A Guide to Vintage Shopping...Part 2!

Following on from my original A Guide to Vintage Shopping (found here!), I thought it would be nice to explain what it is that I look for myself when hunting for some fabulous finds! I briefly touched upon my preferences for daytime/eveningwear, but would love to dig a little deeper as it has taken an awfully long time for me to really get my vintage 'eye' in. Obviously everyone prefers their own take on vintage glamour, however I just thought it would be nice to explain what I look for in particular.

The simple recipe to success is understanding your body shape. Any clothing choices can all lead on from there! I am quite small and curvy, so choose to have most of my clothes emphasize my smallest part, my waist. I would say every single outfit I wear comes in at the waist, so much so, that if I wear a more straight fitting outfit, it feels completely horrible! I have a little stomach (that I am trying to get rid of!) and so prefer something that skims over this. I also have a larger bust, so prefer clothing that allows for this and is not too tight around that area.

Knowledge of the body acts as the perfect base upon which to build your outfit. Knowing my shape means that I can then make well (I hope) informed choices for outfits that flatter and enhance the body. Most of my vintage clothing choices are very much the same shape, however look different by how I accessorise them or the print and material.

The key feature that I look out for in all dresses is the emphasized waist. I am also conscious of the length, preferring styles at least knee length; not just to please my Dad, but to keep a classy and 'true' vintage look. Remember that the fifties were still very conservative, and the forties even more so! I also look out for a quality material, you can tell this by having a good feel! You know you have hit the jackpot if the dress is lined too. I assess how much skin will be on show, for example, on styles with a halterneck or low neckline I prefer a longer length as no to show too much flesh.

There are two main styles that I generally go for. The more fitted styles, such as the Dollydagger Dita and Collectif Dolores seen below, are super flattering styles for all shapes. They are both centered around the waist, and finer details such as ruching and poofy sleeves exaggerate curves to the maximum for a wonderfully curvy look. I am also a lover of the more Swing and 1940s influenced shapes that flow over the hips, such as this Heyday Mary 1940s Dress. The swish when you walk feels super glamourous, but everything is held together by the emphasis on the waist. I adore the sleeves on this style, which cover any disliked areas and make it suitable for day or night.

 

L-R: Collectif Dolores, Heyday Mary 1940s Dress and Dollydagger Dita in Black Cherry

I have recently purchased quite a lot of skirts as I adore the chic look they give! I look out for a feature that conceals my stomach whilst also showing off my figure. Generally a clever print or textured material can do this, or a feature in the making of the garment such as pleats, darts or ruching on the hips. On my shopping list is a circle skirt, as these can flow out wonderfully, whilst also making the waist look tiny.

Late 1940s and 1950s fashion centered around the ability to accessorise. Their previous wartime budgets were beginning to increase, and great enjoyment could be taken from matching your hat, bag and gloves. I particularly love the thin leather belts, they are slightly more subtle than the thicker ones, and give a more vintage look. They can also be worn with more! The secret to any quality handbag is to take a peek inside. A classy interior reveals all you need to know about a handbag...it is one classy bag and one should buy it asap!

However, the main trick to looking fabulous in your vintage wares truly comes from within. Genuine excitement to wear your new finds will add an extra dollop of sparkle to your outfit, and you will be sailing down the street believing yourself to be Rita Hayworth herself (or is that just me?!). An outfit that fits correctly will not only look great, but feel fantastic and the beauty of vintage is that it is designed to flatter the body. Some styles nowadays are more focused on looking like the latest celebrity, or fitting in with the latest trends, but vintage style has stayed true to itself for decades and you can't go wrong with that!

Happy Shopping,

 

Hannah xxx

How To Make Bunting!

Hello everyone,

Got quite a few blog posts to do today, I've had a very busy week! My birthday was on Saturday, and I had a vintage themed party. I decided to decorate my flat to get it looking a lot more retro so the sewing machine got dragged out!

I used 5 metres of white ribbon, a metre square of red polka dot fabric and a metre square of blue polka dot fabric. This came to £7 which I thought was very reasonable considering the price of bad quality bunting for sale in the shops. It actually turned out I had too much fabric too. I would say maybe around 75cm square would have been better.

Firstly I made a template on some card of the triangle for the flags. It is 15cm across the top and 20cm down to the point.

