Soft Summer Shape-ups

1970s, biba, bus stop, Crochetta, gillian richard, Inspirational Images, Jasper, John Carter, Lizzie Carr, petticoat magazine, Samm, stirling cooper, van der fransen, Vintage Editorials
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Gillian Richard pinny. Van der Fransen sailor blouse. Biba espadrilles. Cotton blouse and animal print winceyette shirt, both by Richard Green at Lady M ships. Raffia beret, wire bracelet and cherries, all from Biba.

This is the freshest summer fashion story so far. The prettiest pastel shades with tiny nursery prints you must be happy in. These clothes do the most for a girl and whatever your shape you’ll find all manner of pants, aprons and shirts to match your own personality.

Photographed by John Carter.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Petticoat Magazine, June 1972.

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Jasper shirt. Pants by Lizzie Carr for Plain Clothes. Biba beret.

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Shirt by Lizzie Car for Plain Clothes. Canvas pants at Stirling Cooper.

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Crochetta sweater at Knits and Leathers. Satin pants by Lizzle Carr for Plain Clothes. Edward Mann hat. Ankle strap shoes by Samm.

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Satin bermudas and satin smock, both by Lizzie Carr for Plain Clothes. Rosebud vest from Bus Stop. Edward Mann hat.

Happily Ever After

1970s, alistair cowin, Buckle Under, charles jourdan, Elliott, erica budd, Foale and Tuffin, gladrags, Guy Humphries, Harri Peccinotti, Inspirational Images, kurt geiger, mary quant, Michael Foreman, mr freedom, pablo and delia, Sacha, shape, stirling cooper, terry de havilland, thea porter, vanity fair, Vintage Editorials, zandra rhodes
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White lawn dress printed with butterflies and flowers by Thea Porter. Straw hat by Buckle Under. Red wedge shoes by Kurt Geiger. Belt by Shape.

There’s a good reason why Vanity Fair is possibly my favourite magazine of this period. They were relatively conventional in the 1960s, and would ‘merge’ with Honey magazine around 1972, but in their death knells they were just about the most innovative magazine in the UK. Issues were often themed around ‘issues’, for example this one is entirely themed around break-ups and divorces (including a story on what a divorced man should wear when taking his kid out for the day).

Nor did they shy away from more expensive designer names, such as Thea Porter and Zandra Rhodes here, mixing them happily with the more affordable but still iconic boutique names like Stirling Cooper and Mr Freedom. Adding Foale and Tuffin, Pablo and Delia and Terry de Havilland into the mix for good measure, and all those stunning illustrations by Michael Foreman… this is one of my favourite editorials of all time.

Vanity Fair is also, frankly, a nightmare to scan because it falls apart at the binding with the lightest touch, which is why I don’t scan them as often. So enjoy the heaven of Harri Peccinotti’s work while I gently shuffle all the pages back into the magazine…

Photographed by Harri Peccinotti.

Illustrations by Michael Foreman.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Vanity Fair, April 1971.

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Long grey crepe dress patterned with purple, green and red birds by Shape. Pablo and Delia suede thong necklace. Blue suede shoes at Sacha.

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Beige suede skirt with applique shapes and matching shawl by Mary Quant. Necklace from Buckle Under. Beige suede boots by Guy Humphries.

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Blue and white feather printed chiffon dress by Zandra Rhodes.

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Left to right: Chiffon blouse and multi-coloured skirt by Foale and Tuffin. Painted rainbow shoes from Mr Freedom. Painted belt by Shape. // Cream and red jersey catsuit (top only showing) and banded red and cream skirt both from Stirling Cooper. Red shoes by Kurt Geiger. // Cream, yellow and red jersey dress by Stirling Cooper. Pull on hat by Janice Peskett. // Red cotton t-shirt by Erica Budd. Cream dungarees from Stirling Cooper. Red python sandals at Elliotts.

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Above: Mauve satin cotton pinafore dress and blouse by Gladrags. Right: Bottom half of Alistair Cowin calico trousers with green printing. Green and yellow shoes by Terry de Havilland. Far right: Black velvet dungarees with white satin applique heart from Mr Freedom. Chiffon blouse from Foale and Tuffin. Mauve canvas boots at Charles Jourdan.

Kind of Casual

19 magazine, 1970s, Bermona, biba, Chelsea Antiques Market, Inspirational Images, Maude, stirling cooper, Uncategorized
kind-of-casual

Hat by Bermona. Check coat with high collar and raised shoulders by Stirling Cooper. Black crepe skirt from Biba. Pin from Susan Marsh at Chelsea Antiques Market.

Photographed by Maude.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from 19 Magazine, October 1972.

The Grand Affair

19 magazine, 1970s, antony price, art deco, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, biba, clobber, David Tack, Inspirational Images, interiors, jeff banks, ossie clark, radley, Sidgreene, stirling cooper, Vintage Editorials

Grand affairs call for grand clothes, and provide a welcome opportunity to get out of our peasant blouses and jeans and dress accordingly. The nicest thing about fashion at the moment is that everyone is so confused as to what they should be wearing, that you can wear exactly what you like. We opt for the romantic Garbo fashion, tarted up in the ’71 style, because girls are beginning to look like girls again and, although we sympathise with Women’s Lib., we don’t believe you have to look like a fella to get equal rights!

Possibly the most perfect encapsulation of the Seventies-does-Thirties aesthetic, this homage to Art Deco features some of the most lust-worthy clothes from my favourite designers and boutiques. Including Biba, Ossie Clark and some rare Antony Price for Stirling Cooper!

Photographed in the home of interior designer Graeme Gibson rather than in a studio, the authenticity is heightened by the location and the props, and then finished with the sweet illustrated photoframes.

Photographed by David Tack.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from 19 Magazine, January 1971.

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Crepe dress by Antony Price for Stirling Cooper. T-strap shoes from Sacha.

Inspirational Editorials: Maybe I was just born liberated

1970s, alice pollock, british boutique movement, Celestia Sporborg, Foale and Tuffin, Frank Horvat, Inspirational Images, just looking, kurt geiger, ossie clark, radley, ritva, stirling cooper, vanity fair
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Stirling Cooper

This photoshoot, featuring the brilliantly named Celestia Sporborg, is another one of my all-time favourites, and one I have put off scanning for a long while because Vanity Fair is actually a rather painful magazine to scan. The gummed spine, with age, does not enjoy being flattened so it requires extra effort to maintain some kind of structural integrity. I couldn’t NOT scan though. I love these images. I love the blurriness, her natural facial expressions, the very domestic backdrop and, of course, the completely mind-blowingly fabulous clothes. I don’t know where to start. That Stirling Cooper above is just so modern. And the Radley playsuit, so very Glam. And the Ossie… Plus Alice Pollock, Foale and Tuffin and a Ritva sweater I sold on Vintage-a-Peel a few years back

It also identifies the shots from Vanity Fair’s Guide to Modern Etiquette, ‘Nice Girls Do’, which I posted about before. To contextualise this shoot, the entire June issue is dedicated to feminism and liberation. Certainly one of the main reasons I love Vanity Fair almost above all other magazines of the period is the fact that they would theme all the contents of an issue, including the fashion spreads.

Celestia Sporborg is now a casting director herself, with over a hundred film credits on IMDB. She married theatre and film producer Robert Fox (brother of James and Edward) in 1975 and they had three children together.

Photographed by Frank Horvat.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Vanity Fair, June 1971

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Foale & Tuffin

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Radley

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Ossie Clark

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Ritva

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Alice Pollock