Monday 19 October 2015

Turning Japanese


 Yesterday we set the alarm for 5am and were on the road, heading for Bristol, at just gone six. A fellow trading pal took this photo at 9am after we'd dragged 19 sacks of vintage clothes into the venue, assembled four double rails and unpacked the stock. Who says that the camera never lies? We don't look half as wrecked in these pictures as we felt.


 Turning Japanese? That'll be a not so subtle reference to the geisha girl print on my new-to-me maxi, described as "fancy dress party outfit" on the eBay listing which resulted in me being the only bidder. Fancy dress? I always dress fancy. I don't need a party as an excuse.


Jon's work wear: 1960s worsted wool Milium jacket, Austin Reed waistcoat, vintage ribbed trousers (skinnied-up by himself), Savile Row shirt and red leather pimp-tastic shoes (all car-booted or charity shopped)


ME: Handmade 1970s maxi (eBay, £4.99), 1960s leather lace-up knee boots (£1, car boot sale), Lamani coin pendant (India). Linking to Patti's Visible Monday.

Photo borrowed from Em!
So what was yesterday all about? Another fantastic Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair. As always it was well organised, well-attended and located in an uber-cool setting, an urban-chic converted paintworks, a short walk from Bristol's main train station. 


The premises is divided into workshops, galleries and eateries with, as you'd expect from hip and edgy Bristol, lots of street art, sculpture and graffiti. This cheeky little devil was visible through the window behind our pitch.


A visit from fellow bloggers and now dear friends, Em and Dee made a great day even better.


Coats and jumpers sold well and our vintage frocks proved popular. Quite a few of the dresses we'd only purchased in the past week found new homes. I knew this 1960s silver Barbarella style mini would look amazing on Sally from Pretty Flamingo (who I met at the End of The Road Festival last month) and I was right. Vintage perfection!


We're trading with Judy's in Oxford on Saturday (details HERE) and with Moseley Vintage and Retro Fair on Sunday (details HERE).  We'd better get stock hunting.

See you soon!


47 comments:

  1. The dresses are fantastic! As are you and Jon and his cool shoes. Xox

    Patti
    Http:notdeadyetstyle.com

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  2. i can't even tell you how bad i'd look at 5am after unloading all that stuff. you guys look great! and sally is such a doll in that dress! xo

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  3. Your rails look so inviting, I'd love to rummage through them. Cheeky little devil too!

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  4. But you are the superhero ?! So beautiful after so much hard work ?! WOW Your dress I really like, now I'm boring .. I love all your clothes! Fantastic pants and shoes of Jon!
    And then I fell in love the seventh suit this selection! but the devil?! What a scandal! ehehehh! and that beautiful place in Bristol!

    ;***

    serena

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  5. Who wouldn't want a life where every day is fancy dress? This new dress is awesome fancy. You and Jon are absolutely professional at concealing how wrecked you are. Haha. I'm glad you got a chance to chat with Em and Dee, and Sally looks great in the silver mini. I hope you get a chance to de-wreck this week.

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  6. Thank you for your comment you left me Vix , I do so admire you and Jon and the very early starts you have . I must say in my defence I do get up on weekdays at 6.15 to get the teenagers up and going for school , but I am a moody old cow (laugh). Such a beautiful dress Vix looking stunning as ever have a fab week x

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  7. YOU look lovely as usual ,john's shoes are fab , You make me out of breath just reading where you go to your fairs , Glad you enjoy it xxx

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  8. I have to get up at 5.15am every day this week - and at that time I don't give a toss how I look. I know I should, but it is all I can do to drag myself out of bed lol!
    Love Jon's shoes! x

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  9. Gosh, 5am starts put me off leaving academia for a job selling vintage clothing! Mind you I was up at 4:20 today for a conference in London. Love that maxi on you. I am wearing a modern suit today - now that feels far more fancy dress to me than a 50s wiggle dress! Xx

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  10. you're the funkiest couple ever!, love your oriental printed maxi, love your fabulousness, and love how Jon's styling a classic style into coolness!
    Your stall always look full of delights and pretty interesting: I would be attracted to your racks as a raven to a shiny trinket!!!
    besos & suerte

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  11. Oh , so many pretty dresses! If only I could shop at your stall. And that devil seems quite ready for action!

