Inspirational Images: Mild Sauce

1970s, boots, Inspirational Images, jilly johnson, mild sauce

Jilly Johnson photographed by John Kelly.

Scanned from How To Photograph Women (1984)

Psychedelic Advertising

1960s, 1970s, Illustrations, Make-up, psychedelia, Vintage Adverts

Dubonnet 1968

More discoveries on my seemingly endless travels through old magazines… The fact that nobody bothers to create such works of art as these [for the mere purpose of advertising] anymore is everything that is wrong with the modern world. In my opinion. The Woolworths Babydoll make-up advert is a DOUBLE page spread. It’s so exciting to see and, if I could, I would most certainly go and buy up armfuls of it right now. And surely that’s the point of advertising?

Woolworths Babydoll make-up 1967

Wrangler 1970

Inspirational Images: Lace and curls

1970s, Inspirational Images, lace, robert farber

By Robert Farber

Date, model and original publication unknown. Scanned from How To Photograph Women (1984)

Mensday: Dudes (various)

1960s, 1970s, Mensday, menswear, Vintage Adverts

1970

It’s Mensday. And Mensday means dudes. If you have a dude, keep a very tight hold of him. They’re very hard to come by…

1970

1970

1969

1972

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?


Lingerie to Linger In (or, Poor Peregrine)

Fashion magazine, sixties, underwear

Peregrine, my love, you make me feel quite naked when you look at me like that. I know my all in one is only a wisp of see-through Lycra, but a girl must have protection from such ardour. Now et out of the bath quickly: my husband may return any minute now.

Sometimes I just can’t help chuckling at the copy in vintage magazines. It’s also a helpful reminder that meaningless guff is not confined to the modern fashion press, but is a speciality of the genre. Although I don’t think most modern fashion writers would write such creative twaddle as this, which I think is another very disappointing aspect of modern life.

Aside from that, I love these photos. I want the flat, I want the lifestyle, I want the half-naked gentleman named Peregrine hanging around…

Photos by Lee Kraft. Fashion, August 1969.

Peregrine my darling, you’ve made wet footprints all over the Aubusson. Just because you find me irresistible in my virgin-white control garment is no reason to abandon all self-control and respect for the decencies of civilised life. And besides, Edward’s Rolls will draw up before the front door at any second.

Peregrine, my angel, thank you for mopping up the bathwater, but a face towel just isn’t enough to confront the world in. I sppose I do look rather distracting in my near-transparent nude-look body-stocking, but then you, my lamb, are very distractable.

Peregrine, my precious, one kiss and then farewell; if we don’t get dressed soon, I shall be late for the Embassy reception and you will miss your bus. I know how you feel, but you must keep your hands away from my lace-trimmed pantie-girdle, however delectable it looks.

Peregrine, my treasure, you look divine with the light behind you in that ravishing Art Deco shirt, but I don’t think you are being quite serious enough about getting dressed. You are absolutely right of course; I look a work of art in my sexy satin undies, but I don’t plan to get hung by Edward just yet.

Peregrine, my beloved, all is over between us. Do up your shirt and depart. I hear the purr of my husband’s Rolls, and I must grab my mink and fly. Take a tender last look at my lissom loveliness clad in nothing but my slinky satin slip, and pop round and paint my portrait again next week.

Poor Peregrine!

Sensory Overload

1970s, antony price, biba, bus stop, chelsea cobbler, Foale and Tuffin, Harri Peccinotti, Inspirational Images, kurt geiger, let it rock, mary quant, nova magazine, stirling cooper

From Nova, February 1972. Photograph by Harri Peccinotti

If this were my spring capsule wardrobe, I’d be one very contented lady…

Mensday: The London Look

british boutique movement, hung on you, Mensday, menswear, michael rainey, pierre cardin, sixties


A bevy of very dandy dudes grace this double page spread in London Life (March 19th, 1966). Look out for Michael Rainey, founder of Hung On You. I particularly love the juxtaposition between the young bucks and the old farts in the same spread.

Kerry Taylor Picks

ballet russes, giorgio sant'angelo, lanvin castillo, lucille, maggy rouff, ossie clark, pierre balmain, rudi gernreich, yves saint laurent
Ossie Clark
My dream shopping list from Kerry Taylor’s upcoming sale on the 17th of March.

Lanvin Castillo

Balmain

Lucille

Unsigned. From the collection of Wallis Simpson

Maggy Rouff

Rudi Gernreich

Giorgio Sant’Angelo

Ossie Clark

Costume from the Ballet Russes

Yves Saint Laurent

Inspirational Images: Coats at Waterloo Station, 1972

Inspirational Images, petticoat magazine, platforms, seventies fashion

Photo by Roger Charity. Petticoat, October 1971.

Left: Alexander Newman, Right: Electric Fittings

February is roughly the time I feel like I can step out of my boots and into some nice shoes again. Not least because my favourite boots are completely falling to bits right now. *whimper*. I also enjoy taking to the lighter-weight coats and jackets. Spring can’t come quickly enough for me right now…