Tuesday 24 May 2011

Boho Brilliance

So, with seventies fever rocking the nation, we thought it might be just a bit brilliant to have a cheeky peek at what made the era of hippy chic so blooming great. 

It was a decade dominated by all things Mother Earth and fashion was heavily inspired by the outdoors and ethnic design. The super relaxed but vibrantly patterned dresses from Thea Porter were a sure way to nail the "back to nature trend".  The cut was loose and often featured clashing Eastern- inspired prints in luxurious silk. The ultimate in boho luxe.


Staying with the bohemian vibe but taking a more elegant approach to tailoring, Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell produced stunning clothing much coveted by rock stars and models. The prints featuring, now famous, floating daisies, poppies and stars were delicate and feminine and the cut was close to the body accentuating the female form. The attitude was definitely still one of free spirit with hippy roots but the look was also undeniably sexy.

Ossie Clark with Birtwell print in poppies, hearts and feathers. 1971
Photo courtesy of the V&A 

Delicious disco fashion was also taking over the dance floor where, amongst the sequinned leggings and stilettos, full length backless dresses featured thigh high splits, and plunging halter-neck dresses shone in shimmering fabrics. Not only did you have to look good but you had to bust some serious moves. Most famous for these slinky sexy designs was Roy Halston who's love for making disco dresses super bling was world renowned.



Jennifer Aniston in 1970s Vintage Halston
 
Just to mix things up, and in stark contrast to the floating, chilled out style of the early seventies, the latter part of the decade made way for the punk movement and the whilst Clark and Porter took steps to incorporate the trend, the Mother of early punk has to be Vivienne Westwood. Whether it was her original dog collar knit made for label "Let It Rock" or her provocative "Hangman" jumper dress in 1977, her harsh design and controversial concepts perfectly reflected the anti-establishment attitude of the time. 



Vivienne Westwood's Seditionaries Hangman Jumper 1977

So, that was our whistle stop tour of the styles from the seventies that make us smile! Let us know which designers and styles you most swoon over!

RMV x

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Rock My Vintage Launch

Who the heck are Rock My Vintage?

Good question! We are an on-line boutique specialising in original and inspired vintage dresses and accessories. We think that vintage should be relevant and accessible rather than nostalgic and with this in mind we set up Rock My Vintage to give fashion followers the opportunity to choose between owing a fab one-off vintage piece or investing in a gorgeous contemporary design that style captures that vintage vibe. We focus on vintage eras but also on current trends so that our range is tempting to even the most modern fashionista. That is what is unique about RMV, it is all about vintage design irrespective of the actual age of the product. Here's a little mix of our current dress crushes...







So, that's a bit about us. At the RMV blog we wanted to create a space to talk about all all things vintage, fashion, current crushes, pet peeves and what ever else happens to be on our minds. What we really want is for you to get involved and tell us what you are thinking, what you think of our rambling and, even better, teach us a thing or two! 

Happy Blogging!