I'm not usually in the city centre first thing in the morning, by which I mean about 9.15am; hardly the crack of dawn but early enough for it to be pleasantly quiet.
I was on my way to the charity shop to do the window display, and on a beautifully sunny morning, that wasn't a hardship at all.
The Peace Gardens were heaving with people later in the day, but at this time, they were empty.
It felt positively tropical in the Winter Gardens...
and there were elves in the trees and steel mobiles to boot.
The Congregational Chapel's gates were open, so I nipped in to look at the Fullard sculptures.
I think I have been all three of these figures...
but not today. I was child-free, not at all pissed off, and didn't need to run. Which was altogether A Very Good Thing.
And what did I wear during these sunny hours in Sheffield's city centre?
A new-to-me vintage frock, of course.
Don't you just love Ebay sellers who don't know very much about vintage? I frequently chuckle and shake my head at the 1980s dresses described as '50s, the bog-standard labels claimed as designer, the clothes listed as rare and unique that you've seen before, the repro styles being passed off as the real thing.
Yes, Ebay sellers - you've made me do this face. Which is usually reserved for the kids.
Still, this is a genuine vintage dress, although the seller had neglected to point out that it is practically transparent. A quick look at the label explains all; it's actually a 1960s beach cover-up by Slix, a British swimwear company who used to have a big factory in Derby.
Despite living about as far inland as it's possible to be in the UK, why let a small thing like that stop me from wearing a beach dress? With one of my many vintage slips underneath, I was good to go.
1960s Slix maxi beach dress - Ebay
Cardigan, shoes and bangles - charity shopped
1970s pendant - vintage fair
I match my garden.
I'm hoping the sunny hours continue, although I think I heard a forecast of rain on the way... Oh well. That's British summer time for you. Wear your beach dresses while you can, you can't be sure when you'll get another chance!
xxx
39 comments:
First yipeepepepe!z
That is a lovely frock. I increasingly get peed off with literally EVERY girl's dress from those China stockists being described as VINTAGE! Ahrgh, it is not vintage!!!! Seriously! It totally clogs up any search one tries to do!x
HOW nice is the peace garden and the winter garden!x
It certainly does look peaceful.
I love your dress, it looks wonderfully Summery x
Sheffield looks positively radiant bathed in sunshine, so many interesting things to look at and enjoy. Bloody gorgeous frock/beach dress, what a fab find, so summery and vibrant. Is that Charlie I can see photobombing? See from all the leaves on the lawn, you had those gales up there too. xxxx
Oh, such lovely sights - those sculptures are amazing! I frequently find myself wanting to correct the tags in the thrift stores - they are always wrong!
Sheffield looks beautiful. The world is great when it is so quiet. I love being up early and feeling like I have the World to myself. Your frock is amazing. There is far too much tat on eBay these days. Same with people selling furniture as "antique". Don't get started on that one. bet you did a cracking window. Do we get pics? xxxx
I think I managed to be all three statues in the span of a couple hours this morning. Curtise, why can't people just do what I want, when I want them to? I'm nicer when I'm happy!
The Ebay tag I love, "Very Unique." Oh god, it drives me mad. "Rare" comes in a close second.
I do love your beautiful frock, and matching your garden is always a wonderful thing. I'm sure your window display will be fab.
You DO match your garden. You fit right in with all the other lovely flowers. Even though it rarely happens I love getting up early with the birds. Gosh, Sheffield is such a pretty town.
They get away with it because of dupes like me. As always, your pictures and clothes are stunning.I do like learning from your blog. I do have a question. Are you aware of or is anyone reading that could recommend a good vintage blog site with US labels? I doubt I'd find many of the vintage UK labels you mention on US e-bay sites, charity shops, or consignment, and think that could be a nice new hobby for me here in the states. I am a subscriber to In the Writers Closet-great ideas there.
Your garden is lovely! All shades of purple.
I can't order stuff on ebay, or even online really.
Good thing you have a slip that works. It'd be a shame to only wear it as a nightie : ) The colours are stunning.
Looks like such a beautiful day. I'm glad you got out to enjoy it.
bisous
Suzanne
Gorgeous blue skies ... hope they last ... and a gorgeous dress ... love the colours :0)
xx
a beauty of a dress! and you look beautiful in it! the flowers, the colors, that cut - mmmhh!
i imagine you flowing around the city gardens in the morning light in it - good company for the elves and art :-)
pretty flowers in your neat garden!!
despite the cold, the plants need some rain after that hot and windy days! but if we have luck it comes at night....
a wonderful weekend to you! xxxxx
How strange to see the silver balls and the Peace garden so eerily quiet! When we came to visit it was overrun with sun worshippers and kids splashing through the water features in their pants.
Ha! Gotta to love eBay. "Genuine 1940s tea dress" with a Next label, "Vintage 1950 dress" in polyester with shoulder pads and "1970s fancy dress" to describe the Brutus Gold brushed denim waistcoat with the plaited detail!
Love your Slix dress, it fits so well. Their cossies last for years as the old dears at the baths used to proudly point out when I admired them. A slip and you're good to go and if the weather's as good as it was yesterday you could go for a dip the the Peace Garden fountain and by touch dry in minutes.
Ace flowers, a sneaky photo bombing Charlie and gorgeous you. What a fab start to a Friday.
