Modern Muse - Vintage Fashionista

Last week I met up with Shona Daly aka The Prim Girl who showed me round the lovely home she shares with her partner James and two cats!!

Like me she had a passion for fashion from a young age. Traveling through American developed her interest in thrifting and she loved the beautiful dresses with detailing and so different from the boyish grunge wear that was the fashion at the time. Wearing her 50's gowns with DM's before a was a trend!!

Shona said that she the quality of the fabrics, the details and the fact she wouldn't be wearing the same as everyone else was a factor in her love for old things.

After working studying and working in fashion for a number of years and always feeling as though her creativity was crushed she set up a vintage fashion shop online but when her partner suggested moving to his home town of Norwich Prim Vintage  the shop was born.

I was interested in her take on vintage style and this is what she told me!!

"Love mixing it up - my look for everyday is normally skinny jeans and a blazer but possibly with a vintage blouse or piece of jewellery and I am never with out a vintage bag. But for an event she goes full on glam with a vintage dress - "I always wear a dress for a wedding or party, I just love the chance glam up"

We talked about how she sees the "vintage scene" going and if the bubble will burst - "her comments are very similar to my views - "she believes there will always be life in vintage and that it should be just one of the options of fashion - not for fancy dress or "event" dressing but for everyday but she says that it is hard to get this through to people; Vintage seems to fall into 2 markets - the collectables designer pieces that fetch high prices worn by the likes of Kate Moss and on the red carpet or the cheap 70's and 80's worn by students"

 Shona like me would love to see vintage being embraced by everyone - those people who shop in the mid- range high street stores going for something different rather than the safe option. She says that it is easy to buy the ready made options on the high street but vintage dressing needs confidence to look different from the norm and more effort to find key pieces.

I could have sat and chatted all day about fashion, style and our favourite vintage pieces. I was lovely to wander around seeing her  collections and fabulous house.

Just a few of the fabulous vintage frocks

 

A few of her favourite things - the ceramic cat that sits on the mantle place and the current "go to" bag. Along with the magazine pile in the office and vintage as wall hanging.

 

More vintage on show and the lady herself busy at her desk.

 

Views around the house.

 

 

If you want to get some of Shona's vintage style take a look at the  Prim Oline Shop - filled with fabulous vintage from all eras all hand picked by The Prim Girl herself. And check out her blog The Prim Girl where she muses her passion for among other things - vintage, Kate Moss, the V&A and cats

 

More fabulous Modern Muse posts coming soon - in the meantime tell me how you like to mix your wardrobe - fashion and vintage style??

 



 

 

 

 

 

Crime, Fashion books and blowdrys - my varied week!!

It has been a week of trying to sort out my house along with a few fun activities thrown in for good measure.

 

 

Thursday morning I met up with the lovely Missy Vintage  for brunch in Pandora's Kitchen, it is the my one of my favourite places in Norwich - fabulous breakfasts, coffee and great friendly staff. In between the bites of food we talked all things Norwich Fashion Week - news coming in the next few months so watch this space.

 

Breakfast bap with tomato.

 

That evening I headed out to the Playhouse Theatre to hear Poirot Rises with Sophie Hannah in conversation  with  John Curran talking abut her new novel - the only new Poirot mystery to be approved by the Agatha Christe Estate.

 

 

My outfit - with a slight nod to Miss Lemon.

 

 

Saturday afternoon I popped along to the launch of  Barry Alan  Hair new Blow Dry Bar -

The services



 

A fabulous idea gives you the chance to have a quick treatment or blow dry to give you a touch of glamour before and event or just to give you a bit of a boost on a bad hair day.

 

Bubbly and delicious sweet treats from The Little Party Company were served throughout the day and the staff offered free styling advice and blow dries to a bunch of glamorous ladies,

 

 

 

 

Kerry is having a bit of a clear out (something which I must do very soon as I am running out of space in the house) so I bought 2 fabulous vintage fashion books from her and so spent the next few evenings drooling over divine frocks.

 

All in all a rather lovely week. Looking forward to Sheringham this weekend so look out for some fabulous outfit posts and handsome men in uniform oh yes lots of trains!!



 



 

 

 

 

 



Deco decedance - part 2

Waking up on the Saturday morning with the sun streaming into our window was a fabulous start to our weekend of Deco indulgence.

One thing about "posh" hotels is the wonderful bathrooms and robes that they provide you with and Claridges is no exception.

Bath time bliss!!

Bathrobes.

The lovely bath products.

 

Refreshed and ready for the day we headed down to breakfast and what a setting have it in!!

 

 

Silver salt and pepper pots, and individual jams and even the tomato ketchup came in one of these little jars!!

