If someone hadn't been pointed out that we're already two thirds of the way through Slow Fashion Season I probably wouldn't have noticed, that's how bothered I am about buying new. Not that I haven't been adding to my wardrobe, it's just that any additions are - as they have been for most of my life - secondhand.
So what of the last seven days post-Lakefest? Tuesday was spent unpacking the van, hosing off the mud and cobbling together a blog post. Talking of which, thank you so much for your kind words & concern, we finally got paid the money that was due...on Saturday. Better late than never, I suppose!
On Wednesday we were back in the saddle, off scouring the charity shops of the greater Black Country for choice vintage stock. I wore this early '70s Anokhi quilted pinafore dress for the first time.
So what of the last seven days post-Lakefest? Tuesday was spent unpacking the van, hosing off the mud and cobbling together a blog post. Talking of which, thank you so much for your kind words & concern, we finally got paid the money that was due...on Saturday. Better late than never, I suppose!
On Wednesday we were back in the saddle, off scouring the charity shops of the greater Black Country for choice vintage stock. I wore this early '70s Anokhi quilted pinafore dress for the first time.
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| WEARING: Vintage Anokhi pinafore dress (eBay, July 2019), 1960s Jeff Banks W1 blouse (car boot sale, 2004), Aldo hat and vintage Indian screen printed silk scarf (both charity shopped), 1970s French high heeled wellies (jumble sale 2009) |
Yes, I was wearing wellies, albeit vintage ones - that's how wet it was!
Such is my infatuation with my Anokhi pinafore dress that I wore it again today and, to demonstrate how schizophrenic our good old British Summer weather is, this time it was with a cotton camisole, peep-toe clogs and some vintage sunglasses (bought from a vintage fair back in 2016).
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| WEARING: Indian cotton embroidered maxi (belonged to German ex-blogger Sabine's mother in the 1960s), Anokhi long-line waistcoat (5-6-7-8 Vintage, April 2019), Cobalt neoprene boots (Topshop sale, 2017), Cleopatra belt & 1970s hat (both charity shopped) |
On Thursday we were shopping again (our final two festivals of the season kick off this week and we have just 12 hours at home between the two). As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I'm often freaked out by finding things in charity shops that echo what I'm already wearing.
Case in point was that I'd left the house that morning wearing an Anokhi waistcoat, a felted wool hat and a 1960s belt with a Cleopatra clasp and came back with..........an Anokhi waistcoat, a felted wool hat and a 1960s Egyptian print scarf! Weird or what?
Friday brought yet another deluge but that didn't to stop our epic stock hunting session. I wore a vintage Anokhi block printed maxi dress with the previous day's waistcoat and hat but sadly failed to find any more of my beloved Anokhi in the chazzas. My new-to-me waistcoat is three sizes too big but a bulldog clip soon sorted that out (thank goodness for long hair, perfect for hiding those last minute wardrobe hacks!)
Case in point was that I'd left the house that morning wearing an Anokhi waistcoat, a felted wool hat and a 1960s belt with a Cleopatra clasp and came back with..........an Anokhi waistcoat, a felted wool hat and a 1960s Egyptian print scarf! Weird or what?
Friday brought yet another deluge but that didn't to stop our epic stock hunting session. I wore a vintage Anokhi block printed maxi dress with the previous day's waistcoat and hat but sadly failed to find any more of my beloved Anokhi in the chazzas. My new-to-me waistcoat is three sizes too big but a bulldog clip soon sorted that out (thank goodness for long hair, perfect for hiding those last minute wardrobe hacks!)
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| WEARING: Vintage 1980s Anokhi maxi dress (eBay, May 2019), felted wool hat and Anokhi waistcoat (both charity shopped), gormless expression - all my own. |
Saturday was spent sorting, ironing and packing stock ready for Towersey which - for us - kicks off on Wednesday morning.
On Sunday we had to go into Walsall to stock up on festival essentials (biodegradable wet wipes and booze) so I thought I'd give my new-to-me vintage Rumak dress her maiden outing.
After spending most weekends dressed in crazy-coloured floor-length finery I do love an understated, unstructured midi dress - it serves as a bit of a palate cleanser between festivals.
