Back! And front, and side. Fabulous from all angles

bus stop, cathy mcgowan, clobber, dove clothing company, jean varon, jeff banks, john bates, lee bender, seventies fashion, sixties, website listings

For various tedious reasons, I’ve been a bit quiet on the old website listing front in the past month. But I’m feeling much perkier now, more inspired and oh boy have I got a lot of goodies (just listed, and in the works…). Watch out world!

Right now I’ve just listed an incredible John Bates for Jean Varon dress (1973, just check out the original advert from Vogue), a chocolate brown rayon crepe Lee Bender for Bus Stop beauty, a Dove Clothing Company deep cobalt blue cord maxi dress (perfect for walking through wintry landscapes), a super romantic cream damask Clobber (a.k.a Jeff Banks) dress with flutter sleeves and trailing ribbons….and finally, a slinky blue Cathy McGowan dress with the most gorgeous sleeves and pleated front detail. Yeah, Cathy McGowan….that’s pretty darned rare!




Vintage Hair Inspiration: Veronica Lake

hair, Inspirational Images, veronica lake

My hair mood changes daily (last week I had an Austrian milkmaid moment) so my hair inspirations have to be quite varied in general. I was sorting through some of my books the other day and realised that a photo of Veronica Lake in a ‘Film Goddesses’ book I was given many moons ago, with her hair draped over a bearskin rug, must have been quite influential for me. She’s like the proto-Roxy Music girl, non? I have no intention of going blonde any time soon, unless I can magically get this nasty L’Oreal stuff out, but I do enjoy occasionally waving and side parting my hair….




Some time on a trip to Uranus: Hunting Venus

Duran Duran, gary numan, new romantic, spandau ballet, synth

Several years ago, when I was in the first throws of my New Romantic love affair, a friend told me about something she’d seen on ITV a few years prior, called Hunting Venus. It starred Martin Clunes as the floppy-shirted bassist and Neil Morrissey as the flamboyant lead singer of a New-Rom group called The Venus Hunters, who are kidnapped and blackmailed into reforming the group. Danny Webb appears to be doing a mighty fine impression of Andy Taylor, I’m not quite sure which drummer Ben Miller was inspired by but I’m fairly certain Mark Williams is only channeling Nick Rhodes sartorially. Either that or he’s seen some interview I missed out on….

She loved it so much that she bought the soundtrack and recently gifted it to me in a clear-out. By now I’ve got most of the tracks on there anyway, but it’s still a nice thing to have. I never did see it at the time, and I still can’t find any evidence of it having been released on DVD. I desperately want to see it now, of course, especially after finding it on YouTube. In poor quality and with the soundtrack disabled for several parts, I’m not sure I want that to be the first time I get to see it.

Anyway, because the title track (Starburst; co-written by Jools Holland no less) has been stuck in my head ALL day and making me laugh like a drain every time (yes, I have a childish sense of humour) I thought I would inflict share a clip with you. Watch out for Simon Le Bon, Tony Hadley AND Gary Numan making cameo appearances. Why has this not been released? Why??

There’s something about those Eighties bassists…

bassists, david sylvian, Duran Duran, Eighties Fashion, japan, John Taylor, martin kemp, mick karn, spandau ballet, synth

Okay, maybe I can only summon three to mind whilst writing this [will add more if I can think of them] but still…they do seem to be ageing rather well, don’t they? Recent concert photos of Mr Martin Kemp got me thinking about how dishy he and Mr Nigel Taylor still are – and then I remembered that Mick Karn isn’t doing too badly either. I’m more of a Sylvian kinda girl, but Karn comes a close second with interesting hair and make-up….


Seeking Inspiration: Circular Circulation

Inspirational Images, petticoat magazine, sixties

Always, always seeking inspiration. Particularly right now while I sit here, staring at listings I need to be doing but failing to have the energy to write my usual [lovingly] flowery descriptions. I want to do these amazing pieces justice.

I also have strong urges to be creating my own….things. Which also requires inspiration. Time and energy are sadly lacking right now; I seek rejuvenation and inspiration. Does anyone have a bottle of pure energy to hand?

So once more, I delve into my magazine pile and fall in love with colour, texture, atmosphere and silhouettes. I particularly love this circus-themed fashion story from Petticoat Magazine, December 1968.

I, for one, would definitely run away to the circus right now…




Ossie Spot: Monty Python

celia birtwell, monty python, ossie clark, vintage fangirl squee

I spotted this the other night within BBC2’s Monty Python evening, but I must also say thank you to Mrs Daniel for commenting on my blog that she’d spotted it which, in turn, reminded me to post about it. I’m always happy to do a bit of Palin-perving as well…

Vintage Inspiration: Sylvie Vartan; hat-wearer extraordinaire….

hats, sixties, sylvie vartan

One of these days I’m going to go and do a millinery course, just so that I can stop moaning about my beeg heed and live the life I want to live: running around in all manner of gorgeous hats rather than the measly handful I have now. I want a teeny tiny Vartan head. And all her hats. She really did rather rock the hat-thing back in the day….









Anna Friel: You did it again….

anna friel, forties fashion

An amazing cream satin Forties dress, and Anna has now been quoted as saying that she’s ‘as happy as a pig in s**t in a vintage store‘. A girl after my own heart, with very enviable hair as well. I really do love the fact that she’s dressing up for the paps outside the theatre. That’s definitely what I’d do.

I can’t stand ‘celebs’ who look pseudo-pissed-off for waiting photographers, whilst wearing some pseudo-stained t-shirt as a dress over some pseudo-ripped tights or somesuch. Stop moaning and break out the dressing-up box!

If it’s good enough for The Bass God….

Duran Duran, John Taylor, vivienne westwood

…then it’s good enough for me. Fabulous Vivienne Westwood squiggle top I just spotted on eBay, and Mr Nigel Taylor had the same one in blue!

Inspirational Images: Claudette Colbert

claudette colbert, Inspirational Images, pierrot, ruff

My new favourite photo. I love Claudette anyway, and here she’s reigniting my desire to dress up like a Pierrot.

She’s sailing a bit close to the wind though. You can almost see the right side of her face….that will never do!