Vintage Love Affair

I have a long standing love affair with vintage tat. Mainly 40s and 50s, but there are fantastic finds from every era. 


Knowing this, fellow roller girl, Ms Moll, recently sent a pile of Milkcow magazines my way. Milkcow is a UK based monthly magazine, dedicated lifestyle and culture of the 1940s and 1950s in the UK. 

I've spent as much time as possible perusing the pages of Milkcow back issues, and have been inspired to dedicate an entire blog post to this vintage love affair.

I own plenty of vintage bits and bobs, mostly clothes, shoes and accessories. But I also own many vintage inspired and reproduction pieces. The vintage 40s and 50s look is always going to be popular, especially among the rockabilly community. So a 50s inspired swing dress, or a 40s inspired tailored suit is only a click away.


One website that can always be relied upon to provide affordable vintage inspired looks is Collectif. They update the website with new designs regularly, so often have special offers on. They have a wide variety of sizes and styles available too. 

Probably the best known place for vintage reproduction clothes in the UK is Vivien of Holloway. Less affordable than Collectif, but not over priced. Their dresses are perfect for that special occasion.
V of H use original vintage patterns for their creations, so the sizes can be a little confusing. Always check your measurements before ordering online.

No one wants to wear 50 year old pants (unless that's your fetish, of course), so reproduction is certainly the choice for vintage lingerie. My favorite stockist is undoubtedly What Katie Did. Not that I could ever afford to purchase anything, but it's always nice to have a dream!

Are you a wearer of glasses? Not a problem. Have a look at Dead Men's Spex. This website sells a host of vintage glasses to suit all your optical needs. Prices range from £30 to £120, with the majority of frames being round the £50 mark. Bargain!

So you've got the look, but what about your house?! I've found it's often cheaper to pick up original vintage pieces from charity shops, second hand furniture shops and of course eBay. But there are plenty of modern shops and websites selling vintage inspired home furnishings and decor at affordable prices too. I've recently stumbled across Cloth Ears, a Kent based website selling a selection of retro kistch accessories, gifts and homeware. 

I don't know about anyone else, but I'd love to cover the walls of my house in vintage pieces of art. Gil Elvgren is my all time favorite pin up artist. He illustrated hundreds of American adverts through the 1930s to the 1970s and his pin up girls are still popular today. It's easy as pie to pick up a Elvgren print, whether it be a poster or on canvas, even I have one adorning my wall.

Miss Swanne is a London based artist, who creates a lot of vintage inspired pieces. There's a definite pin up look to some of her work, but Miss Swanne's individual style certainly shines through. I'd be thoroughly thrilled to display one of her Blue Lady prints on the wall of my lounge. 

I think I could perhaps go on forever here. It seems the world of vintage inspired goods is absolutely limitless. But I should really stop here. After all, the postie has just delivered my copy of Style Me Vintage, so I'm off to attempt some vintage hair dos. Wish me luck!