Jilly Johnson photographed by John Kelly.
Scanned from How To Photograph Women (1984)
Inspirational Images: Mild Sauce
1970s, boots, Inspirational Images, jilly johnson, mild sauceModels
Watching Out
alun hughes, diana rigg, emma peel, john steed, old england, patrick macnee, sixties, the avengers, twiggy
I was aghast to read recently that Old England was being ‘relaunched’ as a brand. This isn’t entirely surprising, given my usual reaction to such endeavours, but I was particularly cheesed off because I was still awaiting my very own original Old England timepiece. Ever since I knew about their collaboration with The Avengers, in the Alun Hughes-era rather than John Bates, I have been wanting one of my very own. I have extremely skinny wrists, and I either need something very delicate and barely there or I need some ridiculously big statement. Old England watches are perfect for the latter…
Diana Rigg in an Avengerswear mac by Dannimac, hat by Edward Mann and watch by Old England.
Patrick Macnee and Twiggy. Twiggy is wearing an Avengerswear Old England watch
Now it’s around her ankle!
So imagine my delight when I peered into a cabinet in a delightfully ramshackle antiques shop in Bexhill and spied this acid green confection. A wind and a few gentle shakes by the shop owner got it started after goodness knows how many years in the cabinet. It’s missing one of the strap bars across the back, but for £10 how could I say no?
Inspirational Images: Veruschka for Cutex, 1969
Inspirational Images, Make-up, sixties, veruschka, Vintage Adverts
Vanity Fair: Pat Cleveland and Gala Mitchell
alice pollock, alkasura, antony price, david montgomery, gala, just looking, manolo blahnik, pat cleveland, vanity fair, zapata
Dress by Antony Price from Che Guevara
I must admit that I am generally pretty ambivalent when it comes to model worship, but two of my absolute favourites are Pat Cleveland and Gala Mitchell. So imagine my delight when I found another issue of Vanity Fair from 1971 (December this time. Again, falling apart. What’s with the Vanity Fair binding?) and an entire spread with the two ladies I love? Imagine my further delight when I realise the shoot contains phenomenal clothes by Antony Price, Alice Pollock and Alcasura [sic]. It helps that it was photographed by the great David Montgomery (whose photos always seem to tickle my fancy).
Outfit by Alice Pollock. Shoes from Zapata.
Outfit by Alkasura. Shoes by The Chelsea Cobbler.
Dress by Simon Ellis from Just Looking
Dress by Martha Hill
Si tu cherches la bagarre?
amanda lear, disco, haute naffness, seventies fashion
I’m finally off for a few days to spend my second Christmas and only New Year with someone special, so I won’t be around to blog. Thank you all so much for your comments over the past few days, and indeed the past year. I’ve been doing silly hours at work for a few weeks now, so I haven’t had time to comment as much as I would like on all of your blogs, so it means a lot to me.
Enjoy your New Year celebrations, as small or as huge as they may be. I suspect mine will involve a lot of champagne coupe action, so I’ll raise a glass to all my dear readers and fellow bloggers and say…
Vogue’s Christmas: Send in the Clowns
bill gibb, clowns, david bailey, Gina Fratini, john bates, marie helvin, seventies fashion, thea porter, Vogue, zandra rhodes
It’s oh so quiet…
…over here, isn’t it? I haven’t turned to ice, or been out enjoying the snow too much to blog. No, I’m back in the West End, with my latest one-woman show….. ahhh, just joking! I’m back at the ballet, dressing the newest version of The Nutcracker and the schedule is a bit punishing for all involved. So I’m grabbing moments when I can, to post out my wares and try to keep on top of things. But sadly, it means that I’m barely able to keep up with all you lovely bloggers and get half of the things done before Christmas that I needed and wanted to do. Argh! Anyway, to keep you going until I have time/energy to blog again, here is one of my all-time favourite Vogue shoots from December 1975. Beauty and grace personified…
Apologies to any coulrophobes out there!
By John Bates
By Gina Fratini
By Jorn Langberg
By Bill Gibb
By Thea Porter
By Zandra Rhodes
Main dress by Hanae Mori
By Nettie Vogues
Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe
Just to let you know, I can still post out before Christmas although I wouldn’t recommend relying too heavily on the postal service, given current weather issues and Christmas rush. But even if it doesn’t get there in time, remember, a vintage piece is not just for Christmas…
Weekend Inspirations: The Furry Variations
1970s, brian jones, brigitte bardot, celia hammond, charlotte rampling, diana rigg, edward mann, Inspirational Images, jenny boyd, julie driscoll, linda thorson, Pattie Boyd, sandie shaw, sixties, veruschka
James Wedge the Milliner
british boutique movement, countdown, Foale and Tuffin, hats, james wedge, jenny boyd, moyra swan, Pattie Boyd, sixties, susannah york, top gear, Vogue
I’m often yapping on about the genius of James Wedge’s photography, but I have been meaning to share this very rare, very precious part of fashion history and of my personal collection for a while now. Wedge is one of those rare Renaissance-man types; successful in every new skill to which he turned his hand. He successfully ran his own boutiques (Countdown and Top Gear), forged a career in photography with no experience or working knowledge (trial and error often creates some of the best works of art) and, initially, he trained and worked as a milliner.
