Its the second outing in a matter of days for my jungle print maxi skirt. There's nothing quite like basking in the glory of a successful make.
Birthday or not, the relentless pursuit for vintage treasure means we've been out and about all week.
Birthday or not, the relentless pursuit for vintage treasure means we've been out and about all week.
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| Wearing: Levis denim shirt, tsunami print shorts, fake tortoiseshell wrap round sunglasses (all charity shopped), brand new Birkenstocks (birthday pressie), 1960s curtain bag (hand made by me) |
We've been to posh tourist towns where the snooty charity shop volunteers follow us around breathing down our necks, seemingly outraged by a psychedelically dressed woman with a ring through her nose and by a six foot skinhead in sandals and where the prices are so high they're laughable.
We've visited near-derelict ex-mining villages where you're hard pressed to spend £1 and endless Black Country towns manned by cheery volunteers, where cheap charity shops may be abundant but quality vintage clothing isn't.
Here's a taster of what we found:
Clockwise from top left: Handmade handkerchief maxi dress; Angela Gore, London maxi; 1970s John Lee leather jacket; Polka dot midi dress; Betty Jackson for Coopers orange suede culotte suit; Assorted vintage cravats; 1960s West German towelling beach top; Handmade Afghan square crochet waistcoat; '80s silk sandals, gents leather brogues, 1950s lurex court shoes, 1980s Italian leather boots; 1960s handmade lame maxi.
(Once washed, they'll be making their way to Vintage Village at Stockport on Sunday)
...and these won't:
Mad looking Bradley Doll in a bottle (99p, Age UK), fits in a treat with the rest of my mantelpiece of vintage dolls.
Super comfy, leather lined sandals (£1, Cancer UK) with a handy zip at the back (perfect for a cripple like me incapable of bending a leg at the correct angle to fasten a buckle).
1950s satin poodle print scarf (Dawley community co-operative, 20p)
A not-very-glam 1970s multi storey car park in Sandwell - never say I don't show you a cross section of British life!
See you soon.
(Once washed, they'll be making their way to Vintage Village at Stockport on Sunday)
...and these won't:
Mad looking Bradley Doll in a bottle (99p, Age UK), fits in a treat with the rest of my mantelpiece of vintage dolls.
Super comfy, leather lined sandals (£1, Cancer UK) with a handy zip at the back (perfect for a cripple like me incapable of bending a leg at the correct angle to fasten a buckle).
1950s satin poodle print scarf (Dawley community co-operative, 20p)
See you soon.
Oooh the glamour of a multi storey...or it is with you two there. I do love that maxi so much and I'm quite taken with the Bradley doll in a bottle ...you have to ask why, but then, why not? An the poodle scarf. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteHope Jon had a stonking birthday.
Loves ya.
xxxx
The SKIRT! I adore that pattern, and we's a bit like sisters with our takes on whimsical jungle prints! Love it! And the sandals had me at hello too! Adorable! I would have been curious about that vintage Jones sewing machine in the window.
ReplyDeletenothing like a photo shoot in a sexy parking deck.
ReplyDeleteI am in love/ freaked out by that doll stuffed into the bottle! I have one of those dolls in yellow. How do I get her in a bottle? LOL!
love that blush wearing rhinoceros!!!
ReplyDeleterainer&me get followed around shops too - if one with his mind together would steal while looking that special.... god bless the simple minds.
again you found some pretty sandals! and that doll in a bottle is fabulous creepy :-)
wish you a successful weekend!
xxxxx
I love that skirt Vicky - and you wear it so well! It strikes me as the kind of print which makes you smile just to look at it!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if little kids will stop and point it out as matching curtains they have or used to have in their bedrooms! JanF
Hello Vix,
ReplyDeleteWell, we have difficulty threading a needle between us, so the thought of actually making something and, even more improbable, something that actually fitted sufficiently to be able to be worn in public is the stuff of fairy tales for us. So, we should definitely be seen sporting the handmade skirt as it is cheerful, amusing, definitely different and fits you perfectly! A one-off, perfect!
Sandwell is not a favourite with us and we do know it. As we do not own a car these days, we would have been mercifully spared the car park, but the town always seemed to us depressing and the people endlessly dour. Still, you do seem to have gathered up some treasures and we do like the look of the blue shoes with bows.
You caused outrage? - Never lol!!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the sandals <3
ReplyDeleteI so look forward to your posts and your new(ish) outfits! The sandals are to die for!
