New threads: Powder blue & Pastel pinks

Oh dear! My Beyond Retro thrifting has struck again.

I mentioned in my last post about the pastel pink patterned late 50s/early 60s dress I wore to Get Hot or Go Home. I thought I would take a few more close up snaps of it as I love the fabric. It’s almost cartoon like in its colours and the fabric is so light.

The label is a little tatty around its edges but I have come across this ‘Westbury Fashions’ before in another dress I bought

I also found this beautiful 50s jacket in amongst all the 80s shoulder padded outerwear..I added a metal painted brooch I found in an antique shop in Lewes & i think the colours really sit well together. It doesn’t pin very well on thinner fabric but on this material it sits nice & straight.

It’s the sort of jacket that has that Dior ‘New Look’ about it, the hips are tailored into the sides, it also has a double vent at the back & no lapels. It’s so neat & trim. The tailoring is speaks for itself & is a simple answer to that often asked question ‘why do you wear vintage?!’

Ok I will stop now. Here is a snap of me giving the jacket its first turn about Brighton. I went to buy some button & fabric for my Halloween costume. fulfilling that Vintage Gal stereotype to the max. All I needed was someone to wrap bunting around me & hand me a cupcake!

Check out that super 70s filter! I wore it with a white knitted jumper from Brussels, Skirt VoH & Beret H&M

It’s sort of odd that I have acquired an eye for materials, I spotted this powder blue wool fleck & instantly knew it was 50s – Does anyone else have that vintage 6th sense? It also helps in a place like Beyond Retro as there is so much to trawl through!

Have any of you found any sweet threads lately? Link me up in the comments below!

Have a great weekend

Love VV xxx

Get Hot or Go Home! at Archway

This is the second time I have been to Get Hot or Go Home, the clubnight is in a Tiki bar on the side of Archway Tavern.

I wore a new pastel coloured dress that I bought from Beyond Retro with my hair ratted into a more 60s style

Before we went out we had a few rums at Jeni’s as she had a TV crew from France over to do a piece of film on her vintage style and how she gets ready for a night out with fellow vintage girls (and Hanson…) Sadie got this great snap of all of us which I really like!

Here is my back & Jeni with her Vintage Mafia bespoke fan from The Vanity Case

It was really great to have us all together! With a tiki house cocktail for just £5 & some of the best vinyl rotations you can hear, I highly recommend it!

All snaps from Hanson Leatherby Photography!

Love VV xxx

Inspiration #1 : Dressed down style to The Marvelettes

I was inspired  to finally start putting together an inspiration series by Jeni’s Yesterday’s Beat girl post . My style has definitely started to change again, I think partly to the music I have been listening to & collecting lately. Much more late 50s to mid 60s. I have always been a decade hopper but mostly jumping from the 40s & 50s and I love having the freedom to do so! Now I seem to be progressing through history into another decade entirely, although maybe it should be regression, as my obsession with vintage fashion & music started about 7 years ago when I started going to Mod nights. The feel this time though is trans atlantic and I am looking to the USA for much of my inspiration.  These won’t always be about style, maybe images, people & sounds that I want to share as things that make me sit up & pay attention…

First up is Jeni herself. I always love Jeni’s dressed down style.

Mid Century advert design: Paynes Poppets advertisement. 1955

The amazing Divine as Dawn Davenport in ‘Female Trouble’

I am a massive fan of all John Water’s work and the star of many of his films was larger that life, uber trashy Divine!

These girls

I love these girls goofing around in their very Freddies-esq loose fit jeans & saddle shoes – just perfect!

Virginia Johnson’s amazing sweater collection from Masters of Sex

Honest to God her wardrobe is fantastic & now that Mad Men is out of my life this is my new necter.The knitwear in particular! Plus I love her soft whispey Audrey Hepburn fringe.

The Marvelettes

I have loved The Marvelettes work for a very long time! One of my favourite track is ‘Playboy’ as it brings back great memories of when I first started listening to Soul & Motown. Boy these babies can sing!