Then measure 40cm depth into your fabric from the edge and cut to create a rectangle. Fold in half with the underside facing outwards (so we draw the template onto the messy side of the fabric). This means that you get two flags from cutting out one template. Before drawing the template on, iron the rectange to create a fold that is exactly 20cm into your strip of fabric.

Using a black marker pen, place your template onto your strip of fabric with the 15cm top against the long side of the rectangle. Draw on, making sure that it finishes in a point at the other end. Once these are all drawn on, cut them out! I ordered mine into piles of red and blue polka dots.

Time to get sewing! I chose quite wide ribbon which I folded in half over the top of the flag. This creates a little pocket that you slot the flag into, so it is sandwiched between the two halves of ribbon. I just did a single stich and one fingers space between each flag.

 Hello!

And here is my end result!

Have any of you ever made bunting?! I think I would like to leave it up permanently, it looks pretty!

Hannah xxx

All a Girl Needs...Lipstick

Hello everyone!

So I have decided to do a quick post on my favourite lipsticks in my vast collection of make up! I am a massive fan of MAC, as you will see. They have such an amazing palette of colours and applied correctly, they last for ages giving a very authentic vintage look.

However getting a classic statement lip requires a little more work than a great lipstick! A basic lipcare routine is required to make sure that your lips are in excellent condition and so a great base for the lipstick to go onto. Nobody wants to have dry cracked lips and I find the very best out there for moisturising them is Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. I very gently buff the dry skin off my lips with the edge of an old toothbrush (nice!) then apply a layer of 8 Hour Cream if I am having a bit of a pamper or my lips are a little neglected. Every night when I moisturise (skincare post coming soon!) I also put a heavy coat of it on to go to sleep with, so I wake up with lovely soft lips! I also follow a few rules, always apply a lip balm or bit of 8 Hour Cream when I go out, especially in the cold. Also never bite any chapped bits off!

Once the base is sorted you can begin with the colour! Here are the fabulous reds...

 

L-R: MAC Amplified in Dubonnet, MAC Matte in So Chaud, MAC Amplified in Ramblas Red

 

Dubonnet gives a very vampy, purple/brown tinged glossy look that lasts. I often use this for a statement lip with simple eye make up. So Chaud is probably my most used out of all six. It is slightly orange tinted and has a very matte finish and another great one for a statement lip. Ramblas Red is one that I stole from my Mum (oops!). It is the same finish as Dubonnet, so a slightly glossy red. It is probably the nearest to a classic red out of all of my lipsticks,  however when it has been on for a few hours a pinky- red undertone is left. I shamefully don't have a classic red! I really want to get MAC Ruby Woo or try out one of the Marilyn for MAC collection classic reds. I do find that all three of these tend to stain my lips, but I don't really mind because they do last and you are definitely left with a bit of colour even hours after application.

 

And the perfect pinks...



L-R: MAC Satin in Snob, Kate Moss for Rimmel in 03, MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Unlimited

 

I find that these pinks are more symbolic of a sixties look. Snob has been very well used and is perhaps slightly paler than it looks here. It gives a nude lip but with a hint of pink and looks great with a big flick of eyeliner. My middle lipstick was from Boots! I am a bit of a make up snob and do like the slightly more expensive brands however this is a great lipstick. It gives a glossy, completely nude finish with a slight sheen so that your lips look glossy but the focus is on the detailed eye make up. I'm sure it was only about £2.99 too! The third is a more expensive one from MAC's Pro Longwear range. This is a great line that does stick on your face! I use this a lot for a bright look at work and particularly like how buildable this is. One coat gives a pretty cover but after two or three covers you have a very vibrant pink lip that isn't shifting at all.

 

The best technique that I have found for applying lipstick to make it last is to do a quick coat all over the lip straight from the lipstick bullet (lipliner before if you use it). Take a piece of tissue, place it between your lips and press them together and then remove the tissue. This blots the lipstick. Then apply another coat but this time with a small brush to really get an accurate shape. You then repeat the blotting process until you feel that the lipstick is ''set''.

 

What are your favourite lipsticks? Have you got any other tips or can your recommend any classic reds for me to get?

 

Hannah xxx

 

 

A quiet Sunday plea for help...

Hello everyone,

How are we all?

We went for a few drinks last night which turned into a proper night out...oops! So today we are having a very quiet one as I think the boyfriend is feeling it a little!

