Happy New Year!

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Dear All,

Just a little note to say thank you to all my customers for making 2006 such a wonderful year. I hope you’re continuing to enjoy your vintage finery, and that you will make a return visit in 2007. Finally launching Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk was the culmination of several years ambition and hard work. Thank you SO much to everyone for their patience, support and such kind feedback on the ”finished” product!

I know I have been a little quiet of late (in terms of eBay at any rate, my life has been anything but quiet this past month) but rest assured that I will be returning full throttle very soon, and that I’ve been busily acquiring some even MORE amazing pieces for your viewing and, hopefully, wearing pleasure…

Lots of love,

Liz xxx


Bottoms up!!

Fashion Icon of the Month: Brigitte Bardot

1960s, brigitte bardot, fashion icon of the moment

Brigitte Bardot – Parisian Pouting Pussycat

Over the last fifty years, countless women have spent hours in front of their mirror, trying to perfect that Bardot pout. Her style was that effortless chic so few people possess, but we all try to imitate. A simple black headband, an unassuming little sheath dress, a flash of liquid eyeliner and plenty of sultry attitude to top it off. Sometimes she only needed a towel or strategically placed flowers – the minx!

She also managed to get sexier and sexier the older she got. The fresh-faced Fifties ingenue soon became a sultry Sixties sex siren, her gaze projected confidence and sexuality – helped along by some more revealing clothes – but always looking sophisticated rather than cheap. Every actress, model and wannabe seems to have done a Bardot-a-like photoshoot at some point in their career…but no one has or ever will come close to her. That je ne sais quoi indeed!

I get the strangest feeling….

Ms Peelpants' rants, topshop

…when I walk into Topshop and I start to wonder if they’ve been rooting around in my wardrobe. They’ve crept into my flat, in the dead of night, and swiped patterns from my favourite vintage clothes. At least, that’s how it feels.

Let’s face it, mainstream fashion ate itself a long time ago but are they really trying to tell me that they have NO original ideas to rub together at all?? I might be walking around in fashions of the past, but at least I’m honest about it. High street shops are meant to be peddling modernity; even the Forties revival in the Seventies was done with real glam rock relish and refreshed, somewhat modernised. The Sixties/Seventies/Eighties/Nineties revival we’re currently seeing is a pale imitation of those eras. They can’t even make up their minds, one decade revival at a time is simply not enough anymore. Fashion moves so fast, it must regurgitate its past five times a year.

Where are the fresh ideas? I might not wear them, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to see them. What’s the look of the noughties? Is it a fashion stew? All bitty, overcooked, trying to cater to too many tastes and just winding up bland? I swear I’m even seeing Topshop reproduce pieces I remember seeing in there circa 1993. Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!!!

If you’re going to copy something line for line, at least take it to another level. Try something different with it. There are only so many ways to cut a dress, but don’t just go for the easiest option. It’s dull and usually very poorly made.

Another good reason to keep buying vintage 🙂

Pick any dream…..

1960s, 1970s, british boutique movement, Gina Fratini, john bates

…and Gina Fratini has a dress to match. So says the London Fashion Guide of 1975. I can’t help but agree with them. Fratini is a criminally underrated designer. She has her fans, me being one of them, but rather like John Bates has been overlooked in favour of the real exhibitionists of the era.

‘As a child I dressed everything from dolls and Teddy to my dog. I never though about a career – I just did it.’ The words float over a studio that looks like a rainy-day dress-up box, full of Victorian dolls, whimsical plants and miles of lace laid out like a daisy chain.

The London Fashion Guide, Spring 1975

I think this is the reason I adore her clothes. She started out in costume (like myself) and this ‘dressing up box’ approach to fashion lends her clothes a romantic, whimsical and period edge. Her approach is something I can relate to as well.

‘When I design a dress it gets half made, then I add a bit here and there. When I’m working on a dress I’ll rummage and play with the lace all day, and suddenly I can feel it coming together.’

She salvaged a basement full of antique lace from shops which were closing down in the Sixties, and used this and predominantly natural fabrics in her work. Fratini was never about practicality or minimalism, she was truly a girl’s girl. Her motto is as apt for today as it was back then;

‘One works all day, and afterward there should be a time to really take off. That’s why I love doing these fantasy dresses. You’ve got to dream – these days more than ever.’

Above Left: Alice in Vintageland – an adorable gingham smock dress with pierrot collar and huge patch pockets. Right:You’ll feel like a Regency dream in this utterly, unashamedly romantic muslin dress from the late Sixties.

Two Sixties legends for the price of one….

1960s, british boutique movement, diana rigg, emma peel, jean varon, john bates


With thanks to Senti for that title! I honestly had no idea that these photos existed, but I found them yesterday and they’ve swiftly become my favourites. Diana, of course, is a huge inspiration to me – not only as Emma Peel but that does have a lot to do with it. I always loved how natural she seemed, and of course the effortless cool. As Emma, that was helped considerably by Bates’ influence as designer. She wore his designs to perfection, and continued to wear Jean Varon garments into the Seventies. Through this, I ‘discovered’ Bates and simply fell in love with his extraordinary designs. Having now met him, I’m even more in awe than ever before – especially after he gave me a nugget of advice on how to wear his frocks. The man is a legend.

