Style Companion

It was with deep sadness that I learned yesterday of the death of Elisabeth Sladen to cancer aged only 63, more popularly known as Sarah Jane Smith from the long running BBC Television series Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Sladen had joined the series in 1973 and quickly became the most popular ever companion of the Doctor, a status that endures to this day amongst fans and writers of the show. She was a friend to no less than seven of the eleven TARDIS thieves.

As Sarah Jane she was impossibly pretty, stylish, practical and intelligent but full of fun and this was always reflected in her wardrobe. Whether she was hanging from a scaffold or running around with a huge spider stuck to her back she was always impeccably turned out. I think what makes all the Doctor's companions' styling special is that although they are always of the time, their clothing always compliments their personalities and as such they never look like clothes horses and no one represented this more than Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane wears a sweet fair isle knit sweater with puff sleeves

Denim jeans, chambray camisole and a short sleeved plaid shirt typical of her practicality edged with a hint of prettiness.

I love this bandana headscarf, such a simple way of keeping your hair tidy when escaping from a creepy disembodied hand trying to maul you.

She even managed to look cool in disastrous '80s spin-off K9 And Company by keeping it neat in a grey tweed trouser suit with a white Peter Pan collar and cute headband.

Elisabeth was one of the few women in television that seemed happy to grow older gracefully retaining her natural beauty whilst not becoming dowdy. This was shown in the recent Sarah Jane Adventures, how many other 60 year old women do you know who could carry off a horizontal striped jersey cling dress, mauve tights and knee boots? Sladen did and what's more she looked elegant doing it, even chasing after various monsters and jumping in and out of her Mini Cooper. Hope for us in the future possibly?

"What struck me about Lis was her grace. She welcomed me, educated me, and delighted me with her tales and adventures on Doctor Who. And she also seemed to have a quality of youth that not many people retain as they go through life. Her grace and kindness will stay with me because she had such qualities in abundance and shared them freely."

Matt Smith

Elisabeth Sladen

1st February 1948 - 19th April 2011

Blogged by Amy

The Manchester Vintage Fair

My favourite look, Russian Ushanka, peep toes and cable knit scarf.












My dainty rhyming postcards bought from the fair.




















The Whitworth Forest- this lovely lady accessorized a Peter Pan collar blouse with this tartan pleated skirt echoing highland mainstays.










The jumper is the making of this outfit.













Preppy style with a punk edge, the hair.






'The Vintage Fair' is the UK's leading vintage fair bringing affordable and quality vintage items to various locations across the country. The Whitworth welcomed stalls from Manchester based vintage reworked jeweller, Yellow Squirrell, Didsbury hidden hoarders gem, In all her Finery, Killed by Rose, grunge meets glamour History's Attic, reworked timeless vintage finds and extravagantly theatrical cakes from Cupcake Palace . Are just a few of the treasure hunters who presented their wondorous wares to the Whitworth.

Saturday 30th October 2010, The Vintage Fair adorned the green leaf papered walls of the Whitworth art gallery with stalls of antique décor, cupcake tea party, retro hair saloon, grandmother's shoes and libraries of embellished 1920's evening couture and vintage warmers. The dusky smell of worn woollen jumpers amidst the collection of past thrifts and treasures were quickly grasped by the bustling pigeon eyed collectors. It recalled the hustle of a Victorian market albeit the flush of vintage clothes contrasted to the tough bartering of a less consumerist age.
I was photographer and promoter on the day of the fair. I was given the task of capturing members of the public (which then became subsequent attendees of the fair) who were adorning vintage clothing or inspired looks of a more independently stylish era.
It was refreshing to see so many people attending a vintage fair, showcasing individual contemporary styles by patch-working elements of nostalgia's past in their outfit.
People were photograped that represented vintage styles that expressed their individuality. It is subtly political to wear clothes that distinguish individuals, a gentle petition against the mainstream conforms of mass produced fashion by not looking like everyone else.
Purchasing and wearing vintage clothes is like passing on a patchwork quilt, you are reworking and reliving stories of the past wearers in your contemporary footsteps. My purchases included a few essential accessories; a tweed clasp purse, dainty 1950's caricature postcards and seventies floral bucket. Less may be more, but surely having more to play with is more fun.


Photography and writing by

Rebecca Aimée Lanyon Willmott-

threadsandletters@gmail.com

The Sheffield Vintage Fair

Our second Sheffield fair in our new venue was another huge success. The sun was shining as hundreds of you streamed into The Circle to snap up some bargains! Accompanied by classic vintage tunes and scrumptious cupcakes, there was some serious shopping to be done!















The Vintage hair salon was in full swing, transforming everyday hair into glorious 40s curls and waves. A personal favourite of ours was this beautiful beehive which certainly stood out from the crowd! Also attracting our attention were these yummy cupcakes, which were a sell-out once again.



A fair find was this Vintage Guns'n'Roses Tee, customised by the stall owner into a more up to date vest and perfect with patterned leggings and a denim jacket.

Regular Sheffield stall holders Alice Takes a Trip featured their trademark flouncy bows on everything from tops to bags to broaches. These bags were reduced especially for the fair to a mere £10

A personal fair favourite was this exquisite sequin jacket. Matched with a little black dress and ankle boots, this jacket is ideal evening wear with piles of gold jewellery and red lipstick.