The insanely gorgeous & very stylish Miriam’s Kafferep

Without fail, everytime I take a peek into the world of Miriam on her blog, I get a pang of awe & inspiration. I love the colour palette she uses & the wardrobe she has. She can still look so feminine & stylish in baggy 40s pants & a shirt. She has that pure Swedish style!

My Grandma & Grandad with the brood (minus my Auntie Sharon)

This phot only surfaced when my Grandma passed away a few months back. I love it so much. My Dad is in the middle looking right at the camera with his little romper & sandles on. I am loving my Grandma’s cha cha heels too.

The 1964 French film ‘Band A Part’

This film is great. I love Anna Karina’s chunky wool & tartan skirt combo. I  have been rocking the look myself recently. What can I say? Watch the film & do Le Madison with me…

I hope you have enjoyed the first installment, I am going to try & do this post weekly.. Feel free to comment below linking me to some of you inspiration posts!

Love VV xxx

Our finest hour: The 2nd Best of Britannia show 2013

Last Saturday I travelled up to Farringdon to visit the 3 day trade show Best of Britannia, which is housed inside the Farmiloe building. The Farmiloe building is a gorgeous landmark of Clerkenwell. Built originally by George Farmiloe & Sons merchants and completed in 1868. The shows layout was in the multi floored warehouse part of the building which is open in the middle to reveal exposed wrought-iron beams, hoists and also untouched paint work. The building was left untouched for many years & still boasts its original panelled office compartments with original fixtures & painted wallpaper, which I found out on the day is used in BBC period drama ‘Downton Abbey’ for location shots plus several other film appearances

Best of Britannia is in its second year of showcasing a selection of brands all contributing to rebuilding British industry. From jewellery to knitwear, trainers to furniture. The atmosphere was buzzing and visitors were in their thousands. Everyone I spoke to was so passionate about what they were producing and also interested in the publics feedback. The layout flowed up through three floors and it felt like you really got a great view of the whole buildings inner workings. That alone was worth the trip.

The guys at Brighton based Small Batch Coffee wearing their Dawson Denim Barrister aprons!

Kamm & Sons looking good!

I fell head over heels with Rosita Bonita’s leather tooled jewellery!

Rosita Bonnita’s painted bust with the most gorgeous necklace & earrings!

She shared a stall area with the lovely Pip Jolley too! Talk about a tempting combination!

Swoon worthy sunnies from FANoptics with frames made in the UK using Italian acetate

The main reason I visited was to see Kelly & Scott with their stand for Dawson Denim! It looked amazing, they’d brought along their custom scooter which is an original 1950s Lambretta (a wider model than the later scooters and was endorsed by Jayne Mansfield!)

They were launching their unisex jeans too and had the new look book printed. You can see more shots from the look book here or on Create’s site here

I also got to try out a new alcoholic ice tea who I will be doing a taste test for in my next post, so stay tuned! Oh & here is a reflective window shot of my outfit

I look forward to next years BoB event!

Love VV xxx

Pimples, Lipstick & Hairspray: A 60s playlist for girls with big dreams and high hair

What does one do with oneself when the boy is at band practise and you’re on your own… You eat dumplings, drink rum and make youtube playlist of some of your favourite 60s sounds!

Enjoy kitty cats…

Pimples, Lipstick & Hairspray: A 60s playlist for girls with big dreams and high hair!

A selection fit for any teenage girls record collection. With Swooners, Girl Group harmonies and 1960s Dance Floor Crazes.
For when the leader of the pack doesn’t ask you to be his date at the school dance – You can sing along to these sweet sounds while ratting your hair and dreaming of the day you will be asked to go steady, run away to the motor city & join a girl group…Where girls with big dreams and high hair can jump the grooves.

A self indulgent list of some of my personal favourite 60s vinyl rotations.

Love VV (a wanna be hair hopper) xxx