Hey babe, let's go out tonight

Hello? Anybody there?

I hope so; it's odd being away from blogging. I've felt a disturbing echo of ancient adolescent angst, a fear that everyone else in the world is off having all the fun without me... 

Life's been going on as usual.

 

Work is busy - January is obviously Major Clear Out Month, the donations have been piling in. The vintage shop still isn't open but it's looking likely for February. We'll see.

1970s blouse and maxi skirt, 1960s Astraka faux fur coat, suede waistcoat, vintage leather gloves, beret and ankle boots - all charity shopped

 

We've had a mere dusting of snow, which has made a change from the incessant rain. The garden is a quagmire, the cats and I are not impressed.

 

 

 Jess' winter fluff, on the other hand, is very impressive. 

 

On Saturday, we all went to see An Inspector Calls at the Lyceum theatre (the building on the right).

Over dinner afterwards, we debated the nature of the mysterious Inspector, admired the staging of the production, and discussed whether polemic makes for good theatre. Well, Simon and I did - the kids may have been ignoring us and troughing their puddings at this point.

 

 

It was snowing by the time we went home.

 

 

Thank you for your kind comments on my previous post.

And in the spirit of getting back to normal around here, I'll be joining Patti's Visible Monday, and coming to visit everyone. What's been happening?

xxxx

The wonderful world of Chesterfield flea market

It's been some time since I visited Chesterfield flea market. A combination of bad weather and other commitments has meant that Joanne and I have spent our Thursdays elsewhere lately, so it was good to be back yesterday.

Don't worry, I did wear a coat, but I wanted to show off this new-to-me 1970s frock from my charity shop. I found it as I rummaged among the summer stock in the attic, looking for some colour and print to brighten up the dress rail, which was looking hopelessly tired, dull and drab.

I know this dress is sleeveless, but that doesn't make it an exclusively summer piece, does it? I brought all manner of pretty dresses down to put out in the shop, to the consternation of the other volunteers; but that's summer stock!  

 

Well, the proof of the strategy is in the sales; I put a sleeveless dress with a great digital print and a brightly coloured little jacket on a mannequin in the window, and a lady bought the entire outfit about 10 minutes later. So there! 

 

I can't tell you how much I love doing the window display, and how much I preen with self-satisfaction when a customer says it looks good.

1970s St Michael faux fur jacket, 1970s Christian Marcus dress, brooch, bangles and tights - charity shopped

Boots - retail

1970s necklace - vintage market

Now what was I saying? I've distracted myself. 

 

 

Oh yes - Chesterfield. 

Joseph greeted us like long-lost friends; I bought a 1950s Alfred Meakin Montmartre jug from his stall. We don't do Mothers Day in this house, but I don't need an excuse to buy myself something pretty for a quid.

I wonder what she gets for Mothers Day?

 

Booze, bunnies and buckets.

Only the strongest and best cocoa for Her Most Gracious Majesty.

No wonder Action Man looks grumpy - he's lost his pants.

Your own Personal Jesus.

 

 

Wonderful vintage packaging.

.

The juxtaposition of lard and champagne made me laugh.

Objects of the day, both from the early years of the Twentieth century;

a Cabinetta oak and canvas fold-up officer's campaign bed, possibly dating from the First World War or earlier (they were used in the Boer War too);

 

and a rather grotesque fur evening bag made out of ermine, I think. All its little teeth are intact, and if you lift up its head, you can see its paws. I'm used to seeing fox stoles, but I've never seen a bag with an animal's head on it before. 

 

I don't know what the poor thing's got to smile about... Possibly the fact that the seller informed me it was a bat.

 

 

Apart from my Meakin jug,  I pushed the boat out and spent a whole tenner on Jo and Amanda's stall. They were having one of their 3-items-for-a-fiver sales, so here are my six pieces;

an Edina Ronay Victoriana-style jacket (doesn't suit me at all, so it's destined for Ebay)

a very weighty beaded Twenties-style dress

a Monsoon silk and net skirt

 John Smedley cotton knit hoodie (for Claudia)

a blue/black wiggle dress by Taylor (not a brand I know)

and a 1970s Indian block-printed wraparound maxi skirt. 

£1.70 each - not bad.

And that's why I love a visit to Chesterfield market!

I'm out for dinner with my old friends Sally and Claire tonight, so I'd better go and put my face on; have a great weekend, everyone!

xxxx

 

Can things get any better in the tunnel of love?

For a while, I've been trying to spend wisely and not accumulate for the sake of it. And for the most part, I've managed to obey my self-imposed diktat.

Alongside my Ebaying, I feel the decks are ever so slightly clearer around here. 

 

But of course, if something catches my eye and it's a bargain, what's a girl to do?

Three 1960s acetate scarves, £1 each

 red dolly shoes, £3.99

 an Artigiano tote bag, from which wafts a very pleasing smell of expensive leather when I dive into it, £1.49 (their larger bags retail at around £150)

and a 1960s cotton pinny which had such a great print, I couldn't resist, £1.

I do so love wild 1970s prints...

and I'd wear these beauties any day of the week.

1960s faux fur and scarf, cardigan and bangles - charity shopped

1970s C&A maxi dress - Ebay

Boots - retail

What else have I found lately?

A chrome folding cake stand, hammered stainless steel (partial) tea set, and 1950s frosted glasses.

