TRY THIS - Travel A Path To Unique Chic

On my recent visit to Whitstable, I found the some half dozen charity shops full of stylish possibilities - tidy, friendly, dare I say enticing. But none more so than the double-fronted shop run by Relate, a charity that provides counseling, support and information for people in a variety of relationships CLICK HERE. This large mother-of-pearl buckle paired with a long swirly scarf and secured around the waist of a black full-skirted dress - that's what I call unique chic. 

But if that wasn't enough, in the same shop I also found this graphically gorgeous straw hat by Laura Ashley. It'll add elegant shade to my black swimming costume or top off a summer sun dress. Picking up stylish bits and bobs while traveling is an easy way to keep your wardrobe fresh without actually taking timeout to shop. Both these stylish accessories were waiting in the shop window for me to see. Together they totaled just under a tenner.

  

FOUND - Anchored to Coastline Style

I found this skirt at Anchors Aweigh Vintage on my 48-hour whirl through Whitstable. It's from Selfridges, not as old as it looks, I'd say 1980s (after 1950s). In mint condition, it is quite simply my dream skirt. Tartan, taffeta and full of swirly twirl-ablity, I can't wait to style this stunner. To keep it from looking like a full-on 50s costume, I'll pair it with a dark, fitted denim shirt and creamy vintage heels. Add an armload of bracelets (naturally) and a tanned leather Gucci clutch, and I'll have an outfit that floats my boat.  

My delight in this skirt is buoyed by the tiny shop where I found it. Located at 65 Harbor Street in the town centre, Anchors Aweigh is a collection of perfectly curated home and fashion pieces - small but neat as a pin.

The owner is chatty, welcoming and helpful. She informed me that once a week she completely changes out the stock - I get the sense she's got stacks of stylish stuff. And according to the marketing flyer, Anchors Aweigh Vintage "buys and sells vintage clothing, accessories and homeware by the sea!" No visit to wonderful Whitstable would be complete without calling in at Anchors Aweigh.

My new favourite skirt was £35 - a vintage bargain at twice the price. The shop is open Monday to Sunday, closed on Wednesday. 

TRY THIS - Oysters Fine & Donuts Free

I found my first visit to Whitstable in Kent a 2-day delight. Traveling with my mate Susan (the 'Tramp Poet' above), we luxuriated in the winter sun and sea air. Full marks to The Apartment, where we happily hung our hats CLICK HERE. This top floor flat kitted out in cozy Art Deco flourishes overlooks lovely little Whitstable Castle as well as boasting sea views. Owners Mark and Frances are welcoming, relaxed and helpful. The continental breakfast they sent up to our quarters after our peaceful night's sleep was fresh and filling. Dinner at the Oyster & Fishery Company CLICK HERE, an institution that traces its origins back to the 1400s, offered a warm, comfortable atmosphere along with first class fish dishes. Whitstable's buzzing high street kept us busy with several vintage shops and at least 6 charming charity shops. But surely the highlight of the visit was dockside coffee and FREE donut. The stall owner told me he'd started offering free donuts as a way of thanking the local community for their support. In 16 weeks he had given away 7,000 ring and jelly-filled, doubling his already thriving business. I salute this seaside statesman, making the world a better place through the distribution of free fried, sugary dough.  

Whitstable Week at Huntress London

Fab 2nd-Hand Finds to Follow

FOUND - Military Style's Music To My Ears

I found this military belt at Full House, a clearance and antiques shop on Park Street in Deal, on the Kent coast. Due to its location as a point of embarkation for ships anchored in the Downs, Deal has been associated with The Royal Marines since it was established in 1755. Deal Barracks was constructed shortly after the French Revolution and it was the East barracks that would eventually become the home of the Royal Marines School of Music. In 1989 it was bombed by the IRA resulting in the death of 11 Marine band members as well as many more injuries. In 1996 a special musical ceremony saw The Royal Marine Band Service move from its home in Deal to new quarters in Portsmouth. Every year the Marine Band returns to a bandstand in Deal for a musical display that attracts over 10,000 people. 

I was concerned about wearing the belt, but I've been assured by servicemen and women alike that it not disrespectful for this civilian to wear the well-made and stylish accessory. I paid just £12 for this very special bit of kit. 

