Softly Softly

1970s, Alain Walsh, Angela at London Town, Bata, biba, bus stop, Butler & Wilson, Chelsea Antiques Market, gillian richard, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Jayne Swayne, lee bender, liberty, liberty's, Martha Hill, miss selfridge, Russell & Bromley, Sujon, Vintage Editorials

Dove-patterned dress with cap-sleeved bolero, £10.75 from Biba, Kensington High Street, W8. Suede patchwork shoes, Russell & Bromley, £6.95; sheer tights, Wolford, 40p ; carved bangle, Butler & Wilson, £1.50 ; plastic bangles, Biba, 55p each. Right : Wool-jersey gymslip dress, Sujon, £9.99, from Liberty, Regent Street, W1 , mail order 25p extra ; Image, Bath. Grey suede shoes, Russell & Bromley, £9.95 ; tights, Mary Quant, 75p ; bangle, Butler & Wilson, £1.50 ; bluebird brooch, Biba, 60p.

Daytime dresses in pretty prints and purely simple plains – warm and practical for everyday but special enough for best.

Photographed by Allan Walsh*.

Scanned from Honey, January 1972.

*Usually credited as Alain Walsh, I think it must be the same photographer.

Royal blue and bright pink spider-. knit Acrylic tiered smock, £4.50, from Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High Street, W1 , mail order 20p extra. Multi-coloured beaded necklace wound round wrist, Paul Stephens, 80p ; antique green compact, Butler & Wilson, £4.15. Right : Flowered black, lemon and cream short Acrylic smock with pleated front, Gillian Richard, £9.95, from Peter Robinson, Oxford Circus, W1 , mail order 20p extra. Lime green bow brooch, Biba, £3.

Biscuit and plum flower-printed wool dress with fluted cap sleeves, Gillian Richard, £8.25, from Way In, Harrods, Knights-bridge, SW1 ; I Spy, Oxford Street, W1 ; ’27’, King’s Road, SW3. Mulberry flower-carved elasticated bangle, Butler & Wilson, £1.50 ; plain round plastic bangles, Biba, 55p each. Right: Bright yellow and pink sunflower dress in Liberty wool with scalloped neck, Gillian Richard, £11.25, from Liberty, Regent Street, Wl, mail order 25p extra ; I Spy, Oxford Street, W1 ; ’27’, King’s Road, SW3. Ivory brooch, Biba, £3; bangle, Butler & Wilson, £2.

Dusty-blue jersey dress with flared skirt and flouncy cap sleeves, Angela at London Town, £9, from all London branches of Neata-wear ; Sacha, Bridgend. Multi-coloured butterfly brooch from a selection at the Chelsea Antique Market, cream elasticated bracelet, Butler & Wilson, £3. Right: Scarlet wool jersey dress with yellow batwing sleeves and rainbow inset neckline, Jayne Swayne, £8.40, from Bata International, 151 Oxford Street, W1, and main branches including Newcastle, Sheffield, Swansea and Ipswich. Metal pretty-polly brooch, Butler & Wilson, £3.50.

Spider-knit Acrylic puff-sleeved smock, £4.50, from Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High Street, Wl, mail order 20p extra. Blue bead choker, Paul Stephens, 75p ; antique poppy brooch, £2.50, ivory elasticated bracelet, £3, beaded bag, £4.50, all from Butler & Wilson. Right: Electric-blue jersey dress, Sujon, £9.99, from Liberty, Regent Street, W1 , mail order 25p extra ; Just Looking, King’s Road, SW3. Spotted cotton kerchief, Herbert Johnson, 25p ; sheer blue tights, Mary Quant, 40p.

Scarlet and white confetti-spotted zipped jersey dress, £9.95, from Bus Stop, 3 Kensington Church Street, W8, and all other branches, mail order 15p extra. Plain plum and rust plastic bangles, Biba, 55p each. Wooden bead bangle, from a selection at Miss Selfridge. Right: Spotty silver-grey and white button-through jersey shirt dress, £9.95, from Bus Stop, 3 Kensington Church Street, W8, and all other branches, mail order 15p extra. Rose-carved bangle, Butler & Wilson, £2.

