Vintage Vogue

There has been a lack of posting lately due to me spending most of my evenings battling with a vintage vogue dress pattern. (or watching game of thrones. I watched the first series in 6 days - why did it take me so long to get into it?) I had a dream of wearing a lovely betty draper look for a wedding I'm going to. This one;

I love the vintage vogue patterns, but this one has been giving me hell. I'm not sure if it was my decision to use a lightweight silk, the lame bias binding or the fact that the dress just wasn't cut right for me. Either way its entirely unwearable and I'm trying to convert it into a skirt.

So it was apt when I was in Selfridges on Oxford street that they had a small exhibition in the ultra lounge for the jubilee about vintage vogue patterns. One of my favourite sources of inspiration at uni was the old vogues, especially the pages advertising the patterns to buy. I think they are a great look at outfits of the time.

The dresses are all in black, white and shades of grey inbetween, since even though vogue was in colour, the pattern pages never were and we're usually printed on cheaper quality, less glossy paper.

I have a piece of this spotty fabric! It's got flocked spots and is from one of the silk societies on Berwick Street. I only have 10cm but its enough to use in my hair as a bow/scarf.

The hats were made especially by Stephen Jones in the colour of the season for the coronation, Champagne pink.

I couldn't get a good picture of this but the head scarf is all sparkly. This outfit reminded me of the queen so much.

I also like the concept of exhibitions and pop ups in the department store. At uni a contextual studies tutor always went on about how department stores were just big museums, better even because you can touch the 'artefacts' and I've always liked this idea of looking around as if it were a gallery. Especially since some of the items for sale, I'll probably never afford. Harrods is particularly good for this, I've tried on a dior suit there that cost more than going to uni and made me look like Elle woods from legally blonde.