A Peek at the Boutique: Howie

1970s, Boutiques, british boutique movement, harpers and queen, Howie, Howie Diffusion, Mensday, menswear, Mrs Howie, Steve Campbell

‘Casual clothes for men.’ The phrase used to mean T-shirts and jeans. But since Paul Howie opened his shop at 352 Fulham Road, SW10, the phrase has taken on a new meaning: ‘soft, comfy, easy-to-wear looks; clothes that you can just put on and look good in without trying’. That says it all. Nearly all the clothes are exclusive to Howie, but Paul (in the picture) wears a light brown tie-belted raincoat by Deardon & Fay; £68.

Photographed by Steve Campbell.

Scanned from Harpers and Queen, November 1974.

Brighten Up

19 magazine, 1970s, anello and davide, Anne Cossins, Dolcis, Feathers, Fenwick, Inspirational Images, John Stember, just looking, mr freedom, Pourelle, Rosie Nice, sally levison, stirling cooper, Vintage Editorials
Red hat in soft felt, from Feathers, 40s. Short crossover woollen top with navy trim has short sleeves, by Anne Cossins for Mr. Freedom, 6gns. Plain black jersey midi skirt, by Stirling Cooper, 90s. Blue and red choker, from Fenwicks, 10s.

Beautiful and gay knits are 19’s answer for post-summer blues; dazzling bright and eye-catching in an array of primary colours. The styles are the simplest possible—tiny tops with cross-over fronts and, for those who prefer the classic, pullovers in cleverly co-ordinated stripes. This style of knitwear is best worn with toning jersey skirts, preferably in a midi length, and trousers. To complete the kaleidoscope look, add brightly coloured shoes, stockings, a scarf or a choker.

Photographed by John Stember.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, October 1970.

Black crochet hat, by Sally Levison Originals, 65s. Short crossover pullover in bright colours has short black sleeves trimmed with red, by Anne Cossins for Mr. Freedom, 6gns. Black jersey skirt fastened up the side with metal buttons, by Stirling Cooper, £6. Black crochet choker, from Fenwicks, 15s.
Multi-coloured striped woollen pullover has long sleeves, 75s. Bright red jersey skirt, 90s. Both by Stirling Cooper. Black tights, by Mary Quant, 15s. Red leather bar shoes, by Anello and Davide, 58s.6d. Black woollen long-line pullover has red, blue and yellow stripes round the waist and elbow, 70s. Yellow jersey skirt, 90s. Both by Stirling Cooper. Bright red tights, by Mary Quant, 15s. Lime green bar shoes, by Anello and Davide, 58s.6d.
Bright blue and yellow vest-style woollen pullover has long sleeves and fastens with tiny buttons at neck, 70s. Bright red pants, 89s.6d. Both by Stirling Cooper. Buttercup yellow pullover with red trim has square neckline and short sleeves, 60s. Bright red jersey pants, £4 19s.6d. Both by Stirling Cooper.
Black, red and yellow short-sleeved pullover has a polo neckline, 75s. Black jersey, button-through skirt, £6. Both by Stirling Cooper. Red and blue woollen pullover has long sleeves which are trimmed with buttons, 75s. Plain black jersey midi skirt, 90s. Both by Stirling Cooper. Long blue silk scarf printed over with flowers, from a selection at Rosie Nice in Kensington Market.
Striped woollen pullover, by Anne Cossins for Mr. Freedom, 6gns. Vivid green skirt jersey, by Stirling Cooper, 90s. Tights, by Mary Quant, 18s.11d. Shoes, by Anello and Davide, 58s.6d.
Fine knit polo-neck pullover with long sleeves worn with matching knit trousers in tones of beige, with red and yellow stripes, by Pourelle, 14gns
Woollen long-sleeved pullover has stripes in yellow, green, blue, red and purple, by Anne Cossins for Mr. Freedom, 6gns. Navy blue jersey knickerbockers, from Just Looking, 5gns.
Light and dark grey pull-on woollen knit hat. Light grey pullover has polo neck and long sleeves. Sleeve-less pullover worn on top is in two-tone grey and has a rounded neckline. Matching midi skirt. 28gns. the set. All by Pourelle. Black leather boots with hooks and laces, by Dolcis, £10 19s. Black crochet hat, by Sally Levison Originals, 65s. Purple and lilac finely knit woollen pullover has matching midi skirt, by Pourelle, £18. Black tights, by Elbeo, 12s.11d.
Striped hat. ochre-coloured finely ribbed pullover and matching midi skirt with diagonal stripes in plum, purple, orange and ochre, 17gns. the set. All by Pourelle. Black leather boots with hooks and laces, by Dolcis, £10 19s.