How hand-me-downs become pick-me-ups

1970s, Antiquarius, Camden Passage, Carla Sklan, Chelsea Antiques Market, David Tack, Diane Logan, Essences, Essenses, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Orange Box, Portobello Road Market, Vintage Editorials

Admittedly it takes a good eye, the sort that can look over a pile of old garments and see what you can make of them, and they of you. Then it needs a little adventure, to team old clothes with improbable but right accessories. It may also demand scissors and a needle and thread, but it’s the perfect way to beat imitation—and inflation.

Photographed by David Tack.

Scanned from Honey Magazine, November 1974.

I’m always delighted and fascinated by articles like this, somehow proving that certain interests are just innate in some people, and some things simply never change. Fifty years later, new generations are still discovering the joys of second hand clothes as though nobody ever thought of it before.

There was a storm in a Tiktok teacup earlier this year when someone declared that resellers were the Landlords of the Millennial generation. In what felt like a heady mix of inverted snobbery and undiluted envy at some people’s eye for a bargain, they declared second hand clothes were only for the poorest people and it was immoral to be making money out of them. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that it must be one of the oldest jobs in the world. In centuries gone by, the finest clothes were left in wills, given to servants, resold, remodelled and recycled until they were practically rags – which is why we have so little left in completely original condition.

On top of this long history, here in the Seventies (and then right up until the present day) you can see the glamourising of second hand clothes as a perfect counterbalance to the ever-expanding, and ever-cheapening, fashion industry. I also can’t help noticing that the belted sack dress (see further down) and bangle combination looks like something you might have seen in Topshop in the early 1980s. Proving that secondhand is often more fashion-forward than what you find in the shops.

A new look at dressing gowns: Soft cotton or silky wrapover dressing gowns can easily be found at jumble sales and markets. Fastened with a pretty brooch or with a scarf tied round the waist, they’re much nicer to wear around the house than that tatty old quilted thing your mum gave you! A bonus is that they can double as a dress or even a coat over jeans for the daytime. Paisley print robe £1, from Portobello Road Market. Painted bone fan with slotted blue ribbon, Chimera.

A little colour goes to your head: To follow the 20s,30s look which has become hot fashion for the evening, why not add a little glamour to a crocheted or knitted beret by sewing on tiny bugle beads (they’re the cylindrical ones). A geometric or floral design can look good—or a motif on one side if you haven’t got the patience to cover the whole of the beret. Antique beaded beret from a selection starting at about £10 from Carla Sklan at Antiquarius, 135 King’s Road, SW3.

The soft touch pulled into shape: Most of the prettiest second-hand dresses to be found have waist measurements which are really enormous and the idea of darting and reshaping them can offset the low price. To combat this we cut a strip from the hem about 3in wide, cut it in half width-wise and doubled it over to make two strips to tie round the back. Even easier would be to attach two narrow ribbon ties. Our dress from a selection at Orange Box, Camden Passage, N1.

Two for the top:Hats are still one of the most important accessories you can buy or make, and they look especially good if they’re bedecked with feathers or trimmings. If your purse demands you try your own hand at millinery, we’ve come up with an idea for trimming a plain felt beret. Just make two small incisions approximately one inch apart and add a natty trio of brightly coloured feathers. This smashing felt cloche with painted applique flowers and leaves is more of a good investment at £10 from Diane Logan, 40 Chiltern Street, WI.