Love you! xxxx
The peace garden, and the other spots you visited all look beautiful, and look at that gorgeous blue sky. Then you rock out in a fabulous frock and match your very own garden, it doesn't get any better than that does it?
Your city is so beautiful and you always find something new to show us. I really enjoyed that walk in the park as well as your humour. The new dress is gorgeous, fits you perfectly and the floral print is so joyous!
You, and the sky, that dress, all looking gorgeous in the garden! xox
The Peace Garden is beautiful. I can imagine spending an afternoon sitting and reading beside those silver balls.
The beach coverup is a great dress on you. I have really got to get better at finding goodies on ebay!
Angry and running with a child, yep, I've been those statues, too.
Have a beautiful weekend!
What a lovely dress ❤
The gardens all look wonderfully tranquil, isn't it astonishing how the vibe of a place can be so dramatically altered by people xxx
Oh, my! What beautiful colors in that dress! Purples are so beautiful! And so is your garden! :)
Magnificent dress, far too lovely to only wear at the beach. Hooray for vintage slips. I am the petticoat queen. I do not want to see womens arses through their clothing.
Your home town looks wonderful in the sunshine. So nice to have it all to yourself! xxxx
You look so lovely in that dress, everything about it is just right, the colours and the fit and I love that it is strappy and sleeveless, gives it a bit of a flirty quality. Perfect for a nice summery day. Have you got flowery shoes on too? You are like Jane Seymour in that perfume advert! 😀 There is something special about getting the world to yourself before everyone else is there. I love driving home after a night shift for that reason, seeing the streets all fresh and ready for a new day. How wonderful to get up knowing your job is to make a beautiful window display. Xxxxx
That's one gorgeous cover-up! Amazing find, you look so beautiful in it! Once again, you are such a gifted photographer, Curtise! I just feel the rush of inspiration looking at these photos, the same rush that probably you felt taking them. Sheffield is a magnificent city, and I agree - there is something about the city on a sunny warm morning... Those sculptures are wild!
Have a wonderful weekend, my dear! xxxxx
Isn't it a gorgeous dress/beach cover up! thank goodness for a slip! great things too, I need a proper one, my waisted one nearly came a cropper in Aldi - Sheffield is gorgeous, I do like the tranquil moments, it must have felt like you had the city to yourself - the sculptures are incredible!! angry woman blew my mind, apocalyptic rage an' all that! yep, have been all 3 myself - I'm doing Mum face in the chazza's, if I see one more over worn and over-priced per-una/primark/m&s and benevolent person who is dropping stuff off at the chazza and condescendingly looks at shoppers........ breathe!! I promise I won't knock them out! have a great weekend! x x x
Such a lovely colourful post. Another pretty dress, glad you were able to wear it with a bit of extra layering!
Lisa x
You look so pretty in your colourful dress. It would swish beautifully on the beach!
Your garden is so gorgeous. Jealous!!! The rain does bring good things with it, like growing plants.
I love your tour of the city, especially the fountains. Ahhhh!
I'm sure your window display was lovely. Nothing quite like the freedom of a day away from kids, and the love of welcoming them home :-)
Xo Jazzy Jack
As a lilac flower!
Lovely photos, you're making me want to visit Sheffield again. Sounds like a lovely, sunny, day x
I love how the print blends with your garden flowers, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Love it all
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The winter gardens look fab, I'd like to visit them sometime. I really like that dress on you! I've just ordered my first vintage maxi dress off Ebay, seller said it's 1970s but we'll see... xx
Cities are at their best first thing in the morning, aren't they? Bath is foul at midday, but wonderful at 8:30am! You really do show Sheffield at its best.
You do match your garden, and you are both stunning! Gorgeous photos of the city centre too, doesn't summer sun make everything look nice?
What a stunning outfit!
I bet your window display rocked! X
love when you match your garden!!, those lilacs and mauves and purples are fabulous colors!, and you look gorgeous wearing your floral maxi, hurrah for vintage slips!
besos
lovely dress and amazing photos . I wish you more sunny mornings. :)
Sheffield is very pretty in the sunshine and blue sky! I'm quite entranced by the George Fullard sculptures, especially the "Angry Woman".
Your beach dress is very pretty, too bad it's see-through but you'd be the woman to have pretty slips to wear under it. I don't even bother to search ebay for vintage things because so much of what comes up in a search is NOT VINTAGE!
What a lovely panorama of garden views -- not the least of which is the one you're wearing, Curtise. Early mornings do indeed grant one the sensation of being a priviledged "backstage guest" before the cityscape and its regular performers take their places for the daily show. I especially enjoy prowling about early 20th C grand hotels when the walks are being watered and the gardeners are willing to talk to a stray about what's involved in maintaining appearances and perhaps the odd ghost story related to a special feature.
Oh that beach dress is so so gorgeous! I do love those colours on you AND in the garden. In summer I tend to favour red and purple flowers. I really enjoy the photos you share of the architecture, the parks, the statues. They make me a very happy armchair tourist, so thank you. xoxo
ugh i totally gave up on ebay because of sellers like that. and the ones that sell crappy stuff from little factories in Asia that are jam packed with descriptive words like 'boho' or 'vintage' and they aren't at all. that dress is luckily beautiful and perfect for summer. beach or not!
What a divine dress.....the style, the print. Curtise perfection! Xx
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