More Make-Up: Who’d you like to be today?

barbarella, emma peel, Make-up, tara king, Vintage Adverts

I seem to be looking at a lot of make-up ads and features in my magazines at the moment. I overkilled a bit on the liquid liner a few weeks back for a New Romantic night (I should really post a full size photo of the end result some time) and have been smudging kohl on ever since, just to be different. So I’m ready to be re-inspired.

I love this Boots 17 advert, particularly the Barbarella one. I remember seeing an illustration of checkerboard effect eye make-up, but doubted whether it was really feasible (especially since my lids aren’t the largest in the world). Now I might try it on my brow bone instead, since that seems to be a better canvas for such doodlings.

I’m also appreciating the Tara King reference. I’ve always been a die hard Emma Peel girl [you don’t say???] but having seen a few of the Tara King episodes recently, I’m a bit of a convert. She might have had a bit of bum deal (sometimes literally) in the wardrobe department, but her make-up was always rather lovely.

Baby Doll Make-up at Woolworths

Illustrations, Make-up, Vintage Adverts

If I could find a huge batch of unused Baby Doll make-up, I’d be one happy bunny. Even if it had been used, I’d still happily display the gorgeous packaging. In fact, if I could be an illustration I’d probably be the Baby Doll girl. Yes I know that’s weird, but she’s adorable!


I don’t remember Woolworths (RIP) having a make-up range at all, so it must have been a Sixties/Seventies thing. Regardless, their adverts are amongst my very favourites of all vintage advertising.

A Tale of Two Knockoffs

1970s, celia birtwell, ossie clark, topshop, website listings

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.

Don’t Forget Your Knickers!

1970s, British Steel, Vintage Adverts

Let’s hope the dancefloor at The Birds Nest, Waterloo wasn’t actually as shiny as it looks here.

Daily Telegraph Magazine, 1970

Perve-tastic!

I Love My Shirt

donovan


Current favourite Donovan song: I Love My Shirt. I love Donovan anyway, but this song is just brilliant in so many ways. I can relate wholeheartedly (shirts with stitching going all over the place, scuffed boots with the Nth pair of replacement heels, my velvet frock coat with the bald patch where my bag strap goes….).

Sometimes I like something crisp and new and I adore my occasional pristine vintage pieces, but there’s nothing quite like an old favourite. Bobbles, holes and all.

And for Brits of a certain vintage….here’s the Trevor and Simon version. Swing those pants!

Do you have a shirt that you really love,
One that you feel so groovy in ?
You don’t even mind if it starts to fade,
That only makes it nicer still.
I love my shirt, I love my shirt,
My shirt is so comfortably lovely.
I love my shirt, I love my shirt,
My shirt is so comfortably lovely.
Do you have some jeans that you really love,
Ones that you feel so groovy in ?
You don’t even mind if they start to fray
That only makes them nicer still.
I love my jeans, I love my jeans,
My jeans are so comfortably lovely.
I love my jeans, I love my jeans,
My jeans are so comfortably lovely.
When they are taken to the cleaners,
I can’t wait to get them home again.
Yes, I take ’em to the cleaners
And there they wash them in a stream,
Scrub a rub dub dub
And there they wash them in a stream –
Know what I mean.
Do you have some shoes that you really love,
Ones that you feel so flash in ?
You don’t even mind if they start to get some holes in
That only makes them nicer still.
I love my shoes, I love my shoes,
My shoes are so comfortably lovely.

Gay Childhood

musicals

I was told the other day, at dinner, that I had a very gay childhood. I believe they meant gay in the camp sense of the word, rather than actually gay, ‘happy’ or as some kind of strange modern term of abuse. It was a friend of a friend, who I last saw at my friend’s birthday party last year (where they were very amused to find I knew all the lyrics to some very cheesy Eighties music). This year we found a mutual appreciation for two lesser known musicals which I had loved as a child.

Firstly Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, which I don’t think is all that strange to know about…is it? Anyway, I always wanted to be Dorcas (Julie Newmar) and had a serious crush on Benjamin. The two were separate desires, but it was quite neat that they ended up together in the story.

And secondly, the brilliant Slipper and the Rose. Which is fabulous on so many levels. Songs by the Sherman Brothers. Big frothy Georgian frocks. Margaret Lockwood in camper-than-camp wicked Stepmother mode. Michael Hordern being adorable. It even has Annette Crosbie as the Fairy Godmother, for heaven’s sake! Tragically, my brother and I can still sing entire songs (faultlessly in his case) when prompted….and all it takes is one phrase sometimes.

