Following on from last week's post of stories about clothing that I remember owning, here are a few more tales, this time about the garments I recall most fondly since I left university Even without the photographic evidence, I think I'd still remember the dress I wore under my gown on my graduation day. It... Continue Reading →
Every garment tells a story (part 1)
I attended an interesting lecture last week, where PhD student Sara Chong Kwan told us about her primary research into male and female sensory dress experience. As she shared snippets of the stories she had been told by interviewees who were showing items from their wardrobes, I started to think about what I would talk... Continue Reading →
Fashion Theory: Clothing and academic study
As a child, I loved clothing. As a teenager, I became obsessed with fashion and its magazines. By the time I left university, my obsession was fading and my disillusionment with women's magazines in general led me to discover a number of splendid feminist websites, pushing my love of fashion aside. By the time I... Continue Reading →
Never Meet Your Heroes! (Maybe.)
People often say that you should never meet your heroes as, inevitably, that wonderful mental image you have of them will be shattered into a million tiny pieces when they appear to be less than perfect. The thing is though, it's not them who I'm worried about being less than perfect. It's me. I've met... Continue Reading →
Review: Floral tea dress by Whistle & Wolf
Described as 'your new destination for quirky and stylish womenswear', Whistle & Wolf is the new clothing brand from the design team behind Playful Promises' award winning lingerie. They are bringing their cheeky but quintessentially British styling to a collection that includes flirty dresses as well as classic tailored work wear. All of their striking... Continue Reading →
Calling all fashion stylists and MUAs!
If you're interested in fashion, street-style, vintage homewares, kitsch crafts and/or community development projects (especially if you like to write and/or tweet about it), ShopAgeUK (Re)Launch wants to hear from you! Age UK's charity shop in Shepherd's Bush is changing. The new 'Community Shop' seeks to break away from the badly merchandised charity shops of... Continue Reading →
My favourite vintage shops in London
Vintage clothing is a wonderful thing to spend money on. Each garment is a pre-loved piece of history. Every shop feels like a treasure trove. Sticking two fingers up to fast fashion while you look fabulous and marvel at the look of an old M&S label really is a pleasure indeed. Vintage clothing provides a... Continue Reading →
Size vs Fit
This weekend I had a conversation about wearing a bigger size of clothes than you think you are. Getting over the mental block that says "but... this is my size", and makes you continue to wear clothes which are too tight because of your pride, is a tricky thing indeed. Many women do this and... Continue Reading →
What is the true value of vintage?
Having attended a panel discussion this week on the role of vintage fashion in Britain - held at London College of Fashion to accompany the re:address exhibition - I was moved to write on the subject of vintage fashion once more. The inspirational panel included: Roger K. Burton, founder of The Contemporary Wardrobe Collection, Europe's... Continue Reading →
Review: Style Me Vintage, Clothes
I think vintage clothing is quite exciting. Finding beautiful old garments for sale that have been well looked after, and are a perfect fit, is one of life's little pleasures. However, when you look further than the garments themselves, vintage fashion can be rather daunting. How do you pick an era with a style that... Continue Reading →