Kings of Vintage: The Zoot Suit Riots – fashion, rebellion and youth in Forties LA

During the Forties, American teens were at odds with the adults. They went to clubs that served oversized menus and soda and would listen to music by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong. They would go dancing in ballrooms, for walks with their sweethearts and took advantage of their time as youths. They danced the jitterbug, wore saddle shoes, oversized skirts, and Zoot Suits along with wide brimmed hats.  Our LA correspondent and Zoot Suit lover Vanessa Sandoval takes a look back in time.

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Ooh la la! Vintage hairstylist Miss Betty shares her style secrets

Miss Betty is a one woman glamour machine. Able to unlock the elusive beauty secrets of decades long passed with a graceful flick of her comb and some ingenious curl-magic, this is one hairstylist who lives and breathes elegant vintage style.

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Kings of Vintage: Rockers

With their love for motorcycles, leather and beer, Rockers have always had a bad reputation, even when they first began to emerge in post-war Britain. Christopher Raymond Brocklebank takes a look at a youth culture phenomenon which still fascinates us today.
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Prom queens of vintage

The high school prom is a seminal moment in every American girl’s teenage years.  It’s that time of year when corsages, taffeta and hairspray step out of the vintage world into mainstream consciousness and the only thing more important than getting a date is getting a dress. Actually, getting the dress.  With the end of term for the class of 2009 now upon us, Rosie Dow takes a look at how the prom dress has evolved over the decades.
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Top make-up products to achieve a Forties look

The striking looks of the Forties reveal just how much women did to look polished, making today’s neutral make-up seem so bland. Max Factor make-up artist Caroline Barnes gives us some expert guidance in how to recreate bold, heavy-lidded eyes and Yanar Alkayat selects the tried and tested mascaras and eyeliners to achieve this look.
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The Vintage Librarian reviews: Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle of Britain

This week our lovely Vintage Librarian, Claire Pursglove, is reviewing a moving book on the Blitz that retells the story of the war from the perspectives of those who experienced it first-hand.
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Vintage Accessories thoughout the decades

When talking of vintage style and fashion we must remember that’s not all about the clothes. It’s also the all important accessories that support, accentuate and sometimes even make the outfit. Angel Middleton has explored the key vintage accessories that helped define style throughout the decades.
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Headwear through the decades

It’s no secret, we’d be nowhere without our accessories. For decades, women have accessorised, attaching a brooch here, popping on some pearls there, and buckling up a belt around their waists. But there is one accessory, perhaps, that has changed its face more than any: the hat. Emily O’Brien talks us through the most iconic headwear from the Twenties through to the Eighties.

Lena Horne – the lady and her music

In today’s so-called celebrity culture, genuine star quality has become increasingly difficult to come by. True talent, beauty, style or the power to influence and inspire are all rare commodities these days. And as a package? Forget about it. Look back to the Forties however, and things were a little bit different. Stars shined, icons were born and history was made. Martha Hayes takes a look at the formidable Lena Horne.
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Wild vintage: animal-inspired accessories throughout the decades

Looking for some unusual jewellery? Think beaks, claws and paws. Adele Baxby writes about her obsession with vintage animal jewellery and talks us through what kind of beastly accessories were fashionable for each decade.
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