Nights in Vintage Velvet.

It's always lovely to get a bag full of clothes from a seller and find an absolute gem in it. I am an absolute sucker for an old piece that is in need of tlc (I have drawers groaning with "projects" that just need holes sewn up, sleeves reattached and silk sorted etc etc...). So when this little lovely came in, I couldn't resist. 

Full length, velvet and asymmetrical, I think this dates from the mid 1930's. She has since lost her silk lining, there were remnants attached to various seams which, sadly, could not be saved, but her buttons and (most) or her other fastenings are still with us. She has pointed cuffs with small buttons attached creating a slight leg'o mutton look. There are pulls on many seams, re-sewn arms and a hem that had obviously been stepped energetically on at some point...but I LOVE all this. What has she seen? As I was sewing up the hem, I could almost imagine a glamorous lady stumbling out of her taxi with a beau in tow, giggling hysterically as she unhooks her shoe. And how had the arm been damaged? Reaching for that champagne saucer or a too energetic dance move on a marble dance floor? Perhaps our beau had become too amorous for his own good and treated to a forceful slap across the chops...

 The label inside says "Marshall & Snellgrove, Vere St & Oxford St W1" and then, the best bit, "Tea Gown Dept"...Oh my! Doesn't that just conjure up images of ladies shopping for just the right gown for entertaining at home? 

Tea dresses have been around since the late 19th century and were generally kept to be worn at home, but could be worn to dinner, if the lady was dining informally with family. They were usually very comfortable and made from sumptuous fabrics that hung well, but were not constrictive. This one fits the bill perfectly as it is a beautiful light velvet and simply fastens at the hip. Perfect for lounging on that chaise in front of an open fire...

We see the Marshall& Snelgrove label infrequently and the pieces are always beautifully made. This is no surprise as they were one of the only stores to house a couturier workshop that ran alongside their ready to wear pieces. Quality of workmanship was paramount to James Marshall and John Snelgrove and that is obvious from their, still wearable, pieces.

Sadly, the store was forced to merge with Debenhams&Freebody in 1919 when it was hit by financial woes after the 14-18 war. This merger continued amicably for 50 years until, in 1973, Debenhams finally removed James' and John's names, and Marshall&Snellgrove were no more. Luckily for us, they left behind beautiful pieces like this for us to treasure for some time to come...

xx   

Hour Friends in the South.

So, finally some quality tv arrived on our screens last night in the shape of BBC's The Hour. A gorgeous piece of escapism, The Hour's look and feel is perfectly in keeping with the 1950's. Some clever person, somewhere, is saturating and mixing colours to make every scene and every colour a tone that is reminiscent of that decade. 

Last night's scene in the club was an absolute gift; an array of all the things we aren't supposed to like anymore; champagne, cigarette smoke and mink, HEAVEN! 

Newcomer (and recent customer-shhh!) Hannah Tointon, in her role as Kiki, the "Market Stall Marilyn", was fabulous, all cream satin, platinum blonde and rhinestones. Apparently the director even made her wear padded hips to give her that authentic 1950's hourglass shape. She had a very brief encounter with Man About Town Hector, played by Dominic West, and suffered the violent consequences.

Romola Garai and Oona Chaplin (yes, Granddaughter of Charlie) starred as Bel, Hector's boss and Marnie, his wife, the two other women caught up in Hector's path of destruction. Marnie is left at home at night baking cakes whilst her errant hubby cavorts with showgirls and Bel spends her time worrying whether her wayward anchorman will make it to the set in time for a live transmission.

Both ladies go some way to encapsulating the style of the era in differing ways; Bel's red wool suit and gold brooch, is all business, but the cut of the outfit results in a strongly feminine silhouette. 

Marnie's traditional, but ultimately impractical, circle skirt and blouse in soft pink fit her role as the ideal 50's housewife to a tee. Pretty and flouncy, it is a sugary outfit that perfectly matches her Perfect Home and Perfect Hair. 

(all photo's courtesy of BBC)

In all, it was a beautiful opening to a series and I do hope the story lives up to the fashion and feel of the piece. One thing is for certain, The Hour has arrived back on our screens just when we needed a little reminder of why we pay our licence fee....

xx 

Ossie, Ossie, Ossie! Oi, Oi, Oi!!

Well, there certainly seems to be a lot of hoo-har around the "relaunch" of Ossie Clark label in the fashion world, some great blogs ahve been written about the situation, so I thought i'd throw my tuppenny's worth in.

It was announced this week Debenhams would be selling newly designed Ossie Clark dresses via concessions from February of next year.

This is not the first time Ossie has been unceremoniously resurrected; in 2008 Marc Worth, co-founder of WGSN bought the name and relaunched the label at London Fashion Week.

Rightly or wrongly, Avsh Alom Gur (the creative director for Worth) did try and create some semblance of Ossie's original designs in the short time the label existed, which seems to be somewhat lacking in the Debenham's range. See exhibit A...

(Ossie Clark at Debenhams....hmm, what's that underground spinning I can hear...?.)

