The Fur Debate...

Fur is perhaps the most controversial subject in the fashion world with fierce debates on the topic which have spanned over the course of decades, therefore it is often a difficult subject to broach.  As a concept, the selling of vintage clothing encourages the utilisation of all materials in a bid to promote sustainability, which means that we do sell vintage fur but we do so in accordance with the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, and hence have a "no new fur" policy. 

In regard to selling fur, I feel that it is necessary to address the issues and history that comes with such a controversial topic rather than to shy away from them, yet I do so with an open mind. The 90's saw perhaps one of the biggest anti-fur movements in contemporary history, with PETA's supermodel led campaign  entitled "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur". Yet, in recent years fur has unabashedly crept back into the limelight with some of the faces (Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell) of that same campaign wearing fur. At the end of the day, fur comes down to personal preference and most of you will have had your minds made up on the topic well before stumbling onto this post so it would be unethical for us to either encourage or discourage our buyers on such a sensitive matter; however we feel that it is necessary to approach the subject with both honesty and sensitivity.  

With the main issues addressed, I will say that our collection of fur is presented in excellent condition - no stains, no odours or balding - such is the quality of vintage fur. Vintage fur is often referred to as "glamour without the guilt", and this is something worth considering if you are going to buy fur; you get the same luxury and quality without the animals of today dying. It almost makes sense to recycle vintage garments rather than to hide them away at the back of a closet whilst waiting around for this ethical dilemma to be solved; this way it avoids the unnecessary sourcing of new fur. Debbie Berwick, a well-renowned vintage retailer states “As long as the animals aren't going to be killed now, the coats that are here now, I cant see any problem re-wearing them. I don't like the fact that they're going to be killing animals in the future but I cant see the problem in wearing vintage." 

Regardless of your own personal stance on the matter, there is no denying that fur -  real or faux -will be big news this winter with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Lily Allen and Kate Moss all being snapped wearing designs of real fur. Style and fashion aside, these celebrities applaud the unique luxury, warmth and ecologically-conscious properties that go along with choosing authentic vintage fur over man-made materials. We stock a wide variety of vintage fur which can be found here, with more to be added. The images above are both taken from our collection with the white fur coat being almost identical to the famous fur coat worn by Marilyn Monroe. Our collection is of phenomenal quality and luxurious design 

Droopy And Browns

(You can shop our collection of Droopy and Browns' items here)

For me, the idealism of vintage shopping is that sense of individuality; the opportunity to create a sense of romanticism amongst the mundane nature of day-to-day life. Therefore, it's refreshing to stumble upon a designer who lived their personal life with the same set of ideals. As I've said time and time again - when it comes to vintage shopping, it all comes down to quality; with this in mind, there is no designer who epitomises the spirit of vintage clothing quite like Angela Holmes - the late designer behind the brand that was Droopy and Browns. It's an honour to stumble across such well-made and unique dresses; each garment a piece of history within their own right, so much so that the majority of pieces designed by Angela Holmes are considered limited editions and are increasingly sought after by contemporary collectors. The intricacy and complexity of each garment alone should be enough to grab your attention, but failing that, Angela's passion and story will undoubtedly set a precedent for vintage shopping and hopefully strike a chord with you, thus inspiring you to dip your toe into the waters of vintage dressing. Got your attention? Good. Now here's for the fairytale...

Truth be told, Angela is something of an idol to me; uncompromisingly talented and relentlessly ambitious, she built the label Droopy and Browns off her own back. She avoided mainstream fashion as she simply didn't buy into the idea of "fad fashion" - Angela wanted both longevity and theatricality from her clothes. This love for extravagance can be traced back to her childhood, Angela was one of four children brought up on a Yorkshire farm and always had a penchant for theatricality, putting on shows in which she always played the role of a swooning princess; this offered her a form of escapism from the drudgery of day-to-day life on the farm. It's often noted that Angela was scarred by the death of her mother, and that this led to her locking herself away spending hours at a time drawing pictures of the elegantly dressed women that she had often dressed up as during her childhood. In fact, the first store that Angela bought was one in which she vividly recalled watching her mother shop for couture gowns, thus further fuelling her desire to build a brand which encapsulated the passion that her and her mother both shared. Angela was nostalgic for the days when clothes were beautifully made; she loathed the disposable nature of contemporary fashion, and the use of cheap labour which thus produced poor quality items. Angela's designs were brought to life with blood, sweat and tears; each piece created with a genuine love. She personally oversaw each stage of the process; she worked in natural fabrics, designed and drew many of the prints herself, and had them dyed to her own specifications. 

