Building a Bakelite Collection

Since getting into vintage I have become a bit of a geek. Bakelite really peaked my interest, it's hard to imagine the pre-plastic world so I find the many uses of it fascinating!

I picked up this book in a local RSPCA charity shop in their book sale so it was reduced to £3.50 and it's such an informative read. I'd recommend reading up if your planning on starting a collection. Of course I've learnt so much from contacts on Facebook forums as well and most sellers are happy to answer general questions.

I started my Bakelite collection with these two bangles, one in yellow and the other a translucent bangle, commonly known as apple juice. These are both what is known as a spacer.

Spacers are thin bangles that can be used between thicker bangles in a stack, personally I like how spacers look all together too and have mainly collected spacers so far, but I'd love to add some chunkier pieces to my collection.

These two are square, Bakelite bangles can come in different shapes so when buying online check that you are buying what you really want. They can be tubular, saucer (like the edge of a teacup hence the name) or square, you can also find more unusual shapes but tubular are my preference.

Also be sure to check size, you might see them described as maiden, or standard size. Before buying measure your wrist, or a bangle you already own and check with the seller. Standard size Bakelite is actually quite small for some, I have small wrists so can take advantage.

After perusing online I decided to buy sets from then on so I could create stacks (and I must admit I have a little thing about symmetry) so everything I've bought since then has been in two or more.

These bangles are a toffee colour and I have two of them. These were my first of this kind with the definitive swirls that many will be familiar with and I fell in love with them.

I bought these three wider "tigers eye" bangles from an eBay seller in France in a bundle with some earrings. I love how Bakelite bangles may match eachother but are never quite the same.

These two bangles (one spacer, one wider) are known as banana bread. It was a colour I was after for a while and I was so pleased to be offered these by private seller.

The four bangles below are known as corn and are a lovely bright, slightly mustard colour which coordinates with so much in my wardrobe.

I kept an eye out for earrings that would match all my various bangles. With the bundle I got from the French seller I got two pairs. 

One set are domed and one pair are flat disks, both are clips. Bakelite earrings can be pierced, clips or screwbacks. I don't own any screwbacks as I find them uncomfortable.

Flat

Domed

I love these yellow hoops which I have worn in lots of my Instagram photos. They are pierced and are such a good size for me. Bakelite hoops can come in various sizes so always check before buying

I managed to find these bigger toffee coloured clips to match my bangles, they are monsters compared to the size of my other clips!

I also bought these orange clips which look to be swirled with red but are actually translucent swirls which cut through the colour and give that effect. I nicknamed these blood orange but I'm not sure how others refer to them.

I have a lot of green in my wardrobe and so I couldn't pass up these dark green pierced earrings. I love the unusual shape because I don't have any others like this.

These hexagonal clip hoops were also a great find, they are a khaki colour which I adore, I'd love to find more of this colour in bangles but I've never come across any.

I also picked up these dark aqua hoops, again in a different shape, Bakelite is so versatile in terms of what shapes you can find.

I wear my Bakelite earrings almost every day.

Colour Families

From building a small collection (compared to certain friends of mine!) I am able to mix and match all of my bangles to coordinate with my vintage outfits.

My advice would be to start slow, window shop and learn a bit about Bakelite before you start buying, particularly online.There are other colours I am particularly drawn too such as the mouldy cheese type colour (yellow with hint of blue swirled through) but as with all things vintage you just never know when they will crop up! 

Until next time
Love
Lucy
X

Lusting After Lana...

I have been a fan of Vivien of Holloway for a while now, this was also helped by the fact that I used to live in Holloway and could just stroll down to the actual shop. I belong to a Facebook group of other enablers too!

It wasn't until I tried on my first dress that I got really hooked. If you havn't seen one of their dresses up close then let me tell you, their fabrics are great. They are weighty enough that you don't flash you knickers as the northern line approaches but light enough to be comfortable at an event.

My VOH dress and my vibrant pink circle skirt at Twinwood and the green print number I wore at Chap Olympiad

I find them well cut, well made and some of the styles are boned to give the bodices a structure most boobs just don't possess on their own. I could go braless in mine which was a welcome little holiday for the girls.

Vivien of Holloway also carry a range of fabrics, novelties are there if you want them but the shop is not limited to anchors and polkadots. You're pretty much covered, whatever your taste.

So, you know, I am a fan. However I waved goodbye to a few of my 1950's style pretties recently because I needed the space and I have definitely been learning more 1940's style of late. I was a little sad to say bye to some of those gorgeous dresses but I'd had my wear out of them.