Thanks to all who visited The Sheffield Vintage Fair! We will be back very soon and can't wait!

Love The Vintage Fair xxx

The Vintage Fair Leicester

On the 23rd of October the Vintage Fair came to Leicester at the Auditorium next to the market place. The venue was large, and what was nice about it, is the different levels and the ability to see the fair as a whole. Cupcakes and the songs like 'If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cake' provided the perfect atmosphere for Vintage shopping galore.

Lily Vintage offered Leicester buyers a sale!

Visitors were given an opportunity to enjoy retro hair and make-up styling. By using authentic vintage cosmetics from Besame, amazing looks were recreated. We don't know how girls in the 50's did this every day! We're very jealous of their expertise, the glamourous pinned curls were the perfect compliment to any outfit purchased on the day.
The make up used is rather exclusive, as it's mainly sold in the USA. We loved the lipsticks, which were shaped like minaiture golden bullets. Also, most of the pieces are packaged in little velvet pouches, making a chic addition to any make up bag. We reccomend these products to anyone who wants to achieve the look of a silver screen starlett, particularly those with the complexion of an english rose, as the shades were perfect for this skintone unlike many of today's cosmetics, which are for the more tanned skins amongst us.

Our 'Get snapped here' stand went mobile for Leicester as we were constantly seeing people dressed with a Vintage advantage! However we have to say, the boys in Leicester seemed to have the most outstanding style, which was a pleasant suprise. But here are a few of the people who stood out that we captured:





Captured whilst filling in our consent form, Joshua Moore has a distinct Vintage style definately worth photographing! We found him looking at 1950s varsity jackets, as he captures the rock and roll style perfectly with converse, rolled up jeans and slicked back hair. His outfit embodies american rockabilly and he admires Rujous Hound for his style. Joshua , at 19, clearly loves clothes, but he tells us he's also a stripper!



British heritage is incorporated with tweed coats and woolen v-neck jumpers. 49 year old, Gary Hill, wears a charity shop coat to complete his 40's style look. Bentie wooster is his style muse and he dances the Lindy Hop  in his spare time!

It's clear from his outfit, Robert Ward likes Vintage. He wears a vintage velvet blazer over a vintage tee (which he tells us he spilt coffee on earlier, very well disguised Robert). He admires the style of Anythony Eden and once he had goat curry.

Josh Watters claims he admires 'no-ones' style but manages to create a look with an effortless edge. He wears baggy jeans teamed with the classic Dr Martens and a Hockey shirt thrown over the top. We spotted the 18  year old from afar as the sports top has bright colours contrasting with his bottom half.

Tanya, wears a beautiful 70's maxi, her long hair and long dress accentuate her elegance. She showcases her pride in her own vintage store, Spanky Vintage who held a stand at The Vintage Fair.

Colourful vintage inspired head-tied bows, and pretty pussy bow blouses contrast with sturdy boots of Vintage classics: Dr Matens and brogues. The best friends wear a mixture of the best high street and vintage has to offer, admiring the style of Paloma Faith.

Rowen Marlowe. at 15, wears family vintage heirlooms from her grandparents. She tells The Vintage Fair 'It's all about the fashion!' as she admires the quirkiness of Vivienne Westwood. 

Kate Griffiths throws over this sweet 1950s Vintage fair day dress over a simple white t-shirt to create a simply beautiful summer look. She tells us she sews for a living which we think is extremely lucky- teach us!



At 26, Candice Hawitt uses a vintage cardigan thrown over new striped tights, telling use she loves the 'mish mash' of old and new. She admires the style of Gwen Stefani and loves snowboarding in her spare time.



Art and design student, Nicola Morris wears this beautiful polka dot dress from The Vintage Fair. The pink dress accentuates an hourglass figure with the vital mesh underneath providing the perfect silhouette.

After getting their 40's inspired hair done by La Kreux at the Vintage Fair, we grabbed Joanne Clawley and Nartalie Carey who have showcased their style from up North. We're told the scarf was a bargain from Oxfam and they use the vintage style hair to complete their look.

Scott Howard learnt that he was infact cool when we snapped him working this leaf-green thin leather jacket from the Vintage Fair, to create a rockstar vintage look. He admits that being a musician could be considered as cool, being inspired by 60's blues he plays the guitar as well as the saxophone.

Sally Price, who was happy to announce that she got married a couple of weeks ago, came along to The Vintage Fair to snag some bargains! This icy winter fur coat clinches Sally in at the waist and provides the perfect shield from the cold weather.

Katie Smith exclaimed to us the simple fact 'I like clothes!', she reworks this beautiful black sparkly top from The Vintage Fair, into a modern and delicate look. Paired with rough fraying denim shorts and simple black tights, the top adds a bit of sparkle to staple garments.

OUR FAVOURITE STORE - SEVEN SISTERS





James, Georgina and Gina started up selling Vintage on ebay, buying the best from car boots to sell on to fans of the hand-picked garments. They tell us their style is simply 'their own thing'  we love their cut off graphic t-shirts and the use of tights. Clunky boots and bum bags finally look cool with these 17 year olds. The vintage jumpers were piled on a carpet and increasingly was drawing attention. We felt the store represented everyday items which vintage lovers would wear day in day out.