Fifty and Fabulous - getting older with style!!

I turned 50 last year and it got me thinking - I have rediscovered my passion for fashion therefore my outfits are getting bolder and more contemporary.

There seems to be a trend for celebrating "older" ladies and many of them are now part of high end brand advertising campaigns.

Linda Rodin for The Row

 

 

Joan Didion for Celine

 

 

Just because you get older it shouldn't mean that you loose your sense of style on the contrary you should embrace your look and be bolder - you grow in confidence as you age, I know for a fact that I feel more comfortable in my own skin now that I am 50 than I ever did in my 20's 0r 30's.

 

 

There are some fabulous ladies out there that celebrate their age - think one of my style heroines - Vivienne Westwood, the French icon Catherine Denueve and who can't forget the The Advanced Style ladies.

 

 

 

 

Isabella Rosilini

Catherine Denueve

 

 

Yesterday I did a fabulous shoot with The Girl and the Camera aka Kerry Curl creating some amazing shoots with my vintage wardrobe - very different from my usual outfit posts on here - mixing vintage with designer and high street and I had so much fun playing with fashion again.

 

This blog is going to have a bit of a make-over in the next few weeks with more of a magazine feel, more about my "vintage for everyone" campaign and a more contemporary vibe.

 

 

And I am looking forward to rocking some uber stylish fashion forward fashion celebrating the fact that I am "Fifty and Fabulous!!!"







Vintage is for everyone

Following on from last weeks post declaring my love for fashion and that vintage should be part of every wardrobe and worn every day not just playing dress up for an retro event - I thought I would share with you a recent shoot with Julia Holland that involved "real" women, all ages and shapes all rocking vintage.

Kate - vintage Prada skirt, H&M jacket, T-shirt and boots models own. Vintage brooch.

 

The easiest way to add a touch of vintage glamour is a brooch.

 

Liz - DVF top, 50's vintage skirt, boots and belt models own.

 

Jane - 60's vintage coat, jewellery high- street, top and trousers models own.

 

 

Natasha - 70's dress Retreat Vintage and jacket models own.

 

Fancy taking your own adventure in vintage - to find out more  look here. Or book on the next vintage workshop with Retreat Vintage - details here.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



 

Posh B&B and new hats at Sheringham 1940's weekend

Once a year a small seaside town in transported back in time to the 1940's - it is one of my favourite weekends of the season.

Sheringham is the home of the Poppy Line and we had a fabulous time riding on trains, dancing on the platform and chatting to all the lovely peeps that came along and made such an effort with their outfits.

We stayed in a wonderful and very stylish B&B - No 27 - we had a lovely bedroom, sitting room and wet room with the smallest but very cute loo!!

 

 

 

 

The following morning we tucked into a very filling full English breakfast and fresh coffee - delicious.

 

 

 

 

We had great fun catching up with friends and chatting with people on the platform - everyone always make such an effort with dressing up and the town shops all take part too.

 

 

Saturday Night dance with my lovely hubby on the decks.

 

1940's jacket Shazam vintage, skirt from a suit from Prim Vintage, 40's hat and shoes.

Gloves from Retreat Vintage.

Vintage suit Shazam vintage, 40s hat Retreat Vintage (that was one of the  new hats!!)

Shoes Rocket Originals and gloves Retreat Vintage.

Vintage suit and blouse Shazam Vintage and another new hat bought from the

stalls at Holt the previous day!!

 

 

 

 

And I spotted three ladies looking fabulous in the Barbara dresses.

My forgotten passion - I love FASHION!!

I have been wearing vintage since I was around 14 I used to jump at the chance to help my mum out at jumble sales so I could have first dibs - my main aim was re-create the styles of the movie stars I loved and not look the same as anyone else.

Around about 18 I took out a subscription to Vogue - earning my own money meant that I could; previous to this I would spend my pocket money - running to the newsagents every month to get my copy and then rush home to devour it's glossy pages - I adored everything from the designer adverts to fashion spreads created by the interpreters of style. Still wearing vintage I took inspiration from its pages for my own wardrobe.