Best suited: Ladies’ tailored suits abound for a mere pittance in most second-hand haunts and, if you accessorise them well, they can become the mainstay of your wardrobe. But nothing ruins the line of a tailored jacket more than out-of-shape shoulders. If you carefully unpick the lining around the armhole and search about, you’ll find it’s probably the fault of deflated shoulder pads. Buy a new pair of foam ones (from haberdashery departments of large stores); enclose each pad in a little square of plain fabric and it’s easy to tack them into place. Another idea to liven up a plain crepe jacket is to add some contrasting fabric on the pocket flaps or, if you have the patience, embroider your initials on a breast pocket. Authentic tweed costume courtesy of Mrs Kilford. Collarless green crêpe embroidered jacket, Orange Box £4.50. Feather-trimmed felt hat, to hire from Diane Logan ; long crêpe-de-chine patterned scarf, Essences £2: belt from a selection at Fenwick ; cane, Biba ; fox fur, Orange Box £4.50; green earrings and double bird brooch, Medusa’s Heirlooms. All Orange Box clothes from Camden Passage, 33 Islington Green, London N1.

Taking your nightie to a party: It doesn’t have to be a choice between a jewelled gown or your old jeans for a party. A long old-fashioned satin nightie is just about the prettiest and sexiest thing you could wear—and you won’t look too dressed up or contrived. And if you do get home late and tired you’re dressed for bed as well. Ankle-length cap-sleeved embroidered pink satin nightdress £5, from Bombacha, 104 Fulham Road, SW3.

Anything goes: To prove that even the most ordinary old dress can look bang up to date with just a little attention, we found this pleated black sack dress and re-vamped it. Pulled in at the waist with a wide red belt, with lots of red and black glass jewellery, black seamed stockings and your hair up, it soon becomes a show-stopper. Dress from a selection of oldies at Martha’s Market, Martha Hill, 39 Marylebone High Street, W1. All jewellery from Chimera, Antiquarius.

For the good sport in you: Smart dresses and feminine bits and pieces are easier to find than casual sporty outfits, but here’s one solution to show the tomboy in you, and it’s a great way to use that too-big sweater or cardigan you’ve discovered. Team it with striped cut-off men’s summer trousers and a shirt or blouse and flat shoes—the whole outfit could easily cost you less than a fiver. For a more feminine touch, appliqu6—or even sexier, inset—your own lace motif on a blouse. You can buy one at a haberdashery store or cut out a bit of lace from an old petticoat. Hip-length baggy hand-knitted cardigan £1, striped cotton men’s shorts 50p, both from Portobello Road Market. Short-sleeved cream lace-inset Rayon blouse, Essences £3.50. Thin red leather and hessian belt, Fenwick. Huge perspex initial, Mid Twentieth Century at Antiquarius. See-through plastic tube bracelets, £1.50 each from Reflection and Light at Antiquarius. Socks and shoes, model’s own.

Two for the price of one: Above and below : Along with casual clothes, skirts are about the most difficult things to buy secondhand. Here’s a way to solve the problem and gain a matching blouse and skirt from a dress. First remove the side zip (if there is one), then carefully unpick the waist seam. Run a row of gathering round the top about 4″ in, then gently ease it up to fit your waist measurement plus 2″. Attach a strip of petersham about 14″ wide to the outside edge, turn in and finish off the side opening. For the blouse, turn up 1″ of the bottom edge, and thread with a narrow strip of elastic. Yellow and black floral-printed cotton dress, Portobello Road Market £1. Floppy cream silky blouse with elasticated waist and lace-trimmed collar and insets, shown with skirt, £3.50 from The Orange Box, Camden Passage, 33 Islington Green, London NI. Bangles and necklace from a selection at Chimera ; earrings from Medusa’s Heirlooms.

Tighten up: Baggy blouses and shirts may be the most fashionable shape but sometimes it’s nice to show your waist—and with this idea you don’t have to worry about endlessly tucking slippery material back into the waistband of your skirt or trousers. Gather the waist with two rows of shirring elastic, machined close together, remembering to sew a little lower than your actual waistline as the blouse will ride up a bit once it’s gathered. Our candy-striped cotton blouse is from the Portobello Road Market, 60p.

Now it can be revealed

1970s, Antiquarius, Chelsea Antiques Market, Emmerton and Lambert, forbidden fruit, Inspirational Images, michael roberts, ritva, sunday times magazine, The Purple Shop, Uschi Obermaier, Vintage Editorials, Willie Christie

White kebaya with violet lace trim, £15, from a selection between £12-50 and £30 at Forbidden Fruit, 325 Kings Road. Broderie anglaise skirt, £8, from Vern Lambert, Chelsea Market.

