old england

Rigg Outs

1960s, alun hughes, avengers, avengerswear, Bata, Dannimac, diana rigg, Don Silverstein, edward mann, emma peel, old england, Selincourt, Sirela, the avengers, Thomas of Mayfair, Vintage Editorials, Woman's Own
Cotton pique raincoat in cream with top seaming by Dannimac, £8 19s. 6d. Matching barrow boy cap by Edward Mann, who make all hats for the series. Exotic watch on wide patent strap, by Old England about £5. Beige stretch stockings with single stripe by Echo 9s. 11d.

Where do I begin? You don’t need another rundown of her incredible career and life. You don’t need to be told what a breathtaking actor she was. I think I just need to express what she meant to me, except I’m not even sure I can do that adequately.

Her strength and confidence was, and continues to be, instructive to me as a woman in search of strength and confidence. I think it’s safe to say that I wouldn’t be the person I am today if Diana Rigg hadn’t been the person she was and portrayed women in the way she did. I quite literally wouldn’t be where I am because she piqued my interest in John Bates and his work. I wrote my degree dissertation on Emma Peel and began my love affair with British boutique clothing, which in turn started my business and gave me my ridiculous eBay username. I first met my partner at the launch of Richard Lester’s monograph on John Bates, twelve years ago next month.

I was fortunate enough to see her in Mother Courage and Her Children and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, thanks to an adventurous Theatre Studies A-level teacher, and later in Suddenly Last Summer and All About My Mother. I travelled up to Sheffield for the former, and briefly met her afterwards. I couldn’t really have translated all that she meant to me into anything coherent, so I just got her autograph and told her I thought she was amazing or something (I don’t remember). She smiled kindly and said thank you. I don’t know, I probably hoped she might adopt me. But she didn’t.

There is profound sadness in her no longer being in the world but always joy in her body of work. Which I shall enjoy revisiting. And I shall make an effort to rescan a lot of my archive for the new era in my life. Thanks to her, as always. Because I always come back to, what would Emma Peel do? And without Diana, there’s no Emma.

Today is a feature on the Avengerswear range designed by Alun Hughes (who took over from John Bates for the colour episodes). Tomorrow will be John Bates Avengerswear. Enjoy!

The Avengers are back! And the fashion world’s buzzing with the great news of Diana Rigg’s new wardrobe. Here’s the low-down: ABC Television have seen to it that all Diana’s clothes can be bought, budget-priced, from big stores up and down the country. And you’re the first to see them in their true colours. Suzanne Grey has picked these five top-sellers, photographed exclusively for Woman’s Own readers.

Photographed by Don Silverstein.

Scanned from Woman’s Own, January 14th 1967.

Designed by 25-year-old theatrical designer Alun Hughes, an action dress in Celon jersey; sizes 10-16, also in natural/yellow/orange stripes, about 9gns. by Thomas of Mayfair. Hair by Allan McKeown of Here and There. Bata are making Diana’s Avenger shoes.
Fighting catsuit, with stretch an movement in navy crimplene with mustard side-stripes Echo are making these up-not only for fighters, more for apres-skiers- for 8gns. Selincourt are making Avenger furs; suede and leather togs come from Sirela.
“I love this,” says Diana Rigg. “It’s the kind of thing I wear in ‘real life’. All the new Avenger things are.” Stunningly simple crepe dress and jacket by Alun Hughes for Thomas of Mayfair, sizes 10-16, about 12gns. Larger-than-life watch by Old England, about £5.
‘Litting-nothing’ dress, epitomizing the new Avenger fashion thinking. “No gimmicks,” says Alun Hughes, “just elegant, modern clothes to counter-balance an Emma Peel-type life. Girls on the move can’t be bothered with bits and pieces..” By Thomas of Mayfair, about 8gns.