Working in the industry was all I wanted to do and I am lucky that I have had the opportunity to follow my dream.

Over the years the "vintage scene" has taken over - don't get me wrong I love the events, my 40's style and my love for Old Hollywood movies will never die but I have recently been thinking that I miss fashion. I have never been or will never be a slave to the trends but the buzz I used to get when the new season looks appeared in the pages of the magazines I used drool over, analysing ways the outfits were put together and how I would adapt it to my style.

My personal style has developed over time - I found what suits me and how clothes whether it be high street, vintage or designer can allow me to be whoever  I want  everyday - I may want to channel classic Audrey in a LBD for a cocktail party, masculine Kate Hepburn for a meeting or Carrie for lunch with the girls.

A guest post that I wrote for Missy Vintage sums up my way of thinking and although I know that many vintage peeps didn't like This Old Thing - I like the fact that "non vintage" wearers were encouraged to step out of their comfort zone of the high street was a great idea and getting people to love vintage can't be bad in my book.

Working with my personal shopping clients I have always mixed vintage with high street and designer - vintage in my mind is for EVERYONE and should be worn EVERYDAY not just as part of a "retro" lifestyle.

With that in mind I will be posting regular features on how to add a touch of vintage to your everyday wardrobe, sharing my tips and hints on styling a modern or runway look without the price tag - nothing is new in fashion, designers constantly steal from the past so what better way to shop the seasons with the original inspiration.

Spring/Summer trends

 

Straight out of the 70's from Gucci

 

 

My next workshop with Retreat Vintage is all about shopping the trends - Fashion Forward - Vintage Workshop and you can book on line here.

 

 

There you go my name is Fabulous Miss K and I am a fashion addict!!?? I get excited again when the "fashion" issue of Vogue comes out in September with the new seasons adverts and trends I am once again pouring of the glossy pages and thinking how I can take the elements I love to create a unique look.

 

 

Would love to hear what you think - can I do both???



 

Not murder but magic on the Orient Express

This Saturday was a dream come true for me - I have always loved train travel - the romance and the mystery of where people are going and meeting, I am of course talking about the good old days of porters and carriages with proper seats.

For my 50th and our wedding anniversary we had booked lunch on The British Pullman something I had wanted to do my whole life - it almost didn't happen the Saturday before we had a car crash on the way to an event and I spent a few days in hospital nursing fractured ribs but nothing was going to stop me going on this trip so armed with pain killers and my leg in a surgical bandage we headed of to London to pick up the train.

Walking or should I say hobbling along platform No 2 at Victoria we arrived at the check in

 

We were allocated our carriage - Audrey - built as a first class kitchen car in 1932 making her debut on New Year's day 1933 as part of the first all electric Pullman train. She then spent nearly 40 years of service as part of the Brighton Belle - this was fabulous to know as the Brighton Belle was the train that my father used to take when courting my mum, traveling from London to Brighton at the weekends.

Just a short wait and then the iconic train pulled into the station and my heart skipped a beat - the carriages slowing coming to a stop so we could get on board.

 

Hat - Shazam Vintage, 1940's vintage dress - Paris, gloves - Retreat vintage and shoes Rocket Original. (Surgical stocking courtesy of the NHS!!)

 

 

Once we were seated champagne was served in the most beautiful crystal glasses and the train gently pulled out for the start of our journey.

 

 

 

As we travelled through the Kent countryside fabulous food kept coming and wine glass was refilled as if by magic, stewards effortlessly served our lunch and how they managed to serve soup from a terrine on a moving train I will never know!!

 



 

The food was delicious and the service was fabulous. After a couple of hours the train manager informed us that we would be arriving at Winstable shortly for a short stop with champagne and oysters served on the platform.

 

 

The trip was everything I imagined and then some. I didn't do much running around carriages as I wanted but didn't want to hurt my ribs anymore so here are a here are just a few more fabulous pictures of the carriage.

 

 

Sadly we all to soon arrived back at Victoria Station and our journey was at an end. Leaving the old fashioned style behind us we vowed to return one day and maybe just maybe do the ultimate Paris to Venice.