A kebaya is the traditional organdie blouse which Malay and Indonesian women wear over their sarong. It is lavishly embroidered and trimmed with lace. No two are alike. Now available here, selling from £12.50 for plainer ones to £30 for the most elaborate, they provide summer’s latest exotic look. Worn with old jeans or peasanty skirts, pinned together with antique clasps, the kebaya is the sexiest thing in town.

Model is Uschi Obermaier.

Report by Michael Roberts.

Photographed by Willie Christie.

Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, July 7th 1974.

Blue/pink embroidered kebaya, £18, from a selection priced between £18 and £30 at Ritva, 8 Hollywood Road, London S. W.10. Art Nouveau jewellery from The Purple Shop, Antiquarius, Kings Road, London S. W.3.

Floral-embroidered kebayas, £20, from a selection between £18 and £30 at Ritva. Deco clasps, £1 ; broderie anglaise skirt, £8, all from Vern Lambert. Pendants and butterfly brooch from The Purple Shop.

Floral-embroidered kebaya, £20, from a selection between £18 and £30 at Ritva. Deco clasps, £1 ; broderie anglaise skirt, £8, all from Vern Lambert. Pendants and butterfly brooch from The Purple Shop.

Nice bit of skirt

1970s, Chelsea Antiques Market, Diana Doe, Eva Sereny, meriel mccooey, Meriel McCooey, miss selfridge, Nicholetta Machiavelli, stirling cooper, sunday times magazine, Vintage Editorials

Black and white seersucker skirt, Stirling Cooper, £8.50, from a selection of prints and designs at Miss Selfridge, Oxford Street, London W1 ; sweater 75p, also from a selection at Miss Selfridge; scarf from Chelsea Antique Market.

This summer’s new long day skirts might make attractive alternatives for those who fancy a change from shifts and pants. Worn as Italian film actress Nicholetta Machiavelli likes them, with simple T-shirts and an old prop-basket petticoat, they look casual and romantic, and are surprisingly cool to wear.

Styled by Meriel McCooey.

Photographed by Eva Sereny.

Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, August 6th 1972.

Bright tartan seersucker, £8.50, sweater £1.95, both at Miss Selfridge.

Frilled, elasticated top £2.50; split-sided skirt £3.70, both from Diana Doe.

halter top, Diana Doe £1.75, mail order from Do Do House, 69,Bedford Road, Reading RG1 7EY, Berks; skirt £8.50, at Miss Selfridge.

Cathee Dahmen in Gurney Slade

1970s, Annette Green, british boutique movement, Cathee Dahmen, Chelsea Antiques Market, Gurney Slade, Inspirational Images, kensington market, Vogue

Visiting London friends, and working for Vogue’s June issue, Cathy [sic] Dahmen took a turn around the square wearing delicious soft chamois leather smock shirt and laced shorts, above, £12 and £7, and wraparound dressing-gown coat and trousers, left,. £30, £20. From Gurney Slade, who have a brand new stall in the Kensington Super Store and the Chelsea Market. They make to order, too.

Photographed by Annette Green.

Scanned from Vogue, April 1971.

Film Fashion

1960s, Chelsea Antiques Market, Deco Inspired, edward mann, Gay Girl, Ginger Group, Inspirational Images, john stephen, Laurence Sackman, mary quant, Morel, petticoat magazine, Rodger Bass, Roger Nelson, Seventh Avenue, Sue Hone, The Westerner, Vintage Editorials

CAMELOT

White dress from a selection at the Antique Supermarket, Kings Road London. Seventh Avenue dress with pointed sleeves, 7½ gns. Paul Stephens twisted rings, 4s.

Props by Miss Joanna Brett.

Fashion by Susan Hone.

Photographed by Laurence Sackman.