As we were packed and festival ready early we were able to spend Monday belatedly celebrating Jon's birthday in 'Spoons.
Typically the heat, blue skies and sunshine that greeted me when I got up soon descended into yet another dark, dreary and thoroughly damp day but I wore my cheesecloth blouse, sunglasses and peep toe clogs regardless.
Towersey awaits - see you on the other side!
On Sunday we had to go into Walsall to stock up on festival essentials (biodegradable wet wipes and booze) so I thought I'd give my new-to-me vintage Rumak dress her maiden outing.
After spending most weekends dressed in crazy-coloured floor-length finery I do love an understated, unstructured midi dress - it serves as a bit of a palate cleanser between festivals.
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| WEARING: 1970s Rumak cheesecloth midi dress and vintage straw basket (both charity shopped) |
As we were packed and festival ready early we were able to spend Monday belatedly celebrating Jon's birthday in 'Spoons.
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| WEARING: Vintage India Imports of Rhode Island block printed maxi skirt and unworn Greek embroidered cheesecloth blouse (both eBay finds) |
Towersey awaits - see you on the other side!
Love the dresses vix , There is only you that would make wellies stylish lol , Where did that rain come from , I was doing gardening this morning came in to prepare lunch and the heavens opened xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eileen! Being a festival girl I'm partial to a pair of wellies (or three!) xxx
DeleteHappy birthday to Jon!
ReplyDeleteI have to confess, I'm going to fail Slow Fashion Season as My Retro Closet has bought some spiderweb fabric to do a very limited run of one of her retro lingerie styles... that said, I reckon a one-woman operation is as far from fast fashion as it gets so I'm not going to feel too guilty.
Good luck with your remaining festivals! I hope it doesn't rain too much - just keep thinking ahead to those Greek skies and sunshine (and salads).
Your My Retro Closet purchase is exactly what we should all be doing, being discerning with our purchases and supporting small businesses, it's not like you've run off to Pr&mar* or anything like that!
DeleteThose Greek salads are within touching distance now! xxx
Lovely Anokhi long line waistcoat - looks great layered. I think your black dress would look fabulous on a holiday backdrop, you know, orange groves etc! it's very pretty and understated. Have you thought about having coloured braids in your hair by the way - they would look amazing in silver and turquoise on you, hope you don't mind the suggestion. Hope the festival is rain and mud free.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I love your suggestion of coloured braids, I'm hopeless with hair but they sound quite doable, now I'm home and free for a while i might give them a bash! xxx
DeleteI've never heard of Anokhi before, I'll have to keep my eye peeled for it. I'm always amazed at what you find!
ReplyDeleteAnokhi are still going strong and their shops in India are always full of posh American ladies arranging to have their purchases shipped over to the States. The quality is outstanding, always worth buying if you find it , you can always repurpose the fabric. xxx
DeleteI just love that Greek embroidered blouse your wore with a block printed maxi skirt. That was such a cute styling and it's great that bad weather didn't prevent you from wearing something fabulous. The other outfits are just as fabulous. It is interesting how you found what you were already wearing in second hand stores. Perhaps it is a law of attraction or something?
ReplyDeleteI'm not having any problems with keeping up with the Slow Fashion Challenge either. I did ordered a t-shirt for my husband for his birthday, but it is something that couldn't have been bought second hand - as he wanted a t-shirt with my art print and there are no second hand t-shirts with my art yet:)...but yes I'm totally content with shopping my closet and I wasn't even a least bit tempted to buy something new. I might even continue this challenge into autumn and winter and keep this no shopping ban until the end of the year and perhaps even longer.
Happy belated birthday to Jon!
Thanks, Ivana. The blouse reminds me of that gorgeous folklore blouse of yours. I've always loved seeing hand embroidered Greek textiles hanging up outside those chi-chi boutiques you always find dotted along the harbour in tourist areas - so expensive but so lovely!
DeleteYou've done brilliantly with your Slow Fashion challenge, both by promoting it and by shopping your wardrobe. A well chosen gift for your husband certainly isn't breaking the rules! xxx
T'would be hard to pick a fav dress...but oh my! That pinafore dress!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rebecca. It's muted and it's midi length and I absolutely adore it. I'd been watching one on eBay for £250 for a while and nearly died of excitement when I came across an affordable twin! xxx
Deleteme too - shopping NEW is so very fare for me.... i´m totally occupied "shopping" my own wardrobe!
