Well my lovelies, you’re going to have to indulge me for a while as I go down memory lane.
These past few weeks I’ve been working on a project I’ve been putting off for a few years. Digitalizing my photo albums, and when you get to 72 there will be many.
It’s actually turned out to be a lovely task rather than the one I had imagined. So many memories come flashing up as I pop the old pics into my whizzy little gadget. And what became apparent is that what I wore back when I was a young whippersnapper could actually hold its own today, IF I had saved the items and IF I could still fit into them. Of course, I haven’t and I couldn’t.
So I thought it might make a nice series to show you what still works today IMHO and how it can be recreated.
As spring is upon us here in the northern hemisphere let’s get outerwear out the way first, before it gets too hot to even look at an overcoat.
1966
A op art style PVC Mac.
Very Mary Quant.
(Around my neck is my first boyfriend’s old school scarf, and I still wear a rain hat like this now!)
1967
A fake fur coat.
Still current today.
I sewed this one myself in 1966, and wore it for many years. It also had a matching beret.
(Check out the saucy neck scarf too!) The dark brown fur coat was pre cut out and purchased via a girls’ magazine that sold wonderful trendy cut kits. I made several things this way but can’t be sure which mag it was, Honey may be?
1970
A great-coat.
This would stand up today eh.
1987, Paris
A classic trench.
1987, Paris
A black 3/4 wool jacket, here worn with a leather skirt which I still have.
1968
A military style coat.
Well I say it’s military - it IS an army coat, yes, but Salvation Army. One of my best friends through school and later in early working life gave me this coat as I admired the style so much. (I probably begged a bit too. Embarrassing.)
I hacked a chunk off the length making it 60s-perfect.
I loved this coat. Probably one of the warmest I’ve ever had.
Ok what do you think? Would any of these coats look grossly out of place today? I think not.
My challenge now is to try to recreate an outfit from this little lot, that still looks ok today.
Hmmnn, have I bitten off more than I can chew?!
Has this series fallen at the first hurdle?
Pop back to see if I did manage to clear this first hurdle!
Now tell me, which of these looks could/would YOU recreate today?
Hugs, Mary xxx.
Hi Mary, thank you for a wonderful trip with you down memory lane. My personal favourite is the 1970 long coat. I would definitely wear that now. Your Mary Quant look with pvc mac is very trendy. I went to the Mary Quant exhibition in nearby Dundee a year or two ago and it was fab. I even bought the hardback book accompanying the exhibition. So many great looks. Thank you for sharing your style journey with us.
ReplyDeleteOh yes Alysia, that would make a fab winter coat today eh. That MQ exhibition must have been amazing to experience , I saw pics that another blogger had posted. Those styles do not date, well IMHO anyway!
DeleteHugs xxx.
It's true, fashion cycles around so often that any of these outfits would work today! How fun you are looking back at all the old photos - that sounds like a really fun project! :)
ReplyDeleteHope that you are having a great day :)
Away From The Blue
It is a wonderful project, Mica. I bought the gadget 3-4 yrs ago and I only shook myself in to action two weeks ago.
DeleteI expect you have all your pics stored digitally but I have 60 years of memories in paper form to discover!
Hugs xxx.
I probably need to get a handle on our photos, it seems such a daunting task but photos bring back so many good memories. I am grateful for them all! You had some great coats and have always been so stylish!
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll link up with Jill and I on Thursday for Fashion Files!
xo,
Kellyann
Hi Sista!
DeleteI WILL link up. I’ve been off the blog scene for so long that most of the links I used BITD don’t exist anymore!
I agree, the fast sounding so daunting but as soon as I started I found that’s it’s an amazing mega trip down memory lane. But it’s a retirement job IMHO.
Have a great week, see you Thursday!
Hugs xxx.
Hi Mary, all looks would work now, I recall spending a ridiculous amount of time pouring over Honey magazine! I also made my own outfits(very badly seen I’m sure but who cared if it looked trendy!). Did you also covet or even own one of those empire line Biba dresses that someone like Patti Boyd modelled? Ah nostalgia!
ReplyDeleteHi Lin, so good to hear from a fellow Honey fan. Yes I made my own outfits so that I could have something trendier than what our local shops offered, probably why you made yours too. Oh and how I did lust after Biba clothes like you. I used to do sketches like in the Biba catalogue. I was going to do a post on Biba a few years ago but didn’t get round to it. Shame now, you would have loved it!!!
DeleteThanks for popping in and joining me on this nostalgia trip.
Hugs xxx.
I do love a trip down memory lane! You're right, all of those would look perfectly on trend today. I would recreate the Mary Quant PVC look. I had a mac just like that, white PVC with a red trim! My mum has masses of photo albums which I will one day be digitising. Hope to see you in the link-up today, it's so good to see you blogging again x
ReplyDelete
DeleteOh Gail, you MUST recreate that look! We can do a collab, me in my 60s Mac, and you today, how’s about it?!!
Digital using photos is something for you to save for retirement.
Thanks for your welcome back to blogging, I did link up thanks, and typed a long comment but it disappeared when I pressed send. I’m having problems commenting on some blogs and sadly yours is one of them.
Hugs xxx.
I keep thinking about digitising my many photo albums. I have very few photos of me as a teenager or even of me in my twenties unfortunately. I loved all your coats and I loved the maxi the best; probably because I had a brown corduroy one from Bus Stop. I think all of the coats wouldn't look out of place today and go you on making your own fur coat!
ReplyDeletexxx
It seems a chore to digitalize Vronni, but it’s actually a pleasure. I’ll post my little gadget as it is a godsend. Well perhaps you can share some of your few photos then. Fortunately for me I bought a camera and was not afraid to hand it to someone else! Yes that long coat was a fab piece of warmth, hope your Bus Stop one is too. Bus Stop, is that a vintage brand from the 60s?
DeleteHugs xxx.
It was a shop on Kensington Church Street where Biba originated. I can't remember if it was a label too...
DeleteHow lovely, I think I need to try and do this. I remember I had a raincoat in the late 70's it was gathered with a small belt, never really liked it and don't know why I bought it!!! Memories! Jacqui x
ReplyDeleteWell that raincoat probably never hung around long enough for photos but it would be great to see some of the styles you feel still hold up today, Jacqui.
DeleteHugs xxx.