Cooler than ice-cream, warmer than the sun....

Ice-Cream Sundae Dress

Now the nights are drawing in and the weather is getting cooler, before we start hibernating for the winter, we wanted to have a look back on the long hot summer.  We love the seaside and on scorching, hot days, there's nothing better than cooling down at a good old-fashioned ice-cream parlour.  

 Our stylists found this gorgeous 1950's summer dress in cool ice-cream colour stripes of strawberry, vanilla, mint and blueberry.  The dress is so crisp, fresh, summery and even matches the gorgeous dusky pink and baby blue vintage tall ice-cream sundae dishes! 

1950's Seaside Ice-Cream Parlour

This fabulous fifties' summer dress would have been worn with a headscarf and sunglasses, think Pink Ladies in Grease!  We have teamed the dress with an iconic pair of black Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and a silky floral headscarf. Perfect for a day at the seaside!

Seagull & Ice Green

This aptly titled Seagull and Ice Green vintage dish from Poole Pottery, reflects the minty green stripes in the ice-cream dress, with vanilla raspberry ripple ice-cream echoing the pink and white stripes.





And for an evening stroll along the promenade, a vintage pretty pink parasol, perfect for a Pink Lady to keep a pale complexion!

Pink Lady

Hot Pink Parasol

And for the girl who is more of a Sandy than a Pink Lady, there's an eye-catching midnight blue cutesy lace dress, with stunning matching blue lace parasol and a glitzy sapphire stone on the handle.  "Summer days drifting away to, oh, those Summer Nights"!

If you like these dresses and parasols they are now available to buy in our online Shop

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The Boys Of Summer

We’ve been away on a buying spree and enjoying the beautiful long, hot, summer.  Sunshine lightens the mood and makes us nostaligic for childhood summers; living outdoors and trips to the seaside.  We have got a little sentimental and bought some pretty cotton dresses, inspired by those our Mums wore back in the 1950s/1960s, as well as some really cool vintage accessories!  

For starters, inspired by Don Henley's evocative song "The Boys Of Summer", "You got your hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby", we've been searching for an original vintage pair of Wayfarers, the must-have accessory for the summer.

Don Henley with his "hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on"!

We were delighted to find these stylish ebony black Ray-Ban Wayfarer II sunglasses, with dark green tint, which were a family heirloom and in great condition for vintage.  If you want to stand out from the crowd this summer and look like a superstar, then come and visit our 

online Shop  where you can purchase a pair of these iconic sunglasses.

Original Vintage Ray-Ban Bausch & Lomb Wayfarer II Ebony Black Sunglasses

This famous iconic eyewear has been beloved by stars of stage, screen, music and fashion.  Think moody James Dean, sultry Marilyn Monroe, classy Audrey Hepburn, just some of the greatest 20^th Century icons wearing their Wayfarers.  

The incomparable Marilyn wearing Wayfarers and a smile (and Chanel No. 5!)

The classy Audrey wearing Wayfarers and pearls (on her way to Breakfast at Tiffany's?!)

James Dean wearing Wayfarers with jeans a plain white tee.

Also popular in the worlds of celebrity and fashion, worn by Anna Wintour and Victoria Beckham, Wayfarers are  both ultra cool and retro in the music business; as popularised by Michael Jackson, Madonna, Kelly Jones, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan.

Madonna 80's Style

Michael  Jackson - the Man in the Mirror

Wayfarers Contemporary Rock Style -  Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics

Roy Orbison - Wayfarers 50's Style

So what's your style?  However you wear your Wayfarers, you'll be in great company!

Wayfarers worn 60's Festival Style by Bob Dylan

Cream Of The Crop

It is now officially Spring, but it doesn’t feel like it, it’s so cold outside!  After such a long winter, we can’t wait to get into some lighter, brighter clothes.   If you feel the same, then take a look at our cosy, cream, cover-ups.  They are perfect for chilly Spring days and cool Summer evenings.

Cream Of The Crop

First up, is the most amazing long length, cream wool and mohair wrap coat.  It is so luxuriously soft and wearing it is like enveloping yourself in a cosy, warm blanket. 

 

Featuring unusual fastening of little cream buttons underneath the collar and on the edge of the wrists, this beautiful vintage coat by Townwear is so incredibly stylish. 

The coat is for curvy ladies, labelled size 16, but it has a tie belt that can be pulled tighter to accommodate a smaller size 14.

