Vintage Adverts: The pants with definite appeal

1970s, cosmopolitan, haute naffness, Vintage Adverts

‘The pants with definite appeal’? It’s like this advert was made for me to find…

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, September 1973

Vintage Adverts: Steiner. The first name in Photomontage

1970s, cosmopolitan, mild sauce, photomontage, Vintage Adverts

Oh I do love a bit of photomontage, and this Steiner hair advert is just glorious. It was certainly a favourite technique of James Wedge, but I’m not sure they’re quite his style – they’re rather more straightforward and less painted. Although that’s not to denigrate them; I love the simplicity of the layout, which belies how entirely fiendish it was to make pictures like this. We take such effects for granted in the age of photoshop, but these would have been incredibly time-consuming…

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, October 1973

Inspirational Illustrations: The Reincarnation of Peter Proud

1970s, cosmopolitan, Illustrations, Inspirational Images, Plourde

“Over and over again. The same scene, the same woman, the same violent ending. No normal dream, but the other explanation was unthinkable.”

Illustration by Plourde. Scanned from Cosmopolitan, January 1975

Vintage Adverts: We endeavour to keep our girls to the straight and narrow

1970s, cosmopolitan, Dorothy Perkins, Inspirational Images, Vintage Adverts

The straight and narrow path is open to any girl at Dorothy Perkins with straight skirts, waisted dresses and a full complement of knitwear, silky blouses and slightly shaped jackets.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, October 1979

The Tight-Ass Suit

1970s, barbara daly, bus stop, Chris Trill, christa peters, cosmopolitan, Courtney Reed, Howie Diffusion, Inspirational Images, lee bender, Liz Smith, Midas, Pamela Frances, Pancaldi, Sacha, Stephen Marks, strawberry studio, Tatters, Vintage Editorials

Suit by Lee Bender at Bus Stop. Belt by Chris Trill. Shoes from Midas.

“Start squaring your shoulders, tightening your belt and walking on four-inch heels…”

A phenomenal editorial which feels very ahead of its time. This is really the birth of ‘Power Dressing’, from February 1979. There’s a curious juxtaposition of old and new, the old telephone and boudoir chair in the final photo suggest the origins of these suits in the Forties while the clunky ‘mobile phone’ is the signpost to the unknown future. Pre-Eighties and pre-Thatcher (just) – even pre-Miss Peelpants (also, just!) – there’s something quite charming about the modest silhouette here – which is really rather hard to equate with the horrors which were to come. These feel more in line with the New Romantic and Goth garments from the 1980s which I feel passionate about and choose to collect (like Sarah Whitworth, Symphony of Shadows etc), than with Yuppies and Dynasty, although you can just as equally see their genesis here.

Photographed by Christa Peters. Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmpolitan, February 1979.

Suit by Wallis. Silk camisole by Tatters. Shoes from Pancaldi.

Jute tweed suit by Strawberry Studio. Bag by Butler and Wilson. Shoes from Russell & Bromley.

Cotton cord suit by Howie Diffusion. Camisole from Tatters. Belt by Courtney Reed. Shoes from Pancaldi.

Three piece suit by Daily Blue. Shirt by Riva. Purse and shoes by Pancaldi.

Suit by Stephen Marks. Shirt by Pamela Frances. Belt by Courtney Reed. Shoes from Pancaldi.

Wool crepe suit by Jaeger. Shoes by Pancaldi.

Suit with the wiest shoulders and narrowest skirt by Strawberry Studio. Suede shoes by Sacha.

When a girl gets carried away (in Antony Price…)

1970s, antony price, Boutiques, british boutique movement, cosmopolitan, Inspirational Images, Neil Kirk, Plaza, Trevor Sorbie, Valerie Robertson, Vintage Adverts

Clothes of the future by Antony Price at Plaza. Photographs by Neil Kirk.

Hair by Trevor Sorbie. Jewellery designed by Valerie Robertson.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, October 1979.

