Curious Coincidences: ASOS vs. Radley
Posted: January 31, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, asos, curious coincidences, radley 5 Comments »
ASOS, 2012 Radley, early 1970s
Must See Vintage Films: The Adventures of Barry McKenzie
Posted: January 31, 2012 Filed under: aristos, barry humphries, films, Foale and Tuffin, haute naffness, irvine sellars, katy manning, peter cook, take 6, zandra rhodes 3 Comments »
Ok, so perhaps the term ‘must see’ is not necessarily going to apply to most [sane] people, but if you’ve got an appetite for the naff, kitsch or questionable tastes in life (and as a reader of my blog, I fear this may be the case…) then The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) should be right up your street.
The film is based on the comic strip from Private Eye, written by Barry Humphries and illustrated by Nicholas Garland, and follows the eponymous Aussie hero as he fulfills his dead father’s wish to expand his cultural horizons in London. Ending up in Earl’s Court (where else?) a series of mishaps and misunderstandings lead Barry to an unspeakable dénouement in a TV studio. I am not even going to attempt to explain that.
Barry, Barry and Willie Rushton
Starring Barry Humphries in an early outing as plain old Mrs Edna Everage, Barry Crocker as our hero (Crocker is now married to Miss Peelpants-favourite Katy Manning and is best known to us ‘Pommy Bastards’ as the original singer of the Neighbours theme tune), and with cameos by Spike Milligan and Peter Cook, it is certainly quite an amazing period piece. Demonstrated perfectly with an incredible, possibly unique, shot of Barry and a friend walking down Marlborough Court. Yes, you can see Irvine Sellars ‘Mates’ boutique, Take 6, Aristos and Foale and Tuffin!!! Much excitement abounded….
Further still, one young lady is slinking around her apartment in the most perfect Zandra Rhodes outfit….
And then Peter Cook manages to floor me with a fabulous Betty Grable-printed t-shirt. I have no idea who this is by, so if any menswear geeks ever find out – please do let me know!
Curious Coincidences: Agent Provocateur vs. Rudi Gernreich
Posted: January 30, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, agent provocateur, curious coincidences, peggy moffitt, rudi gernreich 2 Comments »
Agent Provocateur, 2012
Rudi Gernreich, c. 1970
Vintage Adverts: Sex Sells….Chess?
Posted: January 30, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, haute naffness, ossie clark, Vintage Adverts Leave a comment »
1973
Good use of a plunging black Ossie Clark dress, Home Paraphernalia of the New Kings Road, good use indeed. I’m sure it sent sales soaring…
Vintage Adverts: Very Diana Rigg, very Sanderson
Posted: January 29, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, diana rigg, sanderson, Vintage Adverts 3 Comments »
From 1973
There are elements that I like here, but I can’t decide whether I prefer Diana’s pad or Britt’s groovier Sanderson-decked dining room. Someone’s just going to have to donate a large house to me, so I can decorate each room in a different style and make up my mind…
Lloyd Johnson – The Modern Outfitter
Posted: January 28, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, Eighties Fashion, johnson and johnson, kensington market, lloyd johnson, menswear, novelty prints 1 Comment »
Many thanks to Paul Gorman for the invite to the opening of the superb Lloyd Johnson exhibition at Chelsea Space on Tuesday night. True to my usual form, I found it mighty hard to take any half-decent photos amongst the crowds so I must apologise for the poor quality which lies herein. I’m also definitely planning to return on a quiet weekday, so I can absorb it all properly.
I must confess that menswear is not one of my great areas of expertise, but I do know what I like. And those early Johnson and Johnson printed shirts and jackets are incredibly covetable – I actually cannot resist a novelty print. I know Mr Brownwindsor fancied a few of them, and it is yet another reminder of the tragedy of how dull most modern menswear is. (Snuggling up in a sloppy ‘La Rocka’ jumper, seen below, would also be very desirable!)
The highlight of the exhibition is probably the original ‘Johnsons’ shop frontage from within Kensington Market. Such a hallowed place, formerly full of many of my favourite designers of the Seventies and Eighties, it’s remarkable to see something like that having survived!
For me, La Rocka was just one of those names (like Red or Dead and Joe Bloggs) which stuck in my head during my childhood but which had little contextual information. This exhibition is a terrific insight into one man’s journey through several different eras of street style in London, always managing to stay idiosyncratic but never stalling at the one style. And as someone the other night said to me, you can’t really be different if you look the same as everyone else.
The exhibition runs until the 3rd March, so make sure you make a trip!
Vintage Adverts: Wrangler Psychedelia
Posted: January 27, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, jeans, psychedelia, Vintage Adverts, wrangler 2 Comments »
Scanned from Petticoat, April 1970
Jean Shrimpton – At Home With Fashion
Posted: January 26, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, bus stop, cherry twiss, coopers, janice wainwright, jean shrimpton, jean-loup sieff, ossie clark, sonia rykiel, telegraph magazine 4 Comments »
“It is so beautifully cut”. Sabbath Suit by Ossie Clark.
As with so many of my favourite people, I far prefer ‘Seventies Shrimpton’ to her earlier, more famous Bailey-era. This photoshoot is from The Telegraph Magazine, April 1973, and shows Jean returning to the family farm – decked out in all the best designers of the time.
Jean Shrimpton has gained fame, fortune and glamour through her spectacular modelling career, but she seldom spends much money on clothes – although she will, on occasions, treat herself to an extravagance from Ossie Clark, one of her favourite designers. So we asked her to make her own practical choice from the clothes that are in the shops now. We photographed her at her parents’ home – Rose Hill Farm, Burnham in Buckinghamshire.
“Basically I always choose dark clothes because they are practical and don’t show the dirt. I like fairly simple, well-cut, Forties type clothes with big shoulders. I wear a lot of trousers and long skirts and prefer jackets to coats. If I do wear colour it is usually in tights or shoes”
“I like long skirts and I liked the shape of this sweater with the cuffed sleeves and the lower neckline”. Sweater by Rykiel.
“Super, very Forties, lovely grey colour, loose and easy to move in. Very much the sort of thing I wear”. Suit by Coopers.
“A nice simple dress that could be worn anytime”. Dress by Janice Wainwright
“I like small flower prints and this is a very pretty one”. Dress by Bus Stop.
“Very comfortable, I can wear it anywhere”. Jacket and trousers by Coopers.
All images scanned by Miss Peelpants
Inspirational Illustrations: Brush up!
Posted: January 26, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, Illustrations, petticoat magazine, philip castle Leave a comment »
Illustration by Philip Castle.
Mild Sauce: Be Prepared
Posted: January 24, 2012 Filed under: 1970s, Honey Magazine, james wedge, janet reger, mary quant, mild sauce, underwear 2 Comments »
Janet Reger
More James Wedge fabulousness. I’m always delighted to find and scan a ‘new’ James Wedge photoshoot, and this one is adorable, despite lacking the trademark Wedge hand-tinted touch.
You never know when next you may stand revealed in the full glory of your underwear. Will it stand the test? Bare with us and we’ll show you how to steal even the most embarrassing scenes in these glamorous, seductive undies-to-get-caught-in.
Honey. December 1972.
Images scanned by Miss Peelpants
Dress from Browns, pants by Warners
Janet Reger
Janet Reger
Madeleine Foundations
Mary Quant
Maidenform
