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.       

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 - Charity Shop's Just the Ticket

I found this silk scarf at Mary's Living & Giving shop in Richmond, South West London. Its slightly subversive illustrations are courtesy of Adam Dant, a Jerwood Drawing Prize-winning artist, heralded for his Hogarthian graphic interpretations. I work at The National Theatre and coveted this scarf when it appeared in The NT Book Shop CLICK HERE. I wanted it but walked away stung by the +£100 price tag. It's since dropped to £70 but that's still a "center stalls" price and I've more of a "back of the circle, with a partially obstructed view" budget.

So last weekend I felt like a Tony Award winner when I found this quirky accessory brand new with box for £15 at Mary's tiny charity shop gem on sunny Richmond Green. Yes £15! And here, in this scarf, the real beauty of charity shop hunting is revealed. That right-time-right-place my-lucky-day exhilaration that makes clothing more than clothing is the hallmark of shopping 2nd-hand. Every few months I find something I adored new on the cheap in a charity shop. From a Boden full-skirted dress to Jigsaw satin shoes, patience has paid off. My advice - bide your time, train your eye and style trophies can be yours. 

          

TRY THIS - Ho-Ho-Ho We Go To Market

I found these little scarves at the Avenue Vintage & Antiques Market, near West Ealing Station and the Drayton Court. They'll serve as perfect pressies for friends on my Christmas gift giving list. The selling spree where I found them is a welcome addition to the area's 2nd-hand scene - a vast variety of pre-owned items, friendly traders, situated on a lovely street. What's not to like? Generally held on the last Saturday of the month, the Christmas sale celebration is TOMORROW, Saturday 13 December, from 9am. The scarves were a fiver, but all the fun is free of charge! 

TRY THIS - Don't Be Silly, Buy Willy Nilly

I found this silk chiffon scarf at the Fara Charity shop near Turnham Green station in Chiswick. Silk + 2nd-hand + Stylish = Buy! It's a soft colour that flatters the skin, mine and many others, so while I wasn't sure if it would be added to my personal scarf collection or gifted to a lucky friend, I knew it was coming home with me. I don't advocate buying for buying's sake, but being a confident shopper is key. Ask yourself, can I imagine at least two ways to wear this quality piece of clothing? Excellent, next question. Would it make a gift I'd be proud to give? Yes, then move toward the till. Finally, is it priced up at less than a cup of coffee? Indeed, this silk stunner was £1.80. Wear your buying decisions as confidently as you wear your favourite accessory. Be bold, be stylish. 

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TRY THIS - You'll Have Gift Giving Covered

Giving Christmas presents to pals is a pleasure when I find holiday offerings I know my mates will enjoy. And with THIS clever pressie combo I think I've hit on a winter winner. I'm going to scoop up second-hand fashion books at my local charity shops (see Huntress on Stylish Reads, CLICK HERE). I'll buy up a bunch, they're often less than a fiver. Next, I'll collect a cache of 2nd-hand scarves, also easy charity shop pickings. 

          

Slip a scarf inside a book, tie with ribbon and the include strictest instructions, "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS." Given at a drinks party or over lunch, the recipient is sure to be thrilled with a chic read - the perfect Ho Ho holiday diversion. But the real fun comes on Christmas Day when she opens the book and finds inside a stylish slash of silk. It's a pressie that provides twice the surprise. Okay, must dash - lots of fash books to find! 

TRY THIS - Scarf that's Cream of the Crop

I found this ballet-pink chiffon scarf at Mary's Living & Giving shop in Ealing. On one end, in lovely script it's branded Guerlain. The perfumer is the creator of Shalimar, the scent my beloved grandmother wore and the one I wear now. The truth is this scarf serves as more of a cosmetic than clothes. I wear it at the neck tied in a bow to the side, allowing its soft colour to brighten my face. Lots of us smear on bottles of makeup, lotions and potions but nothing compliments the complexion like a milk white, ballet pink or soft coral sheer scarf. It's an old fashioned idea that still works a treat. The little wonder was one pound. 

Vintage Hot Spots in Ealing 

Revealed on Northfield News CLICK HERE

FOUND - Call It A Fair Exchange

I found this Aquascutum scarf at Bang Bang Clothing Exchange on Drury Lane, CLICK HERE, my favourite buying and selling 2nd-hand clothing establishment with 3 shops in London. When I was a kid I longed for one of the plastic mock number plates all the kids were buying and attaching to their bikes. Like mini number plates, they featured common first names rather than digits. Hundreds of names were offered, anything from Anita to Walter. My sister Debbie had no problem finding her name. My best pal Cheryl was fine. Mates Jamie and Lisa had the name plates too. Me? No way. Christened and always called Anmarie, I was never able to have an off-the-peg name plate. When I turned 12, we moved to a new house and my arty dad painted ANMARIE on my bedroom wall. What I'm called, its unique spelling, its special treatment, even the letter A, have always helped me to feel unique. I am not an 'off-the-peg' kind of woman. On anyone else the 'A' on this 'monogram scarf' would stand for Aquascutum. On me, it begins to tell the story of who I am. Cost? Can't quite recall - I traded a few unwanted items in exchange for this very personal accessory.

