Thrift Inspiration.....Doing it 70s Style for Summer 2015!!

Hi everyone! Like a lot of style bloggers I'm really inspired lately by all things 70s and 70 style- soft tobacco hues in suede and leather for jackets, boots and handbags are the perfect accompaniment for cream crotchet peasant tops and flared denims or the perfect denim 70s style skirt.

So accordingly I've been taking my inspiration from the Spring/Summer designer catwalks, pinterest and fellow bloggers to find the perfect thrifted pieces that will be featured a lot in my Spring and Summer wardrobe this year:

Chloe Spring/Summer 2015

This is a find from last Autumn and is a deliciously soft tobacco suede shirt/jacket from a neighbouring towns St Francis Hospice charity shop and was just an amazing £2. The picture doesn't do it justice really-it's as new and a perfect nod to the 70s style theme of the season:

I'm so loving cream crochet and lace for the summer and two more fairly recent finds inspired by the likes of the ladies below at Milan Fashion Week will see my purchases being worn regularly with the perfect 70s style denim pieces:

This crochet lace peasant top feels like cheesecloth but is a very light jersey and I picked it up just before Christmas from my local Salvation Army charity shop for just £3.99:

This original 70s Marks & Spencer crochet waistcoat was a bargain find last week again from the Salvation Army for £3.99 and I'll wear it as a top with just a couple of the top buttons done up:

Well when I saw this Gucci handbag on pinterest I really swooned- who wouldn't want this in their wardrobe not only for this season but as a forever investment piece-totally and utterly divine!!

So on yesterdays thrifting trip I was really pleased to find this original 70s leather bag for just £5 in the Cancer Research charity shop- this will be my go to bag this Summer for sure, I'm loving the chain belt detail, the colour and how it will go with endless items already in my wardrobe:

I love it when my son comes thrift shopping with me as he's definitely got the eye for it and tends to look in places I've missed-which is just as well because he found my star buy for the year so far- an authentic vintage Gucci belt for only £5!!

Not only did I need a black belt, I've wanted a Gucci belt for such a long time but finding a preloved or vintage one in the right size has been like finding a needle in a haystack but my boy came up trumps! Can't wait to wear this with some perfect denim flares and a yet to be purchased 70s style denim skirt!!

So as usual denim is on my radar for this season, I really want to find the perfect style skirt and I'm lucky that I've already got some fabulous Topshop thrifted flares and some French Connection ones that I thrifted in my local Sue Ryder charity shop last Autumn for under a fiver!!

So is 70s style on your shopping list this Summer- what pieces are inspiring you and where are getting inspiration from- I'd love you to share!

Wishing you a lovely week and look forward to receiving your lovely comments too!

Vintage Presents:The Classic Car Boot Sale

On Saturday 12 October over 100 classic cars and vintage vehicles will descend on to Southbank Centre’s riverfront for London’s first classic car boot sale, curated Vintage Festival. The Classic Car Boot Sale will take place on the riverfront at Southbank Centre between the Queen’s Walk, Hungerford Bridge and Jubilee Gardens. 
Traders will assemble the finest vintage fashion, homewares and pop culture memorabilia, operating from the boot of their vintage vehicles. Show stopping car displays will include vehicles of all shapes and sizes; from classic cars such as the Aston Martin DB4, to VW campervans and beautiful vintage bicycles.

The event will also boast some of the finest food traders, serving premium street food and craft beers from converted vans and campers. Traders include Engine, who serve artisan smoked sausages, B.O.B. Lobster’s famous lobster rolls and street food favourite, Bleeker Street Burgers. Drinks will be provided by Beetle Juice, a stylish mobile cocktail bar. British Music Experience’s “Traffic Jam”, a renovated Austin Morris J4 Dormobile, will have DJs playing a mix of music inspired and influenced by Lord Kitchener’s 1950s calypso classic London is the Place for Me. In between DJ sets, visitors will be invited to try out playing BME’s selection of instruments, such as a tea chest bass, ukulele and percussion steel pans.

Further musical entertainment comes from Vintage Festival DJs, who will be playing vinyl from the top of an open air London Routemaster. Also appearing at The Classic Car Boot Sale will be [re]design’s Chalkyvan, a rejuvenated campervan redesigned and upgraded to be used as a mobile chalkboard. 