Scanned from Petticoat, January 20th 1968.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE

*Roger Nelson floral dress, 8½ gns. John Hamilton wooden beads ,10s. 6d. / Mary Quant Ginger Group green crepe dress trimmed with yellow, £7 19s. 6d.* (This dress will not be in the shops until March).

BONNIE AND CLYDE

John Stephen brown gangster hat, 45s. Spotted tie from a selection at Solid Gold, 15s. 6d. Mary Quant beret, 12s. 6d. Gay Girl yellow crepe maxi-skirt and top, 6½gns. & Gay Girl by Marion Maid pin striped trouser suit, £7 19s. 6d. Car lent by David Chester.

GONE WITH THE WIND

Edward Mann straw hat, 45s. 11d. Raymond velvet cape, 17gns. Rodger Bass “Long Snow Queen” dress, 8gns. Youngs Dress Hire white dress and matching hat, 12gns to hire. Andrew Stewart pink fringed shawl.

BLUE

Cowboy hat, £7 17s. 6d., shirts, 79s. 6d., squaw set, 19gns., suede jerkin, 5gns., and trousers at 19gns. from Westerner, 469 Oxford Street. Morel of London riding chaps £10 5s., jerkin 8½gns. Photographed at Lester School of Equitation, Roehampton.

Mirror, Mirror

19 magazine, 1970s, Angela at London Town, Antiquarius, barbara trentham, Barbara Trentham, biba, bus stop, Chelsea Antiques Market, David Tack, hand tinting, Inspirational Images, lee bender, Margrit Ramme, mr freedom, Norma Moriceau, ossie clark, radley, ravel, Ricci Burns, Rose Bradford, Sacha, sheridan barnett, simon massey, Titfers, Vintage Editorials

Black satin beret, by Titfers, £8.50. Black satin blouse with shooting stars embroidered in beads, £6.95; half-mast trousers, £4.95, both by Lee Bender at Bus Stop. Diamante star brooch on beret, by Paul Stephens, 75p. Dangly fake diamond earring from a selection at Marie Middleton, Chelsea Antique Market. Fake diamond necklace from a selection at the Purple Shop, Antiquarius. Black satin beret with rhinestone stars, by Titfers, £8-50. Black satin ‘Superstar’ zipper jacket and trousers, by Angela At London Town, £17. Dangly fake diamond earring, from a selection at Marie Middleton, Chelsea Antique Market. Art Deco wall mirror, £6 and black and silver hand mirror, from a selection at Antiquarius. Lipstick and make-up by Biba.

Christmas is coming, so take a good long look at the new you and your clothes. Look for something sexy in black with lots of spangles, for diamonds are a girl’s best friend again.

Just one word from me: Perfection.

Hair by Ricci Burns. Fashion by Norma Moriceau.

Photographed by David Tack.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, December 1971

Floral print, crepe de Chine backless dress with halter neck, by Sheridan Barnett at Simon Massey, £8.75. Black sequin snood, from Crocodile, £4. Sheer black tights, by Elle, 65p. Black suede shoes, by Ravel, £6.50. Diamante clip on velvet band, from a selection at Marie Middleton, Chelsea Antique Market. Diamante bracelet, £3.45. Ring, 60p. By Paul Stephens. Black fur fabric jacket, £15.95. Floral-printed, crepe de Chine dress with black bodice, £12-75. Both by Sheridan Barnett at Simon Massey. Sheer black tights, by Elk, 65p. Black suede shoes, from Sacha, £5.99. Diamante slides, 30p. each. Crescent moon diamante slides, 75p. each. Rings, 60p. each. All by Paul Stephens. Choker, from a selection at Marie Middleton, Chelsea Antique Market. Garter, from Crocodile, £1.50. Mirrors, from the Purple Shop, Antiquarius.

