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Monday 22 September 2014

Droopy And Browns

Droopy and Browns Angela Holmes vintage dressing style tips

Droopy and Browns Angela Holmes vintage dressing style tips


Droopy and Browns Angela Holmes vintage dressing style tips


Droopy and Browns Angela Holmes vintage dressing style tips
(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? 


1 comment:

  1. It really does make my heart well up when I read this blogspot of my special friend Angela Holmes who I met when we were both students at Harrogate college for ladies in the mid 1960's .Angela really was a very special person as well as being emmensily talented which was noted during our time together , she actually set out to achieve everything that's she planned.
    Being in touch and following this very special person throughout out her shortened life (as she passed away at age fifty - exactly the age her mother passed away).
    Just so talented and a fabulous diverse achiever in so many different ways I still feel she didn't get the accolade she deserved , particularly from all areas of the fashion,music and acting industries . Angela was a superstar and to be greatly loved and admired...

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