Racing towards Royal Ascot...

With Father’s Day almost upon us, there’s still time to order a unique vintage gift from ShopCurious. Seeing as it’s almost Royal Ascot Week too, these1950s mother of pearl and gold horse-head cufflinks would be perfect if your dad’s off to the races.











Alternatively, for a more classic look, choose from our selection of stylish and sophisticated links.

And you don’t have to be a man to wear cufflinks – or to dress up for the races in curious style… Why not take inspiration from Marlene Dietrich?

 
 Will you?  

Bags of classic vintage style

I recently went to dinner with Bruce Oldfield. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just me, but a select gathering of Fashion Group International members...

Coming from his Barnardo's background, Bruce is an advertisement for all that is achievable from a combination of nothing more than raw talent and hard work. Oh, and it helps that he’s a real charmer, who claims to be able to “sell ice to Eskimos.” Plus, he also makes proper party dresses.

Citing Sam Cam’s mother, Lady Astor as his “first nob client,” Oldfield later became couturier to the likes of Princess Diana. He says that Charlotte Rampling is his favourite customer, and Queen Rania of Jordan is someone he’d most like to dress. Curiously, X-Factor judge Tulisa has also been seen wearing some of his rather retro looking frocks, with petticoats underneath for added volume.




Oldfield says he doesn’t pander to fashion trends, “though you have to nod to what’s going on.” The idea of fashion as art leaves him cold. According to Bruce, “fashion should never become an academic subject… it’s just something to make people look gorgeous when they go out in the evening.”

But the times are ever a-changin’… and fashion offerings now range from (un)wearable art and design-led pieces, right through to disposable high street and celebrity inspired items, with some rather nondescript, mainstream stuff in between. Of course, there’s vintage too – which is all the better because it’s recycled and has that much more charm and provenance.




Bruce Oldfield certainly has plenty of classic vintage style, much like these bags from ShopCurious. They’re perfect for Christmas parties (or as unique gifts) – and, much like Bruce, they have the added appeal of a bit of history.

Do you?

Dressing down for toffs?

Are posh people being persecuted?

Click on this link to listen to James Delingpole and Owen Jones discussing Julian Fellowes’ assertion that posh people should be protected from unfair discrimination.

What do you think?



If you find the class debate curiously fascinating, you might like to tune into a forthcoming radio play: Money, written by top-class toff, Edward Bulwer-Lytton (inventor of the phrase 'the great unwashed').

The new BBC Radio 3 adaptation was recorded on location at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, the stately home inherited by the aristocratic playwright in 1843.




The production is Samuel West’s debut as a radio director, and stars Roger Allam, Celia Imrie and Ian McDiarmid. Described as a cross between a Victorian morality play and a Dickensenian comedy, issues raised include social climbing, political corruption and abject poverty…but there’s a touch of romance too. And the discerning dramatization is enriched by music from the Endellion String Quartet, specially recorded for the play.

Money will be broadcast on Sunday 19th June at 8 pm as part of the Radio 3 Money Season. You can also hear it for a week afterwards via the BBC iPlayer, which is just as well since the 19th is Father’s Day.



And, if you’re looking an appropriately posh gift for Papa, may I suggest this retro-style Toffs 21/17 t-shirt by Fake London from ShopCurious…

Are you?

Curious royal wedding wrapper

It must be hard to find a suitably unique present for a royal couple, but here's a great idea: the cities of Newcastle and Gateshead are teaming up to offer Prince William and Kate Middleton an extra special gift ahead of this month’s Royal Wedding. The cities are paying for the world-famous Tyne Bridge to be gift-wrapped and offered to the newlyweds as a present from the people of the North East, to mark the wedding, on April 29th.

North East-based business, Rude Wrappings, will supply the paper for this mammoth task, and predicts it will take around 11,000sq m of paper to cover the main section of the bridge. The firm is "delighted to be asked to take part in this challenge, it’s not every day you get to wrap such an iconic landmark."

The design of wrapping paper that will be used to wrap the bridge was voted for by Rude Wrappings' customers in a recent Royal Wedding survey. Curiously, the paper is a tribute to the comments made by Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden, who was suspended from his post last year, after predicting the royal marriage would last just seven years.

Apparently, the gift grants Wills and Kate freedom of the bridge – meaning they can use it to herd sheep, host drinks receptions or take part in heart-stopping bungee jumps into the Gateshead side of the river.

