Tag Archives: 1950s

In love with Lowie!

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A few weeks ago I attended the Forward PR S/S press day and was introduced to the brand Lowie.  Lowie are an ethical knitwear/handicraft brand, who will branch into organic cottons for Spring/Summer 2012. I fell in love with the Lowie brand and, in particular, the riviera style nautical prints that will make up a large portion of their S/S collection.

Lowie was started by Bronwyn Lowenthal 10 years ago. Since then, she has taken the brand from small market stores to the shelves of luxury department store Liberty’s. Lowie’s emphasis is handicrafts, bringing the likes of hand-knitting, crochet, hand-embroidery and hand-stitching into the 21st century as they are incorporated into almost every piece in the Lowie collection.

The brand is developing a celebrity following, with Zara Phillips wearing a customised Lowie cap to Cheltenham Festival ladies day in April this year, and with Fearne Cotton and Erin O Conner amongst the brands fans.

So what exactly do I love about Lowie. The first thing has to be colour! Lowie makes knits bright and colourful, full of sunshine and mouth-watering shades. They dispel the myth that winter dressing needs to be toned down, and so brighten up even the most miserable day, whilst keeping you warm and snug. The designs may be using ancient techniques, but they are bang up to date, with cardigans that have a real military feel,yet they also embrace the current love for Nostalgia with their 1940s style knitted tea dresses in berry and red.

tea dress berry £235

military jacket cobalt £178 

merino snood red £68 

For Spring/Summer 2012 Lowie will be launching out into organic cottons for their decidedly nautical collection. This will feature a range of pretty dresses, cotton skirts and tops in pretty retro riviera style prints. There will also be a range of gorgeous crocheted collars that could be added to tops and dresses to create a range of new looks. You can get a sneak preview of the upcoming range below.

To find out more about this great British brand, visit the website http://www.ilovelowie.com/

Floradita is coming to Dorothy Perkins – Blooming Lovely.

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Dorothy Perkins is going to be in full bloom this June, with the launch of the fragrant floral ‘Floradita; range. This is a beautiful range of 1950s vintage inspired dresses and skirts that will take you to any Summer occasion, from a Summer wedding, garden party, barbecue, or just a picnic in the park.

Floradita is a beautiful collection which seems to  take inspiration from the classic styles of ‘Three coins in a fountain’ and films like ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ and ‘Far from Heaven’, Beautiful fabrics like organza, delicate floral prints in mouth-watering colours and nipped in waistbands and full skirts characterise the collection, which is full of beauty and romance.

As well as the stunning vintage inspired sundresses, there is also a delicate, floaty maxi dress that is sure to be a welcome addition to any holiday wardrobe. Bright and colourful with a floral bloom print, this is the perfect dress that could carry you from a touch of sight-seeing to the bar, just by changing your sandals.

If you love that floral print but feel maxis are not for you, you could get a full skirt or a pretty top that could dress up your jeans in the same print.

In addition to the clothing collection, a Floradita jewellery collection will also be launched to compliment the fashion range. This also has a vintage feel, with rose printed cameos, tiny stud earrings and bold flower charms.

This is such a pretty collection that is sure to be a big success.

Floradita will be launched in selected stores and online from early June.

Wallis 1923 Collection – Sneak Preview

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Wallis will be launching a new collection on April 18th. Called the 1923 collection, this is a glorious collection of day dresses and accessories that take their cues from the 1950s. Think Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchett in ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’, Julianne Moore in ‘Far from Heaven’ and Doris Day in just about EVERYTHING!

There are five beautiful dresses in the collection. These are bright coloured, with full skirts and nipped in waistbands. There are a range of prints, and the colour clashes are a nod to this season’s ongoing trend, with blue teamed with both green and orange.

The prints have been  sourced from the Wallis archives to give the dresses a real vintage feel. The collection also has the perfect cream cardigan that could be matched with all the dresses, and pretty rose print flats that would also look great teamed with jeans.

I love all the dresses and think you really need to invest in at least one for the upcoming season. Whether you are enjoying afternoon tea during the Royal wedding, attending a summer barbecue, a  guest at a wedding, or enjoying a day at the races – there is a dress in the collection that would suit every occasion. A ll you need to add is white gloves for a truly ladylike look!