Aquaphilia (Part 2)

1970s, alligator, Bermona, bus stop, chelsea cobbler, Dannimac, hans feurer, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, lee bender, mary quant, old england, Russell & Bromley, valstar, Vintage Editorials, Weathergay
Short, sharp, patent vinyl reefer jacket by Valstar. Perspex waterproof beach watch by Old England.

We know a girl… who can’t last the day without lashings of spray. We know a girl… who gets quite high on a bucket of tide. We know a girl… who gets no elation from dusty dehydration. We know a girl… who gets all her kicks from aquatic dips. We know a girl… who can’t get enough of that H20 stuff. We know a girl… who’s got pneumonia.

As promised, the waterproof outerwear counterpart to the last post.

Photographed by Hans Feurer in the Canary Islands.

Scanned from Honey, February 1970.

Polished patent vinyl trench coat by Valstar. Thigh high PVC wader boots to order from the Chelsea Cobbler. Cotton vest dress from the Kensington Antique Market.
PVC safari raincoat by Dannimac. Boots by Russell and Bromley. Kerchief by Kreier.
Zipped and fringed rubberbacked cotton cowgirl rain jacket by Valstar. Jersey trousers by Bus Stop. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.
Stormcoat in waterproof rubberised cotton by Valstar. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.
Long, lean fringed rubber-backed cotton trench coat by Valstar. Bandana by British Home Stores. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.
Buckled up PVC fisherman’s rain jacket with mtaching trousers and sou’-wester, all by Alligator.
Silver-studded, saddle-stitched rain jacket in PVC by Rainsport.
Belted mid calf gaberdine trench coat by Alligator. Jersey trousers by Bus Stop. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.
Skinny mini PVC raincoat by Rainsport. Sou’-wester by Bermona. Waterproof boots by Russell and Bromley. Perspex beach watch by Old England.
Lacquered PVC raincoat with matching trousers and sou’-wester all by Weathergay. Wet look boots by Mary Quant’s “Puddleducks”.

Believe it or not, this is rainwear

1960s, anello and davide, annacat, biba, burt glinn, charles jourdan, cherry twiss, Herbert Johnson, Hilary Floyd, Inspirational Images, jean varon, john bates, old england, ossie clark, susan small, telegraph magazine, Uncategorized, Vintage Editorials, Weathergay

believe it or not - burt glinn - the telegraph magazine - july 67 - 1

Showerproof cotton drill jodhpur suit by Biba. Fake snakeskin hat by Herbert Johnson. Black crocodile boots by Anello & Davide.

Since PVC, macs have been exotic… now the real exotics are turning waterproof. Weekend Telegraph photographed some of the unlikely new water-shedders in Jamaica, beside the Rio Grnde and in the Land of Look Behind.

Photographed by Burt Glinn.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from The Telegraph Magazine, July 1967.

believe it or not - burt glinn - the telegraph magazine - july 67

A PVC zip-up jumpsuit by Hilary Floyd modelled in Dunn’s River, Jamaica. Watch by Old England.

believe it or not - burt glinn - the telegraph magazine - july 67 - 2

Waterproof pigskin culottes by Cordoba Suedewear. Silk shirt by Annacat. Snakeskin waistcoat by Quorum.

believe it or not - burt glinn - the telegraph magazine - july 67 - 3

Hand knitted bikini by Spotlight. Trenchcoat by Weathergay.

believe it or not - burt glinn - the telegraph magazine - july 67 - 4

Showerproof cotton drill bermuda suit by Biba. Mock croc hat by Herbert Johnson.

believe it or not - burt glinn - the telegraph magazine - july 67 - 5

Canvas jacket by Andre Ledoux for Sidwall.

believe it or not - burt glinn - the telegraph magazine - july 67 - 6

Waterproof snakeskin brocade three-piece trouser suit by Susan Small. Crocodile Dior shoes by Charles Jourdan.

believe it or not - burt glinn - the telegraph magazine - july 67 - 7

Terylene and cotton cloak and hood by Burberrys. Tricel jersey evening dress and scarf by John Bates for Jean Varon.

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!

Miniature versions in 1968


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?