A focus on... the 1960s

The 1960s was a colourful and innovative decade. Many different trends emerged during this period, from glamorous to boho, high fashion to ethnic style.

Fashions in the early years of the decade reflected the elegance of the First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. In addition to the pillbox hat, women wore stiletto heeled shoes and suits with short boxy jackets, as well as over-sized buttons.

A subgroup of 1960s culture were the hippies, who were all about peace, love and freedom. Flowers were synonymous with hippy fashion. A lot of style inspiration was drawn from traditional clothing in Nepal, India, Bali, Morocco and African countries.

The fashion scene was dominated by iconic models such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, for their ultra mod and glamorous look. They were the perfect ambassadors of the miniskirt - accredited to '60s designer Mary Quant. Actress and singer, Jane Birkin, was renowned for her signature effortless style which symbolised Sixties boho fashion.

We had a look around Vintage Modes and spotted lots of pieces from this era that are positively groovy!

Feathery white flower brooch, from Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery

Metal flower brooch, from Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery

Flower power style

French sunglasses, offered by Gillian Horsup

1960s sunglasses advert

Vintage sunglasses, offered by Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery

Audrey Hepburn

White straw hat, from June Victor at Vintage Modes

Jane Birkin

1960s Stratton abstract design compact, from Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery

The compact - an essential accessory!

1960s compact advert

Velvet robe, from June Victor at Vintage Modes

Jane Birkin 

Vintage gold tone brooch by Boucher, from Arabella Bianco

Vintage gold tone textured flower bracelet, from Arabella Bianco

1960s Gold accessories

1960s Gold accessories

All items posted are for sale. If you have any queries please leave a comment or visit us at Grays in Mayfair, London Alternatively you can call us on 020 7409 0400 or email info@vintagemodes.co.uk

Afternoon Tea Week: The Tea Dress

The origins of the Tea Dress are linked to the fashion of Afternoon Tea - a tradition believed to have been started by Anna Maria Stanhope, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in 1841. It began with Stanhope's daily ritual of tea and a light snack to fill the gap between lunch and dinner. She would invite friends to join her, thus creating a new social event that became an important part of British society, still enjoyed today.

When Anna’s habit became public knowledge, the craze of taking Afternoon Tea spread like wildfire throughout the upper classes. Ladies across the land would dress up in their finery and visit each other’s houses to have a gossip over tea. Books at the time contained entire chapters devoted to the proper etiquette of Afternoon Tea. The Tea Dress started life as a garment made solely for informal entertaining within the home - not worn with corsets, they were a form of liberation for the women of the time, showing the beginnings of a slightly more relaxed style of women’s clothing.

Below are a few examples of dresses from June Victor at Vintage Modes that would look splendid at an Afternoon Tea event.

1970s Bellville Sassoon dress

Crepe navy print dress

Peter Robinson 1970s dress

1940s brown polka dot dress

1940s cotton dress

All items posted are for sale. If you have any queries please leave a comment or visit us at Grays in Mayfair, London Alternatively you can call us on 020 7409 0400 or email info@vintagemodes.co.uk

Vogue 100: A Century of Style

This year is Conde Nast Vogue's centenary and to celebrate, the magazine will be running several special magazines, exhibitions and events. To kick off the celebrations, this Thursday, 11 February the National Portrait Gallery will be launching a new exhibition centred around Vogue. 

The 'Vogue 100: A Century of Style' exhibition will feature over 280 prints of Vogue shoots and covers, showcasing the fantastic range of photography that has been commissioned over the years. The prints on show will go back as far as 1916, when British Vogue was founded. A lot of the items on show have never before been seen by the general public.

Here at Vintage Modes we think it's an exhibition not to be missed, and to celebrate we're sharing our favourite Vogue shoots featuring our dealers!

Colourful costume jewellery from Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery is featured in February 2016.

Vintage costume jewellery from Arabella Bianco is featured in a Mario
Testino photoshoot with Sienna Miller in October 2015.

'Rainbow Babes' photoshoot featuring costume jewellery from
Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery and Linda Bee. Photography by Mario Testino. February 2014.

Vintage clothing and jewellery offered by Vintage Modes and Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery  are featured in the Halycon Days photoshoot. November 2014.

 

Vintage earrings, offered by Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery in a December 2013 shoot.

Kate Moss wears vintage earrings from Linda Bee and Vintage Modes
in a photoshoot with John Galliano. February 2014.

Costume jewellery from Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery and Linda Bee are featured in a photoshoot
shot by Mario Testino and starring Cara Delevigne & Suki Waterhouse. April 2015.

