Feel Free

1970s, biba, Bombacha, Charles Batten, chelsea cobbler, Diane Logan, eddie yap, Essences, Essenses, Fenwick, Graham Hughes, Herbert Johnson, Honey Magazine, Howie, Inspirational Images, Russell & Bromley, Vintage Editorials, wallis, Wendy Dagworthy

Heather coloured windowpane-checked wool dress with plunging V-neck and navy suede sash belt, Wallis £27, from all branches of Wallis shops. Flowered silky square, Orange Box 75p; stiff brimmed felt hat with stitched crown, Charles Batten £9.50; baggy leather boots, Chelsea Cobbler £32.50.

Let yourself loose in warm baggy dresses, tightly belted or billowing in the wind. Team them with boots and a long muffler and you’re set to face the breeziest day.

Hair by Mr Ricci at Ricci Burns.

Photographed by Graham Hughes.

Scanned from Honey, November 1974.

LEFT: Fine Jacqmar wool button-front vest-style dress with side-slit pockets, Bombacha £33, from Bombacha, 104 Fulham Road, SW3 (mail order 50p); Crocodile, New Bond Street, Wl; all branches of Miss Selfridge, Mirror Mirror Department. Soft leather side-buckled high-heeled ankle boots, Chelsea Cobbler £24.99. RIGHT: Rust wool crepe flared V-neck belted dress with stitched hem and sleeves, Wallis £13.95, from all branches of Wallis shops. Extra-long random knit silky rayon muffler, Eddie Yap for Howie, £9.50; sheer tights, Kunert 64p; leather ankle boots, models’ own.

Steel grey fine wool belted baggy dress with navy trimmed collar, buttons and initialled breast pocket, Wendy Dagworthy £30, from Ismat, Brompton Road, SW3; Bombacha, 104 Fulham Road, SW3 (mail order 50p); Transformer, Leeds. Silver and black soft leather high-heeled bar shoes, Russell & Bromley £18.99.

LEFT: Camel jacqmar wool shirt style loose dress with patch pockets, Bombacha £33, from Bombacha, 104 Fulham Road, SW3; Miss Selfridge, Mirror Mirror Dept, Duke Street, WI. Blue and rust scarf, Biba £2.40; green felt beanie, Charles Batten £8.50; brown leather ankle boots, Chelsea Cobbler £24.99. RIGHT: Tobacco brown wool hooded dress with tie neck, Wallis £15.95, from all branches of Wallis shops. Long rust scarf, Fenwick £4.75; silky checked scarf from a selection at Essences; tan leather boots, Chelsea Cobbler £32.50.

LEFT: Swirling wool crepe dress with yoke front and tie collar, Wallis £13.95, from all branches of Wallis shops. Two tone random knit fringed silky scarf, Eddie Yap for Howie £9.50; Art Deco printed crepe de chine scarf, Essences £2.00 felt hat with accordian pleated petersham trim, Diane Logan £8.50; leather knee-high boots, Russell & Bromley £29.99. RIGHT: Pure wool mid-calf-length baggy dress with openwork, satin-stitched sleeves and collar and coin-button fastening, Wendy Dagworthy £42, from Ismat, Brompton Road, SW3; Bombacha, 104 Fulham Road, SW3 (mail order 50p); Transformer, Leeds. Long silky fringed knit scarf, Eddie Yap for Howie £9.50; navy cotton kerchief, Herbert Johnson 60p; felt brimmed hat with flower painted appliqués, Diane Logan £10; baggy boots, Chelsea Cobbler £32.50.

Just A Little Something I Ran Up Myself…

1970s, Ace, bill gibb, Clio Goldsmith, cosmopolitan, Gamba, Inspirational Images, Jane Cattlin, liberty, liberty's, manolo blahnik, Midas, Peter Golding, Russell & Bromley, Sheilagh Browne, sheridan barnett, Terence Donovan, Vintage Editorials, Wendy Dagworthy, Yuki, yvonne gold, zandra rhodes, zapata

DESIGNED BY YUKI . . . and typical of the elegant raciness that Yuki breathes into everything he creates, a sultry bloomer dress to wear if you dare and if you’ve got the shape. Make it from a 1.5 metre square of cotton jersey. Simply cut two holes for your legs in the centre, step inside and tie the corners on your shoulders. Fake lily, Novelty Imports. Jewellery, Adrien Mann. Gold leather shoes, £40, Manolo Blahnik for Zapata.

