Bath Fashion Museum Research

I have been going through my research for the latest A/W collection which is coming soon and here is the section from the Bath Fashion Museum.

I was lucky enough to get a study session as well as view the film costume exhibition and the most gorgeous wedding collection they have at the moment. 

As I have previously mentioned the collection is based on Princesses, not the Disney kind but the kind that runs away from the Royal family and makes a life of her own complete with crown and dresses.

Bath Fashion Museums film exhibition, I am loving the ermine trim at the moment and it's definitely something that will be in the A/W collection, along with velvets. These costumes were from Young Victoria designed by Sandy Powell and Elizabeth, designed by Alexandra Byrne, the workmanship to make these costumes authentic is just amazing.

 Two of Queen Alexandra's (Queen of the United Kingdom 1901-1910) evening dresses. The first dress in purple silk chiffon and decorated with silver glass beads and metallic embroidery. It was just stunning with the couturiers label on the grosgrain waistband and the tiny hook fastenings over the bodice. Produced by Doevillet from around 1910.

The second tartan outfit was made for a party and consisted a pinafore dress with a bustled underskirt and the sweetest bodice trimmed in red silk. Made by Madame Elise around 1870-79. The fine hand sewn detailing is mesmerising, the pleated and gathered waistband perfectly folded together, little covered buttons and lace trim, everything looks so perfect in these dresses which must have taken months to produce especially with all the beading. .
Tartan will be featuring in the A/W collection, it's a princess must have, Regal and quite festive with lots of drama to it.

And finally the dress I had been waiting for, Princess Margaret's silk and corded lace cocktail dress by Norman Hartnell. The dress is strapless with a boned bodice complete with stays. The underskirt is almost pencil cut with structuring. No nets just this small skirt underneath and a very full stiff corded lace skirt fastening with a metal zipper to the centre back. 

I really expected these 'Royal' garments to be lined in gold or diamonds or something so luxurious, the very best but the dresses are the same inside as they would be for any customer, I think. This Norman Hartnell dress that was worn by the most glamorous Princess was un-lined with slightly tatty hand sewn seams.

I may have to read way too much into this and say they were beautiful on the outside but pretty normal on the inside. Sorry such a obvious cliche!

The whole experience of being up close to these garments (with my white gloves) was wonderful and something that is so valuable to learn from. A huge thank you to Bath Fashion Museum and the study department.

All garments photographed courtesy of the Fashion Museum Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Customer Photos - Annas Bridesmainds

We've just received the pictures of Annas' bridesmaids dresses from Tom Gage Photography and they look stunning, four Grecian goddesses in silk satin from the wonderful Beckford silks and draped silk chiffon. Anna hand made chiffon roses for the shoulders and the dresses were trimmed with a gold metallic ribbon at the waist. Just beautiful!

Poppy Dress

Ok, this week has been super super hectic, it's the end of the main UK wedding season and my little fingers have been hard at stitching lace, buttons and hems in preparation for my last brides of this year.  Anna, my wonderful intern Dice and my Mum have all been conscripted in to help. At the same time all the new brides are visiting, emailing and gathering ideas for next year which is so exciting. Will there be time to think about Christmas cocktail dresses?

I have been itching to show you this dress I recently finished for a US customer as I just love the big bold poppy print and the amazing fifties late Summer feel it has. You should have seen my delight when the fabric arrived, scarily bursting out of the envelope but full or saturated colour and a perfect weight. I'm so happy with the outcome, the fitted bodice and hips graduating to the poufy gathered and netted skirt. Huge love for this dress, I may just have to make another one!

Floral Dancing Dresses

Anna has been working on some gorgeous fifties style wiggle dresses for rock n roll dancing customers of hers. The pink rose print is fabulous in a vintage feel cotton and I love the cross over halter straps on the royal blue number. Full of fifties glam! You can contact Anna here to enquire about rock n roll dresses Email Anna. 

Jolie Magazine

The post arrived this morning with a treat from Jolie Magazine, Germany with one of our collars featured. It's a great magazine full of gorgeous styling, pictures and DIY's I really need to brush up on my German now! The collar is available made to order, just pop us an email and we'll make one for you. Our other collars and accessories are in the shop here.

Little Black Fair Trade Dresses

Model: Sarah Ball
Photographs: Alexandra King
Boots: All Saints
Hair Bow: Alexandra King

Our Fair Trade, Organic cotton little black dresses have arrived! (what a mouthful!) 

We have made only a few so far from the gorgeously good cotton supplied by Bishopston Trading and they come in a t-shirt style, worn with or without heels and nets and makes a great day dress,  The classic sleeveless bodice and a super chic asymmetric neckline for the evening. All complete with pockets.
They are available in our ASOS boutique here and made to order with nets and extras included on our website here.

More photos have just arrived from another bride! Daisy, based in the USA ordered her dress late last year and it makes me so happy when I see the pictures, these are really, really awesome images and doesn't she look incredible, perfectly fifties!
The wedding took place at Boston's New England Aquarium which looks really exciting as a venue, grand and fun in one place.
The photographer who took these super gorgeous wedding images is Suzanne Camarata and you can check out all her other work here along with her stunning portrait work. 
The beautiful flowers which include daisies for Daisy are just the right amount and style for the dress and so pretty. The florist is Sarah's Garden based in Massachusetts's. Daisy's hair was fixed suitably vintage style by Daleen Scott at Pyara Aveda in Harvard Square, Cambridge, USA  and she did her own make up which is perfect and most often the best way.

