Inspirational Images

Inspirational Images: Ironing in your undies

1970s, Abecita, Dorothy Perkins, Gossard, Inspirational Images, margit brandt, Marks and Spencer, steven hiett, underwear, Vintage Editorials, Warners

Left by Gossard. Right by Marks and Spencer.

A Little More Than Nothing

I must confess that I often find myself ironing in my underwear. Likewise cooking and cleaning. Seems a shame to get things dirty and creased, or myself all hot and bothered, whilst doing household chores. I fear this ‘outs’ me as rather anally retentive as far as clothes are concerned but, I don’t imagine it comes as much of a surprise to anyone.

The other thing with ironing is that I am often ironing a particular outfit at the last minute (having changed my mind fifteen times already…) and it needs to be instantly yanked on while I fly out of the door (having checked twenty times that the iron is turned off. Yes, I am also OCD). So I smiled a smile of familiarity when I saw these gorgeous photographs by Steve Hiett for Flair Magazine.

As always, Seventies undies completely trump all modern underwear as far as I am concerned…

Photographed by Steve Hiett. Scanned from Flair, August 1972

Left by Margit Brandt for Femilet. Right by Warners.

Left by Abecita. Right by Dorothy Perkins.

Inspirational Images: Sheer clear of the showers

1970s, caroline baker, City Lights, helmut newton, Inspirational Images, nova magazine, Swanky Modes, Vintage Editorials

Top and wrap skirt at Swanky Modes. Sandals from City Lights Studio.

Ah…the Great British Summer. Still, I wouldn’t mind the rain if  I had a Swanky Modes transparent raincoat in my armoury. I would probably opt for wearing clothes underneath though. (I know, I’m such a spoilsport!)

Scanned from Nova, August 1973. Photographs by Helmut Newton.

Top and airmen’s trousers by Swanky Modes. Sandals at City Lights Studio.

Trenchcoat with petal-leaf collar at Swanky Modes. Sandals at City Lights Studio.

A-line raincoat with ‘debris’ seal in pockets by Swanky Modes. Sandals at City Lights Studio.

Inspirational Images: How a Continental Sees You

1970s, Bernshaw, celia birtwell, cosmopolitan, Daniel Hecter, edward mann, Inspirational Images, Just Jaeckin, katharine hamnett, Kayser, laura ashley, ossie clark, Pierre Elegante, radley, Russell & Bromley, tuttabankem, Vintage Editorials

Time for a little flirtation. Dress by Ossie Clark for Radley.

Possibly one of my favourite, most lush photoshoots of the period by the legendary photographer (and filmmaker) Just Jaeckin. Scanned from Cosmopolitan, February 1974. That Ossie dress? I am largely speechless with desire… except for occasional gurgling sounds.

Lunch can be the nicest meal of the day... Dress and jacket by Daniel Hechter. Hat by Edward Mann. Russell & Bromley shoes. Photographed at Drones, 1 Pont Street, London SW1.

Be a liberated lady. Slip by Kayser.

Staying at home can be more fun that going out. Top and skirt from Laura Ashley. Man’s clothes all from Simpson’s, Piccadilly.

The lady loves to dance. Dress by Bernshaw, shoes by Russell & Bromley. Photographed at Bertie’s, 86 Brompton Road, London SW3.

Vintage Adverts: Travel with Boccara

1970s, flair magazine, Inspirational Images, Vintage Adverts

Scanned from Flair, June 1970.

The Prettiest Watercolours

1970s, alice pollock, british boutique movement, harpers and queen, Inspirational Images, james wedge, liberty's, thea porter, Vintage Editorials

Floaty cover-up in silk chiffon, printed with navy/red/cream, tying at waist; by Alice Pollock for Quorum, about £45. Black lycra swimsuit by Eres, £16.50.

Scanned from Harpers and Queen, June 1973. Photographs by James Wedge.

Belted cover-up in fine cotton voile, with paisley print in pale green/blue/yellow/purple, and long medieval sleeves; £37, Liberty. Pale green lycra bikini; £5, Liberty.