TRY THIS - Fraught Films Were The Fashion

I found this book, copyright 1967, in a lovely old bookshop in Penzance called simply Books, 9 Chapel Street. The shop is next to Steckfenster's, a large, wonderful, quirky, slightly untidy 2nd-hand shop that I highly recommend CLICK HERE. A fictional account of the making of a Hollywood blockbuster, The Trojans unfolds via the voices of a colourful cast of insiders. Margaret Dayton, the starlet, has disappeared from the set of Helen of Troy on location in Greece. The film's producer, director, Margaret's mother, her agent, her writer-husband and others fill in the details of the mystery, as they see them. The Trojans is surely inspired by the real life and wildly fraught film-making of Cleopatra staring Elizabeth Taylor, as well as Marilyn Monroe's marriage to writer Arthur Miller. With great human insight and a compelling plot line, Wirt Williams' novel brings a bygone time in Old Hollywood history to sizzling life. On the book jacket, grumpy ole' Ernest Hemingway is quoted, saying, "I think Writ Williams writes as well as anybody writing." High praise indeed from an author who often had scant respect for his peers. I paid £7 for this beautiful hardback edition.    

Search The Trojans in charity shops or 

to find it on Amazon CLICK HERE  

TRY THIS - The Arts & Crafts of Style

I found these hand-made, recycled wrist warmers at a tiny market situated in what's called the Undercroft in Deal, Kent CLICK HERE. A twice-a-week affair, it hosts 6 to 10 tables offering everything from homemade baked goods to wee watercolour paintings. Sue Evans, a local crafter, created these lovely gloves by cutting up a used jumper and 'felting' the sleeves. This, as she explained, is the simple process of washing wool on hotter and hotter settings until the desired effect is achieved. Sue fashions wrist warmers, along with bags and hats from interesting, colourful 2nd-hand cardigans and pullovers.         

I wear these 2 ways. Over a pair of thin leather gloves they look rather stylish - call it Dickensian Chic - and effectively combat winter's chill. I also pop them on indoors. Curled up on the sofa, enjoying an old film or Bargain Hunt (oddly compelling), these soft arm accessories are akin to slippers for your hands. Add several hand-made one-off pieces, like these, to your wardrobe to ensure stylish individuality. Cost? A fiver.

FOUND - Passing the Hat? No Way!

I find my friends' relationships with their mothers endlessly compelling. Our moms, live fun fair mirrors reflecting their daughters, are the first women to shape us, even in their absence. My friend Monica (pictured above) has inherited the easy grace of her mother Maria, as well as her eye for tip-top pre-owned fashions. When Monica returned home to Toronto for Christmas this year, her mom had tracked down, among many other first class 2nd-hand bargains, this made-to-measure mink hat. While fur is not for everyone, for me 2nd-hand fur is fair game. Mom Maria picked it up for just $10.   

The daughter on the subject of her Austrian mother (pictured above)--

"When her family's fortunes were lost during the War, her mother, my Omama, became a seamstress for well-connected friends. Omama could see an image in a magazine and replicate it. My mom has an even keener eye, I think, and appreciates great fabrics and designs despite not being a fashionista or following trends. Her tastes lean toward classic but she has a real appreciation for new takes on time-honored styles. When she visits London, countless days were spent walking up to Hampstead to find a gently-worn tweed, a Burberry coat, or anything that was Made in England. Clothing that's edgy, black and short, she calls 'punk.' She pioneered her way to Canada in the early sixties as a recently graduated physiotherapist. Some 50+ years later, she enjoys herself at estate sales, church bazaars in posh neighborhoods and charity shops..."

Together, Monica and her mother wrote this deliciously charming cookbook, The Viennese Kitchen, based on family recipes CLICK HERE. As this book illustrates, mothers and daughters make formidable teams. So I tip my hat to both of these talented, well-dressed style hunters. 

TRY THIS - It's A Small Town, Big Deal

I wish I could claim I found this necklace washed up in the beach. In fact, I found it in the seaside town of Deal on the Kent Coast. And it's indeed one of my favourite places for a great deal of fun and relaxation. From the Astor Theatre CLICK HERE to The Royal CLICK HERE, from The Ship CLICK HERE to The Sarecans Head CLICK HERE, from the 2nd-hand shops in the Old Town to The Fox & Spindle CLICK HERE where I bought a huge hand-knitted scarlet scarf, Deal may be small but it's sensational. The Pier offers lovely views and both Deal and nearby Walmer Castles reveal the area's naval history. 

On our last visit we stayed at Dunkerleys CLICK HERE, a friendly, family-run hotel on the seafront that was comfortable and spotlessly clean. But the highlight of the weekend - Harriet's of Deal CLICK HERE. Quite simply the best tea room I've ever been in. The banana cake rivaled my grandma's. I found this old necklace at a house clearance business on Sondes Road - it sat on a huge piece of brown furniture, that sat among dozens of pieces of huge brown furniture. Don't let furniture put you off. House clearances often include boxes, drawers and bags of old, forgotten bits of chic 2nd-hand, but you've got to be in it to win it. So go inside and LOOK. These white-washed hand-knotted glass beads were £15.