Then in walked Lana....

 


The Lana dresses themselves aren't totally new to 2017 and I'd fallen in love with the shape
when I saw it reviewed by the gorgeous Catherine Beck for In Retrospect Magazine . It's typically 40's and the way it drapes to give a very womanly shape is devine.

This type of cut celebrates a woman's shape rather than trying to hide it, accentuating the hips with fabric and drawing the eye to the waist. I love the balance between the bust line and the hips creating a tiny waist illusion.

The draping is almost disney like I think, It reminds me of Cinderella's dress a little.

It's not short either which I find so much reproduction to be because I'm 5 ft 8in. It's a truly vintage appropriate length.

The colours above are the two new colour ways but the dress already comes in other options too. I love the new blue floral option and if I can get my hands on one (alas they are currently sold out of my size) I will be getting one for a christening I am to be godmother in.

The vibrant topaz blue caught my eye too, I had visions of contrasting coloured seamed stockings with this one. It's also selling like a hot cake, I'll have to pray for a restock.

In the event I cannot get either of those colours for being such a slow coach I'd happily take another, take the claret for example which could go from day to evening with a quick accessory change and it is downright sexy. I love the fact that it's a deeper, darker red and not the brighter hues you see around.

Or maybe one of the florals for everyday wear, I could wear this to the office just as well as I could wear it to go out, florals are really versatile dependant on how they are styled. 

Either way I am currently a bit obsessed with having one and happily I shall be moving back to North London next month where I can be closer to the dresses...the office, I meant the office.

*Lana dresses £99.00, all Lana images are property of Vivien of Holloway.

Until next time
Love
Lucy

If I Was A Rich Girl... vintage home decor

Sometimes it is fun to dream, and for me sometimes this dream centres around being a home owner and being able to have a lovely vintage home.

I have a few reference books that show vintage interiors but in the event one cannot afford to source original furniture it is possible to get some lovely high street items to give your home some vintage flare.

In the new year many of us start thinking about spring cleaning or redecorating, or in my case just musing over what we would have if we could...

 Yellow is one of my favourite colours but it can be overwhelming.

I love the traditional style of this wallpaper in slightly muted tones so it's not too busy.

This would make a room seem bright and welcoming whatever the weather!

B&Q £14.00 per roll

If you venture out to a vintage furniture sale you will see a lot of dark wood, light wood is so much more in vogue in modern homes but for a vintage feel on a budget I'd go for something like this.

It's obviously modern but it is simple in it's design so I think, topped with the right ornaments, it would look lovely in a vintage style room. Ikea £65

 I don't know why more people don't have dressers like this these days, I love them.

It seems like some houses today are almost ashamed to have furniture and so it's as small as discrete as possible.

I personally like something that dominates a room and would love to see this filled with whatever the homeowner wanted to display, I always think it's a little peep into someones life.

And for anything unsightly the bottom half of the dresser provides a great hiding place.

Ikea £115

I love odd chairs instead of matchy 3 pieces, and this grey one would look great in a lounge or a bedroom and would pick up the colour of the wallpaper above really nicely too.

Wooden frames are great for adding a vintage touch.

Ikea £125

 I adore this yellow chair with it's classic style and high back. This would add a bright and sunny reading spot to any room but I would add some neutral toned cushions or a throw draped over it to balance it out.

Ikea £179

Nostalgic touches always add to a vintage home and this novelty aviation clock would add interest to any mantlepiece. 

House of Fraser, Linea was £60 now £30 - Limited stocks!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, what are your favourite vintage decor styles? 

Until next time 

Love 

Lucy 

xx

*Photos property of B&Q, Ikea and House of Fraser respectively, all views are my own.

Christmas Outfit Round Up

Christmas is one of my favourite times of year, not least because it provides an excuse to dress up, not that I usually need one! I love having time off work and being able to pamper myself with hair, make up and nails, it's like getting ready for a night out every day.

Christmas Eve

We always spend christmas eve with my Dad and my stepmum and have a casual takeaway, before exchanging gifts. I decided to wear this oriental style Laura Ashley blue and floral print dress with oriental collar, I teamed it with a gold bolero and some sparkly high heels which I kicked off as soon as I got there!

Since it was a busy day (due to last minute shopping!) I did an updo with some chopsticks in my hair and a couple of victory rolls at the front.

