Right Royal Swap

Today I received my Jubilee Swap parcel from the lovely Emma of Ooh Betty.

Crochet bunting! how cool is that? Some lovely buttons and braid for my sewing stash and..

wait for it...

The cutest cruet in the world

thanks Emma, thanks Lakota fo organising this.

Banish Those Monday Blues: Dolcis Shoes

August 1944.

December 1947

Debutantes, March 1951.

Festival of Britain ad July 1951.

Californians March 1952

All scanned by Miss Rayne

Sybil Connolly Couturier

According to Sybil Connolly her success story is NOT an Irish fairy tale.

From Housewife magazine July 1954. click for Big

From Housewife magazine July 1954. click for Big

From Housewife magazine July 1954. click for Big

After this initial success, Sybil Connolly kept her finger on the pulse of fashion until the early 70s when she decided that designing 'merely fashionable' clothes was not for her. Read more here

She published many patterns in the Vogue Couturier series see more at The Vintage Pattern Wiki.

Swim, Suit, Swim.

In the early 50s Lastex published a lot of multi-company adverts illustrating the diversity of their elastic fabrics, this is the most colorful one I've seen.

Shopping Magazine June 1953 Click for Big.

Which is your fave? I'm rather keen on the royal purple by Du Cros.

Schiaparelli Sun Dress 1951

Striped cotton sun dress and bolero by Schiaparelli with bias panels at the sides and gathering across the front waist.

Housewife magazine July 1951.

Scanned by Miss Rayne

50s Bolero Knitting Pattern

Housewife magazine June 1954

Perfect for the current 'summer' Bah!

Rennovate Your Umbrellas

I've always wanted to try this and considering the British weather these last few days, NOW seems the appropriate time.

Housewife March 1952. Click for Instructions.

With modern umbrellas the frame is more likely to disintegrate than the fabric, but most car boots and fairs turn up old frames with tattered fabric, I rather fancy a raincoat and brolly to match.

Summer Sports Shoes by Dunlop 1953

Tucked inside one of the Housewife magazines was this flyer for Dunlop sports shoes, longtime

Click for Big

Click for Big

readers of this blog may recall a similar flyer from 1939 here. There is much more of an emphasis on sports shoes as opposed to leisure shoes in 1953, and it would also be true to say that the economy still wasn't fully recovered from the war which may also have impacted on the number of styles available.

Shoes Fit for a Queen

Red satin and plisse velvet court shoes with a diamond crown c1983.

Rayne received the royal warrant from three succesive Queens. Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II. More information at Rayne Shoes.

The Royal Sandwich Bag 1953

Practicalities behind the pomp. Housewife Magazine 1953. Click for big