FOUND - Sublime & Silvery Postcards

Last weekend I found Brugge wet, silvery and restful. With two friends, I walked the streets, stopping for lots of little cups of black coffee and a rehash of the day's 2nd-hand treasure hunting. I've heaped praise on her in the past, but Madam Mim - vintage supremo - remains the most intriguing, beautifully curated but inviting shop I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. Brugge is a perfect weekend get away - simply, go. In the meantime, enjoy the postcards.  

It's #SecondHandFirst Week @Traid

Why not drop a bag of unwanted clothes

     at your local charity shop? Go on!   

TRY THIS - Travel Decades Together

I found these suede 'made in Italy' low heeled shoes at Think Twice Vintage Shop CLICK HERE in Brugge. Spotted on my last visit to the Belgium chocolate-box town, their graphic, 80s-style caught my eye. Today Huntress and friends Alice & Susan are off to Brugge for a relaxing weekend of socializing and 2nd-hand hunting. Along with Think Twice Vintage, we'll pop into Madam Mim CLICK HERE, only my favourite vintage shop in the world, and pick over the Saturday Flea Market where I found my cherished Claude Montana sunglasses (Huntress Past Post, CLICK HERE). I'm part of a terrific traveling trio. At 30-, 50- and 70-years-old, our varying fashion flights of fancy, heartaches and dreams are sure to keep us chatting double time all the way to our destination. I highly recommend making friends with women of different generations than your own. Those behind you and in front enjoy points of view that you simply must see. My eyes weren't deceiving me when I found these. The Brugge shoes were only 3 euros. 

TRY THIS - Cardigan Replacement Therapy

I found this silk Chinese-style jacket at the Randolph Street Market in Chicago CLICK HERE. It's soft, a beautiful gold neutral-ish hue, with a lovely aged patina. I came to live in London some 8 years ago and can say with great certainty the Big Smoke has influenced my style in positive fashion. I've become less matchy-matchy, I've developed a kind of colour courage that once eluded me and I can make brogues work with almost anything. I credit London for these style turns. I've also come to rely on a cardigan capsule wardrobe, a team of button-through sweaters, I never had (or needed) in the USA; for this London's changeable weather must take credit. Cardigans, while 4-season saviors, have easily become my dull fashion default.                  

So this gold jacket offered welcome Cardigan Replacement Therapy - a first step in learning to use cardigans more sparingly. Perfect alone in the late days of August, this brocade beauty also works underneath the heavy coats we'll be wearing all too soon. Atop a dress or trousers it provides stylish relief from cardigan repeat. Need a change of life style? Find a few flashy cardigan alternatives. My Chinese jacket was US$20.

What style pieces do you wear to  

combat the banality of cardigan-ality? 

FOUND - Feeling Anything But Blue in NYC

I found this super fat blue wood bangle at Housing Work Thrift in New York City's West Village, along with my new favourite straight jeans by Theory. Housing Works CLICK HERE is a community of people living with and affected by AIDS/HIV. Their mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS/HIV through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain their efforts. The shop in the West Village was beautifully organized & stocked with countless treasures. My friend Monica, recently relocated to the village from London, nabbed a gorgeous pair of YSL kid-skin tan heels in Housing Work Thrift. Classic - like her. The West Village is actually a 2nd-hand style hunters paradise. Be sure to check out The Goodwill on W. 8th Street CLICK HERE. The Waverly Diner on 6th is nearby, a quintessentially New York eatery - perfect late lunch stop off. Vintage Thrift with 2 locations, one just across the street from Housing Work Thrift is superb CLICK HERE. Between us we picked up goodies in all these shops. The big bangle was only US$12 and the denim trousers, a wardrobe basic that fit like a glove, just US$45. A day out in the Big Apple, sorted. 

Visit Oxfam Fashion CLICK HERE to see Huntress London's 

Circle of Fashion post

FOUND - Big Smoke Blew into Chicago

I found this crinkly cotton "housecoat" at Randolph Street Market CLICK HERE in Chicago. A few weeks ago, the husband and I set out on a holiday to the country of my birth, starting in The Windy City where my dad joined us for Cubs baseball and 2nd-hand shopping. We hopped on an Amtrak train to my mother's place on Lake Erie in Ohio and then carried on to see friends in The Big Apple. Randolph Street Market is a monthly retro/antiques selling spree that Huntress highly recommends. You'll also find a parade of well-stocked, organized and affordable vintage shops in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. I particularly loved Store B Vintage CLICK HERE and Vintage Underground CLICK HERE.

I feel luck to have repatriated this London-centric coat/dress. It's a spectacular pattern of Queen's Guards, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abby, entangled in graphic brambles. If it had been red and black, I would have left it. But the unique GREEN and black colour combo keeps it from feeling like a brand new tourist souvenir. Over my silk fitted cami and rolled up denim, it's the perfect outfit for the unexpected warmth of September back in The Big Smoke. Re-styling a 'button through' dress as an overcoat is a great way to breath life into a piece of lovely but dated vintage. This pretty pop of print was just US$30. 