Christmas Day

This year we made our way over to my sisters house for a family dinner, I was super excited because it was my nephews first christmas so it felt really special. I wore a monsoon twilight 50's inspired dress and went totally over the top as it is christmas day, I wore my faux fur cream jacket and silver Hotter Donna's. I had wet set my hair and went full on 50's style. I have this halo hat which is tiny so I pinned it on as a fascinator.

Ladies Who Lunch

I desperately wanted to see my oldest friend Laura and her two children and we decided to go for a no frills Harvester lunch after christmas to catch up. We had such a lovely time with the kids. I wore this Sea Salt dress which I picked up in the sales and my purple beret, I threw a cardigan over the top but it was such a nice day I had to wear sunglasses! This was a nice easy casual look to do on a day when I was feeling the Christmas strain a little. More about Sea Salt to follow in my product review next week.

Birthday Time

My younger sisters both have their birthdays around christmas so we always make an effort to go out and celebrate so they don't get forgotten. For our night out in London Bridge I decided to wear this gorgeous tropical print dress by my wonderful friend Karen at Reinvintaged and coordinated it with a a victory roll updo with a snood and hair flowers. I used my Banned Apparel  flamingo bag - keeping it tropical.

Glenn Miller Orchestra

I bought my mum tickets to the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Barbican centre in the afternoon of New Years Eve. I wanted to get dressed up for this and decided to give this suit it's first outing, it's by Nicola Wainright and is from the 80's but is very forties in style. My dad got this for me for Christmas.

Due to a little holiday weight I didn't feel right in the skirt so I pulled on my stretchy black high waisted pencil skirt and a black top. I wore brown heels and brown Kelly bag to tie in with the jacket. My hair and make up were very traditional again for the daytime, I have been wearing victory rolls and snoods a lot this party season as they make everything so easy and you still look dressy.

PS The orchestra was fantastic and I am really looking forward to seeing them at Twinwood this year!

I hope you had a wonderful festive season and Happy New Year!

Until next time
Love
Lucy

xx

Twas The Week Before Christmas For All To Freak Out

If you are anything like me you are freaking out about Christmas and the gifts you need to buy.

I appreciate that this is especially hard for my family since I don't shop on the high street. I also have to be careful with what products I use so bath sets etc can be problematic.

So I thought I would do a quick blog round up of my favourite vintage inspired last minute gifts to give anyone shopping for a vintage enthusiast some ideas...

The following are designed to be easy buys without having to worry too much about sizes, skintones etc.

Make up 

You could buy your vintage loved one a compact, more specifically a Stratton compact. Stratton do lovely giftware and many of their products have matching pieces so you could inspire a collection. I love this icons compact with the black and white portraits and this is available in a number of different options as shown. Visit their website for stockists.

Visit: http://www.strattonofmayfair.com

A make up palette is always a great gift, especially when it is something you wouldn't normally treat yourself too. The Balm is available at Debenhams and I received the "How Do You Like Them Apples" cheek and lip palette last year (£28) and the colours are really vibrant, the consistency is great and the pigment lasts all day. The packaging is also cute, which matters (it just does, don't ask me why!)

I am loving the Voyage palette this year, although at £37.50 it is not cheap!

Visit: http://www.debenhams.com

Benefit always have some great christmas specials and this year they have put together some of their best products into these oh so cute dolls head gift sets. You get some great products at a considerably better price than if you bought the items individually and this particular one offers make up and some skincare so it's a nice combination. Beware - these are selling out fast! £39.50

Visit: www.benefitcosmetics.com

Hair 

If the vintage enthusiast you are buying for is new to vintage hair then Claire's accessories is the place to go. They have a range of products that are great for a novice or for a vintage lover with very little time. 

Scunci is my favourite brand for vintage inspired hair tools (they do excellent pillow rollers!) and at the moment these are 3 for 2 at Claire's! Below are my beginners gift recommendations 

Visit: http://www.claires.co.uk 

Reading material 

There is still time to rush in an amazon delivery and the following is I would recommend for a vintage enthusiast, just make sure they don't already have it! 

Style me Vintage - any of the books in this range would go down well as these books are excellent resources for tips on vintage styling and shopping. My personal favourites are...

Visit: www.amazon.co.uk

Robes 

I don't know anyone who doesn't love a robe and a vintage inspired wrap that will leave your vintage lovely feeling glamorous and pampered is always sure to be a hit. It's also something we all to often neglect until someone buys us one! 