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  12. I am grumpy cow to the extreme if up that early!! You are a saint!!!
    Looking delightful in your Japanese fancy dress (love it when that happens!! I ended up with my beautiful Jane Austen 1970's maxi because they listed it as Jane Austin fancy dress!!
    And THANK YOU for the Autumnal peed off with la la la Halloween, jumpers hot chocolate comment. YES, that was exactly what I was getting at but without putting it into so many words. In fact, I think all that has made me dislike Autumn just that bit more over the years!!!
    (and the spiders, oh the spiders!!!)
    X

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  13. You should have had a stand in Burnley on Saturday. We went to Craig Charles fantastic Funk & Soul show but all the men looked liked they'd shopped at the Scruffy Bastards Shop (Philip's words) and the women at the How Many Ways Can We Wear Black Shop.
    What an eye opener to going out on a Saturday night. We did some proper posing in our gear. I looked a real 60's chick with leather jacket, kinky boots n cap n vintage frock haha

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  14. Fancy dress, it certainly does look fancy on you.

    Loving the devil statue, ha! xx

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  15. Turning Japanese? I really think so! Gorgeous frock, I always have a quick trawl of the fancy dress on Ebay and in chazzas since I found a Janice Wainwright wool maxi skirt and my favourite mermaid scales lurex maxi by doing just that! People are bonkers if they think that all vintage is good for is a cheap thrill at a party - wear it every day and feel the love!
    Jon is looking especially dapper, and your fabulous outfits (not to mention your gorgeous personalities - yes, even old Grumpy Bugger's) will always draw customers to your pitch. Where the stock doesn't disappoint - look at Sally in that fab frock! I think I want ALL those dresses.
    Ahh, beautiful Em and Dee too - colourful, delicious ladies, hopefully we'll be able to get together before the year's out.
    Now shop shop shop, there are rails to fill! Love you! xxx

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  16. Loveeely dress, not the early start! ahh only just found your blog and it's bookmarked for a cheer up on a shite, rainy day..I live on Stockport Market so will come say Hi when you're next up for Vintage Village Zoe x

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  17. I love that dress - looks smashing on you. Jon's pimptastic red shoes are pretty rocking too. You definitely don't look like you got up at 5am and set up before that photo.

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  18. Wrecked?? You two look so cool ... as always.

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  19. Oooo you look pretty, love John's shoes xx

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  20. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,my dear Vix I couldn´t agree more with you: Fancy dress? I always dress fancy. I don't need a party as an excuse.
    Such an inspiration you are, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
    I love Jons shoes sooooooooooooo much. Well both of you are shining even tired.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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  21. Always lovely to see you and Jon and you do go to the best places. I was quite taken with the Paintworks...Bristol always does that kind of thing really well. Loved the devil and his expression! I wouldn't say no to him on the wall oustide. Not sure what the good folk of Winchester would have to say though! Doesn't Sally look fab? She is a stunner and that frock is perfect on her. I love my dragon dress and my new mittens of course. I had them on on the train home when it got chilly!
    Loves ya!
    xxxxxx

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  22. All of the dresses look excellent, and I like how they decorated. Would have loved to try on all of those tweed hats in the background too. Fancy Vix! :) x

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  23. Jon's red leather shoes are rad!! And you look as stunning as ever! <3

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  24. I sure do miss Kinky coming to Nottingham. Not surprised the people of Brizzle came out in force. I love It down there, in fact I'd happily live there, it's just got such a nice feel to it, and quite a lot of my friends moved there. You look like you've got some great stock and as usual you and Jon look the business. That's a great frock you rescued from the dressing up box, looking so glamorous. Cor, 19 sacks. I'd have been red in the face after that. So lovely that you got to meet up with Em and Dee. Xxx

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  25. That looks massive hard work setting up - the clothes are all pristine/ironed and even the hats hanging neatly - it's a work of art! I like the 'fancy dress' it's beautiful. Betty

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  26. You and Jon are ever the glamorous couple even after hauling nineteen sacks indoors....and at 9am, what time did you get up?
    Lovely that you met up with Dee and Em, I spy her mittens hanging from your rail. I'd love to own that devil, what a talking point he'd be.
    Good luck with the stock hunting this week. xx

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  27. You look SUPER fancy in your fancy party dress fit for a fancy party where people get fancy in their fancy clothes!

