Ten of the UK's best vintage reproduction clothing sources

After a month filled with much online vintage shopping (or at least a ton of virtual window shopping and a bit of buying) ,as I go about trying to fill in many of the gaps in my wardrobe, it seems fitting to wrap up the very last day of January with a post that ties into that fact.

On the other side of the giant pond, the fine folks in the UK know a thing or two about vintage reproduction clothing. In fact, I'd tentatively argue that the UK has more vintage repro clothing sellers than the US, and certainly more good ol' Canada (which is woefully lacking in this area).

For those vintage fashionistas who live in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, I'd imagine that this must be ultra handy and a great way to regularly update your closet with excellent old school style threads.

So long as we're willing to face somewhat steep exchange rates however, those of us outside of Europe can often avail of the products such UK vintage reproduction retailers offer online. In the past couple of months I've placed my first ever (but very long anticipated) orders with two such sellers, and had sparklingly wonderful transactions with both.

As such, I decided to put together a list of ten vintage reproduction clothing sellers, including the two I've ordered from myself (Freddies of Pinewood and Heyday Vintage, both of which had excellent customer service), as I know many of you are also continually on the prowl for good quality reproduction/vintage inspired styles from our favourite mid-twentieth century decades.

Here then is a roundup of ten terrific vintage reproduction clothing sellers from the UK. Happy wish list making and online shopping!

 

Big Beautiful Barbara Brown: Offers a wide selection of 1920s - 50s reproduction garments, plus some rockabilly wear, and even a handful of 60s and 70s styles, too. Vintage inspired pieces include high waisted trousers, playsuits, skirts, tops, suits, dresses (such as the darling ruffle sleeved Flirty Thirties frock pictured above), and shorts. Most items are available in an assortment of different types fabric and/or patterns in a wide array of sizes, and are made on a per-order basis.

 

Dolly Dagger: All sorts of delightful vintage inspired and rockabilly styles abound at this fun site, which houses skirts, jeans, dresses, sweaters (like the wonderfully cute Nautical Nancy sweater shown above) shoes, stockings, swimwear, coats, purses, jewelry, hair accessories, and much more.

 

Freddies of Pinewood: Known the vintage repro loving world over for their top-notch selection of both women's and men's denim (such as the classic side button jeans shown here), Freddie's also offers customers shirts, jackets, capri pants, overalls (dungarees), and accessories.

 

Heyday Vintage: Housing a roundup of really lovely 1940s and 50s inspired dresses, trousers, tops, and suits, Heyday is one of the vintage world's most loved sources of reproduction sites. I recently ordered their Fleur wrap dress (named after, and model by, well-known vintage blogger Fleur from Diary of a Vintage Girl) in the English Rose on white pattern and cannot gush about it enough!

 

Lady K Loves: To quote the homepage of this site itself, Lady K Love features "high quality clothes for rockabilly gals, pin up chicks, and kool katz". While many styles do channel an alluring pin-up vibe, others such as the 1940s inspired Rosie trousers shown here, have a somewhat more "every day" feel to them.

 

Puttin on the Ritz: With a name that instantly evokes images of chic, fabulously fashionable vintage nightlife, this high end vintage reproduction clothing seller offers a striking array of beautiful dresses, blouses, jackets, skirts, trousers, suits, coats (like the timelessly pretty April in Paris coat pictured here), eveningwear, and accessories, as well as a selection of garments for gentlemen, too.

 

Revival: With areas devoted to styles from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, plus swing dance and men's wear, too, Revival's assortment of old school inspired clothing and shoes is sure to provide you with a few new must-have items. If ever I wanted to tap into my inner 1920s flapper gal, I'd be highly tempted to pick up Revival's vibrant red Tango Dress shown above.

 

Tara Starlet: Boasting a highly pretty gathering of feminine vintage inspired looks in the form of dresses, tops, skirts (such as the wonderfully wearable Victory Skirt shown here in red and white houndstooth), playsuits, party dresses, bottoms, suits, outerwear, accessories, and more, Tara Starlet's pieces are just the ticket when you're in the mood to mix demure and alluring.

