Crafted By B Studio

Why not start a new hobby in 2012 by taking up sewing, vintage style. Not only could you take it up but you could also get your children to take it up as some of the fabulous accessories are creative for children to make as well as grown ups.

A pretty first sewing kit ‘I love Retro’, .www.iloveretro.co.uk is a good start or for Cath Kidson fans ‘Scissors’, http://www.cathkidson.co.uk

Tape Measure http://www.johnlewis.com or a pin cushion that looks like a cupcake by Lauren Denney http://www.laurendenney.com

An electric sewing machine can be bought from BHS for only £50 http://www.bhs.co.uk

Sewing baskets and kits for ‘The Contemporary Home’ from http://www.tchinet.com

Vintage clothing has become popular with many a celebrity including Kate Moss, the Royal Family and Sienna Miller.

Each item tells a story, and these stories define the romance of vintage clothing. For many, this is the main reason for buying the vintage. Also UK now has very few of its own manufacturers, so it’s nice to see clothes with ‘made in the UK’, on the label.

Sadly with the way things are going at the moment, even more UK manufacturers could end up closing. Of course, our labels also decree, ‘fair pay and good conditions for workers’, which is something not guaranteed on goods made in the developing world.

The other almost ‘guarantee’ about a vintage purchase is that the chances are you will not bump into someone else wearing the same outfit.

And of course, the quality of vintage clothing is quite different from the mass produced clothing of today.

In 1940 Britain silk stockings were in short supply. So to take their place different brands of leg make-up appeared on the market and women resorted to drawing seams with eyebrow pencil down the back of each leg to give the appearance of wearing stockings.

The fashion was for short skirts, sensible ‘flat heeled’ shoes and square shouldered jackets that recalled the cut of uniforms – these were the basic features of the wartime ‘Utility fashions’. But soon women of Britain were asked to help with the war. Short skirts were out and trousers or dungarees were in and a scarf was tied around the head to protect against the risk of hair getting caught in the machines.

The government then tried to encourage everyone to make do and mend the clothes they already had. Lots of tips were available on how to revamp old clothes in Women;s magazines. Some of the ideas were to convert heavy blankets into fashionable coats and unpicking old jumpers to convert to new ones was the order of the day.

There were even knitting patterns for slippers, socks and jumpers, all of which are coming back into fashion again at the moment. Even sewing patterns were available free inside women’s magazine. Anything and everything to encourage women to ‘make do’.

http://www.1940.co.uk/history/article/fashion/fashion.htm

The Hermès scarf is one of the greatest fashion icons of all time.Worn by royalty and celebrities, coveted and admired, and now avidly collected, this deceptively simple square of silk is much more than just an accessory, it is the stuff of legend. Grace Kelly once used a Hermes scarf as a sling when she broke her arm.

Now for the first time the heritage and influence of House of Hermès is fully explored, from the first scarfs debut in 1937 right up to the present day. The history of the Hermes scarf in a new book from Nadine Coleno.

Review
`A gorgeously illustrated new history of the must-have, fabulously expensive silken square sported by fashion mavens everywhere’ –The Glasgow Herald

`Sumptuous’
–The Daily Express

‘Fascinating … a captivating insight into the inspiration behind the designs, with stunning images throughout’
–The Times

‘This is a must-have for Hermès devotees, collectors, and those in pursuit of iconic fashion’
–Vanity Fair