Zoot Suits…they’re a bit like Marmite – either you love them or (like me) you don’t. But ever wondered where they came from? Well this post doesn’t tell you. But if you’re interested in finding out more about the mob, Mexicans and this strange Swing fashion then this amazing post on Queens Of Vintage is well worth a read…

“During the Forties, American teens were at odds with the adults. They went to clubs that served over sized 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, over sized skirts, and Zoot Suits along with wide brimmed hats. Our LA correspondent and Zoot Suit lover Vanessa Sandoval takes a look back in time.” Read more…

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He’s called Fabrizio and he has a hot military tie tuck

She’s from Florence and she ties a mean headscarf…

I spend more time than I’d like to admit on The Satorialist. Maybe it’s too many years as a secret Sex and the City watcher, maybe it’s just the amazing photos, who knows. But as the sunshine dwindles here in London I stumled accross photos from the Jazz-Age Dance Party in New York. If only all picnics were this stylish…

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If you love your vintage style then I have a new friend for you. Allow me to introduce Jessica…who likes to think of herself as a bit of  a curator of vintage images.

I am sure you’ll get as lost as I did in this great collection of Vintage Vogue photos on FLickr. The fashion photos are from 1920 through to 1965.  Her collections on Flickr – which include magazines, models, accessories and vintage stars. You could literally lose hours in there! You can also search by decade on her website. Genius.

Something tells me I’ll be spending a lot of time with Jessica….

My Vintage Vogue on Flickr
My Vintage Vogue on Twitter
My Vintage Vouge on Facebook

Ok, not exactly Swing related but a bit of a must for all you fans of vintage fashion! The Grace Kelly retrospective starts this weekend at the V&A. The exhibition shows the wardrobe of Grace Kelly, one of the most popular actresses of the 1950s, featuring dresses from many her films. The V&A will be hosting awhole stack of events to compliemnt the exhibition including  films screenings, a film and fashion study day, a short course on 1950s haute couture and practical worshops making Grace Kelly-inspired hats and scarfs….now doesn’t that sound delicious? You can find out about the exhibition and all it’s events at the V&A website. If you love cinema the BFI Southbank is also showing a season of Grace Kelly films 1-30 June. See www.bfi.org.uk for details

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Love your vintage? Well you could do a lot worse than getting yourself down to the Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair this Sunday. With clothes from the 1800s-1980s and over 40 NEW dealers in fine vintage apparel from all over the UK & Europe it promises to be quite the occasion. I picked up some great stuff on my last venture, not to mention some rather smashing tea and cake

Do get in early though, with over 800 people attending the last one it’s best to get in early for the real fine pickings before the vintage style seekers arrive en masse.

Sunday 14th March 11:00-4:30pm £4
The Urdang, The Old Finsbury Town Hall, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1

Pst….they were giving away 100 FREE tickets on their website. Hurry on over and see if you can snaffle one.
Keep looking for the heart…

www.clerkenwellvintagefashionfair.co.uk

Go on, be  a chap! While not ones for shameless brand plugging we simply had to doff our caps at The Chap – a marvellous website championing the rights of ‘the gentleman.’ In their own words…The Chap believes that a society without courteous behaviour and proper headwear is a society on the brink of moral and sartorial collapse. Well, quite I say.

Have a read of their manifesto. There may be some controversial content for Swing dancers, I for one am not a huge fan of dancing in Tweed.  However, any gentleman worth his salt should take a moment to marvel at the fantastic array of  dress braces and sock suspenders. Not to mention the cravats, hats and spiffing stiff wing collars. Quite simply the cat’s pyjamas.

“All men are equal. All men, that is, who possess umbrellas.”
E.M. Forster

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