Just a little plea for help from any new readers. At the moment I am competing to become the face of Dollydagger for the next year and need as much help as possible! Votes are made in the form of facebook likes on this photo of me...so please, I would love you forever, if you could take a second and just hit the like button on it. Votes close on 28th October, the top 8 go through and I am very close!

Had a bit of a funny moment last night when a random girl approached me and asked if I was the girl in the Dollydagger competition...I felt famous!

Love to you all,

Hannah xxx

Favourite Vintage Finds

Hello everyone!

Just a little post to show some of my favourite vintage finds from various fairs across the country. I must admit a good rummage at a vintage fair or car boot makes the bargain you uncover so much more pleasing!

Whilst some people might say they are a shoe, bag, accessory obsessive, I think I am just completely obsessive for anything! Whatever catches my eye I instantly feel 'I want!' and I quite quickly talk myself into making a sneaky purchase or two.

Despite this, a lot of my favourite finds are accessories. I feel that they are more unique and dare I say, slightly easier to snap up for a reasonably price than a vintage designer dress or jacket.

I will begin with three of my bags...

 

The small bag on the left was a find from Pillbox Vintage back home in Liverpool. They exhibit at an event called Retro Sundays at Leaf Tea Shop on Bold Street. I love the 'granny chic' style of this bag and although the photo doesn't show, it is slightly smaller so looks very cute and has to be held by hand. It is also in excellent condition and was a bargain for £15.

The second bag was from Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair in Leeds. It is held at the Corn Exchange and has lots of vintage goodies, records and antiques to be found! This bag is also in excellent condition and I love the more sixties style. It has attachments on the top for a strap so has been well used by myself!

This beautiful ostrich skin leather handbag was an absolute steal! It was given to me for free by my boyfriend's Mum for a wedding and she let me keep it! It is beautiful, again in excellent condition and has a lovely suede lining and even has a pocket containing a leather backed mirror for any touch ups!

Next onto the earrings...

 

The silver earrings on the left are another find from Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair. They are hallmarked sterling silver and you can just make out the stamp of Vivienne Westwood into them. I am so proud of these little beauties! I romantically believe that we were made to be united (!) as I found these in between lots of other jewellery at about 10 minutes before the fair closed. I couldn't believe another eagle eyed person hadn't snapped them up! I enlisted my boyfriend's bartering skills and got these for £35.

 

The gold earrings to the right are another item close to my heart. Hallmarked vintage Chanel earrings...ahhh I think I could just look at them! These were a very very very nice gift to me from my lovely boyfriend, I am teaching him well!

 

I think I could just look at these two pairs rather than actually wear them!

 

I am now hoping to stumble across some little treasure chests in Brighton to find some more!

 

Do you have any vintage finds that you love? Or any steals or recommendations for places in Brighton? I would love to hear from you.

 

Lots of love,

 

Hannah xxx

Days I'll Remember All My Life

Hello everyone!

Another wet and windy but busy week again here in Brighton. We seem to have had lots of things on this month, can't complain, I love having plans to look forward to!

Both myself and the boyfriend are big fans of sixties music, and a favourite of ours are The Kinks. Joe's parents surprised him with some gig tickets for his birthday...they were only Ray Davies! It was at the Brighton Dome, and so last night was my first venture there. What a lovely venue. A very grand entrance, in true Brighton style, leads through to a large bar area. We got a drink and then took our seats, we were quite near the front in what is a pretty intimate venue.

The support act was James Walbourne, a singer songwriter. It was clear that a lot of his influence came from America, as there was a definite country sound with rock/folk influences too. I think my favourite was Cocaine Eyes.

Then on came Ray! He began with some of the more slower Kinks songs, mixed in with a few of his more recent ones. We all had a good sing a long to one of my favourites, Sunny Afternoon, and then the set really got going when during Victoria, on came the band and we starting rocking. I don't think I stopped singing for the whole duration! He finished with All of the Day and All of the Night which was absolutely brilliant, everyone was dancing in the aisles! We then cheered him back on for an encore of Days and finally Lola.

I was really interested to hear his point of view as he reflected back over the years of his rise to fame. He has a famously tempestuous relationship with his brother, however spoke with great sentiment and love for him and sang a song was written for Dave Davies. He also told us how his sister left school at 14 and went straight to work in a sewing factory. How things have changed! An extract of his autobiography, Xray, was read out which revealed his views on society and where he feels his part to play in it is. I am quite tempted to give that one a read!

