The temperatures have dropped and there's the smell of wood smoke in the air. All I want to do is get cosy, layer up and keep warm but The Old Town is so pretty in the run up to Christmas, with lovely window displays, twinkling lights and beautiful festive trees to enjoy. You just have to venture out to enjoy the Yule spirit!
I styled up some of my most recent makes and favourite vintage and thrifted finds for this Winter Lookbook and I hope you enjoy this little peak into my vintage inspired wardrobe.
My first look is a copy of a 1940's tea dress. I call it the Lana dress as Lana Turner was the first Hollywood star I really fell in love with when I was about 12. I vaguely remember her wearing a dress like this in The Ziegfield Girls and I drafted the pattern myself quite a few years ago. It's been tweaked many times and I'm about to update it again so keep posted! I particularly love the puff sleeves!
I'm wearing it with a thrifted cardigan that isn't vintage but has a vintage feel and my early 1960's coat that I bought from Beyond Retro in London a couple of years ago now. I like to mix up my memades with Vintage and thrifted finds from all sorts of eras!
My suede gloves are a purchase from Accessorize many years ago and are starting to show their age, but I love them no less! And the bag is a favourite thrifted find ~ also from the 60's I think.
I'm subtly referencing 2 of my favourite recent Netflix shows here! Can you guess what they are?
My Second look is basically what I wore through the Summer but in more wintery fabrics. And layered with a favourite cardigan (which you can't really see) and, again, with my favourite winter coat and accessories. The beautiful wool textured tweed is from Missy Mop Fabrics and I used my Full Circle Skirt Sewing Guide as it's foolproof. The top is my new Bette Blouse which I drafted using an original 1940's button back dolman blouse as the inspiration. It's made in my favourite vintage Liberty print Tana Lawn. I can't get enough of it!
I knitted the beret myself using my own Vintage Tassel Beret kit in the colourway Cat's Tongue and I'm addicted to these little knitted Rose Brooches ~ I've knitted rather a lot of them during lockdown part deux!
I always wear fishnet tights or stockings but I am beginning to think I'll need some warmer tights now ~ it was rather brisk around my legs on this crisp Monday in the Old Town.
I made this 3 piece suit on a bit of a whim! I saw the fabric on Friday, made it over the weekend and wore it for this shoot on the Monday! Madness really but I LOVE it! I've never had a 3 piece suit before and I felt fantastic in this ~ ready to take on the world! The trouser pattern is my favourite Simplicity 8447 reproduction and I've talked about it before here.
I also made the shirt from Simplicity 8447 and I love that too, although I do want to tweak the back. My knitting obsession may have reached critical mass ~ I'm now wearing it as a print! But I love how novelty print was used in the 1940's and this is my little homage to it.
I made the waistcoat from an old pattern that I used to sew a lot back in the Miss Deighton Secondary School days, and I'm so glad to have rediscovered it. I love it's flattering feminine shape whilst being tailored and masculine. The scoop neckline is very flattering on a fuller bust and I really want to make more of them ~ possibly some kind of evening version that can be worn alone with the trousers? I'm wearing the waistcoat and trousers now as I sit and write this and they're so warm and comfortable ~ perfection!
I bought this cord from my favourite little shop in Hastings ~ Jacobs Haberdashery. I love the tone of this navy. It's very vintage in feel and more of a French Navy I would say. It makes me think of Magpie wings which makes me incredibly happy! The button for the jacket is 1930s plastic of some kind. It used to belong to my Nan so I love that I have been able to sew it onto my jacket which is a self drafted pattern. I feel so together and strong wearing this suit, but also feminine and refined which is how I think of my lovely Nan, Gladys. She loved a bit of masculine tailoring and I think she would have loved this suit! Incidentally, I'm wearing her Pearls too!
I'm looking longingly into the window of my favourite vintage clothes shop, Hawk & Dove Vintage as I spied a fabulous cardigan that I will have to go and try on as soon as I can! You can just see it in the window there~ I hope no one buys it before me!
A huge thank you to my lovely friend Georgina Piper for taking all these lovely pictures! We had so much fun wandering around the Old Town, taking photos and catching up after lockdown.
I hope you've enjoyed having a little look at some of my recent makes and Winter styling ideas and that wherever you are, you're surrounded by love and laughter on this cold Winters night.
Love,
Tara x
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