I'm not sure about a date for the cake stand; I've seen them described on Ebay as Art Deco, but it looks a bit too frou-frou for that period. The tea set pre-dates 1959, since it has an Olde Hall stamp and they dropped that olde worlde "e" in 1959.

I'm such a bric-a-brac nerd!

The glasses were a complete set of 6, but I discovered them packed at the bottom of a box while I was sorting donations at the charity shop, and one was broken. Sad.

 As a nod to Valentine's Day, I'll leave you with this jaundiced take on romance from 1983.

You're welcome!

xxx

 

Oh! You Pretty Things

I am interested in why people choose the clothes they do. 

We all have to get dressed, so even those who profess no interest in clothing, fashion or style make decisions about their wardrobe.

I have long suspected that my penchant for early 1970s styles might be due to the influence of my eldest sister on my childhood.

Belinda is nine years older than me, and I have clear memories of many of her outfits from her late teenage years; the maxi dresses, floppy hats and chokers, the lurex and platform shoes, lace-up knee-high boots, cheesecloth wraparound maxis and floral print mini skirts, and an infamously pungent afghan coat.
 

 She was very fashionable, she went up to London on the train to shop in Biba and Kensington market, and I longed to be old enough to do the same.

She was also quite bolshie and challenging, the rebel of the family, which gave her added cachet. (I think we were all a bit scared of her.)

Fur and lurex; I was too young for them in the early Seventies, but now I can wear what I like.

And forty years on, I like to wear this.

1970s Emreco lurex sweater, bangles, Pierre Cardin silk scarf and ankle boots - charity shopped
1970s Atlantic lurex maxi skirt - Ebay
Faux fur jacket - gift

I've been brewing a post about all this for a while, but a couple of things have shifted the subject to the front of my mind.

My darling friend Connie and I had an entertaining e-conversation about our early fashion influences (her babysitters, my sister).

And I found this 1970s gold lurex sweater in a charity shop last week...

on the same rail as this...

with a label which made me a little misty-eyed;

Lee Bender's designs for her Bus Stop label are much sought-after these days; the brand existed from 1969-79, and provided cheap fast fashion for trendy young women who didn't want to shop in the same stores as their mothers.

Fab Seventies knitwear.

Oddly enough, in a different charity shop but on the same day, I also found this;

so quintessentially early 70s, it hurts!

(It hurts even more that neither the Bus Stop skinny lurex cardigan nor the blouse fit me, but hopefully some slimline 1970s-loving chick will snap them up on Ebay.)

 In the small country town where I was born and grew up, there were two shops selling clothes.

One was also a old-fashioned haberdashers, and sold clothing my mum would have worn, had she ever bought anything from a real shop and not from jumble sales. She had absolutely no interest in clothes, and was rather scathing about any woman done up like a fashion plate, believing that a concern for dressing well was a sign of being dim-witted and superficial.

The other shop was the wonderfully named Peekaboutique. It appeared to my 7 or 8 year old self, nose pressed longingly to the window, a treasure trove of everything I couldn't have (and my big sister could); velvet, chiffon, sparkle, fur, dramatic sleeves, flares, high heels, fabulous prints and rich colours.

Fashion. Cool.

Oh to be a Sarah Moon doe-eyed darling, all Deco-inspired chic and soft decadence.

Yeah, that never happened...

So when you see me wafting about in a 1970s maxi, sighing over a great print or squeaking at lurex...

or acquiring yet another faux fur...

just blame my childhood.

You can take the girl out of the Seventies, but...

 I'm joining Patti's Visible Monday, fashionably late (rather like my style choices).

(PS. I'm far too idle to link to all the sources of the photos I've used, but I am indebted to Miss Peelpants' blog, a treasure trove of wonderful vintage photos and style.)

xxx

Bargains in blue

I had an afternoon of pottering about in town on my own on Saturday.

I did ask the girls if they wanted to come, but they turned me down. Which was fine by me.

 There were two vintage fairs going on (an odd bit of planning, or lack of it) but I just had a look at one of them.

Sheffield's Town Hall and Peace Gardens looked lovely in the winter sunshine. 

And the Town Hall makes a grand setting for a vintage fair.

Opened in 1897, the building has some glorious Art Noveau features.

The vintage on offer was pretty good too.

I loved those vivid 1960s macs; the yellow one had its matching hat too.

I browsed and admired, I chatted to the stall holders, I tried on a few things, and bought...

this 1970s maxi skirt...

 

 

a pretty heron pendant, and a funky 1960s barkcloth curtain. 

 

I thought that was £16 well spent. 

 

1970s cotton maxi skirt and pendant - vintage fair

Shirt, beret, bangles and 1970s faux fur coat - charity shopped

 

I have a feeling this skirt is going to become a firm favourite; it's a perfect fit, made from beautiful cotton, and the spriggy little floral print serves as a reminder that Spring is around the corner.

See?

The tabby girls agree.

I'll be taking my blue beret over to Judith's to join February's Hat Attack.

Hope you all have a good week!

(PS. For those who asked, my Ebay seller ID is cumo2.  I'd obviously make a terrible business woman since I feel so awkward about promoting my Ebay sales via the blog, but the proceeds from the items currently listed will go to St Luke's hospice, so I don't mind pushing them!)

xxx