Tuesday 25 June 2013

Happy Birthday George Michael!

It's Sir George of Michael's 50th birthday today. Which got us to thinking about his taste in clothes... now we're not so bothered about what came after 1990 but in the eighties, back in the good old Wham days, his wardrobe really was a wonderful thing to behold. Here's some of his best (worst) fashion moments. Enjoy!

1. The string vest. Only Rab C Nesbitt wears it better.


2.  The cropped T. So on trend for s/s 13!


3. The skimpy trunks. Or are they just his pants?!


4.  The bizarre neon yellow fingerless gloves and pink t shirt combo. This may have led to the advent of Nu Rave circa 2006... who knows?


5. The oversized jacket. (Actually Andrew gets all the style points in this one with his tartan blazer and nonchalant sunglasses combo. Cool as ice.)


6.  The classic leather biker jacket. Shame all their shirts were in the wash.


7.  Rolled up jeans and odd pumps. Why?


8.  Beach chic.

9. The tasseled banana. Just wow.

 
10. Thoughtful in knitwear.


Oh, and while we're on the subject of knitwear -

11. Tea cosies.


12. The sultry bellringer. (Possibly my favourite. So debonair)


13. Santa.


14. The 'Choose Life' t shirt. The classic.


Happy birthday George!

Thursday 20 June 2013

Sweet Treats and Biscuits Galore: Interview with Katherine from Belle Pepite


This week we are very excited to be stocking a new brand: Belle Pepite. Created by designer Katherine Hawkins, it's an amazing collection inspired by edible delights, from biscuit medals to pick and mix sweeties (oh, and some cherries, because we must get our five a day!) We love the little vintage touches, such as original vintage chandelier pieces, that are used to give the pieces an even more individual feel.
Online now you'll find the jammie dodger and custard cream necklaces, bourbon medal brooch, cherry earrings and pick and mix sweeties necklaces and earrings. Tuck in!

Being the nosy parkers that we are, we wanted to find out a little more about what makes designer Katherine tick. Here's our interview with her, hope you enjoy it!

How did you become a jewellery designer?
 
I studied a design degree at university and specialised in jewellery. After university and a brief stint as a fashion handbag designer, I set out to establish my own brand of accessories.
 
Tell us about your company, Belle Pépite.

Belle Pépite was founded in 2008 ( then called Crème Nouveau). I would travel up to Portobello market in London to sell my handmade wares every weekend. The 'Oh Crumbs' was one of the first collections and it's been a favourite ever since. It's been with me from the humble market stall to being sold in Selfridges Oxford street. It has been a great journey, having had commissions from super stylish pop stars like Marina and the Diamonds and Gabby Young, to working on collaborative projects with Ford motoring to celebrate their centenary in Britain. We no longer sell at a market but have moved online and met loads of lovely shops and online retailers that now stock our jewels.
 
What inspires you as a designer?
 
Inspirations can come from anything and anywhere. I have a love for vintage and retro styling so I think this unites all the different themes that inspire me.

Do you have any particular favorite pieces from the collection?
 
I love the military biscuits, the colonel custards and the bourbon bombardiers.
 
Have you got any style tips/outfit suggestions for wearing Belle Pépite jewellery? 
 
wear it how ever you like, the more creative the better! stick a bourbon in your hair- why not!

What are your hopes for the future of Belle Pépite?
 
It's an exciting time for Belle Pépite at the moment, we have new designs being created which will bring a real variety of styles to the Belle Pépite brand. the new additions will be on trend gorgeous jewels with a nod to the original vintage inspirations on which the brand is founded.

It seems like you have quite a sweet tooth, with biscuits and sweets being a large part of the collection, what's your favourite sweet treat?
 
Well I love the foamy hearts and eggs, If I have a pack of sweets they are always the first to go!
 
Thanks to Katherine for chatting to us, and making this amazing, mouthwatering collection. We can't wait to see what Belle Pepite will create next!

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Street Style - Shoppers at The Bristol Vintage Fair

This weekend we were back on the road, and our first stop was The Bristol Vintage Fair. Held at The Passenger Shed, which is a mahoosive big room next to Temple Meads Station (and I mean BIG, the biggest vintage fair we've done, and we've done a whole lot of vintage fairs over the last few years!) If you are based in Bristol or the South West I would absolutely recommend checking it out when it's on next, as the sheer size of the room allows for a great selection of stalls. At this fair there was everything from original Art Deco lamps to on trend cropped tees via taxidermy animals in sunglasses!

