TRY THIS - Liberate the Humble Hanky

I found these Liberty handkerchiefs at Mary's Living & Giving shop in Ealing. Their folded fabulousness quite nearly sings, "everything old is new again." For decades, squares of fancy fabric like this have served as sneeze guards, sun protectors, nose wipers and more. Hankies have been flirty props for pulling and when soaked in perfume, acted to mask the odors emanating from poor public sanitation. Shakespeare's Iago hatched a hankie-based scheme to dupe ole Othello into offing himself and his sinless Desdemona. WWII pilots carried hankies printed with maps to help them escape danger if shot down behind enemy lines. Hankie history is rich (cotton) indeed. But in 1924 when Kimberly-Clark introduced the Kleenex as an aid to removing cold cream, hankies everywhere must have quivered. Within a few years the company was inundated with letters from customers reporting that they were happily using Kleenex as disposable hankies. And with that, the fabric accessory began its journey toward obsolete oblivion. Pop to the present, and today the sustainability movement ensures that the forgotten handkerchief is environmentally correct. My husband wasn't a believer when I pushed a hankie into his perspiring palm one hot day, but he's changed his tune. In the heat of summer on a muggy train, hankies are delightful pocket luxuries. Dab your brow and take pleasure in the fact that sweat can be stylish. I'm keeping the hankie with the white trim, but the rest belong to the husband. The lot cost £9. 

To read Liberty's lovely, informative blog CLICK HERE  

TRY THIS - Something for the Weekend

I find the trend for vintage sales in pubs a marriage made in heaven. Beer and bargains, something for everyone really. And while East London hosts a plethora of fab 2nd-hand sales in its ultra cool watering holes, in my well-read book West is Best. To that end, this Saturday, 16 May, from 1pm to 5pm The Fox CLICK HERE, a bright, canal-side boozer opens its grounds to The Fox Vintage Fair and Tea. Hanwell's premier pub serves as a lovely backdrop to what is sure to be a parade of pre-owned pleasures. 

Housewares, fabrics, accessories and jewellery await the discerning shopper. Browse, chit chat, buy. And there's more. This month's Fox fun features retro makeovers by hair and makeup expert Emma Freely from just £6. Fancy a Victory roll or a red lippy lesson? Ms Freely will be there to beautify your barnet and properly powder your nose. In addition, Clarence & Alabama will be selling vintage-inspired frocks - owner Amy is a delight and has a keen eye for retro re-makes CLICK HERE. An undoubtedly gorgeous afternoon tea will be served under the marquee in the garden for only £7, pre-booking required, ring 020 8567 4021. The Fox Pub is located at the end of Green Lane, W7 2PJ. The weather forecast for Saturday is sunny, so be clever like a fox and amble on over to Hanwell for delightful pub fair. 

Follow Fox Vintage on Twitter @FoxVintageW7

FOUND - Red Shoes With Star Status

I found these amazing vintage shoes at the monthly car boot in South Ruislip at Queensmead School CLICK HERE. This was my first car boot but definitely not my last. The traders were friendly, the stock diverse and prices rock bottom. These gorgeous Italian-made courts were £2, that's right just two Great British Pounds. They were made by GATTO, a famed shoemaker located near the Via Veneto in Rome - since 1912 GATTO has made footwear for royalty and the kings of industry alike. These red shoes put me in mind of the driven-to-dance footwear in the 1948 film The Red Shoes, the ballet epic that made Moira Shearer a star CLICK HERE. 

An Original Painting by Ivor Beddoes Created for The Red Shoes

The ground-breaking film is part of my friend Selina's family history. Ivor Beddoes, her grandfather, worked closely with Hein Heckroth the film's set and costume designer to establish The Red Shoes' haunting look. Beddoes produced countless images associated with the film and while much of his work for The Red Shoes went uncredited, in 2009 the British Film Institute hosted an exhibition showcasing the storyboards he created for the big screen masterpiece CLICK HERE. Beddoes would go on to work as a sketch artist, art director and illustrator for numerous films including Casino Royale, The Dirty Dozen, Goodbye Mr Chips, Star Wars and Superman to name just a few. His filmography is extensive but his real legacy lives on in his granddaughter Selina. While she never met him, it seems to me she's inherited his creative touch.

