Wrap and Go! 1975

What I'd Be Buying This Week (if I had a job)...

Topshop's got some fab little modish numbers in stock right now that would be a great mix and match wardrobe base, don't you think?....

Get a Job...ShaNaNaNa ShaNaNaNaNaNa

This job search is really beginning to get depressing. It's either crickets chirping or a flat out 'No". I'm over it. And I'm even more over being broke. It doesn't help that ASOS has some lovely stuff in stock. Normally I'm against really 'new' clothes as opposed to 'new to me' clothes, but they have some real snazzy stuff in.



ASOS Shift Dress with Contrast Hem,£40.00


ASOS Contrast Placket And Collar Shirt,£30.00


ASOS Linen Pencil Dress in Color Block, £45.00


Whistles Kate Blouse with Ruffle Front Detail, £125.00 (This top is gorg, but why anyone would want to pay that much when the thrift stores are full of vintage ones for 3 bucks is beyond me....)


ASOS Swing Dress with Broderie Collar, £30.00


Coast Crochet Slip Dress, £125.00


Coast Livy Print Dress, £115.00


ASOS REVIVE Maxi Dress in Colour Block, £65.00

"The Same As They Was Before They Was"---Janice Dickinson 1977

Sozzles for my abscence for the last couple of weeks, my little munchkins! Lots going on! I hope to make up for it in today's post, where I'll share with you something from an old sewing catalog I re-discovered a few days ago, the contents of which I have yet to find anywhere on the internet. I'm going a few years later with the subject matter than most things I post about on here! I hope you'll forgive me!!!

Everyone knows Janice Dickinson. Self proclaimed 'first Supermodel', she became one of the most famous faces of the late '70s and '80s after appearing on the cover of American Vogue in 1978. But in the Fall of 1977, she did a little shoot for Simplicity Patterns Home Catalog.....













PS...Is it just me, or is Blogger having MAJOR problems lately? Took me over an hour to upload these pics and the other day I couldn't even get on????

Meeting Your Heroes

As today is technically a 'fashion' post day, I thought I may as well do a post on my biggest inspiration, Barbara Hulanicki, founder of BIBA.
I was lucky enough to meet Babs...I don't know if she'd mind me calling her that or not, but I feel that kindred spirits shouldn't be too formal with one another...anyway, I met her about a year and a half ago at the V&A premier of Beyond BIBA. To set the stage for the meeting and what it meant to me, I simply must relate the story that I related to her:
Being obsessed with London, fashion, and the 1960's since childhood, I had heard of BIBA and was familiar with the clothes. But being from the United States, I was quite unfamiliar with the actual branding or the store itself and had no idea that such a thing even existed. My second term at uni, I had a class called 'Design Research'. They might as well have called it 'Brand Creation' because not only did we have to design a collection, but we more importantly had to decide on a brand image, from the name to the setup of the stores to creating packaging.

It was in this class that 'DollyBird' was created. A mega-store with an art deco/silent film theme, it would be housed in an old art deco theatre. There would be a shop in the lobby (complete with a shop girl whose only job was to change out the records on a huge Victrola in the middle of the room), silent films would be shown in the theatre itself, the balcony would be a restaurant, and of course there would be a members only 'speakeasy' club in the basement. The garments I designed were in dark, deep, rich colours, the sketches all wore turbans, feathers abounded both real and in prints.

The final week of term, I had finished everything for that particular class and was in the library doing some last minute research for another class. I got bored of the subject I was researching and decided to find something else to read for a few minutes. I came across the book, The Biba Experience, which was in completely the wrong part of the library...I've since come to the conclusion that it was MEANT for me to find it there...and sat down to flip through it.

I was mortified. Here was my store, more or less. I was convinced that my teacher would surely fail me, as it would certainly appear to him that I had just stolen my ideas directly from Barbara! Lucky for me, he didn't and I actually got an A! But I was even luckier than that in that I had found BIBA...or at least a part I never knew about.

The more I read and researched the store, the more disappointed I became that I, and the rest of my generation, had been robbed of the opportunity to experience Big Biba. But I suppose it wouldn't be the same today anyway. I mean, after all, every incarnation of the brand since Barbara called it quits has been a flop...the latest House of Fraser line will no doubt fail as sure as the others. Sometimes someone comes along with the right idea for the right time. For BIBA, the time was the '60s/early '70s and the person was Barbara. But time marches on.
These days, she lives in Miami. She focuses her talents on illustration and interior design now, but when I met her in London, I still felt that I was in the presence of fashion design greatness. A legend. Even so, she is one of the friendliest and approachable people I've ever met.

In the question and answer period after the two showings I attended (the other at the Gate Cinema in Notting Hill) she spoke candidly about her experiences in the fashion/retail world, mistakes she had made, disappointments she'd had, the joy that success brought. She was and is, just a regular girl with a passion for clothes....and who, by the way, admitted that she loves to shop at Primark!
After the V&A showing, I stood in line for what seemed like ages. Barbara patiently listening and talking with every person who had waited to meet her. When I finally made it to the front of the line in my best gold and black BIBA knock-off (hey, I was a poor university student after all!)I told her how I 'discovered' BIBA and she smiled and said it sounded like 'fate'. She wished me luck in the industry and signed my copy of From A To BIBA, which from that moment on became one of my most prized possessions.

'I play my bongos, listen to Odetta, then I iron my hair. Dig?'

Hi hi, all you hep cats and cool chicks! Just a quick peep to let you know what this blog will be all about and why you should be reading it!

My plan is to fill you in on all the places, things, and people that I think are smashing. I'll be letting you in on my shopping secrets: great little vintage shops from London to the states as well as who has great vintage for sale online. I'll also be telling you where to go for the best nights out....as well as keeping you away from the worst. I'll be adding links to other sites and blogs that have great information on vintage style from duds to quiffs to war paint. On top of all that, I'll be sharing some bits and bobs from my own collection of vintage clothing, accessories, and research materials. Not to mention the music links that I'll be providing with each post to keep your eardrums happy and in the know.

For the mo, the fashion side of things will focus on my feathered friends, but don't worry boys...I promise get you in the mix very soon!

So stay tuned and stay beautiful!

Kiss kiss!

DollyBird