Cotton voile abaya by Thea Porter, with print of Chinese horses in green and brown, and two panels of antique patchwork fabrics; £61, Thea Porter

Inspirational Images: Fulham Road Clothes Shop, 1969

1960s, annacat, Arnaud de Rosnay, british boutique movement, corocraft, fulham road clothes shop, Inspirational Images, sylvia ayton, Vogue, zandra rhodes

Drifting gypsy dress in early morning sea colours. Scarf, top and trousers, 11gns, at the Fulham Road Clothes Shop. Silver chaining over the head by Carlton Payne, about £10, at Annacat. Silver rings by Corocraft.

Superb piece by all-too-scarce design duo Sylvia Ayton and Zandra Rhodes for the Fulham Road Clothes Shop.

Featured in Vogue, May 1969. Photographed by Arnaud de Rosnay.

Inspirational Images: Jean Muir, 1970

1970s, david bailey, Inspirational Images, Jan de Villeneuve, Vogue

Jan de Villeneuve in Jean Muir

Photographed by David Bailey. Vogue,  January 1970. Scanned by Miss Peelpants.

Inspirational Images: How to make it happen on holiday

1970s, alice pollock, brian duffy, bus stop, clobber, cosmopolitan, Crochetta, deborah and clare, Deirdre McSharry, Diane Logan, Escalade, Gordon Deighton, harold ingram, Inspirational Images, lord john, Lucienne Phillips, miss mouse, Suliman, Tom Gilbey, Vintage Editorials

Dress by Elle. Shirt by Deborah and Claire.

Always happy to bring you another ‘lost’ shoot by the late, great Brian Duffy. Since Duffy destroyed his own archive, we are left to piece together a career from what was published in magazines or retained in other people’s archives. I try to scan and share whenever I can… I covet both Alice Pollock pieces in this spread, and love the man’s style. Definitely how all men should dress, always.

Photographed by Duffy. Fashion by Deirdre McSharry. Modelled by Greta Norris and Cyril Hartman.

Scanned from Cosmopolitan, July 1972.

As an aside, apologies for sporadic blogging at the moment. There are a few changes afoot and it is distracting me a little from my usual magazine scouring and scanning. I will tell you when everything, hopefully, falls into place in the next few weeks.

Silk dress by Suliman, crepe shirt by Deborah and Clare.

Jacket by Alice Pollock, shoes by Sacha

Her skirt by Miss Mouse, blouse and scarf at Lucienne Phillips. His shirt by Lord John.

His and hers Harold Ingram sweaters

Her dress by Clobber, hat by Diane Logan and shoes by Samm.

Her top by Crochetta, trousers by Gordon Deighton. His sweater by Harold Ingram and trousers by Tom Gilbey.

T-shirt by Escalade. Hat from Bus Stop

Blue silk ‘intimate’ dress by Alice Pollock with bird print by Frances Ronaldson. He wears an Indian shirt from Crocodile.

Inspirational Illustrations: Elizabeth Alone

1970s, Ann Meisel, Illustrations, Inspirational Images, nova magazine

Illustration by Ann Meisel

Scanned from Nova, November 1973. Illustrating the first chapter of Elizabeth Alone by William Trevor.

British Design Hero: Tommy Roberts

1960s, 1970s, british boutique movement, carnaby street, City Lights, glam rock, Inspirational Images, king's road, kleptomania, mr freedom, pop art, Tommy Roberts

Mr Freedom interior. Photograph: JON WEALLEANS

The lovely Paul Gorman very kindly sent me some sneaky peeky previews of his much-awaited new book about Tommy Roberts (Kleptomania, Mr Freedom, City Lights etc). From what I’ve seen and read so far, this is going to be quite a ‘must have’ book for anyone interested in Sixties and Seventies fashion – and specifically, the British Boutique scene in London at the time.

Cheeky and freaky, Mr Freedom clothes are amongst my very favourites of their kind. The bright, brash shapes, colours and logos have long since moved beyond pop-art irony and into the realms of the iconic themselves. This is the first, and I’m sure will remain the only, definitive look at the life of Roberts and his various other boutiques and projects … and I actually cannot wait to have a hard copy in my hands! I will give it a full review eventually, but until then…

Rock on Tommy, rock on…

You can pre-order Mr Freedom direct from Adelita for a mere £20.

Mr Freedom hotpants, 1970. Photo: Stephen Markeson (The Sun/NI Syndication)

Derek Morton suit for City Lights, 1973. Photographed by David Parkinson