A necklace from Arabella Bianco is included in a photoshoot
featuring Chloe Sevigny in May2015.

Vintage diamante clip earrings offered by Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery are used in a photoshoot directed by Kate Moss in June 2015.

Vogue 100: A Century of Style
11 February - 22 May 2016


If you have any queries please leave a comment or visit us at Grays in Mayfair, London Alternatively you can call us on 020 7409 0400 or email info@vintagemodes.co.uk

Combat the Blue Monday Blues!

To fight off the Blue Monday gloom, we've used it as inspiration to find our most colourful pieces in store at Vintage Modes. Here are our favourites..

Vintage Red Lucite Bangle with Silver Confetti Stars, from Arabella Bianco.

1970s print dress, from June Victor.

Salmon pink vintage clip on earrings with studs, from Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery.

Colourful vintage scarf, from Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery.

Vintage turquoise plastic earrings by Kenneth Lane, set with sparkling rhinestones
in gold tone metal. From Arabella Bianco.

Pavone dog clip-on earrings, made from old Galalith and polished. From Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery.

Studded perspex Pelican earrings. Modernist with studs. From Unicorn.

And don't forget, we're offering 15% off in January when you sign up to our mailing list this month. Sign up here: ow.ly/X2WmR

All items posted are for sale. If you have any queries please leave a comment or visit us at Grays in Mayfair, London Alternatively you can call us on 020 7409 0400 or email info@vintagemodes.co.uk

Assuit Fashion

Metal thread embroidery is an ancient form of ornamentation. Originating in the Middle East, India, China and Japan, there are biblical references to its use with the linen cloth of Egypt. As soon as the western world became aware of this type of ornamentation in 1920, it became a fashionable item.

This form of embroidery, also known as assuit, usually comes in shawls and was all handmade by tribal women. It is made using a flat embroidery needle, inserting narrow silver and sometimes gold coloured metallic strips and hand crimping them, like a staple, into a cotton or linen mesh ground.

The designs were usually focussed into two groups, Geometric and Figural. Geometric Assuit has filled in diamonds or triangle forms and is sometimes covered solid.

Figural Assuit may have rows of trees or corn like plants with full skirted women or camels with riders.

Pricing has increased in more recent years, though it has started being remade and is making a comeback, however the quality of tribal assuit will never be accomplished in modern pieces.

Leslie of Arabella Bianco, located in Vintage Modes has a beautiful genuine Art Deco Egyptian assuit shawl displayed for sale. Its golden colour and geometric patten make this piece marvellous and irresistible. For more information email: mail@arabellabianco.co.uk

Geometric pattern assuit shawl by Arabella Bianco

A close up of the beautiful geometric pattern

All items posted are for sale. If you have any queries please leave a comment or visit us at Grays in Mayfair, London Alternatively you can call us on 020 7409 0400 or email info@vintagemodes.co.uk

Natural Stones

With the sun finally shining, Spring is upon us and the new season fashion styles and collections start blooming.

This year, designers such as Louis Vuitton have been showing a great use of natural stone bohemian style jewellery to break up floral prints and bright pastel colours. However, natural stones have been worn for centuries.

 Natural stones are a common find in jewellery pieces as they are much more economically friendly than manufactured gemstones. Although some may prefer a flawless, synthetic gemstone, a great feature of jewellery with natural stones is that not one stone will be the same. All the small impurities that create lines and colour difference will make each piece unique, with its own individual colours and quirks.

 Throughout centuries, many believed that certain natural gemstones had healing powers and would not only wear them as a sign of belief, but grind them into medicines. For example, pearls were believed to be the tears of god, and when worn gave impart wisdom and protect children, as well as strengthen a love relationship.

 Vintage natural jewellery has now become a popular collectable, but not just as an investment. These beautiful unique stones capture not only the buyers' hearts, but Grays’ dealers hearts too.

Gillian Horsup at Vintage Modes at Grays Antiques has a brilliant collection of natural stone jewellery, for more information visit: www.graysantiques.com/dealerDetail.php?dealer=259

A beautiful collection of orange and green natural stone 
jewellery by Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery 

A variety of Gillian Horsup Vintage Jewellery natural stone bead necklaces

A selection of natural stone cameo jewellery 

Bright and beautiful natural stone accessories 

All items posted are for sale. If you have any queries please leave a comment or visit us at Grays in Mayfair, London.  Alternatively you can call us on 020 7409 0400 or email info@vintagemodes.co.uk