A GOOD VINTAGE - This old thing?

As a student, my weekends were often spent vintage shopping. Such expeditions would culminate in bags full of sheepskin, mock croc and the polyester gems of yesteryear. Almost two decades later? Not so much. Last year I came back from a trip to Brighton empty handed... And that NEVER happens.

One reason for this is that the high street, now more than ever, cultivates a very retro aesthetic. You can easily look like a throwback with brand new purchases. Young Molly Ringwalds, Ally Sheedys and Jennifer Greys are a great barometer of what's happening in retail. Knowing its all Urban Outfitters or Topshop and still looking the part is a fashion Jedi mind trick 

"Step back in time."

To those who crave authenticity or are less adept at fooling the untrained eye, there are still lots of places to buy good vintage and not just in thrift shops. Websites such as Etsy and Asos Marketplace have regulated stock. I'm mostly an Ebay girl.

HE'S BACK - Gatsby, Gatsby, Gatsby.

At last. Baz Luhrmann's remake of The Great Gatsby is finally here. Once again, cinema is attempting another re-work of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. I'm looking forward to the spectacle of it all. I'm anticipating lush decadence, lavish costumes, stunning cinematography and, of course, a controversial soundtrack. 

It seems only fitting that the critics have found this film a little too much. I would expect no less from a Luhrmann production particularly one set during a time of economic boom. The roaring twenties. The decade that gave birth to the Jazz Age, early wave Art Deco, Surrealism and the Harlem Renaissance.

Names: Clarice, Augusta, Beatrice, Amelia. Gertrude, Celia, Evangeline, Alberta, Daisy, Jordan, Myrtle, Bertie, Monty, Eugene, Harry, Teddy, Freddie, Dickie.

Dance: Charleston

Dress: Free-flowing, drop-waist, flapper

Fabric: Velvet. Silk. Beading.

Hairstyle: The Bob, Eton crop or Marcel Wave worn under a Cloche hat. Topped off with an extra long string of pearls.


"Simultaneously enchanted and repelled"


Lurhmann forewent the music of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin in favour of Beyonce, Andre 3000 and Lana Del Rey. I'm ok with that as long as all the other elements of the film capture the zeitgeist. As a lover of Jack Clayton's 1974 Farrow/ Redford collaboration, I'm curious to see what Carey Mulligan and Leonardo Dicaprio will bring to the mix.

SIDESTEPPING THE GENDER POLITICS - Fashion and androgyny

I love an an androgynous silhouette . Nothing says power like strong lines, structuring and angular tailoring. Recently, a watered down version of this 1980s style found its way back into our wardrobes. The boyfriend jean. The boyfriend jacket. The boyfriend shirt. But why poach from him indoors? 

Rebel Rebel
This February, I was tickled pink to find my two favourite androgynes in a pop video together. David Bowie's new video, The Stars (are out tonight), starring himself and Tilda Swinton, served up a healthy dose of gender play. There are those androgynes who appear to straddle both masculinity and femininity. Whilst others appear to accentuate neither. Bowie has always managed to exude sex appeal without the machismo. Choosing Swinton to co-star was a very cool move. David Fincher once said of her: "She doesn't announce her presence, she just slowly steals all the gravity."

Cream of the crop
There are other androgynes who possess a pixie-like charm. Often referred to as elfin or gamine, there is a tomboyish beauty to these women. During the 1960s, Twiggy rocked wide eyed look of Bambi with a dash of  Mary Quant. Later that decade, Mia Farrow had a similarly boyish air in Rosemary's Baby. There was much controversy surrounding her newly cropped hairstyle. Whilst many believed Vidal Sassoon to have created the look for the film, Farrow claimed it was a DIY effort.

"BOY? GIRL? BOY? GIRL?"

Music to watch girls by
Whilst modern musicians frequently borrow stylistically from artists like Grace Jones and Annie Lennox, I can't help sensing style over substance and general lack of depth. The originals combined art with incendiary messages, strong convictions and equally powerful vocals.

Suits you Madame.
The power suit deserves its status. Padded shoulders and boxy jackets naturally create volume and subsequently carry more clout than the namby pamby trouser suits of today. Case in point. SATC's Miranda Hobbes. She epitomised this look. Compare the hard-nosed early wave Miranda of the TV series with the girlie manifestation of the films. Ultimately I blame Hollywood for turning a savvy, cynical Manhattanite into a Stepford wife. By all means, update her look but motherhood is not synonymous with flowy dresses and a manic smile.

Shaken not stirred.

When it comes to suits, I do admire a woman in a tuxedo. Jennifer Beals' halter-tux in Flashdance. Demi Moore's new year's tux in About Last Night. However nobody did it better than Marlene Dietrich in Morocco (1930). She had more chutzpah and prowess than all the 007s put together.

Savile Row
As a Tarantino-obsessed 6th form media student, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction were amongst my style inspirations. Costume designer, Betsy Heimann, who worked on both films, sourced the outfits on the cheap. The finished product created a cult following. Both films were remembered for their costumes as much as the plot. But it never occurred to me that this was a look just for the boys.

ERYKAH DOES CHAKA - BET Awards

Watching the BET awards, I was mesmerised by Erykah Badu. Her rendition of Chaka Khan's Whatcha Gonna Do For Me? was vocally on point and charismatic to boot. I never tire of her evolving wardrobe. Ms Badu has re-kindled my love for statement jewellery and, very possibly, dungarees. Some respite from all the jump suit madness. I heart her.