Autumn Midicine

1970s, Adrian Mann, Alan Rodin, anello and davide, Angela at London Town, autumn, biba, charlotte martin, clobber, elisabeth novick, georgina linhart, gladrags, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Jolly Boy, Louis Feraud, Pourelle, Russell & Bromley, Sacha, simon massey, terry de havilland, Vintage Editorials

LEFT: Zig-zag Dralaen midi shirt dress, 8 gns., with a charcoal grey ribbed waistcoat. 4 gns., both by Georgina Linhart; pale grey leather boots, Sacha, 9 gns. RIGHT: Swirly skirted printed Dicel crepe dress with tightly laced wide wet-look belt, Simon Massey, £12 5s.; tightly laced suede boots, Anello and Davide, 16 gns.

This is definitely the Season of the Midi, which involves a whole new set of fashion rules. Midis look best without an inch of leg showing, which means either long tight-fitting boots to take over where the midi finishes, or coloured tights matching clumpy-heeled shoes. So keep gulping; daily doses will keep you in the pink, fashion wise.

Aside from all the dreamy autumnal clothes and the fact that the blonde model is Charlotte Martin, it’s so lovely to see Terry de Havilland’s early and legendary three-tier wedges. As so often with Terry’s shoes, they are erroneously credited to the stockists (here ‘Jolly Boy’), but it’s still lovely to see them.

Photographed by Elisabeth Novick.

Scanned from Honey, August 1970.

LEFT: Giant sunflower•printed drawstring Acrylic knitted midi dress, Clobber, 7 gns.; silver clover-leaf buckled belt, Fifth Avenue. 77s. 6d.; lavender tights Mary Quant, 9s. 11d.; snakeskin wedge-heel shoes, Jolly Boy, 9 gns. RIGHT: Wavy banded pink printed wool midi dress, Simon Jeffrey, 8 gns.; dusty pink tights, Twiggy, 7s.; two-tone wedge-heel snakeskin shoes, Jolly Boy, 9 gns.

LEFT: Tubular rollneck diamond jacquard midi dress, Clobber, 7 gns.; circular suede and leather thonged belt. Adrien Mann, 84s.; pale pink tights, Twiggy, 7s.; co-respondent snakeskin shoes, Jolly Boy, 9 gns. RIGHT: Slender zipped-up jacquard wool-mixture midi dress, Gladrags, £9; olive green printed chiffon scarf, Sara Jane, 59s.; pear-shaped leather linked belt, Ian Mankin, 80s.; plum tights, Mary Quant, 9s. 11d.; two-tone snakeskin sandals, Jolly Boy, 9 gns.

LEFT: Petrol blue and yellow side-split jacquard jersey midi dress, Angela at London Town, 10 gns.; knee-high navy canvas boots, Biba, £7 105.; dusty blue tights, Mary Quaff, 9s. 11d.; black leather belt with oval gilt eyelets, Strides, 84s. RIGHT: Bottle green micro-speckled jacquard jersey zipped-through midi dress, Gladrags, 10 gns.; Neapolitan printed silk scarf, Chester Martin, 63s.; black canvas boots. Biba, £7 10s.

Kaleidoscopic fluted Dicel crepe midi dress, Simon Massey, £11; purple tights, Twiggy, 7s.; leg-hugging lace-up suede boots Anello and Davide, 16 gns.

Random rose-printed Shetland cowl-neck midi dress. Georgina Linhart, 13 gns.; waist-cinching silver buckled belt, Fifth Avenue, 77s. 6d.

LEFT: Terracotta and create button-through Courtelle neospun jacquard coat dress (with matching trousers not shown), Alan Rodin, 15 gns.; sheer smokey brown tights, Berkshire, 9s.; swirly rust and cream printed silk scarf, Chester Martin, 63s. RIGHT: Maroon and beige jacquard jersey midi dress with plain jersey skirt, Angela at London Town, 11i gns.; sheer black coffee tights, Wolford, 13s.; pearlised brown strappy shoes, Mary Quant, 75s.