FOUND - Tangy 2nd-Hand Silk Scarf

I found this huge 100% silk scarf/shawl at Oxfam in Richmond, southwest London. It's a Shanghai Tang and was still sporting the original tags. Shanghai Tang was founded in 1994 by businessman David Tang with the aim of reintroducing Chinese fashions of the 20s and 30s to a global audience. Tang brought back Manchu Chinese clothing, giving it a modern twist. The company slogan, "Re-Orient Yourself," is the sort of marketing word play that really speaks to me. I came to London the first time as a visitor in my 30s and I can remember wandering into the Shanghai Tang shop on Sloane Street. I was transported. All the silks, brocades and lacquered surfaces piqued my style sensibility. Now - expensive doesn't equate to stylish in my book but silk does. So this absolutely gigantic slash of worm work is top quality, no doubt. But if you need hard numbers as proof, a scarf much like this on Shanghai Tang's website is currently retailing for 189 Great Big Pounds! Really. Me? I took this yum-yum home for just £24.99. Okay, does that put to bed once and for all the idea that charity shops are full of chipped crockery and smelly polyester housecoats?

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FOUND - Sheer Bliss in Richmond

I found this chiffon scarf at the Mary Portas Living & Giving shop in Richmond. It's a tiny space, with a lovely view across Richmond Green, run by super friendly staff. Chiffon scarves may be considered ultra-vintage or even old-fashioned, but paired with a woolly knit or soft opaque cashmere, you begin to create a texture story that's winter style at it's best. Sure, this scarf reminds me of my childhood, a bonus. I can see either of my grandmothers wearing a chiffon scarf around their sky-high hair. Whether to protected tresses carefully wound round fat pink rollers or to save a freshly done do from the elements, the sheer blissful memory of a chiffon scarf makes me smile. Wish I could buy both those amazing women a drink in The Prince's Head (CLICK), just next door to Mary's (we highly recommend this pub). Plenty of dosh leftover from my scarf buy - the see-thru sensation was just 3 quid.            

TRY THIS - Big, Beautiful Scarf x 2

This amazing raw silk scarf was given to me by a Cambodian woman who headed a democracy building program in the country. For a month, many years ago, I scurried round the streets of Phnom Penh on the back of a motorbike or wedged into the seat of a pedal powered rickshaw. This colourful woven fabric, a spectacular reminder of the most truly exotic place I've ever been. But I found it was too big. For years I tried to wear it and while the length was perfect the width made it an unwieldy neck piece. Finally though, the light bulb came on and I had it cut in half, the raw edge sewn, leaving me with two long but thinner scarves. I gave the newly created 2nd to my sister. I've now got a wonderful exotic scarf that works, and so does she. 

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FOUND - Paris Bright Under My Nose

I found this vintage souvenir scarf at the Trinity Hospice charity shop in Putney, SW15. Now a popular collectible, these holiday keepsakes are akin to postcards on fabric. Mobile phones chronicle every waking moment of our hols these days but there was a time when cameras were a luxury. A little ditty like this scarf was the best way to recall sights seen while travelling. Souvenir scarves won't keep you especially warm but they will light up your complexion, a little colour around the face should always be welcomed. Tucked into a light-weight coat or the neckline of my Droopy and Brown waistcoat, this elegant accessory adds Parisian flair to any outfit. A bit of vintage that goes a long way. It was £4. 

TRY THIS - Carry On Cornwall

I found this cotton Cornwall souvenir scarf at Spitalfields Market awhile back. It's a square of graphic gorgesous-ness that's done all and sundry. It accompanies me on every holiday I set out for serving as a snazzy pocket square, stylish neckerchief, dabber of a 'glowing' brow, drier of a rain-soaked bench, wrapper for a holiday trinket, picnic serviette and flash of colour tied to an otherwise dull handbag. At several stalls in Old Spitalfields Market and Truman Brewery there are large boxes full of wrinkled, but lovely scarves. Hundreds and hundreds of squares of silk, cotton, poly and wool. They used to all be a pound each, I think they've sky-rocketed to £2 but still a 'stock-up' price. Hand-wash, lavender and wear them liberally. This little Cornish cutie caught my eye and has stayed with me ever since. Do you have a simple holiday must-pack? Tell us, come on, carry on!       

FOUND - Red & White Equine Finery

I found this silk Celine scarf at a Cancer Research charity shop in Ealing, West London. Husband-and-wife team Richard and Celine Vipiana founded the label in 1945 and their first shop in Paris began life as a children's shoe store. In 1967 Celine's current logo was unveiled; a horsey pattern based on an 19th century American engraving that Richard found in a book. Gallop ahead to 1997 when Michael Kors takes over as lead designer at Celine, duties that today fall to Phoebe Philo. Consistently a red-carpet favourite, Celine finally opened its first London flagship in March 2014. Some charity shops know the difference between a horse and a hole in the wall. And some don't. Either way charity shops are consistently a happy hunting ground for high-end scarves. This one rode in at just £2.65. 

FOUND - Scarf Unwraps a Trailblazer

Yesterday I found this unworn silk and wool Oscar de la Renta scarf, still in its charming Lord & Taylor box. A high-end men's neck warmer designed by a Dominican and made in Japan, vintage 80s, originally purchased at an American department store ends up in a charity shop for Polish orphans in West London - this scarf has wrapped itself 'round the globe. While researching the distinctive L&T rose logo and packaging, I found out that a woman named Dorothy Shaver was President of Lord & Taylor from 1945. She was the first woman in the United States to head a multi-million dollar company and is credited with much of the east coast retailer's success. She was an early proponent of American designers over the more ubiquitous French fashion set. Dorothy began work for Lord & Taylor in 1921 when she was hired to lead its Comparison Bureau, the arm of the company tasked with spying on other big retailers (the original "secret shoppers" I'd say). For more on the rise of the modern department store, read Emile Zola's novel "The Ladies Paradise." This slash of scarlet silk will be perfect tucked into the neckline of my black coat come winter. I'll have to keep up standards as now that I've made her acquaintance I wonder if Dot isn't "spying" on my style? The scarf and box cost £5.