 

 

Stepping out into a lovely warm day we headed to the V&A to see the Glamour of Italian Fashion exhibition and then onto Harvey Nicks 5th floor restaurant for a cocktail or two and lunch.

 

 

 

 

I forgot to take any pictures of my food as it looked so good that I ate it all before I remembered to take pictures - but it was yummy!!!

 

 

I was really excited about the evening as we had tickets to see Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit so we jumped in a cab and headed to the theatre.

 

One thing that does always upset me is how people don't dress up for the theatre anymore but never mind the play was amazing and Angela and the whole cast were fabulous.

 

 

Just had to share a couple of outfits for the weekend -

70's does 40's jacket from a charity shop, skirt from a 40's suit, 40's blouse from Shazam vintage and hat vintage 30's from Paris.

Vintage jacket from Retreat Vintage, 40's skirt and blouse from Shazam vintage.

A few pictures of Deco style around the hotel.

 

 

It was such a fabulous stay if not rather indulgent but hey you are only here once, the experience will stay with me forever and we now have a "Claridges Fund" so we can go back again!!

 

 

For now I will leave you with a quote from Spencer Tracy - " When I die I don't want to go to heaven I want to go to Claridges!!"

 

 

 

 

 



 



A weekend of Deco Indulgence - Part one - The arrival!!

Last weekend my lovely Hubby and I stayed once again in one of the most fabulous places to celebrate my 50th birthday - I know it isn't official until later in the year but you only hit that age once so I am allowed to have more than one treat.

 

 

Claridges is the most wonderful place - this was our 2nd stay and the staff welcomed us back as if we were honoured guests.  From the moment you step through the revolving doors into the grand entrance hall you are transported back to a bygone era of Art Deco splendour.

 

 

After checking in we were shown up to our room - which never disappoints - with original wardrobes and walnut writing desk, while we unpacking the door bell rang - yes you have a doorbell and a bottle of champagne and cake arrive with compliments of the hotel.

 

 

The way in!!

 

The room and marble bathroom!!

Plenty of room for all the clothes.

 

Claridges know how to treat a birthday gal!!

 

 Once we unpacked we headed just around the corner to a great restaurant called Hush that I had been wanting to try for while - tucked away in a corner of Mayfair we sat outside in the courtyard - relaxing over a delicious lunch and bottle of wine.

 

 

 

Salmon and saffron fishcakes, sorrel sauce, hand cut chips and green beans.

 

 

 

On arriving back to the hotel we changed for cocktails - in keeping with the tradition of the era of course, then downstairs to the hotel bar to have a drink or two.

 

 

Love the pic of Liz behind us!!

 

 

 

Worn out after a long day we retired to bed - the maid had turned down the sheets, laid out our PJ's, drawn the curtains - sweet dreams until tomorrow.

 

 

 









Spring clean your wardrobe.

The sun keeps popping it's head up through the clouds promising the start of Spring so now is the time to get your wardrobe prepared for the warmer months to come.

First things first - get your winter coat dry cleaned, make any repairs that need to be done - don't pack it away if the hem or pocket needs mending then cover it (never in plastic and on a proper sturdy hanger to keep the shape) and put it in a separate wardrobe if you are lucky enough to be able to store your winter and summer clothes in different places or put it at the back out of the way.

Do the same for your heavier weight knits, jackets, woollen skirts and trousers. If you haven't got much space to store in the wardrobe - vintage suitcases or boxes look great, wrap in acid free tissue with a few lavender bags or cedar blocks to prevent moths.

Next step is take all you spring/summer pieces out and give your wardrobe a good clean - I know it is tiresome but you never know what you find lurking in the back, last time I did this for a client we found two pairs of shoes and a to die for 1930's dress that she had forgotten she had!!

Put back all the items that you love but make sure that none of them need cleaning, washing or mending - put all these in a pile - there is no point in putting them back in the wardrobe as you will forget and go to wear it when you are in a rush and find that the hem is coming down and you have to re-think your whole outfit for the day.

Be ruthless if there are any items that don't work, are too small then put them to one side to send to the charity shop, sell on ebay or store out of the way so it gives you space in your wardrobe for things that you wear all the time.


Move onto to your accessories, hats and shoes - clear away the heavy felt hats that don't fit in with your lighter weight suits and dresses, store away winter boots and thick tights ready for Spring sandals.

 

Taking time to sort out your wardrobe makes it much easier to get dressed in the morning, plan your outfits and keeps your clothes in good condition.