Why your clothes cost so much

1970s, airbrushing, biba, cosmopolitan, Illustrations, philip castle
“We all know prices are spiralling. You don’t need to study statistics to realise that your winter coat has cost you more, that sweaters, skirts, shoes and bags are now major investments. But why? And why so suddenly? “I remember when you could buy…” is no longer the prerogative of the middle aged reminiscing on lost youth. I remember when you could still buy a dress in Biba for just over £2, and, what’s more, I still wear it.”

A typically brilliant Philip Castle illustration to accompany an article by Shirley Flack on inflation and the effect on clothes prices at the time. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Although I would kill for the quality you were getting for your inflated prices in 1974. And, naturally, I always recommend shopping second hand anyway!

Illustration by Philip Castle.

Scanned from Cosmopolitan, January 1974.

Shaping Up

1970s, antony price, che guevara, gala, Inspirational Images, Karl Stoecker, manolo blahnik, sunday times magazine, Valerie Wade, Vintage Editorials, zapata
Main image: Crepe-de-chine two-piece, £20. Shoes by Zapata, 49 Old Church St, London SW3

One thing that designer Antony Price really understands is pattern cutting : “I can think of a shape and create an optical illusion — people’s figures don’t change, clothes make figures.” Price, who designed all these clothes, wants women now to start looking artificially female, but “in a sumptuous way — this time it’s bosoms, hips and tiny waists”. He admits to being influenced by the Fifties and his ex-showgirl sister who lives in Miami and looks like his idol Jayne Mansfield. “The Fifties were less extreme, taste was incorporated into everything.” He wants shoes tall and dangerous like his own cowboy boots, but insists that his clothes (available direct or mail order from Che Guevara, 23 Kensington High St, W8) are comfortable. “What’s more comfortable than swimming costume tops?”

So, so good. Model, designer and photographer are the most perfect combination. It even has Manolo Blahnik shoes for good measure.

Model is Gala Mitchell.

Story by Valerie Wade.

Photographed by Karl Stoecker

Scanned from The Sunday Times Magazine, February 13th 1972.

Shiny one-piece outfit, £18. Shoes, Zapata.
Flocked nylon cocktail dress, £20.
Cotton suit that owes its shape totally to the cut, £18.
Batman Cire dress/cape, £20. Six inch boots, £25.
Deep V-necked ruched nylon dress, £12.99. 5-inch silver shoes, £18.

Every Body Needs a Little Comforting

1970s, Cars, harpers and queen, jeans, Mini, Vintage Adverts

Advert for the Mini Clubman.

Scanned from Harpers and Queen, September 1974.

Veiled lady, Garbo-style

1970s, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, barry lategan, biba, Inspirational Images, Make-up, pablo and delia, Vogue
A boa of black and white feathers, made especially for Vogue by Pablo & Delia, with make-up by Biba.

Photographed by Barry Lategan.

Scanned from Vogue, December 1970.

Come Clean

19 magazine, 1960s, interior design, interiors
This special 19 bathroom was planned on a budget of £200, which includes all the fixtures and the plumbing. Designed by Igal Yawetz, Dip. Arch. Ham. I.E.A.I. and built by Allied Ironfounders Ltd.

Own up! Do you really spend enough time in your bathroom?

We hate to admit it but bath-time in Britain is generally regarded as a dreary, unnecessary drudge! Maybe unpleasant memories of exasperated mum dragging us bodily up the stairs and scrubbing off sand, chocolate, grease and the like, have something to do with it, but we want, to prove that bathing can be lots of fun. Start by thinking of your bathroom as something more than just a box with a bath, somewhere at the back of your house. Think of it as a welcoming, comfortable room filled with glorious beauty products and your favourite luxuries; a place where you can hide from the family and white away many hours relaxing, reading and preening yourself after a busy, demanding, harassed day.

Photographer uncredited.

Scanned from 19 Magazine, November 1968.

Kissin’ Cousins

1970s, alice springs, Anne Tyrrell, aquascutum, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, biba, Borg, Butler & Wilson, C&A, Chi Chi, cosmopolitan, crowthers, Deirdre McSharry, Diane Logan, Elle, Henry Lehr, Inspirational Images, jean varon, john bates, just men, marie france, medusa, miss mouse, ossie clark, quorum, Reldan, ritva, Sacha, Sujon, Vintage Editorials, Weathergay
Pink and wild coat is hooded and all set to trap the unwary male. Borg coat by Henry Lehr, £17.50, trousers by Sujon, £9.50. His coat by C & A in suedette, £13.95. Hat by Locke, £5.25.

. . . or how to wear furs this winter without hurting your pet’s feelings.