                

Four works by Selina Scarvaci   

TRY THIS - A Basket Case No More

I find I sweat the small things. With Trojan horse zeal I attack the big stuff but puny annoyances are apt to beat me and none more so than the day-to-day handbag switcheroo. Moving from rucksack on a gloomy Tuesday to straw tote on a sunny Wednesday creates no end of stress for me. At day's end, my Oyster card has ended up in the pocket of my mackintosh and my glasses are now next to my desk. My phone has disappeared entirely and somehow my favourite lippy is hiding in the recess of a dark, forgotten pocket. Inevitably after swapping over to a different bag, I leave the house several essential items light. But with a recent Avenue Vintage & Antique Market find, I think I've cracked the case of switheroo stress. When I arrive home I immediately dump the contents of my bag (and pockets) into this basket. It's wide opening allows me to see my indispensables with ease. Taking it by the handle, I poodle about the house collecting crucial bits and bobs that have strayed during the day. This is now the woven home base for all my vital belongings, ensuring I'm no longer a handbag basket case. Its miraculous daily effect makes it a downright bargain at just £14. 

To read my recent post 

on Henpicked CLICK HERE 

FOUND - Stories Echo in A Silk Scarf

I found this silk scarf at the monthly Avenue Vintage & Antique Market (AVAM) CLICK HERE in West Ealing. It's the product of an American maker founded by a husband & wife team on their wedding day in 1923. New Yorkers Edgar and Theresa called their new venture Echo, an acronym of Edgar C Hyman & Co. Eventually headquartered on 5th Avenue, the scarf maker built up an impressive archive of prints. In 1956, Edgar Haymen's son-in-law had the job of finding the best way of getting the company's product, now made in Italy, to American shores. He chose the newest and much-heralded transatlantic vessel, the Andrea Dora. On the night of 25 July, just off the east coast of the USA, bound for NYC, the ship collided with a Swedish liner, the USS Stockholm. Echo's Fall line of scarves was lost to the depths of the sea. It was the height of summer and the Italian manufacturers were due to close for the season but as a testament to the good will Echo had forged, the factories stayed opened and re-made all of the drown silk accessories.   

In 1974 inspired by a request from the Smithsonian Institute to create a replica of the 1876 World's Fair commemorative scarf, Echo established a custom design division, working with the likes of MOMA and The Art Institute of Chicago. And the Windy City connection would continue when in 2003 Echo opened its first free-standing concession inside the city's famed Marshall Fields department store. This silk, I repeat silk, beauty was just £9 at AVAM. It's relatively new but I like to imagine it washed up on British shores, once a neatly folded passenger on the ill-fated Andrea Dora. Look out for 2nd-hand Echo scarves - they're quality items with a storied pedigree.       

FOUND - A Platform for Reinvention

I found these Spring green platforms at one of the Retro shops around the corner from Notting Hill tube station. This cluster of 2nd-hand stores offers to buy and sell your used clothing, accessories and small housewares. One of the bunch is packed to the rafters with pre-owned luxury clothing, 'It' bags and designer shoes but even this unflappable hunter finds its cramped confines an unpleasant experience. I prefer to pop a few doors down to the Retro shops that sell more vintage, less high-end and bit of high-street. That's where I spotted these beauties. 

Platforms can be traced back to 16th century Venice when women wore shoes - of a fashion - called chopines. They elevated ladies to as much as 30 inches off the ground and servants were required to keep the wearer upright. Not surprisingly chopines, often jewel encrusted, were a symbol of wealth and status. But it was the 20th century that saw three major revivals of platform shoes. In the 1930s a wedge platform made of cork became a popular seaside shoe. Later, in the 40s, platforms were made of wood, a practical solution to the war-time shortage of leather. Platforms would fall out of favor until the 1970s, when these green goddesses were made. After the modern, forward-looking designs of the 1960s, the 70s went nostalgic, resurrecting the chunky chopine-esque shoe of the past. The 70s - often maligned but NOW back in vogue - was actually the first era to significantly appropriate from previous decades. Today the reinterpretation of classics is commonplace, but it was the groovy 70s that used retrospection to recreate. My 70s does the 40s clod-hoppers were just £30.  

TRY THIS - Ladies, You've Been Framed

I often find the graphic designs of album covers sing with style, and none more so than these. Bought several years ago at Ealing charity shops - La Traviata from Oxfam and Madame Butterfly (below) from Fara (both less than a fiver) - they were framed only last week at the Accession Community Shop & Picture Framing Studio in West Ealing CLICK HERE. Accession is an interesting local enterprise, a partnership between Ealing Council and West London Mental Health Trust. It seeks to support over 80 individuals with mental health and learning disabilities through opportunities to work. The West Ealing Accession shop, nicely laid out and filled with quality secondhand chic, also features an open plan framing workshop. There, people are learning this useful craft. Thrilled with the result, I'll hang these pleasing portraits in my dressing room. The framing cost was a rather reasonable £28 per album cover. Thanks Accession! 