ReplyDeletelooove you parade of beautiful block print and folky outfits! your wellies look very chic! this "finding stuff that matches the things i wear that day" is something i know too - the universe seem to love 2.hand shoppers :-D
xxxxxx
The universe does does us secondhand shoppers, doesn't it? I keep stumbling across great pieces even when I'm not actively searching them out, I love it! xxx
DeleteObviously, Slow Fashion Season isn't hard for us seasoned second-hand shoppers! I'm loving your new-to-you Anokhi quilted pinafore dress, which is looking stunning combined with that amazing Jeff Banks blouse. The Indian embroidered maxi with the Anokhi waistcoat and felted hat is another favourite: a symphony in blue! Enjoy your 'Spoons celebrations and here's to a successful and sunny Towersey Festival! xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I think I'd be quite happy to extend Slow Fashion Season for a few months more - as long as buying fair trade clothes in India isn't breaking the rules too much! xxx
DeleteI really like your "palate cleanser" dress - it looks very comfy and easy to wear. But of course, all of your looks are fabulous (I love the Greek blouse in particular). Good luck with your next festival. I hope you won't have to wear Wellies (heeled or not) during this one!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sheila! Who'd have thought it, the weather was so hot that I didn't wear anything on my feet for the duration of the Towersey Festival - I love going out to see a band barefoot! xxx
DeleteA happy birthday to your beloved! I always look forward to summer so I can wear my more lively clothes, but disappoint myself by not wearing them enough! Between spending so much time in a bathing suit and having lots of chores to do, I don't dress up nearly enough. Thankfully I can live vicariously through you!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to spend longer in swimwear - I'd live in it if I could! x
DeleteGlad to hear you finally received the outstanding amount from your previous festival. Hope the weather gods are kind for the upcoming festival.
ReplyDeleteAll of your outfits are wonderful, the prints are divine . They really must just wait for you.
Thanks, Jill! xx
DeleteI've barely noticed slowfashion season either. You've found some beautiful pieces lately, it's like the universe is tuned in to your tastes!
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a good day at the pub and wishing you warm sunny weather for this weekend's festival. xxx
I know, I keep coming across them now even when I'm not looking for them! xxx
DeleteMay one request an "indulgence"? I may have sinned but I plead extenuating circumstances. Whilst gliding down the small size pants aisle at the thrift, my hand detected a luxuriously heavy fabric. Behold a technicolor floral, full length, cunningly tucked and pleated skirt in my size! It still bore the department store tag of $79.95, marked here at $6, so I bought it -- because we are counting new/old stock counts as used, I hope?
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like too good a find not to indulge! If anything Slow Fashion season has taught us to be more mindful of our purchases but when something turns up that we can't live without (like Mim's comment) we'd be daft not to! xxx
DeleteYou are looking more and more like one of those models you've shown us ages ago that you took from a vintage magazine.
ReplyDeleteSo wild that you found all the items you were wearing. I also find that I can match pieces really well to go with whatever I'm wearing when I'm thrifting.
I really hope these last two shows go well for you. Your stamina and ability to turn around so quickly in between shows is beyond impressive.
Sending positive selling vibes and good weather your way!
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
Oh, bless you!! Thank you so much!
DeleteI'm absolutely shattered now, I've been fuelled by adrenaline and gin for months! xxx
I truly hope that your last 2 festivals of the season are better than the last one. Greece is just around the corner!
ReplyDeleteThank you! End of the Road made my summer! xxx
DeleteThe detailed prints, ornamentation and designs of the vintage outfit pieces you featured here all look exceptionally pretty. I love how you styled them in all five outfits pictured above.
ReplyDeleteThe looks of the vintage Anokhi quilted pinafore dress looks fabulous styled with the pretty puffy sleeved purple 1960s Jeff Banks W1 blouse;
The pretty 1970s Rumak midi-dress is very pretty and looks great accessorised with the vintage straw basket, and
I also love how the Vintage India Imports of Rhode Island maxi-skirt looks styled with the Greek embroidered cheesecloth blouse.