 

20th Century Foxy: Chocked full of pieces spanning looks from the 30s to 60s, this site is a vintage reproduction clothing lover's dream and includes items as diverse as crinolines (aka, petticoats, like the ruby red number shown here) to knitwear, hosiery to shoes, dresses, headwear, hair flowers, separates, coats and much more.

 

 

Vivian of Holloway: Undoubtedly one of the web's best known vintage reproduction sellers, Vivian of Holloway's inviting selection includes a bounty of dresses, tops, skirts, trousers, and accessories (such as snoods, jewelry, flowers, belts, and petticoats). I'm particularly smitten with their pinafore trousers in blue denim highlighted in the image here.

♥ ♥ ♥

This list certainly does not cover every last seller (be they a company or individual) who is currently producing vintage inspired garments in the UK, but it's a great jumping off point if you're looking to do some overseas shopping.

As time rolls on, I hope to shop with all of the sellers listed above, and would absolutely love to hear about your own experiences with these (and/or any other) online UK vintage reproduction sellers.

Oh, and should any of you happen to be, or know of, Canadian repro sources for 40s and 50s garments, definitely feel free to spill the beans!

A fascinating, photo filled look at Alberta’s rich history

Before hopping into the main topic of today's post, I want to take a moment to thank you all for your recent blog comments - very much including those that were left on Friday's "Hey, it's OK" post. No where on the whole of the internet, do I know of a sweeter or more supportive group of people than those I've encountered in the vintage blogging sphere, and I truly appreciate all of the thoughts and encouragement you share with me through your lovely comments.

As many of your may recall from last summer's post in which I chatted about about a new Flickr group I'd started called Vintage Canada, being a proud maple leaf loving Canuck - who's also positively wild about history - I have more than a passing interest in anything that combines my adoration of the past with my home and native land.

Thus, when I discover a new (to me) Flickr stream with images pertaining to Canada's history, I just about leap out of my seat with joy! Such was the case about a month ago when, much to my delight, I found that the Glenbow Museum, located in Calgary, had a stream all its own. While not every image in it is vintage, a good chunk of them are, with many pertaining to the history of Alberta and/or the prairie provinces in general.

While my love of Canada and history is scarcely a secret, what some of your may not know is that I actually spent more than two years of my life (late teen years) living in Calgary, Alberta and that my love for this amazing city is, to say the very least, off the charts. I adore Calgary with a passion that, before living there, I honestly did not know it was possible to have a for a city.

I'd be ecstatically happy to live there again one day, if possible, but if not, then I'll just continue to visit whenever the universe permits and to keep those flames (subtle Calgary hockey team reference intended) of passion burning bright by studying the history of this majestic prairie city through sources such as the Glenbow Museum's Flickr stream.

One need not hail from Alberta or even Canada for that matter, to enjoy the photos and illustrations in this Flickr stream though. So long as 19th and 20th century history tickles your fancy, you're bound to discover many images that interest and inspire you in this engaging collection.

While I could easily post every last one of the vintage images from this stream, I've whittled down today's select to fifteen of my favourite images from the Glenbow Museum's Flickr stream to share with all of you.

{Attracting early settlers to Western Canada was an ongoing job for the Government of Canada that lasted for many decades during the 19th and early 20th century. Posters, pamphlets and other literature geared at prospective settlers, such as this wonderfully illustrated one from 1930, often pictured Canada as a land abundantly rich in agriculture prospects and excellent harvests. Over time millions would come to call Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba home, many of whom would indeed farm its vast, golden lands for generations to come.}

{Life for early settlers on the prairies varied a great deal, ranging from unbearably hard to prosperous and highly worthwhile. It was not, generally speaking, well suited for people who were not afraid of a great deal of hard work and dedication - previous farming experience certainly helped too, but wasn't strictly necessary.

