Out of sight, out of mind

Girl's dress, to fit age 9 years.

It's taken me weeks to get to this point, but I'm in the thick of sorting and selling the contents of the third archive box from my friend's mother, a lifelong hoarder. Box 3 is full of clothes, dating from the 1950s to the 1970s, cut out and ready to sew. 

There are dresses to fit a girl of 7-9 years (these photos show two I sewed up earlier this week) and my friend is nearly 50 now!

Girl's tunic, to fit age 7 years.

There was a fabulous full-skirted '50s dress which went to a very good home yesterday. Having been stored away from the light all these years, the fabric was still crisp and bright – quite odd when you're used to soft and faded vintage clothes... It seems sad that so many projects were left unfinished. At least if they finally get out into the world, her time wasn't wasted after all. 

It's been a long time...

Week in week out, I still never miss the Sunday morning flea market at Brighton Marina. Today, being a sunny day squeezed in between rainy ones, was very busy and what treasures were to be had in that last frantic sell-off before the end of summer!

Wow! What's this – "I went for dinner at Mr Chow before heading for Studio 54"? Just look at those shoulders! Black and gold silk brocade jacket with decorative topstitching, pristine condition.

Next up, had to trust my marketing companion on this one as there was no mirror on this seller's stall nor on any round about, but when I got this 1950s grey and white skirt suit home I could see she was right. It's perfect fit, made in some mysterious place where the bottom half is two sizes bigger than the top half and somehow they had my measurements thirty years before I was born.

To top it all (not literally), a free fez!

I think I need to go for a lie down now, after all that excitement.

We can rebuild it!

Restoring this jacket has been the most satisfying project I have undertaken for a long time.

Granted, I shouldn't have put it into the washing machine but I think the stitches must have perished over time and all that was holding it together was the dust.

Frock Me! @ Brighton Corn Exchange this Sunday

I shall be stallholding at Frock Me! vintage fashion fair, Corn Exchange, Brighton on Sunday 11am–5pm.

Due to the time of year, I have more coats for sale than anything else, including this white leather one (shown left). So if you haven't sorted out your winter cover-up yet, pop down and pay me a visit.

http://www.frockmevintagefashion.com/

All dressed up and somewhere to go

Thank you, British Heart Foundation...

...and whichever old Mod dropped this crisp and perfect beauty into their donations bag.

On the trail of couture

A few weeks ago I was extremely fortunate enough to happen upon a 1960s Courréges dress at one of my regular second-hand haunts. I snapped it up without even trying it on and when I got it home I couldn't believe that it fit me like a dream.

Apart from a prized piece of vintage Pucci and a Quorum dress that was only briefly mine, I have not owned many "high end" labels in a lifetime of collecting vintage and second-hand clothes.

So I've been looking into this one, trying to date the dress. I stumbled upon something similar from 1965 on a 20th century collectibles auction website and that, along with the fact that the label has a serial number stamped on it, makes me suspect that my humble market dress may actually be a piece of French couture.


The next step is to share my find with the expert members of a vintage forum and we'll see where to go from there.

Verily, the god of charity shopping hath smiled upon me this day

The sun was out and, after a month practically house-bound at the weekends with the Open House, a very fruitful Saturday began. And what a haul it was!

Firstly, a very brief dash through BHASVIC car boot fair yielded a mint-condition WW2 Utilty label cardigan and an irresistibly opulent green lurex housecoat-come-cocktail-outfit.

Next stop: the bi-annual vintage sale at Oxfam, Hove. By the time I got there I was so excited it was more than a bit daft. There was a lovely early '60s frock waiting for me though, along with a navy and white spotted swimsuit and a '50s Lucite box handbag. I actually resisted two pieces of 1950s fabric and a selection of gorgeous coffee pots, but made a return trip to the till with a pair of oversized men's green tweed trousers.

Then it was across the road to Ethel's Kitchen to calm down after all that excitement over a coffee or two with the talented painter Lara Viana, who is far more considered and restrained than me in her vintage shopping!

As if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared

Walking along the street today I saw a woman with a clothes rail. Standing there in the middle of a busy pavement with all the people passing by.

There was a psychedelic A-line shift on the rail, the woman told me she was selling the dress on behalf of her friend in Germany and that the friend had made it for herself. I bought the dress and when I came back along the street she was gone. No sign that she had ever been there.

Great dress though, but not home made at all.