LEFT: Toffee and grey striped wool midi vest dress, Kadix, £7 10s.; tan’ wood and leather thonged belt, Adrien Mann, 90s.; burnt orange tights, Mary Quant, 9s. 11d.; tightly laced rust suede boots, Anello and Davide, 16 gns. RIGHT: Chevron printed Cossack dress in black, brown and grey Courtelle jacquard knit, Georgina Linhart, 13 gns.; beige leg-hugging boots, from a selection at Russell and Bromley.

LEFT: Leather tasselled bitter chocolate angora wool jersey shirt dress, Miss Feraud, £13 10s.; brown and pink geometric printed silk scarf, Chester Martin, 635.; rust suede lace-up boots, Anello and Davide, 16 gns. RIGHT: Clingy plum and cream honeycomb-printed wool jersey vest dress, Pourelle, 10 gns.; triangular suede linked belt, Adrien Mann, 65s.; tight-fitting beige boots, from a selection at Russell and Bromley.

Flannel as a Platform for Colour

1970s, Adrian Mann, Alan Rodin, bally, Buckle Under, bus stop, christopher mcdonnell, edward mann, Elliott, emcar, Escalade, flair magazine, Frank Murphy, georgina linhart, harold ingram, harriet, John Craig, Joseph, Juliet Dunn, kangol, lee bender, Mark Russell, mary quant, Muira, Mulberry, Pringle, Russell & Bromley, Sacha, Vintage Editorials

Jersey wrap around jacket, Georgina Linhart £15.50. Shirt, Richard Green £5.50. Sleeveless sweater, Harold Ingram £2.20. Prince of Wales skirt, Emcar £22.50. Shoes, Elliott £15.95. Velour hat, Buckle Under £8.50. Clutch bag, £1.60 by Escalade. / Wool tweed jacket £20.50; wool tweed skirt £10.25, both by Christopher McDonnell. Shirt, John Craig £4.50. Wool cardigan, Harold Ingram £3.25. Hat £5.95; cotton scarf 45p, both by Herbert Johnson. Shoes, Russell & Bromley £14.95. Clutch bag, Escalade £10.75.

Bright girls use their grey matter and use flannel as a platform for colour

Photographed at St. Pancras Station, London. Hair by Gerald at Evansky.

Photographed by Frank Murphy.

Scanned from Flair, September 1972.

Wool flannel double breasted jacket and matching bags, John Marks £14.95. Acrilan jersey shirt, 14.49 ; striped V neck sleeveless wool sweater, £3.50, both by John Craig. Angora pull on, Kangol £1.10. Leather knee boots, Sacha £9.99. Canvas striped shoulder bag, Mulberry £3.50. Flower printed wool cardigan jacket with tie belt and matching pleated skirt, Alan Rodin £19. Striped silky shirt, Joseph £7.50. Striped cloche, Marida £2.80. String of pearls, Adrien Mann £1. Patent shoes, Russell & Bromley £17. Leather clutch bag, Mulberry £7. Tights, Mary Quant 75p. Bangles, Paul Stephens 10p each. Telephone wire bangle, Escalade 40p.

Right: Flannel tie belted jacket, £13.50; checked trousers, £5.50, both by Alan Rodin. Spotted silky shirt, Joseph £7.50. Velour cloche, Buckle Under £8.50. Leather knee boots, Sacha £9.99. Pearl choker, Adrien Mann £1. Leather clutch bag, Cingula £9.50. Wool flannel stitched shirt styled jacket with matching pants, Muira £12.50. Long Giselle scarf, Ascher £4.25. Leather knee boots, Sacha £9.99. Leather shoulder bag, Terry Davis £11. Shopping information page 82.

Striped flannel cardigan jacket with matching pleated skirt, Mary Quant £12. Striped silky shirt, Joseph £7.50. Scoop neck long sleeved lambswool jumper, Pringle £9. Tights, Mary Quant 75p. Thin leather belt, Mulberry £2.20. Patent leather shoes, Russell & Bromley £17. Printed pull on hat, Edward Mann £3.20. Telephone wire choker, Escalade £1. Leather clutch bag, Mulberry £7. Bangles, Paul Stephens 10p each. Flannel cape-sleeved wool dress with checked insets, Harriet £9.45. Peachbloom breton style hat, Buckle Under £11. Tights, Mary Quant 75p. Leather clutch bag with perspex buckle, Cingula £9.50. Printed Acri-lan jersey shirt, £4.91; button-through long sleeved matching cardigan, £4.49, both by John Craig. Two-tone patent shoes, Russell & Bromley £19. Long string of pearls, Adrien Mann £2.70

