Hardly Hawaii

It's been a funny old day; overcast yet warm and humid, with occasional outbursts of both sun and showers.

It's also been my last day as a volunteer; the next time I'm in the shop, I'll be an employee.

Although the weather was only very vaguely tropical, I thought a Hawaiian dress was appropriate. 

Originally, this was a maxi. It's unusual for me to shorten a full length frock, and I don't quite know why this one didn't feel right as a maxi. It's made from a substantial cotton fabric, so maybe it felt a little stiff and voluminous. Whatever the reason, it has been languishing unworn for ages in my should it stay or should it go now pile, so I finally made the decision to go for the chop.

I shortened the sleeves while I was at it, and I'm pleased with the makeover, I'll actually get some wear out of it now. That splashy floral print is too good to leave unseen.

  I have a backlog of vintage finds to list on Ebay. Somewhat belatedly, I've realised I am about to have a lot less time, so I'd better crack on with some selling.

1960s Mod dress

1970s floral/lace midi dress

1970s Trina Lewis white maxi dress

Lindy Bop dress, BNWT

1980s-does-50s red prom dress

1970s-does-30s black lace dress (showing the back view because it's so sexy)

American-made square dance red ruffled petticoat

1960s brown/lace maxi dress

1970s kimono-sleeved floral midi dress

Who says there's no vintage in charity shops these days?
(Yeah, I know Lindy Bop is repro but someone will like it, I'm sure.)

 Leather bags from the 1950-60s, including an Essell and Waldybag.

The above items are either currently or intended for sale, but the next batch are mine, all mine!

1960s Jaeger red wool coat

1960s black/lurex dress (requiring some work to repair)

1960s C&A striped jacket

Hawaiian parrot print cotton dress

Sheffield-made Viners cutlery 

1960s large June Rose Pyrex bowl

This beauty isn't going anywhere either;

 a gorgeous 1950s tapestry bag, accompanied by the fabric showing underneath and a handmade lavender-filled heart, all of which were gifts out of the blue from the lovely and talented Emma (who blogs at Painted Style). I'm thrilled! It's no secret that I love a vintage tapestry bag..

1960s Hawaiian dress - flea market

Chain belt, flower, bangles and necklace - charity shopped

Sandals - retail (sale) 

And to finish, some (blurry) photos from our family night out last Saturday. 

We went to the 60th birthday party of our friend and neighbour, Gustavo.

Thirteen years ago, we had just moved to the area and were looking for childcare for Claudia to enable me to return to work. Purely by chance, we stumbled across Norma, Gustavo's wife, who works as a childminder, and there began a fantastic relationship. We never had a moment's concern about childcare, and both Norma and Gus were incredibly kind and supportive when Nina was born and ended up in Intensive Care. They had Claudia and Owen to stay, and generally made a stressful time rather easier to bear.

They are originally from Chile, but came to Britain in the mid-Seventies. Gustavo was active in left-wing politics and fled to escape persecution and imprisonment (and probably torture) under the Pinochet regime. They left everything behind and came here with nothing but each other. He and Norma built a life from scratch, they have three great (grown-up) kids, and Gustavo remains as passionate as ever about education, inclusion and justice. Oh and he's a fabulous cook, musician and dancer too.

It occurred to me, as he was telling us of his continuing involvement in a campaign to secure compensation for victims of torture, that those who spout alarmist, hate-filled propaganda about the evils of immigration could learn a lot about generosity of spirit, hospitality and courage from this couple. 

I'm very proud to know them. And the party was brilliant!

xxxx

Best laid plans

I have worn this dress many times, and featured it on the blog fairly often too.

 I love it, everything about it, and when the thin cotton fabric finally disintegrates, I will shed real, salty tears.  

This post from last year explains why the dress has a particular place in my heart as well as my wardrobe.

Thankfully, it's holding up well to repeated wear.

 1970s maxi dress - community fair

Necklace, bangles and sunglasses - charity shopped

Sandals - retail (sale)

Laughing - at Charlie, he was chasing a bee

I have a start date for my new job (the week after next), and I'm feeling that familiar combination of excitement and anxiety at the prospect of doing something new.  It will be fine, I know it will, but I also know I have a lot to learn, and I want to be good at it, now.

 I'm trying not to fast-forward too much. It's better to make good use of the time I have left before the toad, work, squats on my life again.

Time for charity shopping - I've found the usual eclectic mix of things this week.