ShopCurious thinks it will make a perfect gift for the adventure loving couple.

Do you?

Health, happiness and other heavenly gifts

Whatever your views on the ethics and aesthetics of fashion model and celebrity images (as discussed in my post at The Dabbler), I believe that true beauty comes from within. I refuse to be told how I should look and I don’t believe in dieting. However, I do aim to maintain a healthy lifestyle, with good food and plenty of exercise. With this in mind, I decided to do something a little bit crazy – I took a few days out to attend a juice fasting and detox retreat.











It was here that I discovered how the likes of Kate Moss get their flat stomachs: Curiously, by sticking plastic tubes up their bums and flushing out their insides with twice daily enemas. This was the least pleasant part of my visit to picturesque Littleton Mill in Wiltshire.

Jiva Healing runs rejuvenating retreats all over the world, and if you’re somewhat pressed for time, they’ll help you relax, unwind and clean up your eating act in as little as four to five days.














Environmentally aware Melissa Kendall, who runs the courses is a mine of information on all things eco-friendly as far as far as sustainable living is concerned. She’s also brilliant at whipping up fabulously tasty juice shakes from an amazing variety of fresh organic fruits and vegetables in her impressively equipped farmhouse style kitchen.

















Melissa, formerly an investment analyst for socially responsible funds, is totally passionate in her commitment to environmental responsibility, and instinctively takes each of the participants under her wing. What’s more, she not only grows her own wheatgrass, but magnificently exudes the benefits of a healthy lifestyle too… she certainly has style with brains.














The retreat offers a holistic approach to wellbeing that includes healthy eating and nutrition lessons, along with cookery sessions - and some surprisingly creative ways of using natural, commonly available ingredients to make deliciously wholesome meals. These include a uniquely simple recipe for mouthwatering banana ice cream (containing nothing but bananas). Plus, there’s a chance to concoct your own fruit and veg smoothie. Mine was curiously green.





















There’s also guidance on the psychology of eating, ‘the science of happiness’, gentle daily yoga - and therapists on hand to provide relaxing massages and other treatments to help transport your mind as far away from food as possible.







I was heartened that from my window I could see chickens feeding, potentially within reach, on the other side of the mill stream…Though, fortunately, as the juices are supplemented by detoxifying herbs and nutritional powders, I didn’t once feel hungry.








Anyway, I’m feeling rather angelic, having not yet raided the fridge on my return. I might even reward myself with an upcycled Rococo style cherub brooch from ShopCurious for Valentine’s Day.

Will you?

Curiously cold, but crammed with colour

I feel really sorry for all those whose travel plans were disrupted by the snow this Christmas: The time of year is stressful enough as it is. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve done my own rather rushed UK tour, visiting friends and relatives in far flung parts of the country, in addition to all the usual duties like food shopping, preparing Christmas party fare, making a traditional turkey lunch, tidying bedrooms and speed-wrapping stacks of presents.




This year one of my resolutions is to slow down - I’m just hoping that my curiosity to do, see and try new things allows me to pack a little less into my days so I don’t end up permanently frayed and frazzled. Anyway, here are some of the curious things I’ve seen during the bits of the holiday that were spent in London:

Yes, I met a talking tree at the Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park.







Other strange encounters included a lost Father Christmas (above right) and an artificial snowman with child…

Unfortunately, the snow in London had almost all melted by Boxing Day, but remarkably the Serpentine was completely frozen, and looked eerily beautiful in the late morning sun.




















A ride on the helter skelter is about as dare-devil as I get when it comes to fairgrounds, but I’m curious to hear what it’s like on this enormous tower that looks seriously scary to me...




































More to my liking were the VIP views of London from the observation wheel – in a minimalist pod complete with computer-generated Christmas carols and champagne.


















And, a few days later the fabulous lightshow, as seen from my balcony, of the New Year’s Eve fireworks over the the river and Big Ben.


This year there was also an unusual light display around the London Eye. And the dense freezing fog of previous days lifted just in time to be able to see it all, thank goodness…








If you're not already snoring, I'll share a few more photos of my curiously crammed Christmas travels in the next post.








Meantime, this month I’ll be rejigging and re-stocking the ShopCurious website. So look out for a new selection of sale items coming shortly, along with a pared down, but uniquely original offering of vintage and contemporary gifts, accessories and curiosities.

Will you?

