bobby dazzlers

Oops I did it again, as Britney used to say.

I had to buy brooch pins in town, so I had to walk past That Shop again. The one with the bargain basement jam-packed-full of vintage goodies. And yet again, it did not disappoint. It’s getting to be a habit.

It’s a good job I don’t work in town, or our house would be drowning under a sea of crimplene frocks by now.

These two bobby dazzlers are my latest purchases…

The one on the left reminds me of party balloons.

It’s exuberance is toned down and made just-about-wearable by the navy side panels and back. This makes it flattering, as the eye can’t help but ogle that pattern, thus skimming over any navy-clad lumpy bits in one’s peripheral vision.

The green one on the right is an altogether more elegant affair, with fabulously wide bell sleeves.

I LOVE bell sleeves!

So languorous and classy  - even in crimplene!

At least, that is until Primark nicks the idea and they become as ubiquitous as rude slogan T-shirts. Honestly, I took a short cut through there today and I have never seen so many things that I would NOT want to wear at ANY price.

But I digress.

I also bought another, even classier item. Not for me this time, but for my niece who is also a vintage clothes fan.

(Just don’t tell her that I’d have had it for myself if I’d been several sizes smaller or it had been several sizes larger).

I can’t show you that particular purchase since she might be reading, so I have taken a few photos and you will have to wait until it has made it’s journey across the world and is safely in her possession.

I must stay away from That Shop for a while.

My vintage bargain habit is getting out of hand. I must not buy any more crimplene frocks. God knows when I’ll have occasion to wear these bobby dazzlers.

I must henceforth resist the urge to “just have a look as I’m passing”. It’s always fatal.

A change is as good as a rest they say.

And a little break will give them time to restock those bargain rails with another lot of goodies.

shoe fetish

Ever since I gave my gold Miu Miu going-out shoes to my niece in Australia I have been yearning for a beautiful and affordable replacement.

It’s not that I spend every weekend tripping out to the sort of parties that necessitate sparkly shoes, as I’ve mentioned before.

The fact that I hardly ever even get invited to parties doesn’t even come into it.

No, it’s more about the idea than the reality.

Without a pair of party shoes in my wardrobe, I sort of feel that my partying days might be over for good.

Whereas, with some suitably glamorous footwear stashed in my boudoir, I can imagine all those parties I’m not going to, feeling that somehow, they are a possibility in which I simply choose not to indulge.

There are literally millions of party shoes in the shops. Generally they are aimed at leggy youngsters with much better balance than I (I can’t manage heels).

They’re not for me.

So once again I turn to vintage and that era of a certain je ne sais quoi, the 1960s.

Shoes from the sixties are pretty but have more sensible heels. They go with the sort of frocks I wear.

I hanker for a pair.

It’s a bit of a gamble buying shoes over the internet.

But it costs nothing to browse.

And it’s nice to dream until my perfect footwear option comes along.

All of the vintage lovelies above were found on Etsy. As ever, you can hover over each photo to find out more and click to be taken to the item in the seller’s shop.

too late for summer

I saw this skirt the other day and just had to have it.

It is a 1960s original, never previously worn. And it was a very reasonable £6.99.

I love the bit of lace around the hem and the mix of two different colourways in the same fabulously cheery print.

The back even has a contrast patch pocket!

I only wish I’d found it earlier, so that I could’ve worn it over the summer.

But – you know what? Who cares if the material is a bit flimsy. I’m going to dig out a pair of sturdy woollen tights and wear it anyway!

I hate the way colour seems to be relegated to the back of the wardrobe as soon as summer fades away.

This skirt is the perfect antidote to sludgy old autumn greyness.

And it’ll look fab with my clog boots

perfect poole

Mid Century Modern Delphis P… mungoandmidge $25.00	Poole Pottery Delphis Range … LovedByYou $40.00	Mid Century Modern Delphis B… mungoandmidge $35.00	poole vase, England, vintage… vivarte $85.00
Poole Delphis Eye Plate No…. mascarajones $125.00	Large Ceramic Glazed PENDAN… MIZZENBLUE $45.00	Mid Century Modern High Glos… TheRustyChicke… $12.95	Mid Century Modern Aegean Pl… mungoandmidge $25.00
Mid Century Modern Delphis B… mungoandmidge $45.00	POOLE England Pottery Dish -… TreasuresYouNe… $142.50	Poole Delphis 83 Vase mascarajones $125.00	Mid Century Modern Poole Pot… CampHobachee $60.00
vintage Poole pottery delphi… Freakea $30.00	Vintage Poole Pottery Delphi… handpickedbyta… $45.00	Poole Pottery Delphis tray vintagegeeklov… $65.00	Poole Delphis Planter. 73. C… Addy $20.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

I love the cheerful mid-century goodness of vintage Poole pottery.

Although I don’t own any personally.

Etsy has lots.

And looking is free – yay!

made for each other

Funny how things turn out sometimes.

I bought these two fabrics months apart, from different sources.

But these two cushions look like they were destined to be together.

A very happy couple.

Just made for one another.

Both cushions are now available to buy in my shop.

Perhaps someone will love them both!

sixties girls

I am a child of the sixties.

I have always loved the styles.

When as a teenager I first started choosing clothes and dressing up, I went mod. Cream-coloured charity shop kitten-heel slingbacks. Black & white dogstooth print mini skirt. Pale tights. Sky blue bri-nylon short sleeve sweater. Long earrings. My mum’s green suede car coat (which I still have).

I wanted to be Edie Sedgwick circa 1965. Later, I wanted to be one of those London art school beauties with long hair and longer legs.

Or a California surf chick.

I remember thoroughly resenting being born too late to participate in all that fabulousness. The suburban seventies just weren’t as glamorous.

I don’t think I have moved on all that much really.

So this is a tribute to all those sixties girls and their abiding beauty and their abiding cool.

Just because.

Soundtrack to the above:

Pictures via The Swinging Sixties and Hello The Mushroom. Thank you to Three Potato Four for bringing The Cults “Abducted” to my attention.