FOUND - A Tale of Two Knit-ies

I found this cashmere cardie at the Fara shop near Angel tube station. Bright, warm and versatile, this button-up jumper is perfect for Spring in London. I'll pair it with tonally matched accessories, including an armload of my trademark bangles. This colourful classic isn't perfect, there's hole in the sleeve - but I'll customize it, sewing a silk patch over the offending imperfection. This fashion project was only £6.80. 

I found this neutral cardigan at Fara Ealing on Bond Street. Double-breasted with a semi-shawl collar, it's got a great vintage feel. A cashmere and wool blend make it a stylish Spring separate too. I'm constantly surprised by the quality knitwear available in charity shops. Cashmere is the latest staple I've added to my list of never-buy-new fashion faves. This beige beauty set me back just £6.80.

FOUND - Nights Turn to Days With PJs

I found this silky pajama top at Fara in Ealing on Bond Street. I'll wear it with jeans and my Stubbs & Wootten embroidered slipper shoes (an Ebay find, maybe my best ever). Night time fashions became a daylight style statement a few seasons back with everyone from Louis Vuitton to Whistles showing jim jams out of bed and on the street. Smoking jackets, beach cover-ups and Oriental-style loungewear are the sign posts along the road to the latest revival of night clothes in broad daylight. It's a return that I welcome. The writer in me appreciates a tailored but slightly louche look - it's not who I am but maybe who I want to be. In 2015 pajama chic is a trend that's waning but its descent actually enables me to welcome it into my wardrobe with added enthusiasm. I'm most comfortable when I'm a little out of step with the latest craze. Behind the times, the bed times in this case. The top, and its rather small bottoms that will be passed on to my sister, were just £3.80.  

                  

TRY THIS - Chit Chat Among Brica-Braca

I found this Italian-made silk scarf at Ealings's Avenue Vintage & Antique Market, hosted the last Saturday of every month. Lovely Fallon - aka Lost in Retro CLICK HERE - a local 2nd-hand siren set up an enticing stall and this Prada-esque scarf she was offering at just £5 had my name on it. Actually it had the name Osterelli on it. My advice: if a scarf is silk, includes a maker's name, catches your fancy and is less than a tenner, BUY it! Around your neck, tied to a handbag, as wrapping for a gift, framed or fashioned into a cushion, silk scarves are happy, adaptable accessories. 

This Ealing vintage event is a gem, and the organizers should be proud of their efforts to bring quirky, quality 2nd-hand to West London. The sellers are friendly and helpful, many of them local to the area, and the prices are fair. After you've properly perused the stalls, I highly recommend a bacon bap and a cuppa at The Drayton Court, the well-appointed pub, overlooking the market. 

Markets like this are the perfect place to pick up unusual gifts and homewares with personality. Professional and amateur interior designers alike are sure to find inspiration here. Neither will vintage wearers or collectors be disappointed  

Not just a shopping spree, Avenue Vintage & Antique Market is a community gathering. A chance to make new friends, chit chat and connect with like-minded locals. An old-fashioned idea, the market square, that's enjoying a new lease on life in Ealing. But it needs support. Mark Your Calendar: Saturday 28 March you've got a date with your neighbors. 

          

FOUND - Little Secrets, Lovely Style

I found these little ashtrays at the Children's Society charity shop on Pitshanger Lane in Ealing. I'll use them as ring rests or possibly pass them on to a lucky girl friend when a birthday comes calling. I consider these 'fashion curios' - sweet, unwearable objects that are style inspired. I've tried researching my pair of china dolls but have come up empty handed. The repeating graphic pattern around the edge looks to me like a dreidel, a Jewish toy top played with at Hanukkah but it could also be a teetotum, a gambling toy like dice, found in several European cultures. There's a marking on the bottom of each dish but so far it remains a mystery. If you know anything about these tiny trays, drop me a line in the comment section below, I'd love to hear from you. The darling duo set me back 99p. 

TRY THIS - Button Back Spring Green

I found this wool cardigan at the Cancer Research charity shop in Ealing Broadway. The perfect Spring green, this stylish Jaeger staple was Made in England and features all the little details that define the best of the brand. A grosgrain ribbon runs along the inside of the button holes and the buttons themselves are perfect metal petals. 