The Smirnoff guide to seduction

1970s, Alexandra Bastedo, Anne Turkel, biba, british boutique movement, cosmopolitan, Greta Norris, Inspirational Images, Mercedes, paulene stone, Randall Lawrence, smirnoff, Vintage Adverts, Vintage Editorials

So today, I went to pick up an enormous job lot of magazines I bought on eBay. It’s a very mixed bag, but included some early Cosmopolitans (which always get me rather excitable…). Flicking through a few tonight, what should fall out of the October 1972 copy, but bloody junk advertising. Pah! Typical! But, wait, Seventies junk advertising is no ordinary advertising. It was the specially made Smirnoff guide to seduction (Complete and unabridged!) – “Elements of all the best seductions as discovered by Cosmopolitan for Smirnoff” with six top models who “reveal their personal approaches to the art“. Isn’t it glorious? Best of all, this is the kind of ephemera which falls out of a magazine and we just throw away, but somehow this survived…

Photographer and garments uncredited. Scanned by Miss Peelpants. Believed to date from October 1972.

Greta Norris

Paulene Stone

Alexandra Bastedo (in Biba, I think)

Mercedes

Ann Turkel

Randall Lawrence

Inspirational Editorials: Second Time Around in Alice Pollock

1970s, alice pollock, british boutique movement, City Lights, cosmopolitan, Deirdre McSharry, Inspirational Images, jackie collins, janet reger, joan collins, L'Odeon, laurence harvey, norman eales, paulene stone, quorum, sarah frearson, Vintage Editorials, Walter Steiger, Zazie

alice pollock cosmo may 73 norman eales 2

“He’s a shade younger than I am, but he’s determined to close the generation gap. Luckily I’m not in the least bit ticklish”.

Your second oyster tasted much nicer than the first. The second time you drank champagne the bubbles did not make you sneeze… As Jackie Collins, the writing Collins sister puts it: “The second marriage is definitely more fun. The first time you marry very young; the next time you know what you are involving yourself in.” Joan, the actress Collins adds: “In my case it’s the third time around. And that’s better still. ” Alice Pollock, the designer, is contemplating taking the plunge again – hence this Second Time Around fashion – “It’s cool to marry again, providing you do it well. ” Paulene Stone, the beautiful redhaired model who married Laurence Harvey in the New Year – and after a long courtship – said: “The second marriage? Oh, it’s a lovely feeling. I was so glad when it finally happened.” (Honest lady!) As is Mr Harvey who describes re-marriage as: “The triumph of hope over experience.” And to all the hopeful ladies who are contemplating love or marriage for the second time, these beautifully experienced clothes are dedicated.

All clothes by Alice Pollock at Quorum. Fashion by Deirdre McSharry. Photographed by Norman Eales. Modelled by Zazie.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, May 1973.

alice pollock cosmo may 73 norman eales 1

“It’s so restful spending the evening with a man you know well. I just let him get on with his Proust.” Shoes by City Lights

alice pollock cosmo may 73 norman eales 3

“Well we got to Caxton Hall in time. I picked him up in my Porsche just in case.” Hat by Sarah Frearson. Pendant from L’Odeon.

alice pollock cosmo may 73 norman eales 4

Inset Above: “Who says brides don’t wear black?” / Above: “Second honeymoons are seriously underrated. I haven’t had so much fun since I saw Private Lives.” Suspender belt by Janet Reger. Shoes from Walter Steiger. His outfit at Simpsons.

Vintage Adverts: Black goes with everything…

1970s, cosmopolitan, faux fur, flares, Guinness, hats, hotpants, maxis, platforms, Vintage Adverts

Necklines rise and plunge. Hemlines fall and rocket up again. Bottoms are in and out, bosoms come and go, colours wax and wane, waists move up and down, then vanish and re-appear. Only one thing remains calm, constant and reliable. And that’s black. Good to look at. Restrained. Dramatic. At home in any company. Our own little black number is a case in point. It goes with everything. It’s dry, clean-tasting and elegant. And it’s called Guinness.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, September 1973.