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To the sound of air raid sirens, I marched down the steps of Aldywch tube station with 50 other people, to the safety of the train platforms deep under London. Once there, we were treated to a bit of am-dram on a 1938 tube train (my favourite year at the moment since I am writing a time-slip novel set partly then!), but I struggled to pay attention - there were too many marvellous things to look at (retro posters encased in lovely wooden frames; cute little louvres on the train to let in the air; gorgeous art deco detailing along the platform).
For this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (well...I confess we kept forgetting we were in a disused tube station for the most part, since it looked like plenty of other tube stations we pass through every day!), I dressed up in a prim little 1940s woollen dress with pleated skirt, and completed the look with a lovely vintage leather bag and beret.
Apart from the actors, I was the most overdressed person on the platform, and the only one who went against the dress code to wear heels (I didn't read the part about the 150 steps). But as it was pointed out to me, even in war time it's important that women make an effort to look good!
Found at: Dress -Vintage at Goodwood Festival; Bag - Cancer Research, Turnpike Lane.
Price: Dress - £40.00; Bag - £10.00.
Wearability factor: 4/5 (man that wool is itchy: you need plenty of demure undergarments underneath to avoid scratching all night).
Accessorise with: gas mask, thick woollen stocking, practical brown pumps.
Ohhh, what a fabulous Sunday at the Vintage at Goodwood festival!
I channelled the 1940s and my friend Deb went for 1960s - and it felt like we were being photographed all day long! The shoes (Kate Kuba), hat (Gap, but found in Cancer Research Crouch End for £3.00)) and cardi (charity shop £5.00) are modern, but the dress comes from Blackout II in Covent Garden, and the fabulous bag is something I picked up in Chiswick last week, at Cancer Research's vintage store (£35.00). The outfit caught the eye of Grazia's stylehunter, and I got to parade about at the end of the day with 20 women, stunningly dressed in 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s style.
The highlight of the day for me was meeting Stefanie Braun, whose Fraubraun boutique fuses carefully edited vintage pieces with a photographic experience. I've admired her website from afar for a long time, and with only a little coercion, she got me into a stunning 1950s ball gown and in front of the camera.
Our magical day of people watching (the only time I've ever felt it wasn't rude to point!), peering into vintage caravans and relaxing in the 'dance hall' was topped off by a ride on a lovely old ferris wheel. We're already planning outfits for next year's festival!
This post first appeared on the new Oxfam Vintage Blog.
Now that Spring is upon us, the weather is just perfect for wandering London’s streets in search of new vintage treasures. This weekend I set out on foot from Kilburn to Hyde Park, ostensibly to make the most of the sunshine, but knowing full well there would be plenty of charity shops along the way!
I’ve taken to setting myself a budget before I cross the threshold of any charity shop, which is actually far less of a constraint than you may imagine. These shops, after all, often hide the most marvellous gems priced in pennies.
The purpose of the budget is twofold: my closet is full to bursting point (but I’m unwilling to sacrifice the assortment of goodies that I’ve amassed over the years), and I’ve set myself a personal maxim of ‘Elegant Frugality’ for 2010 and beyond. This has forced me to choose my vintage pieces carefully, often reluctantly returning something to the clothes rail (oh, the saddest of partings), but taking home another item that’s all the more treasured.
In Oxfam on Kilburn’s High Street – budget, £10 – I discovered a pleated 1980s tartan skirt and a starry-printed 1970s Dorothy Perkins halterneck dress. But both went back on the rails in favour of two sweet hand-painted tea cups (a steal at 99p for both) a hand-painted cake plate (99p), a pair of 1980s two-toned leather heels (£2.99), and a warm woolly picnic blanket (£3.99) that will work equally well at a picnic or draped on the couch. Grand Total: £8.96.
With the lovely new-old blanket in my possession, I abandoned my charity shop hunt and headed straight to Hyde Park to nestle on it under the trees with my Sunday paper. But if anyone’s in Kilburn and is a size 8 to 10, you could pop into Oxfam for that tartan skirt or halterneck dress I reluctantly left behind.
You can't have an inventory without making a list of the items you purchase! I'm keeping track of every vintage item I buy, and recording it on the marvellous Daytum tool. You'll find me under the moniker 'the thinking girl'.
This weekend, I purchased:
- two handpainted teacups (.99p)
- one handpainted cake platter (.99p)
- one woollen picnic blanket (3.99)
- one pair of 80s heels (1.99)
'Stuff White People Like' is a marvellously satirical look at the middle class and our penchant for being (or thinking we are) cooler than every other social class.
#49 - Vintage
It may be widely assumed that owls represent wisdom, but I find them compelling for the sense of vulnerability that hangs about them. They call to mind faded childhoods spent girlishly skipping around Brown Owl in crisp linen uniforms, yet those sorrowful eyes hint at grown-up secrets. On the bus home this evening, I picked up a copy of Stylist magazine, and Hannah Turner's cheeky winking owl reminded me of my very own owl that sits atop my bookshelves.Mine was purchased on the cheap from a charity shop, of course, and has the rather odd feature of a wobbly removable head. Just look at those eyes! And here's the proof that I'm not the only one feeling the owl love...Found at: North London Hospice, Crouch EndPrice: £3.00Usability Factor: 5/5Accessorise with: This owl needs friends to stay awake with him at night. I'll try Etsy for more.
I stumbled upon this unnamed junk shop in East London this week, while I was on a mission to track down and photograph public libraries for work. I couldn't resist going in, although I did manage to refrain from walking out again laden down by purchases!
While charity shops like Oxfam and Cancer Research are conveniently located and have a carefully edited selection of clothes and crockery, there's nothing quite like the buzz of getting off the well-worn high street and tracking down something special buried beneath the junk!