. . . with the aid of Yuki, Sheilagh Brown, Wendy Dagworthy, Sheridan Barnett, Bill Gibb, Jane Cattlin, Zandra Rhodes and Peter Golding, eight top designers who were each persuaded to whip up a creation for when you still haven’t got a thing to wear.

Hair by Harambee, 19 Avery Row, London W1.

Make-up by Yvonne Gold.

Persian carpets from Liberty.

I think one of the models is Clio Goldsmith.

Photographed by Terence Donovan.

Scanned from Cosmopolitan, January 1978.

DESIGNED BY SHEILAGH BROWN … who goes the whole way with glamour, whipping silk and lace and ribbons into deliciously pretty confections. Here she transforms a 2.25 metre length of soft lace into beautiful balloon trousers gathered twice on ribbon drawstrings. A square of silk crepe de Chine, slashed in the middle for a sliding neckline, ties at the front with wide black satin ribbon. Silver sandals, £24.95, Midas.

DESIGNED BY WENDY DAGWORTHY … the designer who makes sporty Viyella and rough tweeds look soft. Sunray-pleated cotton—hunt for the ready-pleated kind—is cut to make a piecrust collar that’s prettily tied with trailing velvet ribbon, on a poncho top belted like a tunic over a matching skirt. The skirt is one width of fabric gathered on a cord at the waist. Fringe the edges of toning check fabric to make the shawl. Boots, £44.99, Russell & Bromley.

DESIGNED BY SHERIDAN BARNETT who knows how to put together the luxury of velvet and lace in the new romantic style. Sheridan Barnett’s big cosy chasuble is made by folding in half a 2.5 metre length of velvet and cutting a straight line in the centre for the neckline. Tuck under the sides and wrap. closed at the waist with glossy black moire. Knot a fichu of black lace at your throat. Jewellery, Adrien Mann. Patent ballet pumps, £11.50, Gamba.

DESIGNED BY BILL GIBB . . . who creates like no other designer. Here’s a little numero (main picture) from Bill’s sketch-pad that’s four straight pieces of jersey and need be only as expensive as the fabric you choose. Cut four 120 X 90cm oblongs of fabric—Bill picked soft ice-cream shades in Qiana jersey. Overlock the edges and run a ribbon drawstring through one short end of each piece. Two oblongs gathered up and tied on each shoulder make the back and front of the dress. The remaining two pieces, gathered in tightly to wrists and draped over your shoulders, make a floaty jacket that can be knotted back and front. Soft gold leather straps are Bill Gibb’s newest accessory. Gold sandals, £24.95, Midas.

DESIGNED BY JANE CATTLIN Sew one short seam in an oval of silky jersey and you’ll have added a glamorous Jane Cattlin creation to your wardrobe. Jane makes it sound as simple as that, though the result looks like the ritziest evening gown in town. Jewellery, Adrien Mann. Gold leather shoes, £40, Manolo Blahnik for Zapata.

DESIGNED BY ZANDRA RHODES .. and called Conceptual Chic by Zandra. For her New Wave look, drop a sliver of shocking pink jersey on top of a plain black T-shirt dress. First cut several jagged slashes in a 105 x 114cm oblong jersey, making two of the cuts big enough for armholes. Overlock the edges and decorate with spangles and safety pins, preferably jewelled. Tie bright satin rouleaux around your neck. Stitch pearl or diamante beads on to plain safety pins or buy one of Zandra’s rolls of pins ready-jewelled from her shop at 14a Grafton Street, London W1. At £10, they’re the punk status symbol! Shoes, £40, Manolo Blahnik for Zapata.

