White Light/White Heat

It's been a glorious weekend here, sunny and warm with a real buzz of summer about it.

 And I've been wearing white.

This is relatively unusual for me; I am very fair-skinned and tend to feel overly pale in white.

In addition, I am messy and prone to spillages.

But all of these new-to-me beauties were too good to leave behind, and it's good to challenge those preconceptions once in a while.

1970s St Michael cotton maxi skirt, denim jacket, 1960s silk scarf, sunglasses and leather belt - charity shopped

Hobbs t-shirt - jumble sale

Indian leather bag - vintage fair

Sandals - retail (sale)

This fabulous skirt was in the Vintage Corner of one of my local charity shops, but still only cost £4, and the Hobbs t-shirt was 50p at last Saturday's jumble. 

My kind of outfit!

1970s California Cottons dress (but made in the UK) - flea market (£8)

Cardigan and belt - charity shopped

1980s sunglasses - vintage shop

I am slightly concerned that this makes me look like Sandy from Grease before her makeover...

...but not worried enough to prevent me from wearing the dress today and feeling perfectly happy.

Nina has declared she would like it when I've finished with it - you know, when you're 90, Mum.

She and I had a mooch around our local secondhand/vintage shops this afternoon.

The Vault used to be a bank, and still has the old safe in the basement; Nina posed in front of it on the proviso I wouldn't lock her in it.

That reel-to-reel was fabulous, but had a hefty price tag; my friend Sue bought one from last week's jumble for a quid. 

 

There's darling Vix, posing nude again. She'll do anything for votes.

 

 

I only bought this 1960s bracelet. It's not marked, but it's satisfyingly chunky and well-made.

 

From early 1970s maxi chic...

 

... to a late '70s recreation of 1950s style.

The two outfits seem to bookend the 1970s in a way I find ridiculously satisfying.

 

I'm easily pleased.

 

 

 

 

I'll be taking my 1970s looks to Patti's Visible Monday as always; see you there!

xxxxx

Fancy

It seems that if you wear anything other than jeans, t-shirt and fleece (or equivalent), you will run into the adjective fancy.

I have received all sorts of comments about what I wear, though I don't much mind what anyone else says.

 In my book, looking fancy is fine. I think it's intended to imply overdressed, but that's fine too.

 

  Yes, I suppose this is a fancy mid-week frock.

But so what?

 I don't know what to do about the hem of this dress.

It's been hacked off and poorly hemmed, but there isn't enough fabric left to let down.

Should I try and find some braid to hide the wobbly hem, or cut the dress to midi length? Or shorter?

Any thoughts?

 I do love the floaty cape sleeves.
Now they are fancy.

But the thing is - I'm not.

I'm a woman of very low standards really.

I am definitely not fussy; I'm not a clean freak, a label whore, or a snob. I'm as happy in a greasy spoon as I am in a swanky restaurant (I'd rather go to a pub and a curry house really), and as long as people aren't rude or bigoted, I don't much mind what they do or say. I prefer a modicum of intelligence, it's true. I like an apostrophe in its rightful place and a well-articulated opinion, but I swear like a navvy, and am perfectly happy with secondhand clothes, low-brow pursuits and cheap laughs.

I'm just not fancy pants at all.
 

1970s cape-sleeve maxi dress and most of the bangles - charity shopped
1960s pendant - flea market
Sandals and hair flowers - retail (sale)


I think some people find the discrepancy between how I dress and how I am a little confusing.

Oh well; they'll live.

What about you?

What do your clothes say about you, and do they ever give a misleading message?

The word fancy always makes me think of this song. I love Bobby Gentry, and even if 1960s country music isn't your thing, you have to admire the way she's poured herself into that catsuit.

Now that's fancy!

PS. Thanks for all the pledges of additional votes for our Vix. She's still in the lead, but Tweedy Man is chap-hopping at her high heels, so please keep asking people to vote!

Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down...

xxxx

                                                  

Vote for Vix!

You all know by now I am a fairly lazy person. 

I can waste time effortlessly, and as long as the wheels stay more or less on the track, then I am satisfied. I have few in the way of perfectionist traits, and can be slap-dash, to put it kindly. 

Swanning about taking photos in the garden when the house is a bombsite and the washing needs sorting?

Yep, that'll do me.

But there are some things I take seriously.

My allotted role as Vix's campaign manager is one of them!

Most of you will know Vix and her brilliant blog Vintage Vixen.

You are also probably aware that she is a nominee for Vintage Personality 2014 in this year's Vintage Awards.

You might not know that I nominated her; even Vix didn't, because I forgot to tell her.

See? Slapdash.

 I could go to any of Vix's blog posts and pick a photo of an amazing outfit made up of vintage pieces, mostly bought for tuppence ha'penny at a jumble sale, made from an old curtain, or received as a gift from one of her many friends.

But I thought I'd use my pics from our blogger days out; we've met up a few times now over the past 2 years and always have a wonderful time.

Here we are in Wetherspoons in Walsall, the first time we met, in July 2012.

 

 This 1970s Tricoville dress is just one of the many gifts Vix has given me, and it remains one of my absolute favourites. It's one of those old faithfuls which always makes me feel good when I wear it.
 

So it's Vix in dress form really, since I think she too has the ability to make other people feel good.

She is a reliable, thoughtful and supportive commenter on blogs, and I think many of her followers consider her to be both a friend and an inspiration.

And what you see on her blog is what you get in real life, from her fabulous style, to her wit and intelligence, her generosity, her forthright views, and her sense of humour.

