I'm Wearing Your Dress

"I'm wearing your dress.

Found amongst the rails of second hand clothes,

bought for a second hand price.

I'm wondering who you were,

As I stroke the ancient fabric

With its tear-stained hem,

Alive with memories and a timeless charm.

Styles come and go but something beautiful remains,
Because I'm wearing your dress."

~ Fiona Ufton ©

Always late to the party, I am only just beginning to get into the idea of wearing vintage clothing. Given how much I love a 1970s look, this surprises everyone who knows me. Two things have always held me back though; 1. that second hand thing, and 2. there are just so many gorgeous 70s style clothes out there to buy brand spanking new.

I stumbled across Peekaboo, an online vintage boutique, completely by chance the other day (thank you Twitter!) and as I perused their very lovely range of clothing, I saw this absolutely adorable 1970s mini dress. Its ridiculously purse friendly price encouraged me to take a chance on a vintage purchase, so I ordered it. It arrived a couple of days later, beautifully packaged, and I am absolutely delighted with it. Quite besotted actually, it is lush!

A genuine vintage mini dress from the 1970s, it is brightly coloured in rich shades of reds, pinks and oranges. The all over pattern is one of olden day warriors battling on horse-back (I defy you to find anything like that on the High Street!). In a cute baby doll style with a deep v-neckline and long sleeves elasticated at the cuff, it is a one-off, completely unique dress that I am so happy to add to my increasingly eclectic wardrobe! I styled my pretty dress with another cool vintage piece (oh there's no stopping me now!), a gorgeous tan coloured, tooled finish 1970s shoulder bag. This was a great online find from Beyond Retro, the celebrity go-to vintage shop, and once again, the affordable price of such a beautiful bag was quite unbelievable.

Sticking with the 70s theme, I added a great pair of tan heels from Reiss; I bought these shoes many seasons ago, they are still going strong and they always add a cool, retro vibe to an outfit.

Get The Look:

Dress: Peekaboo Vintage 1970s Dress (similar)

Shoes: Reiss 'Cedar' Wood Platforms in cognac (similar)
Bag: Beyond Retro Vintage 1970s Tooled Finish Shoulder Bag in tan (similar)
Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Piper

"Into the street the Piper stept,

Smiling first a little smile,

As if he knew what magic slept..."

~ Robert Browning

To say that I merely love this dress would be such an understatement. 'Piper' is the hero piece in Emma Manley's extraordinarily beautiful S/S15 collection and it might just be the most beautiful dress I've ever owned!

Piper is a work of art; made from embellished navy suede, it features a zip down the centre back, and a sexy, figure flattering spandex bodice with a semi sheer back. Appliquéd hand cut leather circles in champagne and silver are secured with metallic studs. They feature heavily at the hemline and spread upwards in a delicate and dispersed manner. As with so many of Manley's studded pieces, it jingles and sings to me with every single step. I can't even tell you how beautiful that is.

I styled my gorgeous dress with a lush silver clutch bag by my favourite accessories designer, Nadia Minkoff; the beautiful silver compliments the detailing on the dress so perfectly. I then funked the look up by clashing a cool pair of zebra print heels by shoe God Manolo Blahnik. I think this might just be my favourite outfit ever.

Get The Look:

Dress: Emma Manley 'Piper' Dress in navy

Bag: Nadia Minkoff 'The Kensington' Clutch Bag in silver

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik 'D'Orsay' Peep-toe Shoes in zebra (similar)
Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

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The Blue And The Grey

"Lonely the wind calls

Over the fields

Of the blue and the grey

And slowly the night falls

It hides and conceals

Oh the blue and the grey"

~ Tony Clarken

US brand Halston was synonymous with the 1970s and the iconic era of Studio 54. Their huge influence on the pop culture of the time was cemented with clients such as Bianca Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor and Anjelica Huston wearing their beautiful designs. Halston Heritage reimagines some of the classic designs from the brands archives, giving us a very modern take on 70s glamour.

This gorgeous washed-satin dress is a beauty; I can imagine Bianca Jagger wearing it back in the day at Studio 54 or Sex And The City's Carrie Bradshaw wearing it more recently with killer heels in NYC.

In a cool, dark-gray colour, it features rolled kimono style cuffs, slit pockets to the side and button fastenings through the front. It is cut for a slightly loose fit but a drawstring at the waist can add some definition.

Unable to get Carrie Bradshaw out of my mind when styling the dress, I paired it with gorgeous Dior shoes that featured in the first SATC movie; they are pure 1970s and more comfortable to wear than you can imagine! I added a glossy pink lip and a blue clutch bag for a very contemporary take on 1970s cool.

Get The Look:

Dress: Halston Heritage Washed Satin Mini Dress in Dark Gray (similar)

Shoes: Dior 'Extreme'Shoes in metallic (similar)

Bag: Ally Capellino 'Rose' Clutch bag in blue (similar)

Fields of Purple Mist

“Vast fields of purple mist as far as the eye can see,

Swaying gently in the breeze.

The perfect plumes of purple flowers

Bowing beneath Bumblebee kisses...”

~ Fiona Ufton ©

Australian brand Spell & The Gypsy Collective are my go-to brand for free spirited, boho-chic style. Founded by sisters Elizabeth and Isabella it was named after Isabella’s childhood nickname. Spell, is such a magickal name and the sisters collections even more so.

The 'Coyote' playsuit is one of their signature designs and it is simply gorgeous. It has beautiful hand drawn Wild West inspired symbols in deep sky blue all over and features 3/4 length sleeves and a drawstring waist with tiny bells on the strings that jingle with every move. There are hidden buttons on the inside of the legs so that you can wear the shorts long or hitched up to show off a cheeky bit of thigh.

To compliment the laid-back, carefree vibe of my lush playsuit, I styled it with Western inspired ankle boots, wind-swept hair and the most picturesque backdrop of "vast fields of purple mist as far as the eye can see..."

Get The Look:

Playsuit: Spell Designs 'Coyote' Playsuit in sky

Shoes: Ash 'Jalouse' Ankle Boots in taupe

Blue & Green Should Never Be Seen

"Blue and green should never be seen, except with something in between"

~ Unknown

It's an old saying and we all know it very well, but does this colour rule still apply today? I don't think it does; and even if it did, rules are made to be broken, especially in the wonderful world of fashion.

I did however, wonder where this well known old rhyme/rule came from but it seems very little is known about its origin. One story I came across tells of Sailors thinking it bad luck to paint a boat green, as it couldn't easily be seen against the blue of the sea if it capsized. Another suggests that the two colours are too similar to be easily distinguished in black and white films.

I think the colours go beautifully together; sitting side by side on the colour wheel they create a very natural, harmonious combination. Just take a look at the green grass and the blue sky; it is perfect.

My beautiful Bella Freud 1970 jumper is simply the coolest jumper I have ever owned. I love it and wear it often, with jeans, shorts and every skirt in my wardrobe (blogged previously here). Styled here with a gorgeous green mini skirt, I think this look proves once & for all that blue and green definitely should be seen! 

Get The Look:

Jumper: Bella Freud '1970' Jumper in blue

Skirt: See by Chloe Mini Skirt in green

Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs Multi-Strap Shoes
Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©