FOUND - Silk Blouse Fit for A Princess

I found this raw silk blouse at Traid in Shepherds Bush. A lovely label in the waist tells me it was Made in England and created by Maureen Baker. Never heard of Ms Baker? That would suit her to a tee. For 30 years she was lead designer for the British ready-to-wear firm Susan Small, when in 1973 Princess Anne asked Maureen to create a wedding dress for her impending union to Mark Phillips. In 1978 the talented designer started her own label but really made no attempt to cash in on her couturier royal coup. She quietly created over 250 outfits for Princess Anne before setting aside her scissors in the 1990s. Interestingly, the Emanuel's consulted Ms Barker before creating Princess Diane's iconic wedding frock. Maureen Baker's work is included in the V&A's fashion collection. 

                     

The blouse's fabric is sumptuous, the stitching immaculate. Little details - fitted peplum waist, bow tie and pleats at the shoulder - mark it out as a quality garment. I'll wear it with a pair of dark blue, snake print silk cigarette trousers and keep the bow tie undone. I'm thrilled to have found this piece of fashion history. It cost me the princely sum of £8.99.  

CLICK HERE to see Princess Anne's wedding dress

created by Maureen Baker.  

FOUND - Bagging A Little Italian Luxury

I found this Frette silk fringed bag at Traid charity shop in Shepherds Bush (www.traid.org.uk) over the weekend. Traid is relatively new to the charity shop scene; their shop in Shepherds Bush is large, well-stocked and maintained, boasting a friendly staff who were creating a particularly effective window display the day I was in. Frette on the other hand is an Italian textile company that's been knocking about since 1860. In 1894 Frette created the Holy Virgin table cloth for the alter at St Peter's in Rome; however, they may be best known for the luxury linens they've supplied to the likes of The Savoy in London, The Ritz in Paris and The Plaza in NYC. Today a Frette queen-size bed set costs in excess of £300 and their men's pyjamas the same. This company is all about luxury, classic products elevated by their incredible craftsmanship. They are, after all, the firm that originally supplied linens to the famed Orient Express. This silk Frette bag was just £4.99.