Just listed over at Vintage-a-Peel, two stunning moss crepe pantsuits. One is a Xenia, the other probably is as well – but sadly the label has been removed. Both are heavily inspired by Biba and Ossie. Both are gorgeous.
Xenia are one of my favourite naughty rip-off merchants from the Seventies. They did astonishingly good copies of original Bibas and Ossies, which is just as useful today as it was back then.
Where’s all my one-shoulder-loving-ladies? I’m afraid I couldn’t resist the temptation to give Roxy a bit of a Farrah-flick, in memoriam, when I put this super groovy striped Lee Bender top on her.
It’s quite a transitional period piece really. It can move quite happily from glam rock to disco with a mere change of trousers and shoes, and music of course. Now available over at Vintage-a-Peel for a foot-stompingly reasonable £38. Just click the image to view.
It’s not just Topshop in the Noughties who enjoy ripping things off. Sometimes it seems like every minor boutique in London, New York and Paris was taking more than a healthy dose of inspiration from Ossie Clark back in the Seventies. But it’s not often they went the whole hog when it came to the prints. Celia Birtwell’s handiwork is so distinctive, few decided to gamble with duplicating them wholesale.
I recently acquired two dresses at nearly the exact same time, both of which are direct copies of original Birtwell prints and which have been used in vaguely Ossie-esque designs. I thought it would be interesting to show you both of them, and to remind everyone to be careful of ‘unlabelled’ Ossie pieces which might look Ossie because of the Celia print…but are nothing like an Ossie original. They can be a brilliant alternative, so long as you know they’re just that and not the real deal.
The first is the Botticelli print (renamed Monkey Puzzle for the Topshop Celia range). An original Ossie example (and more gorgeous variations on it) is one of my many holy grails.
This piece is by Betty Barclay in a lovely light cotton, lined in the body, with a small keyhole neckline (with faux tie detail). Now available over at Vintage-a-Peel.
An original Ossie piece in Vogue: I would walk over hot coals and possibly kill someone for this dress.
This second piece is even more outrageous because it’s actually made in moss crepe, in a rather Ossie-style cut (although far too modestly done for him), by Emma (whoever they were). This is the glorious Floating Daisy print, most regularly seen in the tie-fronted buttoned dress [best demonstrated by the gorgeous WendyB in her red bodied version]..
The Real Deal. Sold over at Vintage-a-Peel a while ago
I’ve been hankering after an Ossie in this print which actually suits me, sadly the tie fronted one does not, and this dress is a little godsend. It’s a lovely soft pink version [which I’m sure Celia never did…far too insipid for her but I rather like it!] and the cut, whilst not up to Ossie standards, is very sweet and flattering. So I’m keeping this one. Sorry ladies! I’ll let you know if I ever change my mind….and I am giving up a spectacular Celia print Ossie dress in lieu (my wardrobe is a bit one in, one out at the moment…and it’s not really my colour…)
Ossie with Suki Poitier wearing the floating daisy. I bet she didn't have to pay for it either! Scanned from Ossie Clark by Judith Watt.
..on the website this week are:
A jersey and sequin confection by Biba
An adorable smock dress by Gina Fratini
A gorgeous little floral mini dress by Louis Caring
A very rare early Jean Muir piece
A gorgeous couture Hardy Amies grey silk dress
A fabulously forties-styled dress by Mary Quant’s Ginger Group
and finally, a superb print culotte dress by Lee Bender
I managed to completely forget to come and tell you all about the Biba and the Katharine Hamnett dresses I listed on the site a few days ago. So I’m telling you now, go check them out – they awesome!!
And now I’ve just listed another bevy of beauties over at Vintage-a-Peel. There’s even a Mr Freedom. Now I’m really just spoiling you aren’t I?
Green satin Mr Freedom playsuit and skater skirt set
Black satin/crepe bias chevron Polly Peck evening dress
Adorable bow print ruched dress by Shelana
It’s a Polly Peck week! And this awesome feather jacket would go superbly with the dress above!
And, lastly but not leastly, a fabulous pineapple print cotton skirt by Sportaville with buttons to make Lee Bender proud!