These two are my personal favourites from House Of Fraser. I love the oriental details of the Biba one or if you are buying for your sweetheart she could easily make like Dita in the sexy see-through robe.  Buying them something to go under it is optional ;-) 

 

Biba £60.00 / Bluebella £36.00

I hope this helps anyone struggling to buy for a vintage honey. 

I look forward to bringing you a Christmas and New Year round up soon but in the meantime I wish you all a Merry Christmas! 

Love

Lucy 

*Images property of Stratton, Debenhams, Benefit, Claire's, Amazon and House of Fraser respectively. 

**All views are my own. 

Allied - Know Thy Enemy - Film Review

I don't watch much modern cinema these days but when a film set in 1940's London presents itself, well it would be rude not to.

Much has been made of the film "Allied" featuring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard and vintage circles have gone crazy for the costume design thanks to Joanna Johnson. 


Pitt (Max Vatan) and Cotillard (Marianne Beauséjour) meet in North Africa on a secret mission, neither have met before but they will be living and working together until their mission is complete. Both just happen to be completely sexy and not ravaged by war. 


Marianne appears as a live for the moment gal and draws the somewhat more business like Max into her world of throwing caution to the wind. As it turns out caution to the wind will get you pregnant!

Fast forward to London and the couple marry despite Max's boss giving him words of warning about relationships in the workplace. But there is already a bun in the oven so a quick wartime marriage is the least that could be expected.

The couple are living in bliss in Hampstead with a beautiful daughter, Marianne plays the dutiful housewife whilst Max continues with his war work. What could possibly go wrong?

When Max is called into the office he is expecting to be offered a promotion but instead is informed that his wife may be a spy of a different kind (don't you hate it when that happens?) and sending information back to the Germans. Max's furious outburst at his superiors is forgiven (Max seems to get away with a lot in this movie that would not have gone down well in the 1940's military) when he agreed to test his wife to find out once and for all.

Max is not convinced that Marianne could possibly be hiding such a dark and terrible secret but no sooner than he agrees is the seed of doubt planted and he starts to imagine a different side to his wife, the spy he met and married whilst barely knowing her.

I of course won't spoil the ending, the film is a good watch for the 1940's romanticist of course but the actual story, despite it being a long film, felt a little rushed and incomplete.

The characters who surround the couple seem somewhat redundant for most of the film, especially Max's sister, the out of the closet lesbian, which I found very annoying to be frank because 2 women making open references to their relationship and french kissing in public in 1940's would not have been socially acceptable and to pretend it would cheapens the struggle LGBT people had during those years (and beyond) also it wasn't relevant to the story in any way so I am not sure of the motivation for it.

Aside from a few scenes in which planes crash or there is an air raid, other than Max's job being a reference point, the realities of living in wartime are lost in this movie so if thats the kind of realism your looking for then it may not be for you.

If your looking for some escapism you might enjoy it, the costume work is amazing and deserves all the press attention it has been getting, and as stories go it's enjoyable and does make you do some guess work as to Marianne's status.

The Wartime Wardrobe Round Up 

Marianne's day wardrobe in North Africa is a feast for the eyes, very stylish and classic 

A killer dress for a killer scene - this gown took my breath away and was shot in such a beautiful way that you could see every movement of the fabric on camera - worth buying the DVD just to slow-mo this dress 

The character also has some serious loungewear game in this film, I had robe envy! 

There is a scene in which Marianne's wardrobe is open and I spotted the shoulders of this dress then, sadly you don't get to see much of it in the film so I had to imagine the rest. 

Note to self - if I ever marry a man in a blue suit wear a powder blue 40's dress - I loved this wedding outfit so much! 

London calling - calling for heavier coats and scarves. Marianne may not have such a stylish wardrobe in the London scenes but she is stereotypically British in her attire which I loved. 

Coats replace the lounge wear in the London scenes and although the history buff in me wants to complain that most people wouldn't have had endless amounts of coats the fashion fan in me loved looking at them.

Oddly this is one of my favourite pieces from the movie, this sweet little floral shirt which wouldn't look out of place in Cath Kidson. 

So there you have it, my round up of my favourite outfits of the movie. 

I hope you enjoyed looking at them too! All images are property of Paramount Pictures. 

Until next time 

Love 

Lucy

x 

I've got flu under my skin - my guide to getting better

I haven't been able to do any blog work this weekend, or have any fun on my last weekend in London before I move, because I was visited by the cruel flu mistress.



But it did give me the idea for this blog - the ways in which I get better, some standard, some a bit strange.