Strangers really do approach her to chat and pay her compliments...

...or take her photo!

It's the Vix Effect; she's just got something special.

Which is why she should win the Vintage Personality award!

 So here's an idea;

 I'm sure many of you have voted for Vix already, but have you asked friends and family?

I sent out a quick email to my non-blogging, non-Facebooking friends, with a link to the Vintage Awards website, and asked if they would mind voting for my friend. They were happy to oblige.

If we all did the same, I reckon that's a lot of extra votes.

1970s Tricoville chiffon dress - gift from Vix

Denim jacket and bangles - charity shopped

Indian leather bag - vintage fair

Boots - retail (sale)

Voting continues throughout May; our Vix is in the lead at the moment, but Tweedy Moustache Man is sneaking up behind her, and he Must Not Win.

I simply won't allow it, OK?

And if I find out you didn't vote, you'll have me to reckon with. I might look like a lady, but when I'm riled, I make Malcolm Tucker look mild-mannered.

(Please don't watch this if you are remotely offended by swearing. It's ALL swearing, and it is both big and clever.)

Now get fucking voting!

xxxx
 

                     

Thinking pink

I've been impatient to wear my purchases from last Saturday's blogger meet-up in Sheffield, so today I did just that.

 

I hadn't really imagined them together, but why not?

 

I will always think of this cotton velvet jacket as my Krista jacket; and the vintage tapestry bag, a gift from Gisela, has rapidly become one of my favourites. 

 

 

 I'm a little in love with this dress too, it couldn't fit me any better if it tried.

 

And while we are on the subject of vintage maxi dresses and pink, look what I found in a charity shop this week;

the sweetest late 1960s-early 1970s Dollyrockers maxi.

Look at that gorgeous smocking.

Nope, doesn't fit.

One day, I will find a Dollyrockers dress which I can actually wear; this one must away to Ebay.

 

 

 

This beautiful silk scarf cost just £1 from the flea market. 

I've no idea what age it is (I'm guessing it is 1950-60s) but it is really lovely, with different Chinese or Japanese figures and scenes all over it.

And it's also pink!

 

Velvet jacket - vintage shop

1970s chiffon maxi dress - vintage fair

1970s tapestry bag - gift from Gisela

Bangles - charity shopped

Ankle boots -Ebay

Linking to Sacramento's Share-in-Style; the theme is Pink.

 

 

 

In fact, it has been a week of finding all sorts of random bits and bobs in charity shops and at the flea market, things which caught my eye, but cost next to nothing.

 

1970s pig-shaped pomander, and unused 1970s tea towels.

 

 

 

The Infants' Magazine annual from 1903.

 

Lots of wonderful illustrations, including some by Louis Wain.

 

I love Louis Wain cats.

Who remembers Fab 208? It was the official magazine of Radio Luxembourg.

 

And this might be my favourite;

 

Herbidacious!

Was there ever a kids' TV show quite as sweetly psychedelic as The Herbs?

 

It was first broadcast in 1968, and I did indeed watch it with my mother before I started school that year.

 

All those memories, for a mere 50p!

The annuals, this dress, and the Dollyrockers pink beauty, could all be around the same age. 

A neat coincidence, I like that. 

 

 

 I'm off to a jumble sale and a friend's birthday barbeque tomorrow, I'm hoping for treasure and no rain, but will of course enjoy the rummaging and chat whatever the weather!

Have a great weekend.

xxx

Sew good

Sew good,

Sew good,

I got you!

And the you in question is my second self-sewn dress.

 

 

 

Here she is!

 

 

A tad windswept; it's been a cardi on/cardi off sort of day. 

 

Partly the undecided weather, partly my decidedly dodgy personal thermostat.

 

But let's focus on the frock.

 

 

 

 I adore the fabric (a 1950-60s barkcloth curtain from a charity shop), the colours and print make me very happy.

A reminder of the 1960s pattern;

 

 

I liked the idea of the sleeve already being built in, and it certainly made life easier (I'm a little scared of sleeves.)

 

I will have to tackle a proper set-in sleeve though, because I prefer the look of them.  

 

 

 

Overall, I am pleased. The zip is neat and invisible, I used bias binding to hem the sleeves and skirt, and it fits!

What did I learn?

 

Don't be a slack arse and omit the stay stitching; the neck stretched, and I am really cross with myself for cutting a corner, when it was only a 2 minute job.

I am getting the impression that I am an inbetween size; a vintage 16 to fit my hips, but I have had to take in both bodices on my homemade dresses for a sleeker line, so perhaps I am a 14 on the top half.

 

I might have taken this one in too far, which is perhaps responsible for that little bit of puckering at the bust.

Advice, experienced seamstresses?

Anyway, I'm nit-picking. And it's interesting to me that I am noticing the flaws, and wanting to improve sufficiently so that they don't happen again. This is not like me. I usually take a fuck it, that'll do approach to most things. 

What can be happening to me? Motivated toward self-improvement? 

Surely not!

 

Greens, blues and pinks proliferate in my garden.

 

Oh, the Sputnik-y joy of unfolding alliums. 

Sputnik-y is definitely a word.

 

 

 

 

It's gorgeous out there.

 

Dress - made it myself

Cardigan, Fly sandals and bangles - charity shopped

Peacock pendant - vintage market

1980s sunglasses - vintage shop 

I wore this dress for the first time last week, and felt that little rush of pride when people complimented me on it.

 

It's a good feeling, and I'll share it over at Jane's Shiny T Tuesday

 

What's next?

 

Hold onto your hats, I might be making some flares!

 

xxxxx