In this absolutely darling image from 1912, we see a young woman named Miss Thorsen sitting in the yard of her family's homestead (in Wetaskiwin, Alberta) with a group of adorable chicks and puppies. The appearance of the yard (including a wooden fence), would indicate to me that the family was doing at least relatively well.}

{Families who settled out west often arrived with just the barest of necessities and farming equipment, especially if they were immigrants. As such, children who grew up on the prairies commonly had to come with creative ways on their own to have fun without a lot of toys available. In this heartwarmingly sweet image from the 1910s, we see a group of young boys, sporting cowboy hats, who have done just that by riding each other as horses.}

{While many who settled in Canada's middle provinces hailed from Eastern Europe, immigration officials were eager to bring in people from elsewhere in Europe and around the world, too. As such immigration literature was published and widely distributed in many languages, including Gaelic, which this colourfully illustrated invitation to the prairies from 1907 was printed in. As with many images hoping to attract foreigners, this image attempts to convince immigrants that they'll have a better, much more prosperous life in Canada than the one they'd been living in their homeland.}

{The call to "Go west, young man" attracted thousands upon thousands of men from Canada, America, Europe, and other parts of the world who decided to try their luck at ranching, farming, and homesteading in Alberta. Often these young chaps were single men who arrived without a wife, mother or other female relative to help run their homes, and as such needed to fend for themselves on the domestic front. Case in point, this image of rancher George Pocaterra from Longview, Alberta doing his own laundry in the snow outside his cabin in the 1900s.}

{Long before the days of aviation, and at some points in times even railway travel, reached Western Canada, exploration took place on horseback or by foot. In this thoroughly captivating image from 1914, we see a cowboy, along with his trusty horse and dog, standing on Burgess Pass, British Columbia, as he survives the vast stretch of land before him.}

{Aware of the fact far more men than women were settling the west, and hoping to create long term settlers out of family units, the Government of Canada issued immigration literature, such as this sweetly illustrated booklet from the late 1910s, that was geared specifically towards women.

Often single women of the time were encouraged to find work as domestic help, both in rural and residential areas (and were lead to believe that  in doing so it would not be hard for them to soon find themselves with many male suitors and a potential husband), which may be why we see a lady making a pie in this lovely Edwardian image.}

{Those who's grandparents or great-grandparent's grew up in the prairies may be all to familiar with tales of how they walked to school for "ten miles each way in snow up to their waists". So long as one doesn't toss an "uphill both ways" in there, much truth remains in such statements, as youngsters who settled with their parents in the prairies did often have to walk long distances, in all kinds of weather conditions, to reach the nearest school house. In this image from the 1910s however, it would appear these rugged youngsters (from Springfield Ranch, near Beynon, Alberta) are enjoying an afternoon of sledding, not trekking off to school though.}

{As someone who has lived in Calgary, I can tell you that it certainly does get its hefty share of snow each year! However, this rarely deters locals from making the best of a chilly situation and enjoying the snow via winter sports. Here we glimpse a group of young women, from the Central Collegiate Institute, who did just that back in 1915 by taking part in one of Calgary's local ladies hockey teams.}

{While many struggled significantly to eek out a living from the dusty prairie soil or the streets of Alberta's blossoming cities, others were able to not only make ends meet, but to grow wealthy from the farming, ranching, and industrial opportunities that Alberta held. As such, many merchants were available to cater to the needs of such well-to-do clientele. While I do not know if all of these dolls and other toys belonged to the three little girls in this immensely cute 1920s image, it certainly looks their parents were able to spoil them heavily at Christmas time.}

{Though hockey and ice skating were certainly much loved pastimes for early Albertians, they weren't the only winter/snow sports by any means. Skiing was another highly popular outdoor activity, made all the more enjoyable by Calgary's close proximity to the Rocky Mountains. In this lovely hand-tinted lantern slide image from the 1920s, we see a man and woman out partaking in a day of cross-country skiing at Banff National Park, as they take in the stunning view that this part of the country offers all who visit.}

{Recognized the world over a symbol of Canada, Mounties (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) were an integral factoring in helping to keep the peace amongst prairie settlers and city dwellers alike throughout much of Alberta's history. In this photograph from 1933, a group of uniformed Mounties has gathered from a Christmas banquet in Edmonton, Alberta.}

{Cuteness flows like the Bow River through this immensely darling 1930s image of a group of young dancers, in their matching sailor costumes, from the Alice Murdoch Adams dance school in Calgary.}