Entry to The Classic Car Boot Sale is £3, and tickets can be purchased at Southbank Centre on the day of the event.

Every Picture (Skirt) Tells A (Vintage) Story!

 Hi everyone!! One of my very favourite vintage thrift finds was this skirt a couple of years ago from a local boot sale for the princely sum of 25p. It's a typical 80s style, but what drew me to it- apart from the price of course!-was the print all around the skirt.

It's of a ladies bedroom with a dressing table, mirror and perfume bottles and the beauty of it is that it can be dressed with a simple cami top to show the prettiness of it and be the statement piece that it is:

These pictures are from a couple of Summers ago- I do still have the skirt and the Zara cami top and Alberta Ferretti sandals, although the skirt waist button needs shifting slightly before it can be worn again this Summer!!

Do you have a statement skirt or summer dress that you'll be wearing this Summer?

Vintage Faux Fur-My Teddy Bear Coat!!

My main find of last week was in my local Sue Ryder charity shop. I found this black faux fur vintage coat by French label Tissavel. What I like about it is the leatherette trim and silver studs, so typically vintage but something different from all the faux furs flying about this season.

The arms are 3/4 length and the coat is just above my knee, its a really snuggly coat and a bargain for only £7.95!

I now have faux furs in ivory, cream, beige, leopardprint, brown and black, lol!! I can't help it-I think with the cold weather we are having, I know I'll wear them all, so its nice to have virtually one for every day of the week.

What style item do you tend to repeat buy on?

1980s, Elle and 25 Years of London Fashion Week

On my travels this weekend, I picked up this DVD of Back To The 1980s. Decade wise, this has to be my favourite era, as I have really great memories of films, fashion, holidays and general good living once leaving school at 16 in June 1985.

In my magazine collection, I have the very first Elle magazine, dated November 1985. In this issue, it celebrates the work of Katherine Hamnett and Azzedine Alaia and also London Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 1986.

Designers showing at London Fashion Week then included Wendy Dagworthy, Mark & Syrie, John Flett, Body Map, John Galliano and Rifat Ozbek.

With London Fashion Week just finishing for next summer, I thought I'd also show some pictures from Elle UK October 2009, which celebrated 25 years of London Fashion Week.

Past and present designers include Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Bailey, Gareth Pugh, Richard Nicoll, John Galliano, Paul Smith and Christopher Bailey.

Its amazing how the time flies and how trends have come full circle to be re celebrated every few season or years. My favourite trend from the 80s was definitely the bodycon look and I love how it is still in style now.

What is your favourite decade for style and fashion?

A Vintage Indian Summer

We seem to be experiencing a second wind for Summer, or more appropriately named, an Indian Summer-no surprise for September, considering it is the return of many to school and work now!!

This is the 1970s vintage cotton summer dress I purchased in Clacton for only £3.50 and I'm pleased I got the chance to wear it before summer disappears completely!

It is gypsy shoulder styled and three tiered-I remember them first time round, when I so desperately wanted and got a three tiered skirt, with a sewn in lace petticoat at the hem!!

The lighting doesn't show the colours that well, but the pink, tan and lemon colours are quite vivid-I don't think it was worn much as its in very good condition.

My mum recalls having a similar dress back in the day too!

What will you wear during this Indian Summer?

Doing SJP the vintage way!

I was at my mums today having dinner and she said to me "You know Sarah Jessica Parker-I saw her wearing a dress on TV and I've got one nearly the same as that!!" I immediately demanded to see the said dress and out of the suitcase it came, with two others. My mum comes from Cape Town in South Africa and emigrated to England in 1961. In the late fifties her sister worked in a clothes factory and could have first pick of outfits so she was always coming home with things for her and my mum. Well, these are two of the dresses. As you can see, although mine is sleeveless, the style is near on identical-plus it fitted me!! Oh joy!!

Sarah Jessica Parker in her red floral number

Me in my mum's original 50's version-now mine-ha ha!!

A black wool jersey original 50's fitted dress-it fits like a glove-yippeee!!

Another dress needs a new zip and is a green floral sleeveless number with matching coat! I really had a result today, so I told my mum she doesn't need to buy me anything for my birthday now ha ha!!