Oh I’ve been DYING to use that subject title ever since I photographed these babies!
This Mr Freedom design has become iconic over the years. It seems to have been one of their most popular and cherished designs, more usually seen with matching jacket (as seen below on Katy Manning of Dr Who fame and Olivia Newton-John).
This particular pair of knickerbockers are very unusual though in that they’re made of suede, rather than the velour or cotton you normally find them in. Such a delicious shade they are too, mainly a chocolate brown suede with damson trims and inserts. This does mean they’re a little stiffer than the usual ones, but I think they’re infinitely more fabulous because of how rare they are! When it comes to collectability and investment potential, you can’t go too far wrong with Mr Freedom.
Some may be negatively superstitious about Peacock feathers, but I prefer to take the more positive superstitions on board where Peacocks and their feathers are regarded as protectors and have mystical powers to benefit the soul.
Seems Janice Wainwright had the same opinion. I knew the woman was a genius!
Exquisitely embroidered and appliquéd, this skirt suit by British Boutique legend Janice Wainwright is one of the most stunning examples of her work I’ve ever had the pleasure of handling. The back of the jacket is entirely smothered in the gorgeous peacock and its plumage, with a handful of flowers and leaves surrounding it.
The rest of the outfit might as well be a potato sack because really the focus of the ensemble is this back. But luckily, Janice was in the habit of creating stunningly tailored and very wearable suits – of which this is one of the best! I love the fact that the optional belt for the jacket is embroidered to match, with the peacock feathers at each end. Iconic and of the highest quality, a classic and a collectable in one fell swoop! Available over at Vintage-a-Peel.
One of the pet peeves of the vintage lover is when you’re reading your vintage copy of Petticoat or 19 or somesuch, that you can’t just walk into a shop the next day and buy the dress of your dreams – like the first reader of the magazine could have done.
One of the best things about my being geeky enough to buy a lot of these magazines is that sometimes, just sometimes, I can actually offer the item for sale. How lovely is that? From this delightful 4th April 1970 issue of Petticoat, we have a feature on appliques in all forms.
Sadly I don’t have everything for sale, but you may notice the butterfly trimmed coat and maxi skirt featured from Wallis.
This dress is so vivid, slinky and confident that it almost looks too good to be true! The label says otherwise though: Party Lines by Domb, the very first label used by the Californian Queen of Party Dresses, Emma Domb.
It hugs your curves, the structure of the ruched waist enhancing the hourglass effect. I love the exotic print, grapes and flowers in vivid greens and purples. The one-shoulder design is beautifully executed and drapes elegantly.
It’s definitely designed for a confident siren and is perfect for lounging around drinking cocktails, with ruby red lips blazing and loosely curled hair cascading over your bare shoulder.
Available over at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
There are a few holy grails in the vintage world. Some you start to suspect don’t exist, others you are lead to believe absolutely do not exist by the numerous tomes written about the history of fashion. I certainly never thought I’d see the day when I encountered an Alice Pollock-designed piece bearing a Celia Birtwell print. We all know how jealously Ossie guarded Celia’s work, and Alice’s work lent itself more towards plain block colours or more graphic prints than Celia’s.
But, this is an Alice blouse and it is a Celia print (shown in the V&A’s Ossie Clark retrospective book on page 120 and described as one of Celia’s earliest. It is, as yet, the only time I’ve seen this print in real life!).
That it’s an early Celia print is very apparent. It’s much more regimented and restrained than the flowing, weaving florals we usually see. 
The floral butterflies are contained within frames, rather like framed butterflies on the wall of a Victorian study. The blouse is pure, understated Pollock chic. Those ‘in-the-know’ know that often a Pollock piece can be ten times more wearable than an Ossie, perhaps because Alice knew what women needed in reality (not just in their Ossie-fuelled fantasies). Two of my favourite vintage pieces are Alice (both blouses, both crepe and both wonderful) and this piece is only available for sale because, as regular readers will know, I can’t wear this colour to save my life. It’s weird, most people I know can wear it with aplomb, but not me. So here it is, one of the rarest creatures you’ll ever see…much like the butterflies within the frames who so inspired Celia’s print.
Available over at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
Liz Eggleston 