Black satin beret, by Titfers, £8.50. Floral printed rayon blouse with batwing sleeves and knitted waist, cuffs and collar, by Lee Bender at Bus Stop, £6-50. Two-tone panelled satin skirt, by Mr Freedom, £6.25. Sheer black one-size tights, by Elle, 65p. Black suede peep-toe shoes with red patent butterfly, from Ravel, £6.50. Black velvet beret, by Titfers, £4. Satin spot blouse with knitted rib trim and zipper fastening, by Lee Bender at Bus Stop, £6.50. Two-tone satin skirt, by Mr Freedom, £6.25. Sheer black one-size tights, by Elle, 65p. Black suede shoes with bow, by Sacha, £5.99. Purse from Q.9 at Antiquarius, £2. Small star brooch and crescent moon brooch, 55p. each, both by Paul Stephens. Diamante bracelets on wrist and ankle, by Paul Stephens, £3.45 each.

Little black knee-length dress in ribbed crepe with satin insets and neck tie, by Ossie Clark for Radley, £13. Black veiling net, from all leading department stores. Sheer black tights, by Elk, 65p. Black suede shoes with red patent trim, by Ravel, £6.50. Diamante bracelet, £3.45. Ring, 60p. Both by Paul Stephens. Moss crepe bolero, in shocking pink with black spots, over bonded-crepe halter-neck dress with spotty trimming, by Rosy Bradford for Quorum, £15.50. Sheer black tights, by Elk, 65p. Black suede shoes, by Sacha, £5.99. Diamante bracelet, by Paul Stephens, £2.

Mixed Spice

1970s, Browns, Chelsea Antiques Market, Emmerton and Lambert, Inspirational Images, Mohanjeet, Sacha, sunday times magazine, Valerie Wade, Vintage Editorials

There is nothing formal about these clothes even though a few years ago most people would have thought they were. They look exotic because the fabrics are either Eastern, or mixtures of Twenties silks and chiffons. Everything is quite simply cut and easy to wear; it is only the fabric combinations that are elaborate. There are many women who don’t like to admit, even to themselves, that clothes are of any importance in their lives — just because they are not striding around in shorts doesn’t mean that they lack style, they just don’t want to be instantly pigeon-holed by what they wear. The clothes shown here are perfect for all those women who “don’t care about fashion”.

Report by Valerie Wade.

Photographed by Sasha.

Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, April 4th 1971.

New dress from old fabrics; the bloomers are Thirties patchwork silks, the bodice is Indian and the sleeves Persian. Obviously no two are identical. From Emmerton and Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market, 253 Kings Road, SW3, £25.

Indian quilted chiffon skirt and bolero (£32) over gold painted chiffon blouse (also on cover), £10. All by Mohanjeet, from Browns, 27 South Molton Street, W1.

Skirt and blouse made from Twenties and Thirties silk chiffons. Skirt £15, blouse £10. From Emmerton and Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market, 253 Kings Road, SW3.

Reversible Indian wrap-around skirt and jacket in soft quilted lawn, £45. By Mohanjeet, from Browns, 27 South Molton Street, London, W1.

Multi-patterned dress in thick Indian cotton, £28. By Mohanjeet, from Browns, 27 South Molton Street, W1

Well Dressed

19 magazine, 1970s, Adrian Mann, Antiquarius, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, biba, Chelsea Antiques Market, Essenses, gillian richard, Herbert Johnson, Ian Batten, Inspirational Images, Michael Berkofsky, Ronald Keith, Sacha, Spectrum, stirling cooper, susan marsh, van der fransen, Vintage Editorials

Cream Trevira cotton dress by Gillian Richard. Black patent shoes from Sacha. Silk scarf from a selection at Essences at Antiquarius. Papier mache bangles by Fabrice for Zig Zag. / White cotton pull on hat from Herbert Johnson. Blue and white cotton dress from Spectrum. White peep toe shoes from Ronald Keith. White gloves by Cornelia James. Necklace and bangle from a selection at Zig Zag. Bag from Universal Witness.

Spring’s in the air – and with it the chance to wear all those elegant eye-catching dresses. If you’ve been feeling bundled up in woolies, here’s the chance to look feminine again.

All photographs taken at the Hyde Park Hotel, Knightsbridge, SW1.

Photographed by Mike Berkofsky.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, April 1973.