I’ve never heard her speak of him, and only contemporary comments from him about the design process. I suppose these things rarely seem so iconic and special at the time, when deadlines are tight and it’s just another job. But you can just see magic being created in these photos.

Fashion Icon of the Month: Nerys Hughes

1960s, fashion icon of the moment, nerys hughes
Nerys Hughes in The Liver Birds

One of the most darling dollybirds of the late 60s/early 70s, Nerys Hughes tottered her way into fashion icon status as Sandra Hutchinson in The Liver Birds. Week after week, the girls would fight it out over a sexy negligee; destroy each others’ feather boas and debate the merits of a maxi versus a mini.

Sandra was always the glamourpuss though. Feigning innocence with the lads, whilst wearing the shortest of minis. Batting those false eyelashes under a heavy fringe (it’s a wonder she could keep her eyes open!!) and backcombing her thick brown hair as though her life depended on it.

She was also curvy, posh and had a prickly veneer of respectability. Just my kind of girl!! The Liver Birds became a manual on 60s chic for me (before I discovered The Avengers) and I would still kill for her wardrobe. Nerys, we salute you!!

Zandra Rhodes

1970s, fulham road clothes shop, zandra rhodes

I heart Zandra Rhodes. How can you not love someone so vibrant and talented?

In honour of her wonderfulness, I’ve just listed a super duper rare example of her early work (ca. 1971) in moss crepe. I’m such a sucker for moss crepe, and Zandras in moss crepe aren’t all that common at all. Some day I’ll get around to photographing my moss crepe Fulham Road Clothes Shop trousers with the lipstick print. Heck, some day I’ll get around to wearing them. So anyhoo, this shirt dress is wonderfully simple in cut but showcasing her gorgeous Frilly Flower print in red on purple. It’s wearable, timeless and pure Zandra.

John Bates Exhibition

1960s, british boutique movement, jean varon, john bates, personal collection

*pinches self*

Is it? Is it still true? Did I really meet my all time favourite designer yesterday afternoon?? I think I did…

Wow.

Considering I was a bit of a wreck to start with, he handled me remarkably well! He was very debonair, very charming to talk to and generally didn’t disappoint me at all. It can be a bit of a let-down when one meets one’s idols and I was worried about even introducing myself for fear of appearing to be a muppet (which I’m sure I did) and that he might not be what I was expecting. I needn’t have worried!

Of course I get home and all sorts of things pop into my head, so many things I wanted to ask him and better answers about my collection. But such is life, and I’m so honoured to have met him!

V&A’s Swinging Sixties Exhibition

1960s, annacat, british boutique movement, carnaby street, cathy mcgowan, gerald mccann, jean varon, john bates, john stephen, personal collection, pussy galore, victoria and albert museum

Since I’m distinctly unimpressed with the myspace blog facility, I thought I’d repost my images from the V&A Swinging Sixties Exhibition over here. The John Bates exhibition opens on the 13th July so I shall attempt to get photos of that too.

Pussy Galore of Carnaby Street

Gerald McCann mini dress with peter pan collar

John Bates for Jean Varon White PVC mini dress

Annacat Pink Velvet Mini dress

John Stephen of Carnaby Street Psychedelic Mob Cap

Cathy McGowan’s Boutique Pink and Purple Suede shoes

Horrockses

1950s, horrockses, website listings


Permission to wax lyrical about this gorgeous gown from Horrockses, please Miss! It’s possibly one of the most beautiful 1950s evening gowns I’ve ever seen, definitely the most beautiful Horrockses thus far (but it’s a close call between some other lovelies I’ve had/have). Not only is it beautifully draped and fitted around the bodice, not only is the print reminiscent of watered silk gowns from the 18th Century, but it has the most technically brilliant drape of fabric up the back and attached to the single shoulder strap. The drape is completely integral to the fabric of the skirt which gives such a beautiful flow up and down the back of the dress.

Then they go and top it off with a big don’t-mess-with-me bow! All this, and it’s entirely made of cotton so you can just chuck it in the washing machine when you get back from your swishy do! It feels amazing to wear pure cotton in summer, so imagine how smug and cool you’ll feel while all around you are sweltering in man-made fibres! 😉

Before World War II, Horrockses manufactured printed cottons for the thriving home dressmaking industry. In the 1950s, with a demand for affordable ready-to-wear pieces in the wake of Dior’s New Look, they started producing their own collections of daydresses, eveningwear and beachwear. In the era of rationing, cotton was cheap, durable and easy to work with. Their prints were vibrant, modern and fun!

Oh! how do I love thee, Horrockses….let me count the ways!Thank you for cheering up Britain’s post-war women with your affordable, wearable, and utterly gorgeous cotton frocks! Thank you for enabling British women to have enormous full skirts during rationing! Thank you for making them in hard-wearing cotton. We salute you!