Striped flannel belted jacket, £5.95; matching pants £5.95, both by Bus Stop. Dicel satin waistcoat, £6; matching pink silk spotted shirt, £7.50; white Dicel satin tie, £2, all by Juliet Dunn. Patent and suede lace-up shoes, Bally £7.95. Leather clutch bag, Mulberry £7.Wraparound wool coat with tie belt, Mark Russell £28.50. Tights, Mary Quant 75p. Pearl choker, Adrien Mann £1. Patent leather shoes, Russell & Bromley £17. Long Giselle scarf, Ascher £4.25. Horn bangles, Escalade £2.50 each. Luggage from a selection at Liberty.

Dressing Gowns

1970s, anjelica huston, biba, Diana Leslie, flair magazine, georgina linhart, Inspirational Images, James Drew, liberty, liberty's, lingerie, loungewear, Steve Hiett, Tyger Tyger, Vintage Editorials

Rayon boudoir dressing gown by Diana Leslie for Tyger Tyger.

Dressing gowns should be comfortable, glamorous and practical. Here we show you what you might wear if you want to potter about the house in style, from towelling to satin, the pick of the bunch.

Modeled by Anjelica Huston.

Photographed by Steve Hiett.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Flair, December 1971

dressing-gowns-steve-hiett-flair-dec-71-5

Red and white flower print rayon dressing gown by Karencraig.

Beardsley print slinky dressing gown by Georgina Linhart.

Red voluminous nightie and peignoir by Biba.

Black and white cotton kimono by Jasper.

L-R Beardsley print slinky dressing gown by Georgina Linhart; Red voluminous nightie and peignoir by Biba; White and black kimono by Jasper.

dressing-gowns-steve-hiett-flair-dec-71-7

Dark brown panne velvet dressing gown by Georgina Linhart.

dressing-gowns-steve-hiett-flair-dec-71-8

Lilac and burgundy towelling zip up dressing gown by James Drew.

dressing-gowns-steve-hiett-flair-dec-71-9

Liberty Veruna wool checked wrap dressing gown from Liberty.

Inspirational Images: Cool-Cut Hot Raspberry

1960s, british boutique movement, clive arrowsmith, georgina linhart, Inspirational Images, just looking, Vogue

Cleverly-cut bra top, just tied in a knot in burning hot pink, with loose low trousers of the ame. By Georgina Linhart, 91/2 gns, at Just Looking.

Cleverly-cut bra top, just tied in a knot in burning hot pink, with loose low trousers of the ame. By Georgina Linhart, 9½ gns, at Just Looking.

Photographed by Clive Arrowsmith.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Vogue, April 1969

Got the Glitterbug…

1960s, 1970s, british boutique movement, chelsea girl, georgina linhart, Jaeger, Marnie Fogg, personal collection, quorum, wallis

Glitterbug (1972) from Marnie Fogg’s Boutique

For some reason, I have shied away from posting about my collection much in recent years. I suppose it’s always been somewhat fluid; things come and go when times are hard or when something better comes along. But recently I acquired something which had always been a bit of a ‘holy grail’ for me, and it reminded me of exactly why I love fashion history, collecting and researching.

One of the most important books on my road to total geekery was Marnie Fogg’s Boutique: A ’60s Cultural Icon. Amazon kindly (and terrifyingly) informs me that I purchased it exactly ten years ago. Although clearly not comprehensive, something I am now realising is probably impossible, it was my main gateway into understanding the boutique phenomenon as a whole. I already knew many of the designers – and was delighted to see how much space was dedicated to John Bates – but several were new names to me. One of these was Georgina Linhart. Another graduate of St Martin’s College of Art and Design, Linhart set up her label in 1964 and, while she was frequently featured in the top magazines of the period, her business only ran for ten years. She later worked for Quorum, Jaeger, Wallis and Chelsea Girl. All four of which are favourite vintage labels chez Vintage-a-Peel.