At Scarlet Vintage we have plenty of 70's dresses brought in that have been made in the "Ossie style". Admittedly, they generally don't come close to his original designs, but as buying patterns and dressmaking was so popular throughout the 60's and 70's, you can usually find something which resembles the great man's work in the shop, even if you can't afford one of his originals. The likelihood of seeing the same dress elsewhere is close to zero, the fabric and fittings will all be of the same era, the garment will have aged like an Ossie and you'll be wearing something authentically vintage. So, surely, if you want a piece of the Ossie magic, and you can't afford an original, you're better off getting something authentically "of the time" even if it's not "of the designer"?

Here's a couple of our vintage dresses that we currently have in stock that will give you that authentic 1970's silhouette and cost a lot less than the £189 price point of the Debenham's range.

I guess this sort of sits at the crux of the whole "vintage" or "vintage inspired" argument, which crops up again and again. Big retailers are losing customers to the vintage/second hand scene and their regular cry of "Keep buying new! That is SO last season!!" seems to be falling on deaf ears as more and more people start to realise that that way madness/poverty lies. The multinational retailers have to find new ways of keeping their deserting customers spending £££ with them, and so they look at copying areas that are booming on the fashion scene, ie vintage. But people are becoming wise to this and this latest attempt at "cashing in" on the vintage scene only highlights their desperation. I mean, honestly, how did they ever think they could compete with something as beautiful as this...

xx

Capes and Stefani.

Just thought i'd post a quick blog post on capes! We have quite a few in at the moment, (although our oldest, a French Victorian cape, went to a good home this morning...sniff!); we still have in - a short brown swing cape, a 1940's faux astrakhan, a blue woollen full length and long black velvet.
Capes are so versatile and chic, they don't restrict movement and cover a multitude of sins, meaning I can indulge in pudding without worrying about my buttons giving way as I leave the restaurant! So I was mighty pleased to see style icon and general GODDESS Gwen Stefani in a gorgeous example of cape-ness this afternoon. Perfect with the peaked cap (Burberry? Bus Conductor? Either way, fabulous!) and the ubiquitous dog tooth check underneath.

Perfect, no? 

Have a fab weekend y'all! And remember to wrap up warm! xx

Vintage Celebs part 1. Gillian Anderson

We are always hearing about celebrities wearing vintage, as it is afterall, the only sure fire way of wearing something that no one else will have. They know wearing vintage means never having that awful "she's wearing the same as me!" moment. However, there does seem to be several names that repeatedly crop up when vintage is being discussed; Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, The Olsens, Jamie Winston et al. And whilst there is no denying these ladies look phenomenal, I thought i'd try and start highlighting those people who wear vintage that perhaps you weren't aware of.

I'm starting today with Gillian Anderson. Yep, her of Mulder and Scully fame, that 1990's sci-fi series, The X Files, and more recently (and dramatically), Great Expectations.

Here is Ms Anderson looking very un-Havisham-like at the BAFTA's in February. She is wearing a 1950's Sybil Connelly couture gown. It doesn't scream VINTAGE and could easily be a modern day piece. It's subtle and flattering and complements her skin tone perfectly. Well chosen, lady. 

How about a bit of vintage Christian Dior? In 2011 at a celebration of 10 years of InStyle. Not flashy, not revealing, this ice white gown stands out from the crowd as relaxed, elegant and classy. And what girl doesn't love pockets? 

A personal favourite of mine was this 1968 Ossie Clark number. Revealing and daring, but cut so well, it's pure art. 

Gillian is a brilliant example of an elegant women wanting to wear vintage in an classic, understated way. And I for one, think she pulls it off rather well. 

xx

Sandy & New Website Soon!

Gosh, our hearts go out to all in New York at the moment. The pictures look horrendous of what Sandy did to the city overnight. We heard from one customer who; "had no power" and was "conserving cell phone battery", eek. Hope everyone stays safe and warm. Love that city. One of my fave places in the world, most vibrant shops, restaurants, bars, galleries. Those New Yorkers will pull together and pick themselves up from this, i'm sure. Meanwhile, we're all thinking of you guys. xx

On another note, we are getting sooooo close to the launch of the New Website!! Eek! Excited! Have been photographing some GORGEOUS one off vintage pieces for the launch and we are planning to do a promotion for your first shop, so watch this space! Hope y'all like it, but do let us know what you'd like to see, what you like/dislike about it etc We will always try and and answer your emails as promptly as we can (enquiries@scarletvintage.co.uk). Meanwhile, here is a little sneak peak of one of the new (vintage!) pieces coming to the site....

CFDA/Vogue

Well, this week saw the outing of fashion savvy celebs at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund event at Chateau Marmont and later Bouchon.

There was a plethora of lovely ladies (and gents, hello Mr Beckham...) in attendance. Out very own VB was dressed in one her own creations, a little tennis style outfit in all white (only the uber-rich can wear all white without worrying about grubbiness and dry cleaning bills). She was joined in the evening by the high priestess of fashion, Ms Wintour, who must have a portrait in an attic somewhere, because she never seems to age.

Earlier in the day at Marmont, January Jones was one of the best dressed in a very vintage looking jump suit whilst cosying up to James Marsden. C'mon, who doesn't love pockets!

Perfectly relaxed, but chic look for an afternoon's party/meeting. LOVE.