Diana Dors: Portrait of a post war pin-up

Do blondes have more fun? Did 1950s bombshells have platinum curls, voluptuous curves, endless lashes and flirty dresses? Case closed! But while many of us now consider Marilyn Monroe the archetype of that very glamorous decade, all-American, windswept and pouty in that white dress, another blonde sex kitten was making waves on this side of the water. There’s a definite likeness, yes, but there’s a completely different story. And it deserves to be told. Step forward Diana Dors…Martha Hayes has the story.
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Sixties style icons

One of Liz Kennedy’s  favourite eras to draw inspiration from is the Sixties, a decade which bursts at the seams with creative confidence and energy. A time when fashion and music ran wild together and infected the nation with their free spirited, ‘anything goes’ kind of attitude. So if this is your dream decade too, who can you look to for inspiration? Here, Liz has a list of her favourite beat babes.

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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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First Ladies of Fashion

When Michelle Obama became America’s latest First Lady she joined a long list of women who have been at the centre of the world’s attention – not so much because of their political stance or their charitable activities but because of their style. Lena Weber has selected America’s finest first ladies of fashion.
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Summer style inspiration: Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver

Jodie Foster’s child prostitute character in Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976) is the sartorial embodiment of a hot summer in Seventies New York City. We love her denim hot pants, wide-rimmed hats and sultry red lips.
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Vintage Style Icons: Nico – femme fatale

Nico is most famous for being the Velvet Underground’s ice-queen chanteuse and in her twilight years, junkie icon.  She was labelled as one of the most beautiful women ever by those who knew her, with a unique style and an equally unique deep Teutonic voice.  Amy Rosa takes a look at one of the Sixties and Seventies true fashion outsiders.
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Vintage kings: male film characters whose style we love

Every so often Hollywood’s leading men will play a role that takes on a life of it’s own, turning an on-screen persona into a legendary character, that we still find as fascinating today as its original audience. Christopher Raymond Brocklebank has found some male vintage film characters we continue to love, not least for their sartorial brilliance.
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The rise and fall of Mae Murray

Silent movie stars seem to have been forever falling from grace. Hollywood Hubris ran rampant through the paradisic Beverly Hills in the Twenties, and none of them seemed to learn from the crash-and-burn antics of their contemporaries. The coming of sound is often invoked as the wrecker of many a liquid-eyed silent star, but many more were casualties of their own gilded ego-trips. Mae Murray is a perfect case in point. Christopher Raymond Brocklebank has her story.

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Kings of Vintage: British street style – skinheads

Few British subcultures have been as misinterpreted as Skins. A youth movement that emerged out of the Mod scene and was inspired by West Indian hair styles, it is now overshadowed by the extremist political views of some of its members. Christopher Raymond Brocklebank explores the origins of Skins.
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Vintage style inspiration: Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo chose herself as the object of most of her paintings, exploring her gender and identity through her art. Her clothes and looks were an important prop, not only in her portraits but also in her life. Jen Newby takes a look at a woman whose style continues to fascinate us today.
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