DESIGNED BY PETER GOLDING … whose rhinestone-studded jeans, spangled T-shirts and satin waistcoats glint and gleam in his shop, Ace. If you’re star-struck but can’t afford the glittering trappings or spare the time to stitch sequins on your jeans here’s Peter Golding’s tip. Hang your Christms-tree decorations on to ponchos of sheer black lace, add a few stick-on silvery stars and moons, fasten your Lurex sotckings with silver suspenders, shake your feathers and enjoy yourself! The mirrored belt is made by pasting handbag-size mirrors on to any plain belt. Shoes, £40, Manolo Blahnik for Zapata. Lurex stockings, Mary Quant, £1.60.

Eminently Suitable

Antiquarius, Baggage and General, Bombacha, chelsea cobbler, David Fielden, Gingernut, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, interior design, interiors, Martha Hill, Michael Berkofsky, nostalgia, Ricci Burns, Ronnie Stirling, stirling cooper, Vintage Editorials, Wendy Dagworthy

LEFT: Zig-zag knitted acrylic skirt and jacket. £7.50 each from Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High Street, WI (mail order 30p). Scarf from The Orange Box. RIGHT: Loose crêpe-de-chine overblouse and matching skirt. Wendy Dagworthy £39. from Crocodile. 98 Bond Street. WI (mail order 30p and all branches: lsmat, 313 Brompton Road, SW3. Belt, Bombacha £2.30: silky scarf. Nostalgia £2.25.

Photographed in Ricci Burns’s drawing room. Hair by Mr Ricci of Ricci Burns.

Photographed by Mike Berkofsky.

Scanned from Honey, January 1975.

LEFT: Chocolate brown fitted wool jacket with top-stitched yoke and pockets and side-buttoning skirt £27.95. both from Gingernut. 40 James Street. W1. Floppy crepe-de-chine tie-neck blouse £5.50. David Fielden, at Antiquarius: thin leather belt with cream carved buckle, from Baggage & General. RIGHT: Tailored jacket with nipped-in buttoned waist and wide lapels and flared panelled skirt £27.95, both from Gingernut, 40 James Street, W1. 50s silky printed `scarf’ blouse. Nostalgia £3: brown chiffon scarf, from a selection at Fenwick.

Russet hopsack double-breasted jacket £22.95, and mid-calf skirt with front pleat £12.95, both by Stirling Cooper, from Ronnie Stirling, 94 New Bond Street, W1 ; Top Shop, Oxford Circus and branches; Owen Owen, Coventry, Liverpool and Wolverhampton. Maroon and white scarf, Nostalgia £2.00; shoes, Chelsea Cobbler £17.99.

Patricia Roberts Knitting Patterns

1970s, jap, Joanna Jacobs, knitwear, manolo blahnik, Margaret Howell, Patricia Roberts, rolph gobits, Sheilagh Browne, sheridan barnett, Wendy Dagworthy, zapata

Patricia Roberts designs exclusive hand knits worn by the famous and sold in the most prestigious fashion boutiques in Europe and America.

In 1976 she opened a knitting shop at 60 Kinnerton Street, London S.W.1., selling her own brand of hand knitting wools called “Woollybear Yarns”.

Such was the success of these pure natural yarns dyed in beautiful flattering colours, that buyers from prestige storesthroughout the country were quick to include them in their ranges.

1978 sees the first of Patricia’s magazines to be published independently. All the designs are knitted in Patricia’s “Woollybear Yarns”.

For the first time knitters will have the opportunity to knit these patterns in the luxurious and inexpensive yarns, for which Patricia’s designs are intended.

Happy Knitting!

Possibly some of the loveliest photographs I have ever seen in a knitting pattern booklet, but perhaps unsurprising given the designer is Patricia Roberts and the photographer Rolph Gobits.

Art Direction by Desmond Serjeant.

Hair by Smile.

Make-up by Mary Vango.

Models: Joanna Jacobs, Kelly, Jane Rochelle, Kevin Hand, Helmut.

Photographed by Rolph Gobits.

Scanned from Patricia Roberts Knitting Patterns, 1978.