Tuesday 19 August 2014

Unexpected shopping trip and one magical find...

Yesterday, I awoke early in the morning and decided to pursue a productive day of exercise and homework. That plan was abolished after I developed an urge to go on a shopping trip...but a very big shopping trip! I didn't fancy taking a stroll down to the local shops and seeing what I could find there; Instead, I felt like taking a trip to Meadow Hall and seeing what I could gather. After hours of persuading mum to drop all plans and take the train with me, she finally agreed! I knew that I wouldn't find anything truly vintage within such a modern shopping center but that didn't stop me from searching with all my might for items that held a classic or retro touch!
The first shop we came across was Urban Outfitters. This shop has always been classed in my eyes as absolutely INCREDIBLE. The interior of the shop always seems to excite me in ways unimaginable to the imagination, and the items within it hold the same sort of power. My favourite parts of this shop are the smaller, more hidden sections containing little knick knacks and trinkets. A rejuvenated and recycled table stood tall and had a number of books spread across it. Now, I am a keen reader if I find a book which intrigues me and challenges my mind but these books weren't primarily literary books- they were graphical, imagery books too. This was even better for me as I'm an extremely dedicated Graphic Design student. When my hand reached upon a book named '1000 record covers' I knew that this was the one for me for various reasons.

This is the magical find (aka. my latest pride and joy)



The cover attracted me straight away due to it's rainbow effect and bright, bold pattern. I love the simplistic typography and the white colour of the title in contrast to the statement background. As this book was sealed down in the shop, I almost bought it as a lucky dip. I didn't know what I was going to find when I looked inside it but I knew that I'd love it no matter what it contained. As soon as I got back on the train, I rushed to open it with my eager fingers and immediately discovered such beauty. The first couple of pages contained an overview of the 1960's (My absolute golden years). And that was when I saw it...the name of one of my favourite singers...the legendary PJ PROBY! I knew nothing else mattered if at least one of my boy's were mentioned inside this book, but I continued to read on. Many iconic vinyl covers were shown throughout every single year up until 1994. The first being 'Chubby Checker- For Twisters Only (1961)' and the last being 'Oasis- Definitely Maybe (1994)'. This book, in my eyes, shows me the progression of music from the 60's until recent years and also shows me the progression and changing attitudes on album design too. Whilst brighter, cheesier covers were shown earlier on; darker more sexually explicit covers came later.
I'm thoroughly excited to read the rest of this book and hopefully find some albums which I haven't ever set my eyes or ears upon yet. For a small price of £12.99, I now have something which will last me a lifetime and increase my passion furthermore. 

Sunday 17 August 2014

Dresses Galore...

After coming to the heart breaking realisation that my wardrobe is losing more and more space within it to fit all of my clothes; I believe that it is time to share with you a few of my staple (and of course vintage) pieces of 2014. As a keen dress wearer, I'd say it's first priority to show you my mountain of beautiful, yet also probably-too-dressy to wear everyday, dresses. It was a hard job but I've chosen 7 of my favourites and I'm going to be shimmying them your way!

7) 90's flower power, drop hem dress:


I found this little beauty amongst rails and rails of colourful garments at Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair in Lincoln. It wasn't too expensive at around £15 and I knew that I'd wear it throughout summer. The pattern is simply stunning with its bold edge yet feminine and dainty approach. This piece is branded as St Michael's, and any vintage lover knows that one of these find's is always a happy time. The only down side to this dress for me is the drop hem. Now, I know that this is actually a current fashion trend at the moment but for me, as a curvier girl, the lower hem just makes me look larger than necessary and doesn't pull me in at the waist for a flattering touch. 









6) 60's Chinese shift dress:


This is one of the most beautiful dresses that I own due to its hand embroidered style and well tailored fashion. I picked this up at a local Vintage and Craft Fair for a measly £10. It was sold to me as an original dress handmade in China in the 1960s. As this dress has no label, I thoroughly believe the story. The style isn't similar to any other dress that I have as the material is thick, stiff and luxurious. This straight, shift dress is however a struggle to wear on hotter, summer days as it is very tight and restrictive. Nonetheless, it is a true one of a kind beauty which I can wear and be assured that nobody else around here will have. 










5) 60's shift dress:


This was one of the first dresses which I bought from a vintage fair in 2013. The pastel colours of lilac, orange and powder blue attracted me as they aren't usually colours that I would associate with each other. The dress was only £7 and at such a cheap price how could I ever pass up the offer? The style of this dress is one of my favourites due to the two pockets attached on either side of the waist. When I bought this dress I was a little larger than I am now so in order to wear it these days, I have to pull the waist in with either a belt or a piece of material. I prefer to use a rolled up piece of scrap material in either light blue or lilac so that I can tie it up at the back and make a sweet, little bow to set the dress off. 









4) Mode local, 60s style dress:  


I found this stunning dress in a nearby charity shop. It was sold under the vintage section and had the tendency's of an older made dress due to it's flared style. The bright red seemed to draw me in as I could see myself wearing this in the summer and contrasting it with some white, chunky heeled sandals. I chose this outfit choice many times this summer and it never failed to brighten up my day! The brand is Mode, which is a local shop but there isn't a date stated inside the dress. It comes with an attached belt which you can bring to the front for a singed waist and beautiful bow or it can be tied at the back for a figure hugging, less noticeable pull. 