Next we have a “Jackie O” cute 60s Style Boxy Jacket in neutral creamy oatmeal  by designer Gina.

This jacket is beautifully tailored to enhance the shoulders, bust and waist and has lovely, large buttons with petal centres. 

The jacket has the added charm of antique lace edging on the cuffs, giving it a truly vintage, elegant, look.

It is fully lined, with attractive light blue edging.  A timeless vintage piece that will stand the test of time and not go out of fashion.

Finally, for a lighter layer of warmth, we have a snugly, supersoft, cream cape.  The cape is V shaped, making it extremely versatile.  It can be worn as a stole, hanging loosely over the arms and shoulders, as a cape fastened with a brooch, as a wrap, with one end flung over one shoulder, or tied loosely round the neck or across the chest as a scarf. Perfect for both day and evening wear, this gorgeous wrap will be a great wardrobe essential, that can be worn all year round.

We’ve picked out these three items from our Spring Collection, as being the “cream of the crop”.  To buy these and other vintage clothes and accessories, please visit our Online Shop.

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Luck Be A Lady

We have met some lovely buyers and had great feedback from our first online collection.  Our team have been busy putting together our next collection for Easter, which has got us looking forward to Spring. 

In the meantime, we have been following the Cheltenham race meeting; one of the first events of the "season". Ladies' Day fashion is always interesting; from the fabulous, to the quirky, to the downright outrageous!  Whatever style a lady chooses though, it reflects her personality.   

A Day At The Races Quirky Handbag By Debut

  No respectable lady would be without matching accessories to complete her outfit and so we've had a rifle through some of our favourites, many of which will be available to buy online.  As a taster, we are starting with bags and belts and what better bag to remind us of this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup than this very appropriate one "A Day At The Races"! It could come in very useful for wearing to the Grand National, or Royal Ascot, big enough to hold those flutter winnings, yet small enough to be stylish. A chance to make a statement, whilst looking totally gorgeous at the same time!   

We have also found some very ladylike vintage blouses, which will be appearing in our online shop this week:

Vintage 1970's Bellino Satin Blouse

Gorgeous green satin; slinky, shiny, clings to the curves, whilst looking demure. Glamorous Hollywood style, very Marlene Dietrich! Green for St Patrick's Day and the fresh grass of Spring.  Irish eyes will definitely be smiling when they see this beautiful blouse! Great quality and cute little fabric buttons, which we love. A perfect touch to give a classy, elegant, feel.

Vintage Elsie Whiteley Sheer Blouse

Still in the shades of green, we have a greeny-turquoise sea coloured, floaty, chiffon, 1980's frilly pie crust collar and cuffs blouse. A style made famous by Princess Diana, demure and delicate, just as a lady should be!

Elsie Whiteley 1980's Sheer Blouse

If green is not your colour, then you can't go wrong with black!  Black always looks classy and stylish and this 1980's vintage blouse from Elsie Whiteley is tantalisingly sheer, but with modesty panels of pleats down the front, giving flirty glimpses of what lies beneath this outwardly modest attire!  Featuring glamorous pearl buttons surrounded by twisted gold edging, this beautiful blouse will need no other adornment.

1982 Vintage Christian Dior

In contrast to floaty and demure, we have two smart navy blue blouses, that can also be worn as jackets.  A rare vintage Christian Dior boxy, double breasted, blouse, navy, with a white dotted line stripe running through it.  Ok, we're sorry, but we have to mention the buttons!  (Yes, you've guessed it, we have a love of vintage buttons!).  The blouse is fastened at the front with four silver Catherine Wheel swirly design buttons.  The label inside tells us that this blouse was from the Christian Dior Printemps-Ete (Spring-Summer) Collection of 1982.

The other navy blouse has a shawl collar, with a cinched in waist, and oh, did we forget to mention the buttons?! They are two large abalone shell buttons, that shine when they catch the light, and just in case one gets lost, there is even a spare one attached to the label inside.

Both blouses would look good as part of a tailored/smart ensemble, or cute as a sailor/nautical look.

We love this photo "A Sailor's Kiss" Nautical vintage vibe!

Blue is the colour for Spring-Summer 2013, so these lovely vintage designer blouses are very much on trend and a great way of making vintage look modern.  

If you are interested in any of these items, please take a look at our Online Shop