 

Vintage suitcase - £4 (plus one Jess, free)

1970s Kathie Winkle-designed plates - 50p each

1970s blouse - £3

1960-70s Spirograph-inspired copper brooch - £2

1960s Dents long gloves - £1

1963 Penguin edition of Rebecca - 50p

Hush Puppy sandals - £3

1970s West German-made Tower weighing scales - £3

Pretty vintage fabrics - shall I make dresses, skirts or flares?

According to this 1950s tin, Oxo is refreshing and stimulating. News to me.

Now, I had plans for this blog post, and for this evening, neither of which have come to fruition.

I was all set to do my first ever link-up, on the theme of old faithfuls, favourite outfits, or new clothing crushes which could grow into the Real Thing. How hard can it be, I thought, to cut and paste the HTML code into a post? That's all there is to it...

Err, not so. For some reason, the blue button failed to appear, the link didn't work, and I ended up deleting the post and going to bed last night in a right old huff.

Despite encouragement and tech support from Patti and Kezzie, I ditched the idea. A woman's gotta know her limitations.

And that was only a minor irritation at the side of today's news that the Fleetwood Mac gig in Manchester has been cancelled due to illness, with no plans to reschedule. I am soooo disappointed. Simon's offer to get the kids to sing Don't Stop for me instead is, quite frankly, no consolation at all.

I bet it's Lindsay Buckingham who's poorly. Bloody diva.

 C'est la vie.
I expect we'll head out for a curry tonight instead.

And if you feel inclined to tell me about your favourite frock (or your favourite Fleetwood Mac song) in your comment, that will go some way to mollifying my downcast and frustrated heart. 

Have a great weekend!

xxx 

Is it normal...

to go out in your pyjamas, young lady?

A man shouted this at me today. Mind you, he was standing outside a pub with a drink in his hand at the time, and I suspect he'd probably been there a while.

He was wrong on all counts - I'm neither young, nor a lady, and this jumpsuit certainly isn't intended as nightwear. 

As to whether my dress sense is normal - well, who cares?

I made the jumpsuit from a vintage sheet and this 1967 pattern. 

It was surprisingly straightforward, although I had to take it in significantly and adjust the placement of the bust darts. As a piece of sewing, I'm really pleased with it; it's a great fit, the sleeves and zip are the neatest I have ever achieved, but I do wish I'd had a go at matching up the print.

Ah well - maybe next time.

Jumpsuit - surprisingly well-made by me

Hair flower, chain belt, bangles and platform sandals - charity shopped

Joanne, Sue and I were out this morning taking photos of statues for a project Sue is working on. Of course we fitted in a coffee and plenty of chat along the way.

We found war memorials in Dore and Gleadless;

a squat and grim-faced Queen Vic in Endcliffe Park;

The Spirit of the Woods and his accompanying imps and woodland creatures in the Botanical Gardens;

and the handsome yet rather sad bear in the Bear Pit.

There's Sue re-enacting a scene from Blow-Up.

He didn't seem to mind, he's used to the attention.

So that was a good start the week, unsolicited wardrobe commentary from a pissed-up stranger apart...

Hmm, what ridiculously abnormal item of clothing shall I make next? 

Taking my PJs over to Patti's for Visible Monday!

xxx

Number only the sunny hours

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

Culottes or not?

Most styles get recycled eventually, so it shouldn't be a surprise to learn that culottes are having another moment in the fashion-y sun.

I can't actually remember wearing any in the 1970s, and I really wasn't planning on wearing a pair now either.

I know - never say never...

My manager and a fellow volunteer at the charity shop put these late 1970s/early 1980s culottes aside for me. And despite being a bit dubious before I tried them, I find I like them.

Culottes (gauchos, divided skirts, whatever we're calling them) have been around for a long time.

Here are some examples from the 1930-40s...

the 1950-60s...

1970s...

and into the early-mid 1980s.

They adapted well throughout all these decades, then seemed to fall out of favour; who knows why? Fashion's fickle like that.

(I presume the woman on the bike wearing smart tweed culottes has her gas mask in that box.)

I think this St Michael pair are my favourites...

although the drapey green pair are blessed with pockets and a nicely shaped waistband. 

 Here are some of 2015's incarnations...

and look - mustard. How's that for coincidence?

1970-80s culottes, 1980s shirt, denim jacket, belt and bangles - charity shopped

1980s boots - Second to None

If you google culottes, you will find a lot of articles about how tricky they are to wear, and advising you on how you might possibly do so. 

My advice, should you want or need it (and I very much doubt that you do)? 

If you like them, just give them a go!

xxx