ReplyDeleteI love that playful skirt! Seeing you in a parking garage just doesn't go together. And that's a good thing! Probably one of the elements of your job you may not always enjoy. We have way too many of those kinds of snooty secondhand stores here in the states. Especially in the down town area. Cameras everywhere too.
ReplyDeleteLove seeing Jon's stylings. My man needs a makeover.
I don't drive so I don't have much call to be in multi-storey carparks, but sometimes it's worth visiting them for the view from the top -- they're often the only high place you can actually access :)
ReplyDeleteCannot imagine finding anything for 20p in any of the London charity shops, let alone anything worth actually buying. I like the look of that lamé dress, not lame at all!
well you certainly brightened up the dreary carport!! But you are a splash of color where ever you go!I wish we had charity shops and thrift stores around this place, we have one, thats it, garage and yard sales only happen a few months of the year, we're buried under feet of snow over half of the year, I think I need to move, lol
ReplyDeleteHa, look at you all glam in the multi storey! The thing about charity shopping is that you just have to look everywhere and be persistent - you never know which shops will be overpriced and snooty and which will have treasure, do you? I love that you and Jon are such a crack team; the couple that chazz together stay together!
ReplyDeleteYour jungle maxi is such a joy, and I love your new sandals. And the bonkers doll in a bottle and poodle scarf too, of course! Drooling over the Angela Gore maxi too.
Hope Jon had a great birthday!
Love you! xxxx
I have been waiting for a bit of Vix before my crazy weekend. You and that skirt are doing it for me right now! I do hope Jon has had a great week of celebrating I am sure you are spoiling him real good! I love the bag you made him! Your recent acquisition is another beautiful bunch, that dress you were mending should not last the weekend. The Bradley doll in a bottle has me PINK with envy but looks so good on your shelf of treasure!
ReplyDeleteI miss you loads after our chat yesterday, I hope I see you guys soon! Have a rocking good time with the gang tomorrow and sell your darling asses off on Sunday.
LOVE YOU!
XXOO
and those sandals put all my new ones to shame in both the price and cute factor!
ReplyDeleteI am loving those sandals you're wearing! x
ReplyDeleteYou brighten up that car park! I love a bit of chazzing in strange towns. You find so much cool stuff. I'm sure I had a little towelling beach top like that as a kid! xxx
ReplyDeleteI thought i recognised the car park , its supposed to be listed you know , lol , not my idea of a listed building , we went to dawley a couple of years ago but our favourite town , that way is Wellington lots of charity shops in one location x
ReplyDeleteYou've described the snooty volunteer experience so well! Gaaa! And I love how the sign pointing to the shops features a person running. Run! Run to the Shops! It's a bit odd to see you in a car park, which is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteYour shopping perseverance paid off in the end. The doll in the bottle is creepy but a wonderful addition to your shelf.
And of course, you and Jon probably scare people in expensive vintage shops since you wear the clothes the way they're supposed to be worn.
You came to BLACKHEATH!!!! Nobody comes to Blackheath, quick somebody alert the town crier, assemble the blackcountry folk we'll sing in the streets!! I thought I recognized the books out on the table because I visited our one and only vintage shop today and hey presto you are indeed stood outside Blackheath's only vintage shop!!! I most definitely would have fawned if I'd have spotted you and probably gotten too tongue tied to actually say hello. I'm to much in vintage awe!
ReplyDeleteGlad Blackheath was a stop on the jungle print tour :D
(What did you think of the place, nice but laughably expensive)?!
Mahalo.
xxx
Glad to see that you gave that gorgeous skirt another day out. That print always makes me smile, I mean who could not be cheered up by that jungle print? xx
ReplyDeleteOh yes we have a few snooty shops like that around here! the prices can be sky high and sometimes more than the item originally cost! they have no idea methinks. Because it is of course for charity, their heart is in the right place, but my goodness those ladies can sometimes be intimidating.
ReplyDeleteJust loving the poodle print scarf, and of course your gorgeous skirt!
ReplyDeleteJustttttttttttt fabulousssssssssssss
ReplyDeleteHa ha! I love the 1970s multi storey!
ReplyDeleteYour skirt is so cute and yourself and Jon make such a gorgeous couple. I hate snobs!
Loving all your bargains xx
I have to wonder what the staff in those charity shops were thinking you were going to do that they needed to follow you 'round the store?? Jon's birthday sandals are very nice - he's got the feet to wear them, so many men don't ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm rather intrigued by the orange suede culotte outfit. What size is the waist? Probably small...sigh.