The great Diane Vreeland of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue always wore her cardigans back to front. Try it, I do, often. Turn them round and wear them like a long sleeve t-shirt - your transformed topper will make a surprisingly stylish exit. I'll pair this one with black crops and pointy flats for a colour block look that's at once contemporary and classic. This richly-hued cardie was a paltry £4.99.

FOUND - Cashmere For Mere Cash

 

I found this cashmere sweater at the Scope charity shop in Ruislip, north west London. According to Nina Garcia, author of The One Hundred, A Guide to the Pieces Every Woman Must Own, we "first began craving cashmere in 1937, when Lana Turner wore her tight cashmere sweater in the film They Won't Forget." And I think this very berry pullover paired with slouchy black trousers and white brogues will indeed sparkle with casual Hollywood glamour. As Spring in London seeks to make her debut, colourful short-sleeved knitwear won't go amiss. I'm a fan of popping hot pink that's soft, woolly and warm, but who isn't? And it cost me less than a ticket to the pictures - just £5.

Lana Turner in They Won't Forget

      

FOUND - Red Rises from The Ashes

I found this wool, fully-lined dress at the Fara charity shop in Chiswick, near the Turnham Green tube station. It's from Boden, a UK clothier that launched in 1991 with 8 menswear products. A year later they began offering women's wear, now the more substantial of the two ranges CLICK HERE. I have a love/hate relationship with Boden - can't live with it, can't live without it. Clothes on offer are well-made but about half Boden's styles miss the mark in terms of cut and colour. Even this gorgeous red dress will need a bit of tweaking. The odd sleeve length - just above the elbow - is wonky (technical term). In fact, I suspect it's why this frock was donated to Fara - it's hardly been worn. Time and time again, I think the previous owner popped it on only to find it wasn't quite right. The red sleeves align with the bust creating a wadge of uninterrupted colour from shoulder to elbow. Shorter sleeves will transform the dress. Don't dismiss quality clothing with defects - use your sewing skills or a tailor to stitch a winner. My problematic but promising frock was £12. 

FOUND - Classic Coat Is A Real Belter

I found this classic safari jacket at the Cat Charity shop on lovely Pitshanger Lane, Ealing. It was created by Poivre Blanc, a French company founded in 1984 and best known for ski and tennis gear. Safari jackets however are a much older proposition, probably dating back as far as the 1800s when military officials wore them in far flung tropical climates. By 1968 Yves Saint Laurent re-imagined the utilitarian garment, revealing it in his Saharieene Collection. And when model Veruschka was photographed for Vogue wearing the YSL safari jacket, mini-skirt, floppy hat and low-slung belt CLICK HERE, sartorial history was made. My 2nd-hand jacket came with a matching belt that I'll wear with a dress or trousers. Pairing this jacket with my military belt (yesterday's post CLICK HERE) adds interest and an air of high-end. I'll pop it on over cropped, faded black jeans and pointy leopard-print flats. I bagged this useful classic for just £4.99. 

     

FOUND - My Style Staple Supreme

I found this denim shirt at the Children's Society charity shop on Pitshanger Lane in Ealing. This one (I have several. Okay 5.) is made by Lee, a company founded by Henry David Lee in 1889 when he opened his first garment factory in Salina, Kansas. Throughout the 1920s Lee unveiled various denim innovations, most notably the zipper fly. In the 30s and 40s the company continued to grow, becoming America's number one manufacturer of work clothing. Even more than denim trousers, denim shirts are a must have for me, working seamlessly in almost any circumstance. Paired with slouchy wool trousers and I'm an urban Land Girl. With a sequinned skirt, the denim shirt transforms evening gear into daytime chic. It multi-tasks as a bathing suit cover-up, making my luggage that much lighter. And under a cashmere or wool jumper, it allows me to layer like a pro. My denim shirt selection includes dark washes, light washes, short sleeve, slim-fit and over-sized. I only hunt for classic denim brands - Levis, Lee and Wrangler. I urge you to get hold of a denim shirt - perfectly worn 2nd-handers are easy to find - and put it to work in your wardrobe. You'll wonder how you've managed without it. My latest "cannot live without" shirt was just £4.99.  

      

TRY THIS - Style That's Going, Going, Gone!