Of course, the fair also attracted lots of stylish shoppers. I snapped a few who came to look at our stall. Check out all these lovely ladies!

These girls looked superb in their perfect, summery outfits. We love the cute sixties style dress on the left, and the AMAZING watermelon themed outfit on the right. I love when people aren't afraid to have fun with their fashion choices, and this pair certainly aren't shy of a bit of fun and colour.

We love this simple and chic monochrome look of a cute stripy dress and white pumps. Perfect for a day out shopping! This girl told us she had bought the adorable watering can handbag at the fair.

The weather was lovely on Saturday, and it was the perfect excuse for this shopper to bring out this beautiful floral sun dress. I just love the zingy yellow roses.


This mother and daughter pair are pretty much giving a masterclass in how to wear retro florals - go full on fifties with a full skirted dress and chic white court shoes, or bring it bang up to date with some statement sandals and a simple top. Well done ladies!

Of course, it's not all about the girly florals and ladylike dresses. This girl has perfected the nineties trend with her DMs, baggy shirt and backpack. We love the way she has mixed up a kitsch kitten t shirt with a bullet necklace.

Here are a few snaps of the fair. We had a really fun day in Bristol, and we're looking forward to visiting again soon!

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Great Gatsby Style


The world and it's grandmother have been getting their knickers in a twist recently about the new Baz Luhrmann film, The Great Gatsby. I've been a lover of Baz Luhrmann films ever since a school trip to the cinema to see Romeo + Juliet at the age of 14. If there is one thing that's for sure when you go to see a Luhrmann film, it's that it will be a feast for the eyes, with costumes and sets to die for. The Great Gatsby was no exception. It made me want to throw the most debauched of parties and flounce around in evening gowns.
Ain't no party like a Gatsby party

I really enjoyed the film, it was captivating and with every scene I was excited to see what Daisy Buchanan (played by Carey Mulligan) would be wearing next. The story is something of a cautionary tale about the excesses of 1920's high society, which meant that the film was full to bursting with opulent, champagne drenched parties and glamourous outfits decked in mink and dripping with diamonds. The gents looked rather dapper, too. So it got me thinking about how to reflect a bit of the gorgeous 1920's look in today's outfits. I think that the styles are so irresistable and timeless it's quite easy to pull a bit of jazz age style into a modern outfit without looking like you're on your way to a fancy dress party. 

First up, the ladies. If you've seen the film you're probably wishing you could get access to Daisy Buchanan's wardrobe, she looked amazing in every scene. The key to her look is sequins, beading and sparkles for evening and ladylike, muted colours for daytime. And, of course, cute hair accessories.


The high street is awash with Gatsby inspired pieces at the moment, but as always you'll find an even more interesting selection if you shop vintage. Here are a few examples from our collection-

Beautiful embroidered peacock shawl, for lounging glamourously.
Gold trim 1960's evening dress by Jean Varon

Once you have your perfect twenties inspired outfit, you need the accessories to match. As you can see above, a scarf tied around the head is a simple and chic way to reference the era, if you ever come and see us at a vintage fair you can have a good old rummage in our suitcase of vintage scarves, £3 each or 2 for £5!

Also, a sparkly headband is a great choice, here's me at a 1920's themed party wearing one of our sequin headbands, which are only £6 with free postage, and come in a choice of colours. They are so easy to wear, and would also be lovely for festivals.

To complete the look you need a bit of bling. Vintage strings of pearls and diamante necklaces and earrings are a great choice for the evening, to reflect this look in your daytime wear you might like some of these choices from our website-

Aztec Inspired Statement Earrings, coming soon

Next, on to the gents. Here's Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire showing us how it's done.


The look is very smart, with tailoring being the order of the day. For evening, black tie is essential, though perhaps not suitable for a few pints down the pub (another reason to throw that Gatsby style party...) For daytime, how about a chic light coloured suit, with chic touches like a pocket square and tie pin to complete the look. Also, as a drenched Nick Carraway shows us, a classic trench coat is always a great look. We often have vintage Burberry and Aquascutum ones for sale in our eBay shop.

Here are a few Minimum Mouse picks for the gents-
Pocket watches, coming soon

As a finishing touch, and with summer threatening to show it's face in the UK, you need some sunglasses. There was a surprising number of chic sunnies on show in the film, here are a couple of examples-


Round, tortoiseshell styles seem to be the order of the day, and we think they look fantastic. Here are a few styles from our collection which have a touch of the jazz age about them-

So there you have it, our take on Great Gatsby style. We'd love to hear what you thought of the film and the fashion!

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