 

I recommend that you make a few investments to keep your vintage buys in tip top condition:-

• Proper hangers - wooden ones for suits and coats. Padded ones for dresses and blouses - they will help to keep the shape.
• A mending kit - buy a small vintage tin and keep a few needles, cotton in basic colours, a small pair of scissors - store it in the wardrobe so you can go to it if you need to make a repair.
• Shoe cleaning kit - regularly polishing your vintage shoes and bags will help to keep the leather soft and stop it from cracking and splitting.
• Hat boxes and vintage suitcases for storage.

 

 

Quite a daunting task so if you do find it all a little overwhelming you can always book me to come along to do it for you - check out my website - www.fabulousmissk.co.uk for all the details of how I can get your wardrobe Spring Ready??

 

 

 

Hep Cats Holiday - the season begins!

Being a vintage lover there are tons of events throughout the year that I love to go to, dress up, dance and see great bands.

This weekend the season kicks off with one of my favourite events of the year Hep Cats - hundreds of vintage guys and gals from all over the world take over a holiday camp to have a jolly time -    http://hepcatsholiday.com/page7.html.

It is fantastic place to meet up with friends, some that I see on a regular basis and others that I only manage to catch up with at events like this.

After settling into our chalet I took a wander around the campsite. Accidently (not really!!) I found the vintage shopping market and just had to take a little look - well it would be rude not to!!

Dress Circle and Shazam vintage stalls sell the most fabulous 40's and 50's clothes - I always manage to find a few things to part me from my cash and this time was no exception - expect new outfit posts when I wear my new purchases out and about soon!!

Friday night and the party started with bands and DJ's, cocktails and dancing. I wore one of my favourite dresses that my hubby bought me for my birthday a couple of years ago,

 

 

Saturday morning and I had to check out the market again and then it was a time to catch up with some friends and a few more bands.

 

I love this suit - vintage 40's suit bought on Ebay, blouse and shoes from Dress Circle Vintage (last year's purchases) and hat from 1940's for You.

 

 

In the evening we had a few friends over for cocktails in the chalet - I always travel with portable cocktail cabinet - a vintage suitcase, filled with glasses, and booze!!

 

The theme was Hollywood so I wore my latest purchase from Lulu Vintage - a long 1930's gown and the fascinator that I made myself and finished off with black gloves to add a bit of glamour.

 

 

 

Sunday's outfit was the Barbara dress from the collection - this is the best seller with very few left to buy so if you want to have your very own you can buy one here - www.fabulousmissk.co.uk.

 

Head scarf from Prim Vintage and the best way to look chic even when you have your curlers in or having a bad hair day!!

 



 

 

 

Sunday night was the night that I waiting for a chance to see one of the best swing bands around at the moment - Emanuele Urso    -   http://www.emanueleurso.it/  - playing swing in the style of Benny Goodman and Gene Krupa - if you get an opportunity to see this band do not miss it they will take your breath away!!

 

 

 

 

Back home it always feels a little strange to see people walking around in normal clothing when you have been used to "living" in the past for a weekend but there are so many more events to look forward to this year - you can check out where I will be and selling some of the collection to on my web site -    http://www.fabulousmissk.co.uk/#!events/cp4r - so see you out and about soon!!

 

 





Fashion Galore - Isabella Blow Exhibtion

My hubby and I had an early start on Saturday as we headed to London to Somerset House to see the Isabella Blow exhibition - it was a collection of her clothes, shoes, and hats.

As a fashion stylist working for Vogue, Tatler and Sunday Times Style Magazine she discovered Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy - extensive collections from these designers were on show along with many pairs of Manolo Blahniks - fashion heaven!! Many of the other people must have thought me slightly mad when I uncontrollably squealed numerous times on walking around!!

Mannequin after mannequin dressed in the most divine fashions, hats and shoes along side a few of her personal items - her note book with her contacts and ideas in pink ink - my hubby reminded me that when we first met I used to sign everything with pink ink - I'd forgotten that - note to self - buy pink ink!!

 

 

Suitable headwear had to be worn in honour of Issie!!

 

 

We headed to the gift shop and drooled over limited edition fashion books and treated myself to the book to go with the exhibition and the cutest little badges with cartoon images of Issie.

 

 

 

 

After a spot of lunch we made our way to Harvey Nicks - I haven't been there for ages and it used to be my old haunt - hubby and I used to sit and chat all afternoon in the 5th floor bar sipping champagne so we thought we had to visit again for old times sake.  One of the barmen that we knew from our first visit was still there and recognised us which was amazing with the amount of people that go through the door everyday!! It mad us feel quite special.

 

My favourite barman!!

 

 

Tired but inspired we left for home - ideas for NFW 2015 running around in my brain!!!!