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| “..designed for men to get birds in sight and girls over barrels.” -Yikes! |
And, finally, he’s really not the most swinging of dudes, but I have to admire a man who wears a bri-nylon shirt and tie on a tropical island…
Coat by Biba
Top and skirt by Ossie Clark for Quorum
Top and skirt by Biba
Dress by Jean Varon
Dress by Jane Walker at the Royal College of Art
Skirt and waistcoat by Marrian McDonnell
You no longer need time on your hands and London on your doorstep to keep slightly ahead of fashion. Now many of the brighter boutiques sell their clothes by post, and it is as easy to dress well in the Hebrides as in Kensington. For example, Ossie Clark’s screen-printed silk skirt and flowing smock (above) can be ordered separately from Just Looking, 88 King’s Road, London SW3 and 5-7 Brompton Road, SW3. The smock costs £34.10, the skirt £56.65 (plus 25p post and packing).
Browns, 27 South Molton Street, London W1, will send the red and white Indian cotton slip dress (left) for £25, plus 55p post and packing.
The Sonia Rykiel collection at Browns includes the maribou jacket, £28, sweater, £16, and waistcoat, £15. The pleated skirt, £21, is also from Browns.
The yellow trouser suit of Missoni's knits (right) costs £65 from Browns. Shoes by Pierre Cardin, £17.50, from Charles Jourdan.
French knickers, £3.70, and bra, £3.70, in pink silk are by Janet Reger. By post only from Bottom Drawer, 4 bouverie Place, London W2.
Mr Freedom, 20 Kensington Church Street, London W8, post this gaberdine trouser suit designed by Kim Lew. The price is £28, plus 25p post and packing. Walter Albini halter neck top, £18 from Browns.
In my teenage years, I developed a bit of a weird thing for cricketers. It was much ridiculed by my peers, but there was just something about the smart trousers, jumpers and lazy, peculiarly English feel of a cricket match which was like some kind of catnip to me.
It has lessened dramatically over the years, but I definitely think it was some kind of reaction to how horridly many men dressed in the town where I grew up. As I met more well-dressed men, I realised I was simply craving smartness, an effort, something ‘different’. So I’m very taken with the snazzy Seventies take on the look in the Aquascutum advert above. The beautiful illustration doesn’t hurt either…
Scanned from the Sunday Telegraph Magazine, May 1977.
Waterproof pigskin culottes, 18gns (matching jacket not shown, 40gns) to order, Cordoba Suedewear. Silk shirt, 11gns, by Annacat . Snakeskin waistcoat by Quorum, 6gns, only from Over The Rainbow. Mock crocodile boots, to order, Anello & Davide.
BIBA
254 Kensington High Street, W8
Biba, probably the best known of all the boutiques, began business six years ago with a mail order offer of a gingham shift and scarf for 25s, because fashion illustrator Barbara Hulanicki thought it was impossible to buy inexpensive well designed clothes and decided to do something about it. At the end of last year, in premises 16 times the size of the original boutique in Abingdon Road, Biba opened as a store selling not only clothes but also accessories, make up and home furnishings, Barbara Hulanicki’s distinctive style is carried through all her designs, sold only at the store and by mail order catalogue. She works with her husband, Stephen Fitzsimon.
Barbara Hulanicki in the store, where carpets and furnishings have all been designed with complementary colours and patterns. Child’s dress, 6 gns.
On the mezzanine floor. Crepe coat and trousers, 15 gns
Mirrored on the staircase: a slim crepe dress, 9 gns.
Printed Tricel dress, 9 gns.
Hair by Barbara Hulanicki. Photos by Duffy.
Marion Foale (left) and Sally Tuffin in their boutique.
Foale and Tuffin Ltd
1 Marlborough Court W1
Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin spent three years designing clothes under their own label before opening the Foale and Tuffin boutique in 1965. Their designs, often based on history, are still sold to other stores and boutiques in Britain and they export to the U.S. and Europe as well. They design for a relaxed way of life and make clothes they or their friends could wear.
The Daily Telegraph Magazine, July 17th 1970
Photos by Duffy.
Chiffon blouse, £7, and three matching skirts, £7 each.
Printed cotton dress, £12 10s. Hair by Vidal Sassoon.
Christopher McDonnell in the South Molton Street boutique. The model wears a blouse and layered culottes in organza, 42 gns.
I love these sparse and splendid boutique insights you can occasionally glean from vintage magazines. A while ago, to my shame, I promised that I would scan the entire of this July 1970 Telegraph Magazine article on London boutiques. Slap my wrist and call me Kate Moss, I clean forgot. I intend to amend, starting with marrian-mcdonnell.
45 South Molton Street, W1 and 80 Sloane Avenue, SW3
The first Marrian-McDonnell boutique opened in Sloane Avenue in April 1966. Christopher McDonnell, who had been a fashion editor with Queen magazine, where he met Mary Ann Marrian, designed clothes that were casual but elegant. A whoesale range was produced soon afterwards to meet the demand from other stores, and now the partners export to the U.S. and Scandinavia, too.
In 1968 the second boutique opened in South Molton Street, and its success emphasises Christopher’s flair for giving a touch of glamour to classic fashion.
(This photo by Guy Cross) Safari jacket, 13 gns, knitted trousers and floor length coat, 19 gns.
Typical Marrian-McDonnell ensemble is this cotton midi-dress with matching sleeveless coat, 20 gns.
Outside the dressing rooms, jersey jumpsuit, 13½ gns, worn with zip-fronted snakeskin jacket, 45½ gns.
Hair by David at Michaeljohn. Photos by Duffy.
Shorts have been with us for some time now – “hot pants” making even starlets front page news – but the big question was whether they were here to stay, or were just a gimmick. Increasing sales seem to show that they are really catching on, and now the big stores are stocking them. For those with the youth and legs to enjoy them, we bring the very latest designs.
Outfit by Antony for Stirling Cooper. All menswear by YSL.
Shorts and top by Bus Stop. Shirt by Toto from Crowthers
Outfit by Diana Crawshaw for Mr Freedom
Top and scarf by Ossie Clark from Quorum. Shorts by Clobber
Outfit on left by Diorling at Christian Dior. Outfit on right by Sheilagh Blagden at Stirling Cooper
Outfit on left by Ritva. Outfit on right by Paul Reeves for Universal Witness.
I went to scan a fabulous hotpant-themed fashion spread in the Daily Telegraph Magazine from 1971, and instead I found myself scanning in menswear adverts. Whoops….still, dreamy or what? I am particularly loving Mr Brighton, above. Hotpants tomorrow….
Liz Eggleston 