FOUND - A Stylish Snake in the Grass

I found this snake-skin (maybe) bangle at an antiques fair at Kedleston Hall in Derby. (see Jaguar Fairs for future dates a locations). These traditional selling sprees, once a parade of brown furniture, old china and silver nick-nacks, are becoming style goldmines. From Bakelite jewelry to leather doctor bags, shift dresses to 70s sunglasses, vintage Vogue magazines to military overcoats, these markets are happy hunting grounds for the creative fashion magpie. Often set up around stately homes or interesting historic sites, antiques fairs are fantastic places to not only buy but to train the eye. Be sure to chat with stallholders - they've a wealth of information to impart. This bangle is brass on the inside so marries up perfectly with a super-thin brass bangle set I bought at a Ralph Lauren outlet shop some 20 years ago. The reptilian accessory was just £5.  

TRY THIS - Start Your Own Fan Club

I found the fan on the left at the Octavia charity shop in Putney and the one of the right in the famed flea markets of Paris. Over the past few months I've clocked a growing number of stylish women brandishing fans. It's been a steamy summer and these low tech lovelies, that tuck easily into a handbag, can and do alleviate the heat. In centuries past, the fan was the fashionable lady's answer to the text message. These highly embellished accessories clearly communicated, if only you understood the lexicon:

Resting the fan on her lips - I don't trust you.

Fanning herself slowly - I'm not interested.

Passing the fan from one hand to the other - 

I see you looking at another.

Examining closely the paint on her fan - I like you.

Tapping her palm with the fan - Love me.

Not just a pretty face, the fan, but well-spoken too. Along with a cotton hanky, I think fans are summer must haves. The charity shop fan was £2.99 while the French flea market find was 14 euros. I'm a fan of both; my niece Rylee collect fans so these will one day be passed on to her.  

FOUND - Strands of Past & Present

I recently found the black necklace at the high street shop Jigsaw, on sale, and the ivory necklace at an antiques fair in Derby UK. One is brand new made from glass with a silk tassel, the other 60s, maybe, fashioned from plastic. These simple but lovely beads bring to mind the age of the Flapper and are great for adding an elongating vertical line to your look. The fact that they span time - remaining current while recalling the past - is a testament to their enduring style appeal. Comfortable to wear, they're also a nod to the several strands of pearls that were, and still are, Chanel's calling card. Elegance made easy; the black beads were a tenner and the ivory were just £7. 

Follow Huntress London on Twitter @annielistening. Like a post? Tweet it. 

FOUND - Pinch Me, It's Another Belter

I found this ribbon belt at a charity shop while on holiday in Del Ray Beach, Florida. I love creatively integrating preppy touches into my look and I've a soft spot for lobsters. The crustacean was first made a fashion/pop icon by designer, innovator and artist Elsa Schiaparelli. A rival to Coco Chanel, Elsa's fashion risk taking and practical outlook on those who copied her designs - she was flattered - make her a personal hero. In 1937 Elsa asked her friend Salvador Dali to design a lobster graphic that she would then incorporate into fabric that she used to make a dress - not just any dress, but the dress Wallis Simpson wore in a famed Vogue photo shoot. Dress, designer, and lobsters all made more famous by the woman who brought the monarchy to its knees. For more on the fascinating life and designs of Schiap (as she called herself) read The Little Book of Schiaparelli by Emma Baxter-Wright or Schiap's autobio entitled Shocking Life. The belt was $3.   

Today is Oxfam's Vintage Friday. Tweet a photo of your vintage dress include #vintagefriday and text VINTAGE to 70066 to donate £3 to Oxfam.     

FOUND - Slip into Something More

I found the nude/pink silk slip from Noa Noa at Oxfam in Ealing and the dotty vintage slip from Madame Mim's in Bruges. While recently people watching it occurred to me that dress slips have gone the way of the horse and cart. And boot cut jeans. And landlines. Diaphanous dresses and skirts littering the high street shops lay claim to a sexier-than-thou look but I'm not sure their peek-a-boo appeal is really all that alluring. Sexy is as sexy feels. Pop on a dress slip and you immediately channel Elizabeth Taylor in the film adaptation of Tennessee William's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Sexy is equal parts confidence and imagination. While others won't know you're wearing the sensual silk under thing, you will. Your confidence sky rockets. Add imagination - pretend you're about to meet a young (or old for that matter), blue-eyed Paul Newman and all I can say is meow! The Noa Noa Slip was £4.99 and the dotty blue number was 7 euros.