Mensday: The Spring Sweater

knitwear, Mensday, menswear, seventies fashion, Vogue

I love a guy who can pull-off the Seventies knitwear look; these are particularly incredible.

Vogue, March 1973

RIP Flick Colby

flick colby, legs and co, pan's people, picture spam, ruby flipper, seventies fashion

Flick Colby, genius choreographer and creator of my beloved Pan’s People, Ruby Flipper and Legs & Co. dance troupes, has very sadly lost her battle with cancer at the age of 65. As with so many creative legends, the real tribute is in their body of work – and what a body of work Flick had! Here are some favourite photos and performances (Flick’s own performances, prior to bowing out from the dancing, are limited because of the BBC’s wanton destruction of their archives in the Seventies). Rest in peace, beautiful lady.







Inspirational Images: John Bates & Frederick Fox

1970s, barry lategan, frederick fox, Inspirational Images, john bates, Vogue

Hat by Frederick Fox for John Bates. Painted silk frill by John Bates.

Photo by Barry Lategan. Vogue, June 1976

Inspirational Images: Summer softened in silk and voile

1970s, hans feurer, Inspirational Images, just looking, stop the shop, vanity fair

Dress by Just Looking

From Vanity Fair, July 1971. Photographs by Hans Feurer

Dress by Stop the Shop

Mensday: Rave on the Ocean Wave

1960s, Mensday, menswear, six, sunday times magazine, terylene, Vintage Adverts


I’m not entirely sure where to start with this image, so I’m not going to. The copy doesn’t even really make sense, but it certainly makes me laugh. Poor Diana; that can’t be a comfortable pose for being towed, and she’s surrounded by twerps!

Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, September 1966

Hotpant Sweetener/Tangerine Dream

1970s, glam rock, hotpants, Vintage Adverts

Personally, I think artificial sweeteners are the very devil, but I cannot deny the fabulousness of the photograph they’ve used to promote their evil ways (yes, yes, I know it’s from 1971, but still…). The bed reminds me of my grandparents’ bed (which I always coveted in a slightly Bedknobs and Broomsticks kind of way), I love the light fitting, mirrors and of course the clothes go without saying.

Inspirational Images: John Bates catwalk show, 1975

1970s, catwalk, ernestine carter, Inspirational Images, john bates

1975. Scanned from 20th Century Fashion by Ernestine Carter.

Perfect Eyeliner: Ludmila Savelyeva

1960s, avedon, eyeliner, Inspirational Images, ludmila savelyeva, Make-up, Vogue

Ludmila Savelyeva. Photographed by Avedon. Vogue, June 1969

Eyeliner, done properly, can be a work of art.

Mensday: Rockangel Michael

glam rock, Mensday, mick ronson, picture spam


I feel my spirit fly, only after dark
I kiss the world goodbye, only after dark
Nights with the city lights, only after dark
Run like the wonder way, only after dark

Won’t you disappear into midnight again
Why don’t you come, why won’t you come
Why won’t you fly, fly, fly with me
Sweet elusive fate will be our company

Ring out the vamp in me, only after dark
Moon sinful as can be, only after dark
It’s wrong to feel so free, only after dark
Only you do it to me, only after dark

Won’t you disappear into midnight again
Why don’t you come, why won’t you come
Why won’t you fly, fly, fly with me
Sweet elusive fate will be our company

Only After Dark by Mick Ronson

A long, long time ago…

1970s, celia birtwell, Illustrations, Ms Peelpants' rants, ossie clark, peter robinson, topshop, Vogue

…Topshop didn’t exist. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. It sprang from the loins of the Peter Robinson department store, which was originally located near the present Oxford Circus flagship site. Like a greedy devil child, it surpassed and devoured its progenitor.

This rant is brought to you by this gorgeous illustration from Vogue, April 1970. If only I could saunter up to Oxford Circus, enter an old-fashioned department store and buy myself such a delicious Ossie Clark dress today, I’d be a happy lady.