We bought this lovely vintage gentleman’s valet stand last week.
The main structure is elm with some chrome & Formica detailing.
It incorporates both jacket & trouser hangers – over which ties, belts or braces can also be placed. In addition, there are shoe rests and a small, circular top shelf for wallet, watch, cuff links etc.
The atomic or Sputnik styling to the base gives it a real fifties look – perfect for all you Mad Men fans. We bet Don Draper has one just like this!
Life’s a beach! It’s pouring with rain as we write this, so not exactly sunbathing weather, but we had to highlight this fantastic vintage bag we found this week.
The bag is ideal for the beach – big enough for your towel, phone, purse, suntan lotion, book, swimming cossie & sunglasses. And the fabric… how perfect!
And, speaking of sunglasses – we bought this vintage Biba pair at the same market a few weeks earlier. There’s been quite a delay with them reaching the website as Adelle hasn’t stopped wearing them!
Two fab beach items that are actually available – both from the 60s/70s. The first is a real eye popping airbed/lilo in shades of orange. The second is a nifty drawstring bag that can be inflated to form a pillow.
It’s not quite autumn yet, so there should be a few more beach days left this year!
We bought this pile of fabulous vintage French lifestyle magazines this week.
L’Echo de là Mode or ‘Echoes of Fashion’.
They all date from the mid 1950s.
Sometimes magazines from this date have very enticing covers, but can be a little drab inside… not these!
They’re full of wonderful colour illustrations featuring lots of ‘New Look‘ fashion articles.
They really conjure up images of a spring weekend in Paris or sunny holiday on the Côte d’Azur… very ironic as we bought them on a cold, wet Thursday morning in Todmorden!
Also, there are lots of cookery articles and interior features…
…and not forgetting all the advertisements which are often stunning in magazines from this period.
We bought a job lot at auction recently. Initially, it was the tray of kitchen utensils that caught our eye…
… but, in amongst it all, was a large box of sewing paraphernalia…
… embroidery silks, cotton reels and dozens of vintage patterns.
They date from the 1930s all the way up to the 1980s.
There were lots of 1950s examples by Leach-Way and McCall’s including some fabulous ‘New Look’ ones.
There was this one for a bridesmaid’s dress if you’re into that complete DIY wedding!
and patterns for the boys!
These ones given away free with Woman’s Weekly are a couple of favourites – especially the asymmetric midi skirt and puff sleeved blouse.
Free patterns with your weekly reading was a common thing at that time…
…as these giveaways from Woman’s Own and News of the World show.
Doesn’t everything about this Butterick pattern for shirt dress and pants suit just sum up the 1970s?
It’s been a real pleasure sorting through this particular box.
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