Superstar v Supersloane style

Nowadays we have style icons, but a few decades ago they were still ‘heroines.’ The Princess of Wales became the ‘Supersloane’ heroine of the 1980s. Her transformation from the bashful Mark II Sloane Ranger ‘Lady Di Look’ to English romantic taffeta-clad Mark I style was amusingly documented in ‘80s style bible, The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook (intriguingly subtitled The First Guide To What Really Matters in Life).

BC, before Charles, Diana wore the Young Sloane wardrobe, central to which were granny’s pearls and “ruffled shirts with ribbons at the neck”. We’ve an original 1980s example at ShopCurious, made by fellow heroine of Wales, Laura Ashley - the designer behind the popular homespun look of the day. In fact, as sales of her Victorian and Edwardian inspired floral dresses and frilly bow tied shirts rocketed, Ashley also underwent something of a metamorphosis from small time dressmaker to international business woman.

What’s so curious about British heroines of the early ‘80s is that, despite increasing power and presence within the workplace (think Margaret Thatcher), they still deferred to time honoured, traditional values and maintained their ladylike propriety. Lady Di stayed well out of the press until 1980 – she was ‘never café society.’ And Laura Ashley never courted attention for her success in the competitive world of high street fashion.

The Princess of Wales, or PoWess (pronounced Powys) and her Laura Ashley style were much emulated by young girls, especially in the UK, but farther afield too. Her sensible Pearly Princess, fresh-faced, effortless look and impeccable manners (instilled by a nanny) commanded the respect of young and old alike.

As we know, Diana retained her individuality, but in an appropriately retro-progressive way: “Like many of her contemporaries – flat sharing SW7 and SW10 girls under 20 – she did the old things… but with a new flair.” Initially at least, she stuck to the rules, and everything seemed hunky dory and everyone seemed reasonably happy…

Now there don’t seem to be so many rules. British society is much more of a free for all. Pink cheeked, naturally buxom country girls have gone all beer-bellied, teeth whitened and tattooed. Their dream goal of marrying Prince Charming replaced with a burning desire to appear on the Shock X-Factor.

But have we started looking back to the past again, with the current revival in all things homespun and vintage? Kate Middleton certainly has some genuine colour in her cheeks and seems suitably un-cool, old fashioned and demure, like a proper lady.

But whilst Kate may be a Supersloane heroine in the making, perhaps it’s iconic celebrity style we still seek to emulate…

Anyway, what really matters to you? Do share your thoughts and comments...

Will you?

Classic twist

The best vintage clothing is typical of its era, but also has timeless appeal. The sort of things that are always useful to have in your wardrobe are well made garments with enduring quality and investment potential. You will need to consider the designer, the rarity of the item, the condition of the fabric, the workmanship and the provenance of each piece. There's also the wearability factor to take into account ... and some items of clothing simply never seem to go out of fashion. So long as your weight doesn't fluctuate, you observe the washing instructions and protect garments properly, you can go on wearing them until they fall to bits - like Mrs Haversham.




At ShopCurious, you'll find classic vintage clothing that is worth its weight in wool, silk and velvet. Take this fabulously stylish Jackie O-style suit, with its beautifully tailored velvet trimmed dress coat and matching figure hugging shift dress. The tweedy fabric looks like a sort of Prince of Wales check to me, but if you're knowledgeable about such sartorial details, perhaps you'd be so kind as to offer your expert opinion. I did read somewhere that the Prince of Wales check is a name often wrongly attributed to the Glen Urquhart check?








We've also got some wonderful 1980s vintage Celine - like this rear-buttoning printed silk top and a very fine wool double breasted trench coat with ample shoulder pads (for those into power dressing). Neither would look out of place today...








Nor would this glamorous Yves Saint Laurent sequined suede wrap skirt of a similiar vintage, or this forever classic vintage Hermes silk scarf.








There are other things that you can keep in the wardrobe for a few years and then bring out again... like this classy ladybird spotted silk 1980s Georges Rech cocktail dress. Perfect for Sloane Rangers wanting to save their pennies for other essentials - like champagne cocktails and seats at the opera.

Will you dahling?

Country folk

Do you wear a Barbour, green wellies and grow your own veggies, or do you run high-heeled for the bus, whilst simultaneously stuffing a croissant in your mouth?






What is the whole City yuppie vs. country Sloane Ranger thing about? Surely now’s the time for country bumpkins in isolated damp cottages and hard-pressed-to-fund-the-mortgage urban commuterites to club together for mutual help and support during these economically challenging times? Perhaps we could start by learning a few things from each other...


My impression of country folk is that they know a fair bit about keeping warm and surviving all sorts of harsh conditions during the Winter. Now that town and country dwellers alike are trying to save money and conserve fuel, how about these for some ideas:


1) Turn off your lights and use candles instead. You could even buy these country-style vintage carved wooden candlesticks from ShopCurious.







2) Turn down your heating and wear something warm. Lots of layers work well – check out these folksy country combos, combining stylish French chic with Winter- warming wearability.







3) We all know that most heat is lost from the head, so why not wear a scarf. These rural nature inspired vintage silk scarves should fit the bill as an affordable luxury.








4) Give up over-priced modern branded designer fashion and opt for unique accessories to add a quirky luxe look to any outfit. Vintage jewellery that’s both individual and collectable will do the trick, like these curiously original brooches from ShopCurious.




Of course, you could always read the Department of Health’s Winter guide - Keep Warm Keep Well (its political correctness certainly made me chuckle, which I suppose is one way of keeping warm) … or you could simply don a tracksuit and trainers and turn that run to the tube, or across those muddy fields, into to a healthy sprint.

Will you?