So Thursday saw a scratchy throat, and by Friday I felt and looked a mess. I was due to go to my works Christmas lunch so I dressed up in my Christmas skirt and had planned to look like I did at the tiki Christmas party a few weeks ago

Because I woke up at four unable to sleep I did my hair and make up, I was hopeful... I was foolish

It was touch and go, to be honest I was going to go home, but I went to the lunch, ate my food that I couldn't taste, I had a rather lovely hot toddy that the wonderful bar lady made me and went home to bed uncharacteristically early.



I slept for four hours and woke up sweating through my bed sheets and have spent the last two days in bed either freezing my arse off or kicking off the covers and all the time wondering how I would get to the loo without falling down the stairs, yep it was bad.



The ballet dancers I hallucinated did provide some of the entertainment so at this point I'd like to thank the Royal Lemsip Company for their performance.



So here is what I did to feel vaguely normal today...



1. Drugs - don't listen to all that "the more you take the less effective they are" when it's this bad just take them and take them regularly. I've been scarily delirious this weekend but whenever I look a dose I took a screen shot of my phone so I could remember the time - handy flu hint!



2. Food - don't worry about what you are eating and don't listen to anyone who says you should starve a fever, you have to eat but you won't feel like it. My rather impressive shopping list consisted of...





Essentials-

Cold and flu tabs

Ibuprofen

Cough mixture



Hot toddy ingredients (not to be mixed with the above)-

Lemon juice

Honey

Mini bottle of whiskey



Soft/sugary things-

Pot noodles

Jelly fruits

Marshmallows

Ice lollies

Aero bubbles



Ingredients for death row dinner

Instant mash

Gravy

Peas

Yorkshire puddings



Alternative drug of choice-

Vimto squash - drink as much of this crazy sugar high inducing shit as possible.



The death row dinner is just that, if it was your last ever meal what would you eat, and that is mine, I had it this afternoon once I could stand at the cooker and it warmed the cockles of my heart. Choose anything that reminds you of your mum basically.



Hot toddies are only for the night time and only if there has been a break in your medication (I'm not a doctor but mixing the two is a bad idea) it will help you sleep but only have one otherwise you'll just be shit faced with the flu and life will be much worse.



I've not got through all this of course but had I not been feeling better today I would have survived a few more days in bed with my food stash, you only want to go shopping once!



Things to do-



If you are anything like me you will be bored, don't actually try and do anything though. I can be my own worst enemy in this way. I found a 1940's movie channel on YouTube and proceeded to watch some good old fashioned movies, some I snoozed through but the background noise was welcome in my slumbers.



Don't try and read or do anything productive, what are you hoping to achieve?



Don't speak to anyone but trusted people, your delirious and not making much sense so don't speak to anyone important, it's like being drunk - no matter how bad it feels and how much you are crying texting your ex will not help!



The aftermath.



Clean your ill sheets, I have fresh linen all ready for tomorrow because I'm still a bit sweaty and dizzy at the mo. But tomorrow I'll love that I can get into non infected sheets. Boil wash the ones you've been sleeping in, they've seen some things now, they need 90 degree therapy.



Have a nice bath, if you are drinking your hot toddy in the bath like me then don't have it to hot or it will make you dizzy and you don't need to sweat any more than you have. I got some radox muscle therapy bubble bath (although it says for men, unsure when bubble bath became gendered?!)

Wash your hair cos it's gross, you know it, I know it.



The main thing will be your skin, you'll probably have dried up like an old prune in the last few days, moisturise but also use a face mask if you have one. I get psoriasis which has flared up because my body has been busy fighting the flu so my face is red and tight and dry. It's a good look.



I decided to try Starskin from Behind The Scenes TM which I had stashed away for just such an occasion.

It's a face mask that has a serum all over it and is like a burn mask in a way (that's what the design is based on) it's like a jelly consistency which was really cooling and soothing on my skin which was itching like mad.

Yes you will look ridiculous! Ha!



You don't wash your face afterward you just take off the mask and rub the remaining serum in. It feels really nice, I'll have to assess tomorrow if the redness is any less.



For £8.50 I would use this product again and would try some of the other versions available as they have a few different masks in their line.



I also did a deep conditioning hair treatment to help my brittle hair which, despite all the water I have been drinking, felt like straw.



So there you go - eat, drink and watch many many films, then scrub up a little to feel a bit more precious. That's my flu survival guide without a chia seed or smoothie in sight.





I hope you all stay healthy this winter and hopefully next week I can bring you some vintage loveliness!

Much love

Lucy

ACHOO!!!





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