Vintage British style

I’m going to be a bit alternative during London Fashion Week by devoting this blog to vintage British style. Trends may come and go on the seasonal media merry-go-round, but vintage British style will never go out of fashion.

The key to this eccentric manner of dressing is to put together a rather eclectic selection of pieces to create an individual and distinctive look. Some consider such a curious mix to be totally over the top – they’re the sort of people who snigger at the merest hint of non-conformity (how dull). Others will observe such style with amusement, possibly even with subdued admiration – or most flattering of all, may seek to emulate some elements of an unusual ensemble.




Of course, one of the key advantages of mixing up vintage clothing with unique accessories and stylish modern fashion pieces is that it’s impossible to be copied - at least not exactly. However, it is still possible to create a similar look that is your own and will always be original if you select authentic items that are one-offs, are part of a limited edition, or are just a tad different from the mainstream ...





Take the curiously colourful-yet-timeless outfit I’m wearing in the picture above left (shot when sinking into the grass on a very windy day), which consists of an early 1900s opera cape with tassels and a marabou collar (purchased at a flea market), a vintage Voyage petticoat (mid-late ‘90s) underneath a handmade and beaded draped silk dress (from my former boutique around 2000-ish), vintage Dolce & Gabbana wooden wedge platforms (bought in London in the early noughties, with the addition of red rose corsages), a large feather hair accessory and an exotic Timmy Woods handpainted acacia wood handbag (a new addition to my wardrobe - and admittedly from a US designer) – plus a few old strings of beads from my jewellery box.




To put together something similar using items available at ShopCurious, you might choose the truly wonderful and very rare early 1900s embroidered velvet evening cape (pictured above), which has awesome gold thread embroidery and floral silk chenille jacquard lining that’s so beautiful you could even wear it inside out. Add a dress which picks out some of the colours – like this frilled swishy skirt evening dress with a glorious golden rose corsage, (as spotted by Style Bubble).







For a more classic vintage look, you might like these bargain priced Jimmy Choo shoes, which were handmade in the early 1990s by the man himself. There’s also a matching diamante trimmed gold satin bag with delicious kid lining by Anya Hindmarch.





Give it a twist with some slightly quirky jewellery like a handpainted antique mother of pearl pendant, or a collectable cameo choker.

Don’t get me wrong, I love London Fashion Week … but I simply adore vintage British style.

Do you?

Pop the question

Other than flowers and jewellery, it’s traditional to give chocolates as a gift for Valentine’s Day. These are often heart-shaped, or typically come in an appropriately shaped red velvet box with an oversized bow. Chocolate's not only delicious, but has a reputation for being ‘psychoactive’ and sales of the stuff have soared during the recent cold weather (click on pics to enlarge).

Apparently the Aztecs prepared a frothy hot chocolate drink from cacao beans, which is thought to have been a stimulant, providing wisdom and vitality. It’s also said that Casanova ate chocolate as an aphrodisiac prior to bedding his conquests.



It’s even rumoured that the high polyphenol levels in chocolate can help protect against heart disease – not sure what the British Heart Foundation would have to say about that.

If you’re looking for a slightly more unusual Valentine gift, I suggest you visit ShopCurious, where you’ll find a selection of intricately handpainted collectable Valentine rings, each bearing a suitably curious question.





The rings are inspired by Italian fumetti/pop-art style comic-strips. Each features its own quirky cartoon beauty and a uniquely curious caption – which is great if you’re looking to pop the question, but a little lacking in courage.









There’s no need to say a word, just put on your curious pop-art Valentine ring and wiggle your finger about in the air – preferably in front of the face of the person you’d like to give you an answer.





Adorably and irresistibly cute, as well as being something of a fashion statement, these unique accessories each have their own story to tell. Not only are they the perfect substitute for chocoholic urges, but these totally original rings overcome the requirement to even open your mouth. Unless, that is, temptation simply gets the better of you …




in which case you might find that you just have to pop a chocolate, as well as popping that leading question.

Do you?

Vintage girly gifts

To celebrate Barbie’s imminent 50th birthday, a group of French fashion designers created designs for new dolls, some of them incorporating tattoos and skull adorned head-dresses, worn alongside traditionally feminine and sophisticated clothing and hairstyles. Perhaps tattooed Barbie took her inspiration from Angelina Jolie, or Posh Spice … the one with the skull in her hair bore a curious likeness to Daphne Guinness (see below). I’m sure that no representation was intended, but it’s interesting how those in the public eye become role models whose styles filter through to everyday fashions. At least there wasn’t a version of Barbie that looked like Amy Winehouse – a drug-taking, self-harming Barbie may not be so cool.




Last week there was lots of talk in the media about feminism and the changing role of women in society. When I looked up the word ‘feminine’, the alternatives offered by an online Thesaurus included ladylike, womanly, delicate, soft, gentle, girlish and pretty – not the sort of terms we usually associate with the 21st century female. I rather like a bit of good old-fashioned femininity myself, so I thought I’d pick out a few original vintage girly gifts that are currently available at ShopCurious. If nothing else, they might give you a few gift ideas for Valentine’s Day.




Vintage powder compacts make a great unusual gift. We’ve got a selection, including a darling romantic enamelled 1950s original with a handpainted picture of the Eiffel Tower. Even if you don’t use face powder, these unique accessories look so pretty when you take them out of your designer vintage handbag – and they’re useful for the mirror alone. What’s more, they're very reasonably priced and well made compared to the nasty-plastic-cased modern day equivalents.



If you’re looking for something girly to wear, or perhaps as a Valentine gift for yourself, how about this luxurious Chinese silk and Mongolian lamb jacket? Perfect for chilly winter evenings out. Or what about a totally individual hot pink and orange embroidered vintage Voyage skirt – go on, be bold.






By the way, how would you define femininity? I bumped into the very girly looking neon-clad Pudding (click on the pic to enlarge) as she was about to board a train for London … she looks curiously cute, but are those clompy platform shoes, nose and multiple chin studs really feminine?

I'd love to hear your opinion, so do leave your comments.

Will you?