I got myself all done up again (what else?!) with a little roll in my fringe and a headscarf to hide my quickly appearing roots (hurry up 26th October!). I wore a Kate Moss for Topshop tea dress, a staple piece in my wardrobe for years now that was a great little sale purchase. As I embed the vintage feel into more areas of my life, I am hoping to follow this through with more vintage dresses! Just need that salary to accomodate that now...!

Were any of you there last night or have you seen Ray before?! I would love to hear your opinion!

Lots of love,

Hannah xxx

Fashionably Late

Hello everyone,

My frequent visits to the Vintage Brighton website provides me with lots of inspiration for many a vintage look but I love the events section of the website in particular. A few weeks ago, I noticed the event, 'Fashionably Late', to be held at the Pavillion. Not only was there entry into the Biba exhibition, but cocktails, music, hair, make-up...a vintage girls' dream! There was no question about it, I was going and purchased two tickets so I could drag my boyfriend along!

I rushed home from work, quickly transformed myself and rushed out. We walked in through a variety of furniture designs, straight to the bar for some vintage themed cocktails, and then began to look around. I didn't really anticipate that you could also have a nosy around some of the museum exhibitions, so we snook in and had some cheeky photos next to a lovely scooter!

 

We then wandered past the perspex jewellery making, and went upstairs for a look at the fashion exhibition. Not only was there a fantastic array of different clothes to try on, but a photographer to capture the moment and iconic designs from the eras around the room for inspiration. I particularly loved the display of dresses in tribute to the Union Jack.

 

Then we entered the Biba exhibition. The display was designed in a timeline effect, you first began to learn about Barbara Hulanicki's family, to her time at Brighton College of Art and Design and then you followed the exhibition as the Biba brand grew. This brings together a collection of newspaper clippings, illustrations, original pieces and original stories from visitors and employees. I found it particularly amazing that at the very start of her career, a design was advertised in the Daily Mirror! You could purchase it, and as her followers grew, so did the brand. It really was amazing to see the growth of a brand from a passion of a talented student, to the dizzying heights that it reached! The show runs until April '13 so get yourselves down there! Here are a few photos I took...

 

 

 

There was also a display of the make up that Barbara designed for Biba.

 

 

This entire collection was donated by the amazing make up artist, Lisa Eldridge. It was in incredible condition and the colours were so vibrant, it seems to have been the equivalent then to what MAC is to us today. I really recommend you to check out her website. She has extremely accurate and easy to do make up tutorials, including a sixties look designed in collaboration with Barbara Hulanicki. You can find this here. I love how she uses a range of brands from the extremley high end to more often than not, your basic brands found in Boots. She has lots of interesting videos that are definitely worth a look.

 

Wow this has turned into quite a long post! I had a fantastic evening and love visiting exhibitions like this, they fill me with inspiration and to think that a ticket was five pounds, what a bargain. Did any of you go to Fashionably Late? Have you seen the exhibition? What did you think? I will end this post with a picture of me becoming part of an exhibition...

 

 

 

Dress: New Look

Shoes: Topshop (years ago)

Bag: Vintage Darling!

 

Lots of love,

 

Hannah xxx

 

Thanks, The Splendid Suitcase!

As my birthday is rapidly approaching, I have been frantically trying to find the perfect party dress so I can celebrate in style. Its quite a big one this time, twenty one, so I am attempting to organise a pretty damn good party!

 I have been looking for a late fifties/sixties inspired wiggle dress. Many long evenings of trawling through Ebay dismissing "vintage retro Mad Men Primark dress"... clearly if you mark everything vintage it will sell! After being outbid many times I gave up and tried Etsy- and thank god I did!

It was my first time using Etsy and I think I will most definitely be using it again. Once I had narrowed down my search criteria I very quickly stumbled across the online shop, The Splendid Suitcase, based here in Brighton. Their blog is gorgeous with lots of pictures modelling their clothes by the beautiful Margaux (her and her boyfriend Alec own The Splendid Suitcase).

Before I knew it I found myself at the checkout purchasing the perfect dress that I had been lusting after. And even better, Margaux offered to refund my postage costs and hand delivered it to me!