There is nothing, absolute nothing quite like wrapping yourself in fur. As a sensuous experience, it is in the same class as a new love, old champagne or fresh truffles. But even the most hedonistic of women are relieved that the threatened species are no longer imported. Snow leopards, tigers and other cats can go their own way and sensibly sybaritic female will look for furs that are farmed, such as fox and mink. This winter, too, the fakes are so wayout and wildly coloured that only a girl without a heart could resist their charms, albeit synthetic. Perhaps that’s why the fur trade have taken the hint and dipped their favourite fox pelts in the dye pot, Furrier Maxwell Croft offers his explanation of the female urge to wear and the male urge to bestow furs: “For many men it is a primitive desire to see his woman in furs.”. Very nice, too.

Plenty to scoff at the end of the copy there, but oh goodness the clothes – the clothes! And the glorious photography of Alice Springs, whose work doesn’t turn up nearly enough for my liking.

Fashion by Deirdre McSharry.

Photographed by Alice Springs.

Scanned from Cosmopolitan, November 1972.

Kissin’ cousin to a polar bear, but lots slimmer, is this smashing white shaggy coat. Wear it with white flannel bags, an angora sweater and an even shaggier hat. Well-cut coat in Borg with stitched suede edges. By Marie France for Quorum, £36, Ossie Clark trousers £14, sweater £4. Hat by Diane Logan, £5, shoes from Sacha £7.99. Beads by Butler and Wilson. Mike’s coat from Just Men, £70. Trousers from Aquascutum, £14.50.
The shaggiest coat story of the season-outrageous powder pink number, worn over pink striped sweater and pleated skirt. The dog is also fake, Chi Chi’s own and christened Fifi by Mike. Borg coat by Biba, £15, sweater by Reldan £3.33, skirt by Crowthers £5.75. Beads by Loewe.
Chi Chi turns her back on the world in scooped dress by John Bates for Jean Varon, £22. White shaggy jacket in Lister’s synthetic, £13.75 by Weathergay. Photographed at Julie’s Restaurant, 135 Portland Rd, London W11 (01-22) 8331).
How to have that movie-star feeling. If you want the big star treatment – breakfast at Tiffany’s, diamonds as big as the Ritz – dress like a star in electric blue fox. Dress by Elle, £15. Fox coat by Dinni for Femina Furs, £295. Moonstone necklace at Butler and Wilson. His outfit by Aquascutum. Velvet jacket £38.50, shirt £10.50, cuff links from £3 50, trousers £12.50
Tea for two. Mike makes up to Chi Chi (that’s the model girl, not the coat) in her shaggy yellow number, worn with shiny striped shirt and mustard bags. Borg coat by Marie France for Quorum £23.50, shirt by Medusa £5.50, trousers by Sujon £9.50. Beads by Butler and Wilson. Photographed at The Royal Garden Hotel, London.
Enough to drive a man wild-a nutty fake fur, above right, with Fifties shoulders and swing back. Wear it nicely over mustard crêpe de chine shirt and peg-top trousers. Both by Sujon, shirt £13, trousers £9.50. Borg coat by Biba £25, beret, Diane Logan, £4.50, shoes, Sacha, £7.99. His coat, Aquascutum, £70, trousers C & A £3 95.
Enough to make Morgan the gorilla, jealous. (Remember A Suitable Case For Treatment?) Emerald green gorilla jacket in real-life Borg by Weathergay, £9.50 (right). Worn over slinky knit sweater and skirt from Ritva, £27 for the outfit. Blue shaggy beret by Diane Logan, £4.50. Mike’s sweater in blue and silver by Ritva, £18.50. Trousers from C & A £5.50.
Jealous cats show their ruffled furs. Chi Chi and Belinda act out the classic movie-star confrontation in their sequins and furs, Chi Chi in pleated taffeta with sequin bodice by Anne Tyrell for John Marks, £23.95; her boa is silver fox, ranch bred, price £70. Belinda’s fox is red, also from the ranch, price £45, both by Barbara Warner for Fab Furs. Strapless top and trousers by Miss Mouse, £20. Beads by Loewe.

Imagine your first big scene

19 magazine, 1970s, Highlight, maudie james, moyra swan, Vintage Adverts
Put on a Highlight outfit and be spotted by that Italian film director.

You can imagine your first big scene when you wear something really dishy in Courtelle Neospun jersey. A trouser suit in purple for the Milan scene. And romantic scene-stealers of midi waistcoat, knickerbockers (the star of fashion right now) and dress for the reunion on arriving in Rome. Super Courtelle. Always a success. Beautiful colours. Lots of colours. Trouser suit about £11.19.6. Waistcoat about £6.19.6. Knickerbockers about £3.19.6. Dress about £6.19.6. They’ll be queueing to see you.

Obviously it helps if you look like Maudie James and Moyra Swan…

Scanned from 19 Magazine, October 1970.

Stripes in Paris

1970s, harpers and queen, Rodier, Vintage Adverts
This winter in Paris, the trend is to stripes.

Advert for Rodier Paris.

Scanned from Harpers and Queen, September 1976.