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  28. So many great vintage outfits!

    That last white/silver/gold 60's outfit is so freaking fab!

    So glad to hear you're having great shows.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  29. Your posts always make me so happy - "I don't need an excuse to dress fancy" - perfect. I love your maxi and that Barbarella frock is so great. Sounds like you had a great day trading as well xo

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  30. aahhhh Vix it was so great to see you again. You and Jon are saints getting up at that time each time to do a fair I know how much work is involved and its knackering. You both still looked amazing when we arrived. Em and myself had a great day I haven't laughed so much in ages but wished you could have come and had a drink with us but next time is a definite. That devil well he made us laugh standing tall and proud there. Thank you so much for my pot and I adore my mittens I had to wear them for the rest of the day as my hands were frozen. May have to invest in another colour :-) hugs dee xxx

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  31. Sounds like another great fair. Your dress is amazing, you always find such great stuff! x

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  32. You and Jon are perfection, as always, in your vintage attire. I agree with the concept of who needs a party to dress up. Every day presents the opportunity to be creative. Thanks for the constant inspiration!

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  33. You both look fantastic - I wish I could get Tom to wear shoes like Jon's - gorgeous.
    Love the idea of affordable vintage market - usually they're exorbitant.

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  34. Such a beautiful dress and you are glowing in pink. Glad to hear that you had another good day. I love the devil statue and it looks like a very cool venue. I am eyeing your rails with longing. You always have the best stock. Xx

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  35. Clearly, you and Jon have cultivated some arcane ability to absorb energy from colors: you, from the cerise Japanese fancy-dress; Jon, from those pimptastic red shoes. (Do you drink coffee? Espresso?)

    Despite his serene attitude in appearing in a state of nature, methinks that the creature with the ears might have served as an exceptional model for a competition amongst the vendors of vintage. What garments would fit him for an appearance in High Street?

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  36. Micro mini or what!
    You are the only person in the world with taste obviously...re ebay.
    Jon is the master of skinny pants and cool shoes!
    Xo Jazzy Jack

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  37. Good to see you're keeping busy. I don't know how you manage all those 5am starts xxx

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  38. Reading that opening paragraph made me exhausted -- it's amazing to see how fantastic you two looked after such an early start. Looks like the sale was worth the effort. I wish I could time-warp and travel right into these pictures and get a shot of me with you guys in your fine threads. Oh and of course, I'd do a spot of shopping too. Everything looks so good!

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  39. I would like that cheeky devil in my garden!!

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  40. I like good quates from famous persons as Diana Vreeland and more. "I always dress fancy. I don't need a party as an excuse" is a favourite from the famous Vintage Vixen.

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  41. Gorgeous dresses, no wonder Kinky was popular with the Brizzle shoppers!xxx

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  42. Gorgeous & lovely and not middle-aged, midlife crisis at all (That's Not My biker jacket! ;)

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  43. fabulous! wrecked never looked so beautiful and stylish!!!!
    the geisha dress was made for you! and if i show jon´s red shoes to hubs he comes to england to steal them ;-)
    your dad spend 2! years in the alps! dreamy! i wish i could spend even one! nothing else to do then climbing mountains.....sigh.
    xxxxxx

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  44. Yay to Kinky Melon coming to Oxford. You and Jon always look so sunny-spirited, camera-ready and photogenic - never a hint of the early rise and hours of gruelling work you've just undertaken. Love the swishy sleeves on your dress.

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  45. You both look wonderfully fresh faced given your early start - I'm mighty impressed. That dress is fab, I'm always searching for 'fancy dress' items too. Every day should be fancy in my mind! Love that groovy Barbarella style frock! XX

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  46. I bet Jon has one of the best quality wardrobes of most men his age living in Walsall. He always looks so dapper, and those pimp-tastic shoes are aces!

    There are a couple of dresses in that photo collage that I would have definitely tried on (probably wouldn't have fit though). I think a lot of us bloggers have items in our everyday wardrobe that other people would consider "fancy dress"!

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Lots of love, Vix