Spotlight On Vintage: 1940's Dusky Blue Lace Gown

This weeks vintage treasure is an evening dress that even Veronica Lake would have swooned over! The dress is made of a dusky blue lace over lavender lining. It has an illusion top (very popular at the time) and matching belt.

I love the elegance of this dress which would have been created in the late 1940's. The lace is truly beautiful, very intricate with some slight signs of aging. But this dress is over 70 years old and over-all in in remarkable condition. I'm pretty sure when I'm over 70 I'll be showing more that some slight signs of age!!!

This is a gown that brings it's vintage "A"game!
Available in store now

Spotlight on Vintage: 1940's Novelty Print Suit

We literally squealed with glee when this 1940's suit arrived from America. Novelty prints are hugely popular with vintage followers and they can be quite rare.
This gorgeous little number features a silk print of Art Deco style sports people.... random right?

But that's the joy of novelty prints. They became fashionable in the 1940's and 50's possibly as a form of whimsical expression after the fraught and lenient war years. 
This suit has a chic brown cropped jacket with a printed pussy bow closure. It's an absolute darling! We've added a pair of 1950's chartreuse, ruched gloves in one picture that compliments the print itself.

To find out more about this incredible vintage piece call 01 6111842 or email info@dirtyfabulous.com

Grey Gardens: The Fashion

The story of Big and Little Edie and their lives within Grey Gardens fascinates me. In their early years this mother and daughter duo were wealthy socialites, related to Jacqueline Bouvier who would later marry John F. Kennedy. But, by the 1970's things for the Edie's had changed drastically and they lived in poverty in their decrepit mansion; Grey Gardens.

When I think of the term "crazy cat lady" these gals immediately spring to mind! 

You can find out all about the peculiar goings on at Grey Gardens in the 1970's documentary or watch the 2009 brilliant adaptation to movie staring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. Either way you'll see what I mean.

Little Edie isn't the most conventional of fashion icons but there is something about her eccentric style which adds a touch of dishevelled glamour. When she was young she was considered one of the most beautiful ladies in her family, even more so than her cousin, Jackie. Her sense of style was completely individual, even at this stage. It became more so when she developed alopecia and took to wearing turbans pinned with elaborate brooches to cover her head.

She would also fashion capes from skirts, construct clothing using fabric and safety pins and wrap jumpers around her head. Unusual...yes, stylish...sometimes...iconic...completely! 

Little Edie

Drew Barrymore as Little Edie

 

John Galliano's 2009 collection inspired by Grey Gardens

With this inspiration we thought we would do our own little homage -

The Dirty Fabulous Grey Gardens

All Clothing & Accessories in store at Dirty Fabulous!

A world of inspiration

Sometimes I become temporarily obsessed with colour combinations. I might wear a variation of these colours exclusively for a week and then as fickle as you like move on like the love affair never happened!

This is definitely true of the following combos. I may have seen an outfit in a classic movie and taken my inspiration from there or it might be from an art print, even a postcard can send me into a colour tailspin!

Vintage clothing is brilliant for unusual colour combinations, colours that you rarely see in modern clothing and the way they can be accessoriesed makes it so much more playful and interesting!

Here are a few of my inspirations and my own interpretation!

I love this combination of aqua blue and wine, I wear it quite a lot!

A 1948 Columbia Hand Knit Fashions advert, photo by Conant Bradley -courtesy of myvintage vogue

 

Sometimes my muse can be a little more unusual!

Amelia Earheart, the pioneering aviator, was the thought behind this jaunty look for work!

1940's Winter sports fashion, ice skaters in particular, was my starting point for this concoction.

 

So there you have it! Where do you take your inspiration from?

We'd love to hear!