Yet, as interesting as Angela's biographical details are, she is made all the more inspirational for the sole reason that all of this was not just a business tactic; she lived and breathed the brand's core ideals. Angela was described as enigmatic; acquaintances have said that there was something strangely alluring about the girl with tumbling blonde locks who walked her dogs in the most glamorous of outfits whilst leaving clouds of perfume in her wake. Every single person in the fashion industry has at some point heard the same scornful line - "fashion is selfish, and not culturally significant". Yet, people like Angela Holmes dispel this tired outlook; fashion is a culture; a way to express individuality, a way to stand out from the crowd and embrace individuality, a form of escapism - fashion is anything you want it to be, and more importantly, it allows you to be exactly who you want to be- no restraints, no boundaries and no conformity. Angela Holmes fully embodies the spirit which lies within vintage shopping; we needn't focus on the tiresome and recyclable trends on the catwalk - fashion is self expression. 

Droopy and Browns' clothes are everything you could possibly want from vintage clothing; flamboyant yet feminine, contemporary yet historically influenced. Angela was quirky, she lived everyday as if it were an adventure and dressed accordingly for that; she brightened up the drab reality of everyday tasks and excluded everything that was mundane in the world. She filled her house with flowers and dressed as if each day was a special event. If her fashion influence doesn't inspire you to embrace all that is great about vintage shopping, then I'm not quite sure what will. These Droopy and Browns' items have reawaken my love for fashion and I hope they can do the same for you; they're bold and unashamedly unique, just as fashion should be. If nothing else, Angela proved that every day should be treated as an adventure, so why not dress like it? 

Ted Lapidus

Ah, the Swinging Sixties; arguably the most influential decade in terms of style evolution for both men, and women. Yet, today's post is primarily one for the boys...

There's no denying that the 60's were a culturally defining decade in many ways, and there were four Liverpudlian lads in particular who helped shape and redefine men's fashion... The Beatles were an overwhelming social, cultural and musical phenomenon who dominated an entire decade. In retrospect, it is fair to say that The Beatles epitomised and defined the sixties, thus their sense of style was heavily influential at the time; they possessed the ability to eclipse other fashion trends and truly make their own mark on the industry. So, we were more than excited when we stumbled across this vintage gem; an original Ted Lapidus suit. Ted Lapidus was a fashion entrepreneur who designed the famous white suit worn by John Lennon on the Abbey Road album cover. Lapidus started his fashion career as an apprentice for Christian Dior solely because he didn't have the money to put himself through medical school; yet he went on to revolutionise the fashion world. Lapidus was the first designer to put high fashion fabricating techniques into industrial production; he caused a storm in 1951 by collaborating with Belle Jardiniene and mass producing his designs to sell at the budget label, but as they say....there's no such thing as bad press.

Lapidus went on to become one of the most influential designers of the 60's, not only was John Lennon a fan of his work, but Lapidus was also the first designer to persuade Twiggy to wear a suit and tie as opposed to a mini skirt; Lapidus pushed the boundaries of styling and challenged the trends to turn fashion on its head. He injected a sense of quirkiness into the generation and offered a further breed of fashion to a decade that was already jam-packed with revolutionary styles.

Our Ted Lapidus suit will be available online this week, and is a true investment piece. Owning a suit designed by such a fashion hero from one of the greatest generations of all time has surely got to be the next best thing to having lived through the era first-hand, right? Ah, to have lived in the glory days of seeing The Beatles live in The Cavern Club; the perfect, flicked eyeliner smudged under my eyes and my bouffant askew from all the twisting-and-shouting - what a dream!