patterned border, £5, from Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High Street, Wl, mail order 25p extra. Scarlet silk sash, Jacqmar, approx £3; black and orange genuine Art Deco necklace, Butler & Wilson, £10; crimson straw hat, Bermona, £1.35.

LEFT: Wrapover covered-up cotton-jersey top, Richard Green, £4. Well-cut flared cotton-gaberdine high-waisted trousers, Ossie Clark, £9, from Quorum, Radnor Walk, SW3. Enormous straw hat, Edward Mann, £2.80; artificial rose from Dickins & Jones, 90p; mother-of-pearl tulip brooch, £4.50, elasticated horn bracelet, £4, both by Butler & Wilson. RIGHT: Plunging candy-striped cotton top, Richard Green, £2.50. Milk white cotton-gabardine Oxford bags, Sujon, £6. Sugar pink floppy straw hat, Bermona, £1.35; carved ivory elasticated bracelet, Butler & Wilson, £4.50.

SENSUOUS backless all-in-one suit with crimson and white striped cotton top and plain wide white trousers, Sheridan Barnett at Simon Massey, £8.50. Wide scarlet straw hat, Buckle Under, £7; ivory beads, Butler & Wilson, £5.50; bright red poppy, Biba, 90p; pink plastic bluebell bracelet, Adrien Mann, 75p.

Sittin’ Pretty

19 magazine, 1970s, Barkers, biba, Derry and Toms, Inspirational Images, interior design, interiors, Karl Stoecker, Lizzie Carr, Plain Clothes, Pontings, Renate Zatsch

Trying to brighten up your living area with the minimum of cost is a difficult thing to do if it involves buying a cosy sofa or even buying new seat covers (have you noticed the prices lately?). The only way for a poor girl to cope is to think practical and get into the cottage industry kick with some nice fabric, a needle and thread. The simplest and most comfortable way to make a living-room really liveable in—i.e., to plonk around and relax in, as well as providing a soft space for an overnight guest to kip on to go into cushions in a big way.

All cushions, except for our sag bags, came from Pontings. They do a range of foam and feather ones. We covered them in fabrics from a selection at Pontings, Derry and Toms and Barkers. Prices are for cushions only. We filled our sag bags with polystyrene beads and have arranged that 19 readers can buy this lovely stuff at a special price (see overleaf).

BACKGROUND: Huge roly-poly floor cushion, 8ft x 3ft, £13.50, covered in black velvet (13yds. of 36in. fabric). TOP. Left to right: 36in. square cushion, £3.50, covered in narrow black/white striped satin (2¼yds. of 45in. fabric); 45in. square cushion, £4.50, covered in red/black/white striped Tricel jersey (2yds. of 45in. fabric); 45in. round cushion, £4.50, covered in black/white striped satin (2½yds. of 45in. fabric).

CENTRE. Left to right: 16in. round cushion, 70p., covered in black/white striped rayon and lurex (1yd. of 45in. fabric); 36in. x 11in. bolster, £2, covered in cotton poplin and gingham (13/4yds. and lyd. of 36in. fabric); 36in. x 11in. bolster, £2, covered in red cotton poplin and striped Polyster cotton (1¾yds. and 1 yd. of 36in. fabric).

BOTTOM. Left to right: Our expanded polystyrene bead sag bag (polystyrene £2) covered in red/white spot cotton (5yds. of 36in. fabric); 16in. feather cushion, 70p., covered in red/white spot rayon Honan (1 ½yds. of 36in. fabric); our sag bag, covered in 5yds of black cotton sailcloth.

GIRL: Cotton Vincel halter-neck top, £2.95. White cotton bags, £5.95. Both by Lizzie Carr for Plain Clothes. Socks, from Woolworth, 18p. Peep-toe shoes, from Biba, £6.50. Telephone metallised by Ryman Interiors Ltd. (It costs £7.50 to have your phone treated like this.)

Model is Renate Zatsch

Photographed by Karl Stoecker.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, July 1972.

Soft Summer Shape-Ups

Bata, Britannia Land of Plenty, forbidden fruit, jane giunchi, Martha Hill, Nik Nik, petticoat magazine, Plain Clothes, ravel, Roger Charity, stirling cooper, Sue Hone, van der fransen, Vintage Editorials
Nik Nik floral print dress. Stirling Cooper satin pants. Ravel mules. / Striped skirt at Martha Hill. Blouse with embroidered flowers at Forbidden Fruit branches. Bata mules. Jane Giunchi brooch.

You can take the summer’s pastels just the way you want. When you’re not wearing neat and co-ordinated nursery prints, try pink and blue in peasant style. You’ll find a pettiness you thought had vanished.

Fashion by Sue Hone.

Photographed by Roger Charity.

Scanned from Petticoat, 10th June 1972.

Floral print skirt at Britannia Land of Plenty. Plain Clothes short sleeved vest at Sidney Smith. Brooch and print scarf both at Van der Fransen.