Sandals with tassles, yummo!!
ReplyDeleteNot a bad wee collection, but sounds like a bit of a slog for it. We are in a posh area where some of the shops are overpriced, but The Salvation Army are consistently a bargain, good ol Sallys. :)
ReplyDeleteV
xxx
Love, love, loving those gorgeous sandals! xxx
ReplyDeleteLove the poodle scarf, that is very cute.
ReplyDeleteYup I still love the skirt and the poodle scarf is beyond awesome.
ReplyDeleteThose sandals are beautiful! Oh so much loveliness to choose from- let mecount the ways! Still loving that skirt. Ahrgh, snooty sales assistants drive me round the bend. Because I am usually carrying so much when I go shopping recently (usually on my way to or from somewhere), I FEEL suspicious, I feel Like I am up to something because of sales assistants, it's ridiculous! It's like when you feel guilty when you see a police officer!x
ReplyDeleteLooks like you two truly love your calling, that's the best way to live. Love Jon's new Birk's and your stunning new sandals too. There's a few shops I've been to in NYC where the staff have followed my every move. I never buy anything there! You look gorgeous as per always, xox.
ReplyDeleteAwesome... in a weird way, reminds me of Bailey in Manhattan for Vogue, when he shot Jean Shrimpton at the bottom of the shot with those New York signs above her head.
ReplyDeleteWe'll take Tipton!!
Best scarf ever ... and at 20p, what a find! Glad to hear you'll be keeping that baby.
ReplyDeleteNice pressie for the man in those sandals too!
Cutie poodle scarf.
ReplyDeleteZxx
I hope Jon's birthday was a fun one and that his birthday wishes come true. I love the bright colours of your fun jungle print skirt and am amazed at your tailoring skills. I suppose most parking garages have a similar look - that 1970s multi story car park reminds me of the ones on my side of the pond. They'd all look much better being visited by vintage connoisseurs wearing brightly coloured frocks like yours. As soon as I saw Jon by that "TO SHOPS" sign I imagined bumping my head on it. I wonder how many people have? It should say "duck or bump" on the ends. It sounds like you've had some interesting odysseys in search of quality vintage clothing on the way to acquiring your latest treasures. Best wishes for Kinky Mellon success at Vintage Village at Stockport Sunday.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.full-brief-panties.blogspot.com/
LOL ... car parks look EXACTLY the same on your side of the world as they do on mine :0)
ReplyDeletexx
Wow! I've never seen a Bradley doll in a bottle, so cool!
ReplyDeleteAnd those sandals are adorable! :)
Not all upscale chazz ladies are down on true vintage shoppers! Had you and Jon appeared in Indianapolis' Thrifty Threads, those sweet and savy gals would definitely have chased you -- with goodies to try on and model for the less well-informed in the store. (They cheerfully sell designer labels for $100s on the $1000s, and can tell you who wore what, where and when.)
ReplyDeleteI'm a cripple, too, dear Vix, and how I do adore those sandals. With pom poms!
You always manage to find such amazing things. I simply love the sandals, and the poodle scarf is so cute.
ReplyDeleteJungle and tassels - perfection !
ReplyDeletexxx
It's good to see that maxi again with a spot of its own. It's fabulous, not surprised they made a bit of a fuss over you. I like the contrast of you in the car park, it's like when a flower pushes up through tarmac. You appreciate it even more than in a garden. You did well with your stash. That lame maxi looks interesting. Xxxxxx
ReplyDeleteThe skirt is gorgeous! Perfect for the weather we've been having. Love your finds as always, especially the suede culotte set!
ReplyDeletex
missmilliemae.blogspot.com
Oh I do love your skirt! some charity shops are shocking, I hear ya! yesterday I got a cardi (m&s) for £4.99 and a Frank Usher dress (swoon, vintage that fits me!!) for £5.50 from different ones - your haul is fab! the lame maxi is beautiful! and your shoes, they are flaming fabulous and your sweet poodle scarf - hope Jon had an awesome birthday too! x x x
ReplyDeleteSilly old biddies following you both around the shop! You don't look THAT dodgy!! ;-D We and Michael went into a big furniture shop and the minute they see you they home in on ya! I said to Michael come on keep walking...fast! So we did a random, topsy turvy walk, at speed around the shop with the sales bloke following behind....we kept going and just as he was gaining on us we walked out the shop!! :D
ReplyDeleteOh Vix! Only you can make a suburban shopping centre car park look like it's the place to be!! Love your skirt, you've done such a good job of it. Lovely finds too! Those sandals are perfect for you!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly brightened up that dull car park Vix! Such a fabulous skirt x
ReplyDeleteThat skirt is incredible Vix. It reminds me of the animal print shorts that we wore in the early 80's. Great pics even in the car park! Xx
ReplyDeleteI'm blown away by the sandals! They are so you! And the doll in the bottle...how weird. Glad you had some success in your trawling. The 80s boots and the lahmay maxi are my picks!