All five of the vintage outfits you styled and modelled in the photos above look gorgeous.
P.S.: Two weeks belatedly, a happy birthday to Jon!
Thank you so much, my dear friend. So lovely to hear from you! xxx
DeleteYou know I envy your wonderful clothes but now you have me unable to stop looking at your garden. By August mine is burnt to a crisp, so am admiring all your green.
ReplyDeleteThank you!! All that rain does wonders for the garden, it's like a jungle out there! xxx
Deletep.s. I really like that black midi dress. Perfect 'palate cleanser look. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I love a tent dress! xxx
DeleteLOVE those Anokhi pieces! I'm afraid I'll never find anything as exotic here in Dublin..
ReplyDeleteHope your next festivals are runaway successes!
Thanks so much!! Keep looking, an Anokhi will be yours one day! xxx
DeleteHi Vix
ReplyDeleteI’ve occasionally come across Anokhi clothes in the chazzers but have thought them a bit expensive to buy to pass on to you. Next time I see something I’ll message you with a picture and the price.
We are at the caravan and the weather isn’t great so I’m not settling in as we normally would. I’ve got a workshop to go to Friday nearby and Philip is going to Threlkeld mining museum so if it’s still raining after that I think we will come home xxx
Thanks so much! I do prefer the Anokhi pieces rather than the East range they did for the British market, the colours and styles are a bit too Western for me.
DeleteHope the weather improved as it did for us at Towersey. What a joy to be barefoot and coatless at midnight! xxx
Ahh, too much fabulous-ness in one post!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite of all your outfits is the blue maxi skirt with the blouse.
Good to hear you finally got paid, that would have been annoying. X
Thanks so much, Jess! xxx
DeleteHello Vix. So inspired by your commitment to Slow Fashion Season. I have to confess I only started scouring op-shops/car boots sales the last few years after being nudged by my eldest daughter who is a second-hand enthusiast. My mother told me when I was quite young that op-shops were filled with clothes belonging to the deceased and for some stupid reason it freaked me out and prevented me from ever entering one. It was only via my daughter's insistence that I started buying second-hand and I have never looked back. Now I even drag my mum with me sometimes and have changed her view on it too! Anyway, I'm so envious of the beautiful pieces you find. That pinafore is quite lovely on you and the purple blouse underneath is stunning. The black Rumak dress is also very flattering - blends beautifully with your hair. I love the pattern on your new waistcoat. It's so funny that you mention that often you find pieces echoing what you're wearing - obviously the universe is reflecting it's mirror on you. Glad to hear you received all monies owed to you from the last festival and hope your next ones are very fruitful.
ReplyDeleteSuzy, you've got one switched on daughter. I'm so glad that she encouraged you to give secondhand shopping a try. I've converted many people over the years, once we escape the tyranny of fashion shopping and realise the joy (and freedom) that can be had by developing our own style through pre-loved clothing our lives are so much more fun. xxx
DeleteYou could be the calendar girl for slowfashionseason in all those wonderful ensembles. The all blues one just knocks me out. Hope you have a blast with the last 2 trades of the season and good weather to boot.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pao! xxx
DeleteArgh! So many amazing outfits. It's hard to decide which one I love more. Though that pinafore dress sure looks splendid on you. I'm also smitten with the Anokhi prints. Have never seen this label over here unfortunately. And that's some impressive thrifting karma you have, finding exactly what you're wearing. Hope your festival went without a hitch!
ReplyDeleteTheresa
Thanks, Theresa! The Anokhi shops are so popular with American travellers - there was a lady in the Jaipur shop in January who'd come straight from the airport complete with suitcases, her husband was fast asleep up the corner of the store. xxx
DeleteYou look splendid in all your wonderful finds. The only one I could get away with would be the black "palate cleanser" dress! We never see any Anokhi or other block prints in the thrift shops over here, but if I did I would grab them for you. Hope your last two festivals are rousing successes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shelley! As Anokhi is all hand produced they're not a common sight, the vintage pieces are becoming so sought after that they're commanding £££s at the moment, but I keep looking! xxx
Delete