James Wedge hats in Vogue
His hats were regularly featured in Vogue in the early to mid Sixties, often teamed with outfits by his friends Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin, and are some of the most perfect examples of mod ‘op-art’ ever created. But they weren’t being produced for long, or in any great quantity, so they are now incredibly rare.
This hat splits me in half. I cannot wear fur. I just can’t. Not particularly morally, I eat meat and wear leather quite happily, but the feel on my skin is like nails down a blackboard. Consequently, a hat made from rabbit fur is a thing of beauty aesthetically but I wouldn’t wear it even if I could squish it over my big head. However, I can’t quite bring myself to sell it just yet. I mean… it’s James Wedge?!
Miss Peelpants goes to Penzance
holidays, janice wainwright, jean shrimpton, penzance
Well, I am returned from my holiday. Refreshed but cold, naturally. There was no amazing mystery about where I went, I just try not to get too excited about things before they happen. Otherwise I worry they won’t happen at all!
In particular, I was slightly panicking about it not happening at all due to flooding. The special place was The Abbey Hotel down in Penzance, which is owned (and was formerly run) by iconic former model Jean Shrimpton. She has since passed the management to her son Thaddeus, but the antique-filled Georgian building definitely has the unpretentious, warm atmosphere of the distinctly unpretentious and quirky Ms. Shrimpton throughout.
This was a holiday based around not very much at all, and I certainly enjoyed some serious mooching, lazy mornings (I’m not a big fan of the full English so I’ve long since given up trying to please b&b owners by still having it anyway…) and reading/talking by the crackling open fire in the lounge. Which, amazingly, was always empty. Those sturdy, fleece-wearing ‘other guests’ must have been out and about trying to get lots of things done. The fools! (And thank goodness for that…)
No fleece for me, you’ll be pleased to know. Plenty of velvet (a Janice Wainwright for Simon Massey blue panne velvet maxi, in distinctly medieval style, was perfect loungewear), chenille and assorted other goodies I was too damn [unashamedly] lazy to photograph. Ha!
The room was beautiful and entertaining in equal parts. They have, ingeniously, made it ensuite by installing a bathroom in a cupboard, and a sink/mirror in another cupboard. I suppose if you were high-maintenance it might not be to your taste, and I suspect it’s unique within the hotel, but it was highly amusing and became quite normal quite quickly….
Some brisk beach-walking in St Ives. Peter Lanyon at the Tate. Mouthwatering duck at The Bakehouse on Chapel Street. Window shopping at Kitt’s Corner vintage shop and a truly eclectic antique shop further up which is only open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The Christmas Dalek!
Saucy records picked up en route back. 
Palm-printed tumblers.
Groovy printed storage jars in the weirdest small-town charity shop I’ve ever been in (think, League of Gentlemen).
I wish I was still there, but there are beautiful clothes to be photographed and a ballet to work on. I don’t get much holiday time over Christmas, so I’m very lucky to have been able to have such a wonderful holiday beforehand. Thank you to Cornwall, The Abbey Hotel (all of the staff were charming, helpful and relaxed) and my gorgeous companion. Even the slightly scary snowfall on the way back was beautifully atmospheric and exciting.
Back to normal service tomorrow!
An open letter to Bryan Ferry
amanda lear, bryan ferry, jerry hall, kari ann muller, kate moss, marilyn cole, roxy musicDear Mr Ferry,
There seems to be some sort of immense cock-up, re. your new album. Those wags at the record company appear to have placed something called ‘Kate Moss’ on the front cover. How strange! How careless! Perhaps they need a little reminder of what a Roxy cover girl should really be like.
How kind of you to take the blame for them, by saying it was all your own idea. You’re such a gentleman. Although a little foolish, for who could believe that the BryanGod would ever deem Kate Moss to be a suitable Roxy girl?
You see, the big problem is that I wish to purchase your [surely] superb new piece of work, but I have an allergic reaction to Moss and cannot, therefore, get within a mile of it without breaking out in a rash. What a dilemma! What a pickle!
I look forward to purchasing from you again in the future, when sanity has been restored.
Yours faithfully,
Miss Peelpants
Liz Eggleston 