{Throngs of busy holiday shoppers make their way through the crowded floors of the Bay Department store in Calgary, in this great slice-of-life shot from around the end of the 1920s. One can't help but notice the many fur collared coats and winter boots, which speak of the intensely snowy Decembers that Calgary faces most years.}

{Long before Will and Kate toured Alberta, other members of the British royal family were keen to spend time in this prairie province while visiting Canada. In 1951 Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip did just that, and their journey through Alberta brought them to the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Indian Village, where they interacted with a group of First Natation's People sporting traditional costumes.}

{All images via the Glenbow Museum's Flickr stream. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

Many years are covered in the images above, which follow Alberta from its days as the wild, unsettled west to a land with thriving metropolises like Calgary and Edmonton just a few short decades later.

It is impossible for me to pick just one favourite image, for each speaks to me of Alberta, its hearty people, and all that it took to help mold, shape, and develop Western Canada. Many too, remind me of my own, albeit much more modern, experiences on the province’s golden prairie soil.

If you're on Flickr and haven’t done so already, be sure to follow the Glenbow Museum's stream. It's a trove of invaluable, deeply engaging and historically fascinating glimpses back into the history and culture that helped shaped not only Alberta, but Canada, into the tremendously wonderful nation that it is today.

2012's first edition of "Hey, it's ok"

As I lay in bed recently, the prospect of sleep a million miles away, I was struck by the fact that at the moment I feel like, in some regards, I'm straddling the dived between heaven and hell (proverbially speaking, of course).

There is so much awesomeness on the horizon in my life right now and such a great deal that I'm excited and hopeful about. At the same time though, for past couple of weeks I've been going through stuff on the medical front that, to put it mildly, can only be called barbaric.

There's really never a good time for medical flare-ups and new problems to arise, but right now, with less than a month to go until our moving day, is really not a stellar time for this.

Nevertheless, I do not go down without a fight and believe strongly in perseverance and positive thought, so as best I can, I'm trudging through these hours. Allowing myself a few tears or an exasperated sigh when needed, but also remembering and trying to focus on all the reasons I have to smile.

{Call me an eternal optimist, but I like to believe that ultimately heaven wins out. Utterly darling vintage angel and demon figurine photograph via MissConduct on Flickr.}

 

That late night thought, and the symphony of emotions I've been juggling lately, made me think  though that it was time for this year's first edition of the occasionally occurring Chronically Vintage post series called "Hey, it's ok" (if you're not familiar with the series, be sure to check out the first two posts from last August and October, respectfully).

There are so many big worries and problems that come our way all the time, and as such I strongly feel that it's vital to not get to hung up about the smaller concerns that appear frequently, too. This series of posts is all about the universe (or least yours truly) granting you permission not to sweat the tiny things - especially if there's something massive troubling you at the moment, too.

 

*Hey, it's ok*

 

...if you're still eating your way through the leftover Christmas cookies in the freezer.

...to ruthlessly clean out your feed reader list from time-to-time.

...that you still love - and actively use - your record player, VCR, or retro boombox.

...if you're parenting style is the polar opposite of your own parents.

...for you to make a conscious effort to carve out some much needed "me time" for yourself at least once a week, if not daily.

...to secretly delight in the extra curves you develop if your weight increases a little.

...if you don't watch the evening news very often. Sometimes the last thing any of us wants to hear or think about is more bad news.

...to rush outside in your rain boots and jump in puddles, like you used to a child, after a big downpour.

...that you can't name three new songs that came out last year, but could list at least twenty-five of them from the 40s and 50s off the top of your head right now.

...to do whatever you need to bring the joy you deserve into your life.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

Life isn't always a bed of roses. Sometimes even on the sunniest of days you can spot a grey storm cloud poking its head out over the horizon.

The important thing, the really critical point however, is to cut yourself some slack, hold onto hope, and keep looking for ways to improve whatever is troubling you. I fully understand that this often much easier said than done, but it's rarely flat out impossible.

So while the forces above and below continue to duke it out in own little world, I'll try my hardest to do just that - and hope that if something heavy is troubling you right now, sweet dears, you'll be able to do the same.