Gifts, gowns and men's Christmas style

Have any of the men in your household asked for a dressing gown for Christmas? Dressing gowns started out as exclusively male garments, so it’s strange that more women than men seem to wear them today.

I carried out some research into this much loved item of clothing and discovered the following:












The first type of gown was a loose open fronted robe, belted at the waist, and called a ‘banyan’ (meaning ‘merchant’). It was introduced from the mid-17th century, based on clothing styles from Persia, Turkey and East India.

One of the earliest mentions of a dressing gown comes from Samuel Pepys, who wanted to be depicted in his portrait in a silk gown but couldn't afford one, and so rented one instead:

“Thence home and eat one mouthful, and so to Hale's and there sat till almost quite dark upon working my gowne, which I hired to be drawn (in) it—an Indian gown, and I do see all the reason to expect a most excellent picture of it.” Diary, 30 March 1666.

During the Crimean war, when smoking became fashionable, the smoking jacket emerged as an exotic alternative to the informal long robe. The smoking jacket was traditionally oriental in style, with quilted lining and/or lapels and extravagant twisted silk button hooks.

Then came the silk dressing gown, as popularized by Noel Coward, along with the wool, or cotton-blanket, and cotton varieties - with piped collars and tassel-trimmed or cord tie belts. Shorter designs were introduced when central heating became more common.

The modern dressing gown is often referred to as a ‘bathrobe’ and is usually made from cotton towelling, waffle fabric or thinner cotton poplin, though the retro look is making something of a comeback.



That just about covers the history of the dressing gown. However, what you really ought to know is what your dressing gown reveals about you. Men, if you’re brave enough, read The Dabbler’s official dressing gown guide to find out what your dressing gown says about your personality.







You’ll probably decide you want something else for Christmas, in which case we’ve an array of very original men’s gifts at ShopCurious.

Anyway, I sincerely hope that you, the family and the pets enjoy an appropriately dressy (and warm) Christmas without any undue sartorial embarrassment...

Will you?

Time for Christmas?

I bet you can’t wait till the holidays are here and you can sit down and put your feet up, and forget all about shopping. With only five weeks left until Christmas, and the clock ticking away, are you still wondering where to find unique and unusual gifts for your more individual friends, or the quirkier members of your family?







Then look no further than ShopCurious, where you’ll find all sorts of original Christmas gifts, including handmade accessories, arty curiosities and one-off things for the home – without even leaving your armchair. Anyway, here's the first of our alternative Xmas gift ideas:







These striking retro clocks are ideal for collectors of quirky 1950s and ‘60s homeware. They’ve also been totally renovated, so they’re in perfect working order (if powered by the appropriate battery). One of these would make a great gift for someone who’s often late, who’s recently moved into a new home, is redecorating, or who might appreciate a stylishly timeless addition to their life.







At this time of year, when we probably all need to slow down, finding curiously characterful Christmas presents online is the perfect way of buying time to do more leisurely things, if you’ll excuse the dreadful pun…

Will you?

Taking the commemorative royal biscuit

In the previous post I forgot to mention some other useful gifts at ShopCurious: These characteful retro souvenir tins, commemorating royal weddings have just arrived. Not only do they come in handy for storing biccies and/or collecting curious stuff, but they’re also likely to appreciate in value - especially in view of the forthcoming demand for royal wedding memorabilia.









Despite the monarchy’s wealth and status, even Prince William and Kate Middleton seem to prefer life’s simple pleasures over the pomp and circumstance of ceremonial occasion. It’s a touching tribute to both Princess Diana and his future wife that, as someone who could have his pick of virtually any piece of designer jewellery in the world, Prince William chose to give Kate Middleton his late mother’s engagement ring as a gift of his love.






And it’s also a testament to the Prince and his future brides’ commitment to their country and its economic wellbeing that they’ve chosen to have a very formal and very public wedding. I don’t think Kate will be making her own wedding dress, but it’s good to note that our prospective King and Queen are a resourceful couple, who understand their duties and responsibilities - and seem genuinely able to identify with the thoughts, feelings and opinions of the average British citizen.























Anyway, I don’t care what anyone else says or thinks about previous royal weddings, I find Wills and Kate totally charming. And now I’m off to have a celebratory cheap and cheery cuppa. In fact, I was going to ask you to join me in commemorating the royal occasion by dunking a biscuit or two from one of these curiously collectable tins…but somebody seems to have eaten them all. You look awfully guilty…

Are you?