 This was a lovely commission for the prom dress but this time in a very soft tulle and in a blush blue colour made from layering pale blues and creams together. It looks like Daisy had a wonderful wedding day in the dress and it has been worn just how I would have wanted. Huge thanks to Daisy!

Emerald Green Cocktail Dress

 

Our gorgeous emerald jewel green 'Betty's Big Night' dress, with sleeves, can it get any more elegant? Thank you once again to the wonderful lady who ordered this dress, it's going to be part of the Winter collection with the sleeves.
The dress is available made to order in our online boutique here, as always made to measure and if you don't quite suit this beautiful green we are happy to order in a colour of your choice to make your dress, with or without sleeves. The possibilities are endless! Enjoy your Friday evening all. x

1. the 'Princess' tower
2. the entrace hall stand complete with his hat, coat and hangers
3. a parcel in the library, I love the basic wrapping
4. silk brocade covers in the library to protect the shattered silk underneath
5. Liberty print sofa in Mrs Gibbs lounge
6. the mint painted kitchens still full or bottles, crockery and general stuff
7. The matching walk in safe
8. The many bells for the many staff in the kitchen hall way
9. An early Mrs Gibbs, I think Matilda who died early
10. The sunflower wallpaper in the dining room. All the cream is hand painted.
11. Lord Wraxalls bedroom, the old curtains and toy soldiers
12. The incredible gleeming alter in the chapel
13. The pink, darkened drawing room with grand chandeliers
14. Mrs Gibbs room of her own with worn chair


We recently took a trip to one of our local country houses for a little research for the Princess collection. This is Tyntesfield house near Bristol and quite an incredible place. The National Trust managed to buy the house and the contents a few years ago and it is just how it was left. The house was owned by a Lord Wraxall, a bachelor and the Gibbs family had a very interesting rise and decline story until his death in 2001.
The place is a magnificent Gothic country house, very grand with so many rooms still not opened.

What was really fascinating was the fact that everything was a little worn, this once incredibly wealthy household was last decorated in the 1920s. The beautiful Liberty covered sofas had holes in, the TV that was left was a big 80s wood veneer model, the owner slept in a single bed, in the bedroom he had used since a child still with drawings of toy soldiers on the walls. Towards the end, Lord Wraxall (an eccentric, interesting character according to my father who had met with him a few times to discuss farm machinery) lived on his own in the house with no live in staff.
This massive house must have been so empty and maybe lonely? Little details like the hand written card telephone number list is still in the kitchens next to the phone he used, there's also a microwave which looks so out of place in these vast ground floor kitchens and pantries and large walk in safe the size of a banks . He still ate breakfast in the ginormous dining room, alone, which in contrast has sunflower wallpaper that his predecessors ordered to have all the red background hand painted cream. The house was the first in the area to get electricity and the whole house has wired bells and this fabulous billiard table that was wired to a score board all carved in wood with pipe heating underneath to make the balls run smoothly.
It's excessive luxury in it's decline, very honest and real and quite lovely but a little bit sad. The reality of what it costs to maintain these high Royal like standards and how this old money way is also frugal and has the same struggles at many 'normal' lives.
My photos are mainly of details of fabrics and images, but the whole house and huge grounds are well worth a day trip with a picnic. The gardens are stunning, the High Church Chapel is beautiful with its glistening mosaics and gold crosses and the kitchen gardens with the soon to open Orangery is a gorgeous retreat. For more information on Tyntesfield go the to National Trust Here

Winter Muse - The Princess

Princess Margaret in the Bath by Lord  Snowdon

I love this photo, it reminds me of my bath time growing up for some reason, I think my parents had a similar bath and mirror set up and the tiny things like the soap on the side reminds me of my Aunts house which was huge and gorgeously unfancy. I love the normality with that crown. 

Our Muse for the winter season is the Princess. After the Royal wedding of the summer it made me think (along with the rest of the world) about what it would be like to live as a Princess and how much of a fairytale it really would be?

I chose to research three specific 20th Century Princesses, Princess Marina, Princess Alexandra and Princess Margaret. (my mothers name, mine and the most gorgeous of all Princesses)  There are some amazingly lovely times for these women, in childhood particular which is full or parties, playing and running round large houses but there are other moments where there are restrictions, conformity's and a life that isn't entirely free.
Reading the biographies, viewing their clothing and visiting some stunning country piles has shown me that this is such an interesting life. Lots of extravagance and wonderful experiences but with strict boundries, it's old money and tradition with a little bit of loneliness and tired edges which I like. 

This is not the pale pink, fluffy wand twirling, butter wouldn't melt, virginal Princess us girls get force fed but women, who by the luck of the draw happen to be born (or wed) Royal. We look up to these women in awe as children and adults with a clouded fantasy of dreams and a little bit of greed for their lovely things and privileges, but, I personally wouldn't now want to swap the freedom of my 'general public' life for that of a Princess.

So this Winter collection is about Princesses, dresses, occasions, some wonderful indulgence with a little bit of caging in. Our Princess is a woman who breaks free and runs away with her dresses ...................   to be a show girl? or a checkout girl or anything she likes.

P.S I haven't mentioned Kate as we live in a different time now where things thankfully are a little bit easier for our Princesses. (however much our 'celeb magazines' would like us to think she is sad and lonely!) x

Look Magazine Velvet Bow

Our bow has been featured in Look Magazine this week, the green velvet bow is available for £15 in our online shop here, in our asos boutique and in our Etsy shop. Pick one up and wear it how you like adding a little vintage glam to your wardrobe.