I found this Marilyn Anselm for Hobbs coat via a live online sale hosted by Chiswick Auctions CLICK HERE. I had every intention of popping into the fashion sale at the auction house but it simply slipped my mind. From home, 30 minutes into the event, I registered online and started monitoring the LIVE event. It was almost like being there, all the anticipation typical of any auction was present on screen. I watched nearly 100 lots go under the hammer; everything from Hardy Amies dresses to vintage fans, hardly-worn high-street fashions to handbag collections. 

It was mesmerizing. Most lots sold but when a reasonable opening bid was not offered, items were left unsold. Caught up, I clicked through the lots, identifying a few fashions I thought I'd like to own. The auctioneer started with an opening bid, but I quickly learned if I was patient, he might lower the initial starting point. "I'll take £60 *silence* okay then £50 *more silence* what about £40? No bidders?" His question prompted me to act. With one quick flick of my finger I'd bid £40. Down went the hammer and the lot was mine. The next day I popped into Chiswick Auctions to collect my bid-for booty. I'd actually won a trio with that one bid; my lot included this Winter warmer, as well as a black Jaeger knee-length coat and skirt, ALL for £40. The black coat was passed on to my mate Monica for Christmas and the skirt was gifted to Susan. Auction buying - items sight unseen - was a risk, but I highly recommend the occasional fashion gamble. 

Chiswick Auctions is hosting Fashion Sales 

on 17 Feb and 24 March. For more info CLICK HERE

TRY THIS - Collar Public School Chic

I found this man's shirt at Mary's Living & Giving shop in Ealing. It was made by New & Lingwood CLICK HERE, not just a shirt maker but a men's outfitter dating back to the 1800s. Miss Elizabeth New and Mr Samuel Lingwood established the company in 1865. A female founder, and unmarried at that, is unusual for a 150-year-old men's clothier (she would eventually make an honest man of Samuel). Located in Eton, New & Lingwood were official outfitters to Eton College, the renowned English public school. By 1922 the company had opened a shop in Jermyn Street but it was sadly destroyed in the Blitz. After the war N&L situated itself on the corner of Piccadilly Arcade where it remains to this day. 

A quality garment, this shirt is softened to perfection from previous wear. If you buy only one thing in charity shops, make it a versatile, well-made men's shirt. It will be your perfect beach cover-up, sleep shirt and casual denim partner. Tied at the waist in the summer or hanging out of a cropped jacket in winter, quality shirts, as Miss Elizabeth knew, well serve stylish men and women alike. This cotton candy striped 2nd-hander was just £6.99.  

TRY THIS - Be Inspired by the Flapper in You

I found this book at the Cancer Research charity shop in Putney. I'm not alone, I don't suspect, in my fascination with the 1920s, a "dangerous generation." The 6 women featured in Flappers include socialite Diana Cooper, activist Nancy Cunard, actress Tallulah Bankhead, dancer Josephine Baker, painter Tamara de Lempicka and 20s flag bearer Zelda Fitzgerald. 

"None of them got as far as they wanted, and they all had to settle for being artistic rather than artists."                     The Guardian 

I'm particularly drawn to Zelda - the wife of F Scott - for like me, she was an aspiring writer born in Alabama. My Southern roots aren't deep. I've no independent memory of the small military town, Ozark, where I was born. But it is in fact the sheer brevity of my early time in Dixie that makes the place and its people all the more compelling in my head. My mother tells a story of finding a snake in my baby shoe one morning and recalls the real poverty they faced trying to make ends meet on my father's Army salary. Accounts of Zelda's life and my own recreate the American South in my imagination, at once dark and garish. It's a mysterious never-never landscape that I cannot resist visiting.      

For the full review of Flappers in The Guardian CLICK HERE

FOUND - It's Got All the Bells & Whistles

I found this Whistles jumper at the Barnardos charity shop in Chiswick not far from Turnham Green tube station CLICK HERE. There's a Whistles retail shop around the corner from where I found the stripy sparkler, making it all the more satisfying. I'm a fan of Whistles ethos and the feminine utilitarianism of the brand and its founder Jane Shepherdson CLICK HERE. Frankly I like the idea of buying women's clothing from a company headed by a woman. If I could afford Ms Shepherdson's fashions, her shops would be my high street home. Instead I always look out for the Whistles' label - the newer grey & white version, as well as the old school cream & pink one - on charity shop rails. While rewards are rare, as this find proves, Whistles is not unheard of in 2nd-hand shops. At just £5.99, this sweater sounds very good indeed.