Georgina Linhart, 1970

The more time went on, the more I realised how rare examples of her work must be these days. My eBay search was empty 99% of the time, and only occasionally turned up magazine features and a couple of jackets. The most distinctive dress pictured in Fogg’s Boutique book was ‘Glitterbug’ (see above). A sequined halterneck mini dress, gossamer light and substantial in its insubstantiality; so quintessentially of its time, the epitome of the permissive age.

So my heart was in my mouth when Glitterbug turned up on eBay a couple of months ago. It was slightly out of my price range at the time, and the recent events in my life had forced me to re-evaluate what was important (and worth getting into debt for). So I sat and watched it. Every day I would log into eBay, with one eye shut, and check if anyone had bought it. Every day it was still there, but my nerves were getting beyond frazzled. So the day I finally felt marginally less broke than normal, was the day I logged in and put in a cheeky best offer. I am impossibly grateful to the seller for accepting it and making my collector dreams come true. It has been a long time coming, and it has come a long way from the USA, but Glitterbug is finally in my collection. Plus, it fits me – which I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have done ten years ago. What are the odds?

Glitterbug (1972) from my personal collection

Something To Cling To

1970s, biba, bus stop, david hurn, Foale and Tuffin, georgina linhart, just looking, petticoat magazine, Sacha, Vintage Editorials

Stretch towelling midi dress from Foale and Tuffin. Cotton velour tie-front dress from Phase One. Armband from Biba. Hats from The Shop.

It’s such a shame that towelling has been so roundly bastardised and rendered unwearable by the likes of Juicy ‘Pepto Bismol’ Couture and consequent high street replicas. Even Ossie was using it in the late Sixties!

“High summer towelling” feature scanned from Petticoat, August 1970. Photos by David Hurn. Scanned by Miss Peelpants.

Jacket with belt and long skirt by Bellino. Stretch dress with matching trousers from Foale and Tuffin. Sandals by Sacha. Crochet hat from The Shop.

‘I love you’ top by Clobber

Top, shorts and skirt by Just Looking. Hat from Bus Stop. Sunglasses from Biba. Shoes by Sacha.

Top by Mr Freedom. Shorts by Georgina Linhart.

Wild about prints

1960s, angela gore, celia birtwell, georgina linhart, kleptomania, ossie clark, paul misso, petticoat magazine, quorum

Jacket by Kleptomania

The season of mists gets shattered into life in the riot of autumn’s wide-awake prints in all the colours of the rainbow.

Petticoat, October 1969. Photographed by Paul Misso.

Dress by Georgina Linhart from the Victoria and Albert Boutique, W.8. Silk printed scarf by Kleptomania.

Patchwork print trousers and tie top by Clobber. Blue and white print dress by Quorum.

Black and white flowery dress by Angela Gore. White boots by Sacha. Red and orange cord dress and scarf by Angela Gore. Jacket by Kleptomania.

Dress by Sujon.

Inspirational Images: Georgina Linhart, 1970

1970s, flair magazine, georgina linhart, Inspirational Images

From a spread entitled “A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in Flair magazine. I covet the dress and scarf so badly. The dress is called ‘Oh Darling’ but they’ve forgotten to credit a photographer! Tsk… (June, 1970)

Model Behaviour

1960s, alice pollock, barry lategan, charlotte martin, georgina linhart, grace coddington, Honey Magazine, john cowan, lee bender, Models, norman eales, paulene stone, twiggy

Grace Coddington and some girl called Twiggy

As a wise man said to me very recently, it should have been mandatory for publications to identify their models back in the Sixties and Seventies. Luckily, some of you are very good at this anyway. (I am not). Also luckily, such features as this exist. From Honey, July 1967, we have a handy feature on some up-and-coming models of the time.

Twiggy, obviously, needs no introduction. The glorious Grace Coddington, Paulene Stone, Shirley Anne Hayes and the ethereally lovely Charlotte Martin feature amongst some lesser-[to me]-known beauties. If any of them ever do an ego-search on Google and find this blog, please do email me and let me know what you’re up to now!

Paulene Stone and Maren Greve

Lorraine Hawkins and Janni Goss

Shirley Anne Hayes and Jenny Fussell

Charlotte Martin and Sue Lynn

Kellie and Melissa Congdon

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?