ReplyDeleteWell you two do dress up a garage for sure. Now you both have shiny new sandals for Summer.
All the best in your next port of call.
XO JJ
You probably were the best dress people of the towns and shops you visited! I love both of your style!
ReplyDeleteI know we have those shops here too, where the breath down your necks and charge ridiculous high prices!
Great finds i particularly like the poodle scarf and the doll in a bootle -
Your sandals are awesome!
Have a great weekend
Arianexo
Love the skirt Vix. Poodle scarf is fab, as are the sandals and some good finds even if it took the trawling of lots of shops. I love your everyday life posts. xx
ReplyDeletemwahaha, you look so adorable posing under the 'to shops' sign!!
ReplyDeleteand your jungle skirt is a fabulous piece, even more fabulous and enjoyable because you made it!!
Your finds look really appealing to me!, very attractive!
We're also used to be followed by shop assistants, so when we visit a mall we've got always a shop assistant on hand!!
besos
I do appreciate the wide variety of English life you cover! :) For some reason, it is so much fun to see you in such a universally urban jungle - it could be anywhere in the world, really, and it feels like you are next door to me. Love the sandals, what fun! And it's always a special treat to have a glimpse of your gorgeously creative home! xxxx
ReplyDeleteyou guys really do get around. the high end prices you described are what i'm dealing with here in my town. it's upsetting!
ReplyDeletelove jon's style. he'd fit right in los angeles. x
Hi Vix you look so cute. I like Jon's snazzy birkenstocks and curtain bag too, the man got spoiled. I don't blame you on keeping some of the stuff. The poodle scarf is to die for. I can't wait to see you wear it. The doll in the bottle is hilarious, never saw anything like it! ;-D
ReplyDeleteThat jungle skirt is such a fun, cheeky print. I love it with that green hand bag of yours. And those sandals you scored for yourself are quite incredible!
ReplyDeleteyour curtain bag looks rather like the curtains we had when I was a child. I will have to look in the photo album to compare :-)
ReplyDeleteCharity shops are so hit and miss sometimes aren't they? We didn't get to visit any in Dudley, alas. Just back from Cornwall, and found the odd one that was OK but on the whole they were ridiculously expensive. £6 for a record that isn't collectable! £10 for a Primark dress!! Outrageous. Loving the homemade jungle skirt! x
ReplyDeleteHi my dear! You and Jon look really fabulous as always and well done on your wonderful finds- it's always great to be able to keep back bits for yourself too! xx
ReplyDeleteThats true West Mids glamour in a multi storey car park. lol
ReplyDeleteGreat skirt and fabulous pattern. It amazes me how much some of the posher towns charge in the charity shops, no wonder they always have full shops, bet they can't shift the stuff.
Great sandals, perfect for summer. Hope you have a great days sales today and that the weathers better than back home.
X x
Vix, I had to laugh at the posh town assistants. I love your skirt and those sandals too. xoxo
ReplyDeleteThat jungle print skirt is a work of genius! Can't remember the last time I ventured in to a multi storey car park *shudder*, but you make it look so glam!
ReplyDeleteThat skirt has quickly become my new favorite and I just loooooooove those sandals!
ReplyDeleteOh my, that crocheted waistcoat, do you still have it? If so would you sell it over the internet and how much would it be?
ReplyDeleteCxx
It's an awesome fecking skirt, no wonder you're thrashing it!
ReplyDeleteUgh, car parks give me the creeps! I avoid them as much as possible! I'd really loathe to be in one in an earthquake!
That doll in a bottle truly is fruity! I have never seen the like!
Bloody hate posh assistants anywhere breathing down my neck, but in a chazza shop is bloody ridicularse!
Rock on, baby!
Love Helga XXX
I'm sure the whole lot in the posh towns needed a shake up, so it's good that you were there to show them some good taste! Smashing skirt! x
ReplyDelete/Madison
that skirt and that necklace.....awesome !!!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Bong's Belleza
I love the maxi in the contrasting concrete jungle background! And those sandals are fabulous.
ReplyDelete