Sea shanty style

Get out your old Blue Peter badges, retro sea shanty style is the latest trend to inspire fashion and interior designers.

In case you’re wondering, sea shanties are ‘work songs that were used on the square-rigged ships of the Age of Sail. Their rhythms coordinated the efforts of many sailors hauling on lines.’









They are rarely used today, perhaps because modern rigging doesn't require many people to be working in the same rhythm for long periods. However, shanties are much loved by modern sailors, folk musicians and specialist choirs.





I may not be joining in the singing part, but we’ve got our own selection of maritime design art at ShopCurious in the form of quirky accessories for the wardrobe and home. Salty old seadogs will love our vintage maritime brooches, featuring Dutch barges and galleons – and this curiously collectable early Royal Navy anchor pin.






For the professional collector, we’ve a couple of fabulous Victorian hand carved conch shells. And we’ve added to our range of retro Perspex paperweights, with some rare, nautical curiosities from Portugal.









So, are you ready to have fishermen the world over as your new best friends?

Are you?

Anchors away!

It's anchors away, as the 1980s make a comeback - think Christopher Cross, Howard’s Way, Simon le Bon and big shoulders on board. I looked for JR’s yacht on the internet and - correct me if I'm wrong - but it seems he doesn’t have one, nor does Larry Hagman (is he still alive?) Anyway, unless I’m mistaken, it’s probably a very long way from Dallas to the sea, so I guess he’s got a good excuse?






What I really love about the 1980s is that, although the icons of the day are ageing fast, the fashions are still as stylish as they were all those years ago...




And we've got a capsule collection of authentic 1980s clothing and accessories at ShopCurious that will have you wanting to sail away into the sunset of yesteryear. There are power shoulder pads galore – just look at this awfully nautical original Laurel culotte suit with naval-style double breasted jacket and anchor-embellished buttons.





There's a red and white striped vintage Louis Feraud quilted cotton sundress and bolero jacket, also with classic maritime buttons – and how about some red dangly diamante anchor earrings to match?







This demin jacket with gold embroidered trim would look great with our curiously collectable limited edition Etienne Aigner maritime style vintage silk scarf – and is also perfect for power dressing.




Moving into the early 1990s, here’s a glimpse of just how inappropriately dressed you can be on a yacht – even in a striking tropical print Lacroix designer silk dress that’s as vintage as I am, (modelled by yours truly), and now available for sale at a bargain price… Though I do think this would still look curiously cool today - especially if you want to be really individual and unique, as you travel around the world on your luxury sailing trip. I'm assuming you want to stand out from the crowd.

Do you?