There is no point to this post, other than that the conversation amused me greatly.

Slave to Love

bryan ferry, crushes, groupies, picture spam, roxy music

I’ve been quiet again, but with better reason this time. I’ve had my groupie gals staying for the week, and have been immersed in rock talk for most of that time. Charley had the most incredible book of photos by the legendary Mick Rock, including several of Mr Bryan Ferry which nearly had me on the floor in swoonfulness….

He seems to be popping up all over the place [and in conversations] far more frequently at the moment, or I’m just noticing it more, and it’s all leading me to realise that I have one hell of a serious crush on him.

I mean, what’s not to crush on?

I’m afraid I’m a sucker for the [dark] floppy hair and blue eyes combination. Add to that the sophisticated (even at the height of glam rock) dress sense, the slightly odd dancing, the fact that he appears to have been born middle-aged [and has therefore never aged], and then there’s that voice. The voice of God, as someone put it. Oh yeah….

He really is a sort of God. He’s always exceedingly cool, without ever chasing such a thing. Far too much effort I’m sure, he leaves that kind of thing to Mr Bowie. And I love that quote about how Roxy Music wanted to redecorate hotel rooms rather than trash them. No wonder my beloved Durans worship the BryanGod so wholeheartedly.

And at 63, I definitely still would. I’ve even got an Antony Price dress hanging up in my wardrobe for such an occasion. I’m not actually sure it should ever leave my closet for anything less than Bryan Ferry.













Funk to Funky

1980s, adam ant, antony price, ashes to ashes, danielle dax, Duran Duran, human league, jane kahn, new romantic, perri lister, picture spam, strawberry switchblade

In honour of the new series of Ashes to Ashes starting tonight (I’m currently pausing for a moment to resist the urge to bounce around….oh what the hell, bounce bounce bounce!) here are some random early Eighties images….if you like that kind of thing!

Mmmmm…..gratuitous soggy Durans shot…..

Sunshine Superblouse

alice pollock, british boutique movement, moss crepe, personal collection, vintage fangirl squee

I just realised how grey my blog is looking currently. And since I was leafing through my Boutique book this morning, in an attempt to cheer my poorly self up (revenge of the spring snuffles), and realised I had never scanned in the photo of Alice Pollock wearing my Alice Pollock blouse….I thought I ought to share. And brighten this place up a bit. Because it is seriously yellow.


I once made the mistake of wearing this blouse to the theatre. I hadn’t realised how tiny the theatre would be, that I would end up in the front row – practically on the stage, and that John Simm would quite possibly be blinded by my sartorial choice that night. Whoops!

The Mill on the Floss: Helmut Newton does Alice Pollock

1960s, alice pollock, bill gibb, british boutique movement, mary quant, ossie clark, quorum, zandra rhodes

I must admit that I don’t have a great many copies of Queen magazine in my possession. But a conversation about Alice Pollock the other day reminded me that I have one, frankly awesome, copy from 1969 with an entire fashion spread dedicated to Pollock’s clothes – photographed by Helmut Newton. It’s entitled The Mill on the Floss.

When the London rat-race is too much for you…you can retire to the calm and order of the country and gaze peacefully, restfully, into the depths of a mill-race. Ideal wardrobe for mill-racing – catch of floaty granny-dresses from Quorum. (Yes we do mean that long; we are rather serious about this.) Wear your granny-dresses with suede boots; after all, the climb through the mill may be rugged.

It’s funny really, how few Pollock pieces turn up nowadays. And the ones which do are usually the more Ossie-esque. I’ve had a few, all blouses I might add, and currently only own one labelled piece. But this spread shows you a bit more of her range, beyond pretty crepe blouses. Apparently her knitwear was extraordinary, and one person described it as possibly superior to Bill Gibb. Which is high praise indeed.

She had less of a defined style than Ossie, but her clothes were, by all accounts, exceedingly wearable and feminine. Less aggressively sexual, which is why it’s so interesting to see them photographed by someone like Helmut Newton.


It made me wonder if a lot of female designers in the Sixties had that problem, and why so few (aside from the idiosyncratic Zandra Rhodes, and master self-publicist Mary Quant) have remained in the public consciousness since the Sixties and Seventies. My own favourites at least, it would seem. The male designers were often the biggest drama queens, and have ensured their notoriety continues to this day. Whether through the strength of their designs, their lifestyles or just a knack for self-publicity. I’m sure there are countless exceptions to this rule, but it’s been occupying my mind today.

Anyway, enjoy the Pollocks! I for one wish I could be running around a mill, in the countryside, in Quorum clothes right now.