3) Handmade 60s shift dress:


I entered an expensive looking vintage shop in Lincoln and never thought i'd walk away with so many buys. This lemon dress was the first item to catch my eye. I had been looking for yellow dress for so long because of the song 'That's What Love Will Do' By Joe Brown. For £35 I can now wear this and imagine a man taking me to a dance and singing "THAAAT YELLOW DRESSSS SHE WORE WHEN WE WENT DANCING SUNDAY NIGHT!" The only down side to this dress is the fact that it's just above the knee- which for me is an exceptionally long length. It makes the dress seem much more posh than it actually is which restricts me from wearing it day-to-day. I've been looking around for a tailor however as a simple job of taking it up shouldn't take too much time or cost too much. The colour has been a fabulous choice for this summer as it's bright enough to make a statement without looking ridiculous. 





2) 60s Wiggle dress:



This dress was bought from the same shop as the yellow dress above. It was also priced at £35 but with student discount, I was tempted into buying it. When hung up on a clothes hanger, this dress looked limp and flat but when I entered the changing room to try it on- I was soon absolutely amazed! The dress hugged my body so very tightly and proved to me how deceiving vintage shopping can be. As the style is a wiggle dress- a fond style of the mid 1960s, it is as tight on the bottom as it is on the top. This leaves the waist line looser and so every time I walk, it moves with me. I feel incredibly sexy in this dress and would recommend the style to every single girl in the world! As it is simple to look at due to the block colour; I like to wear a bold, statement necklace with it to dress it up or if I want to leave it natural looking then I tend to stick to a thin gold chain. 






1) Psychedelic 60s collared dress:


And here we are at my number one favourite dress! It is safe to say that this psychedelic, zip-front dress is the BEST DRESS I HAVE EVER PURCHASED. I recently found this at a vintage fair in Whitby for only £14! The multiple patterns combine to make an absolute stand out piece which allows me to be noticed for all the right reasons wherever I go! I like to wear this dress pulled in at the waist with a thin brown belt as it adds a shape to the straight shift effect. I love this dress as the zip front allows me to either show off a high peter pan collar or a low chest reveal. This can change depending on my mood and depending on the occasion! The material of this dress is also so easy to wash without distorting the shape. Overall, this dress is such a fun piece to wear and makes me feel like a definite 60s girl wherever I roam! 

Tuesday 12 August 2014

Our very vintage holiday affairs;

Hello and fine greetings to anybody indulging in this new post! I am back again with the desperate urge to share and spread wide and far the news of my recent holiday to Whitby. Now, Whitby is a small fisherman town in North Yorkshire. It has been a keen holiday destination for me and my family for years due to its sweet, carefree vibe (and it's delicious fish and chips...) and this year it was no different.

Whitby in all it's glory.

We set off with our bags packed and arrived in just short of 2 hours. This time, we had decided to stay in a newly decorated cottage in the center of town named Sea Shanty Cottage. From the outside, the weathered, white walls looked authentic and beautiful yet I was unaware of how amazed I would be when I climbed the steep stairs and entered the 2 story palace. The rooms were unbelievably sleek and well designed yet still managed to exuberate charm with their beach themed ways. Luckily I went on a wild, room hunting tour with my camera and captured some of the beauty within it.

This is, quite clearly, the amazing view.
This was the first floor bedroom with an amazing view.




This was the room that we decided to allow dad to inhabit due to his horrific snoring issues and his constant decisions to have "an early night". The bedroom on the floor above became mine and mum's stunning plaza for the week and we loved every single second of it!


What a bed fit for two queens.
Claw bath.....next to the bed? Luxury at its best.

AND a cotton wool ball stash

















 Opposite our old-fashioned hideout was a number of vintage shops (what a dream!) and so straight away I forced mum and dad to come and look round them as soon as possible with me. The first shop was selling knick-knacks and trinkets of the retro kind; her shop layout was truly beautiful and well thought about. I ended up buying a vintage book page from Alice in Wonderland which has been framed and then I couldn't help but buy a handmade and wrapped lemon soap bar as well which came to about £5.00 (HEY BIG SPENDER!)
It's stunning, right?
 I also decided to visit the shop next door which catered in antique jewellery and other delicate items. I ended up buying a hand-blown sea glass jar from the 1940s in order to store my incense sticks in when I arrived home.

Minutes before the scarf escaped.



That night we decided to go for a long walk around Whitby. We walked along most streets, most areas of beach and definitely most bars. I felt so at ease, almost like I was in a different country due to the serene beauty of the whole place. I could hardly believe that this was the only time that I have visited this place and felt so strongly about it. Maybe as you get older, you begin to appreciate the true wonders of the world? Well, that's what I'm believing.
If only I could be here every day of my life.

Before our time was coming to an end in the magnificent town; mum surprised me with the most exciting, fantastic, exhilarating, marvelous, genuinely perfect surprise that she could have possibly considered. She was taking me to a VINTAGE FAIR! To me, this was music to my ears and all things good about life. Our local vintage fairs' back home are so small and disappointing that this could only be an upgrade of the most fabulous kind. The fair filled the full hall of the pavilion theater and blew my mind beyond belief. I bought several new items of clothing, many vinyl records and of course some cute bits and bobs (which I am going to go into more detail with in my next post).

The most magnificent sight to grace my eyes. 
Before we knew it, we were travelling home with a lot more bags and a lot less dollar. It was honestly one of the best holiday's of my life because I have to admit, you can't beat the English air...or the English boys!

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