What a great little find, I am sure to be buying from them again!

 

 

 

Lots of love,

 

Hannah xxx

 

Becoming more thrifty...day 1!

Hello everyone,

So a recent rummage around in Snoopers Paradise and a birthday dress dilema (what to wear?!) left me setting myself a huge challenge...

I stumbled across this pattern by accident, picking it up and having a moan "why can't I find a dress like this!", then realised oh, hang on second, this is a way to make it! I don't consider myself a sewing expert at all, three years of learning to make aprons, beanbags and cushions in high school seems to have been wiped from my memory. Luckily enough it is in the right size for me. I think this will have to be a project!

My boyfriends' Mum then also came to the rescue with this beauty, what can it be?!

                                                                         Can you tell what it is yet?!

So my rainy Monday off work has been spent being very patient trying to remember how a sewing machine works! Thank goodness for YouTube is all I say! I will keep you all updated with my progress for making the dress.

Having walked around some of the shops in the lanes, it seems some are making classic shaped dresses in different patterns and then selling them for extortionate prices. Whilst it is a modern take on vintage fashion, I really do think that the prices are really unbeliebable when you consider that this was the affordable way that people used to make their clothes. It seems crazy that an older generation are so well equipped and knowledgeable with sewing machines and repairs, yet most of my generation haven't got a clue where to begin. The 'make do and mend' culture is slowly diminishing and will soon disappear with people just buying new clothes to replace any old pieces that maybe just need a small bit of tlc!

As prices rise and wages don't seem to be rising, I know my purse strings are having to get tighter. My boyfriend recently got two pairs of shoes completely re-soled and re-heeled, which came to a grand total of £30. It would have cost more than double to replace the shoes, and so he is a very pleased boyfriend! I think this is a great example of 'make do and mend' and so I am determined to improve my sewing machine skills so I can become a bit more thrifty and hopefully be able to adopt this attitude a bit more!

Have any of you made any clothes for yourself? Are there any tips you have for making do and mending? I would love to hear!

Calling a favour to any new readers...

When I lived 'tup north I visited Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair in Chester, and was asked to be snapped for Vintage Life magazine! I then featured in the magazine and went on to do a vintage inspired shoot at Hack Green Nuclear bunker. The amazing photographer Kate Robson organised the shoot and I was lucky enough to get to wear some of the beautiful clothes from Pillbox Vintage. Here are some of the snaps!

                                               
                                                                  Strike a pose!                           

Since then I have well and truly got the bug! I have kept an eye out for any other opportunities and recently saw that vintage boutique Dollydagger are looking for a model! I sent in an entry and to my surprise, I have been shortlisted in the Dollydagger Model Search 2012!

I love their boutique in the lanes, it is just off the track of the more 'high street' shops down East Street near the jewellery lanes and has lots of gorgeous clothes in. They are modern takes on classic styles and I highly recommend anyone to go check it out!

The model search competition is done over Facebook and the picture with the most 'likes' wins! If any readers would be absolute angels and vote for me I would be most grateful! You just need to 'like' this photo!

Anyway I think that is enough for one night! I will have to get thinking what to post next!

Much love,

Hannah xxx

Well hello there...

I suppose I had best introduce myself!

My name is Hannah, and I have recently moved to Brighton from 'up north' in the quest for less rain and more vintage beauties!

I have decided to create this blog to show my discoveries as I settle my roots here in Brighton. I have a huge passion for all things vintage and where better to live than here in the middle of it all! I have moved in with my wonderful boyfriend who is a pesky southerner, so he is showing me the ropes and I thought this blog could be a nice way to document as I make the city my own too.

From an early age I have been stealing the fashion supplements from the Sunday papers, 'borrowing' clothes from my mum and spending a fortune on magazines! As I have got older and more independent my own style has developed to realise my love of vintage clothing. Growing up with a spare room full of my mum's dress agency finds, gave many opportunities to dress up in amazing one off pieces that inspire many a shopping spree today!

I now work full time in a bank where I sneak in the odd flick of eyeliner or beehive among the uniform and professionalism. I hope this blog will be a way to show the other side of my personality and enable me to show the amazing culture in Brighton as I settle in.

I hope this is going to be the first of many blog posts, and that everyone enjoys reading and exploring any tips as much as I enjoy finding and writing about them.

Sending love from Brighton

Hannah xxx