The Ragged Priest

I usually try and give a whole lot of info on the brands I post about, but that’s proving a little difficult with The Ragged Priest, so I’ll tell you what I know.

a) I’ve been stalking their reworked vintage pieces on eBay for agesss

b) I just found out they had a website too, and they’re stocked at Topshop

c) There is no way to describe their knitwear other than absolutely BEAUTIFUL

d) I’m pretty sure they’re from Essex

e) Their blog is pretty good too

Hmmm, five facts, that wasn’t too bad. Here are some of the lookbook pics I’ve been lusting over…

I went a bit eBay crazy again…

I planned to clear my wardrobe as soon as my exams were over, however the celebrations went on a little longer than I expected, but I finally got around to it this weekend! I’ve put 40 items up, some have never been worn, many have only been worn once or a few times. Most of them are high street brands (can’t bring myself to part with designer at the moment) including Topshop, H&M, River Island, American Apperal and ASOS, and there are a few pieces of vintage. Also, everything except one item starts at 99p, so they are definitely worth a look! You can view all of the items here.

Here are a few of them…

Whistles AW10 Collection

Since I can remember Whistles, the high quality, not so highly priced, high street brand, they have not exactly struck me as cutting edge when it comes to fashion. Then at the beginning of the year I saw a certain pair of printed trousers in a street style piece, (see 15-03-10 in my Grazia Scrapbook) that made me sit up and take notice, and to my surprise I actually liked a lot of their collection.

Therefore when writing a piece about capes the other day, I decided to take a look at their AW10 collection and unsurprisingly they are continuing with their bold new brand identity. Under the watch of fashion dynamo Jane Shepherdson, they are producing gorgeous, on the fashion pulse garments that you will be racing to get into your wardrobe.

Whistles have stepped even further away from their old look and it really pays off, there is a lot of play with materials as feathers, fur, silk and leather are all present. Misshaped jumpers and many over sized garments show off their new edgier streak, being more synonymous with street style icons and vintage lovers that the traditional preen Whistles customer. As well as broadening their own imaginations’ they have also taken inspiration from the catwalk, featuring a flying jacket, cape and leather shorts. In my opinion Whistles is on the up and I don’t think it will be disappearing off the style pages any time soon.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Kate Kanzier

I recently discovered London based footwear and accessories brand Kate Kanzier, which began in 2001, and their shoes are to die for! I am a bit of a fan of boys shoes; loafers, brogues etc, and this is exactly what they specialise in, with each style of shoe coming in a variety of designs and colours. Whether it’s classic black you like, a more shocking patent red or pastel cut-out patchwork, there will be something to suit your style. Also, although the shoes are new, they give off the unmistakable feel of good quality vintage, and at around £30 a pair it’d be rude not to get some!

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Lottie Loves & Frocking Fabulous

So this somewhat of a double post, firstly to add the latest new comer to Best of the Blogs, domestic diva, red obsessive, vintage enthusiast, 1940’s loving and general all round fabulous lady, Lottie Loves. I have been following Lottie on Twitter and reading her blog for a while now, and she does not disappoint, especially since she has made Friday an even better day than it already is, with Think Frock it’s Friday. Whilst I embrace dresses on a daily basis, I too find it shocking how many people don’t, which is why I love that Lottie created this day, encouraging woman to wear dresses at least one day a week to make them feel oh so more fabulous!

This brings my swiftly onto part two of this post, the amazing vintage site I discovered today, Frocking Fabulous, the perfect place to find a Think Frock It’s Friday dress. They sell a range of gorgeous vintage dresses, day, night, mini, maxi, there will be something you’ll love, as they pick their pieces carefully, ensuring everything they sell is bang on trend for this season. If getting a good quality, one off, vintage piece is not enough, it will also be an absolute steal, as most of their dresses are half the price of what you would pay in your average vintage store.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Love Miss Daisy

By the time I was old enough to appreciate vintage it was already easily accessible, as I walked past a lot of Nottingham’s vintage stores on a daily basis. Moving to London obviously made it even easier with markets and jumbles sales added to tempt me, therefore I have never really used online vintage stores, except the odd piece from eBay.

However, I came across Love Miss Daisy via Twitter, when they advised me on a dress for a black tie event, and I found it was a whole new vintage shopping experience. With everything categorized by era and garment, then sub-sectioned, it is so much easier to find what you are after rather than rummaging though racks of clothes, getting catty with other vintage hunters, which is a regular occurrence on weekends in Brick Lane.

Of course, the shopping experience is only part of it, Love Miss Daisy’s merchandise is amazing too, with a mixture of clothing, shoes, accessories and homeware from over 5 decades, a special section for garments that have inspired the current season and pieces that have travelled thousands of miles to get there, you can be sure to find something you love. In addition to this, prices are fairer compared to certain places in London, where you seem to be paying for the rent in that postcode, and because the garments haven’t been tried on and tossed aside by many shoppers before you, the quality is incredible too!

Fairground

One of About your Dress’ favourite brands for simple summer dresses is Fairground, who take note of current trends and deconstructs them to produce memorable and timely pieces. Through the use of quality vintage fabrics and unique cuts the Spring/Summer 10 collection features many dresses in different styles, but in a small selection of fabrics, essentially there is a different shape for every occasion.

As well as dresses, the collection features many other garments that are perfect for a bit of daytime glamour such as jumpsuits, tops, skirts and shorts. Throughout the collection there is a constant theme of floral fabrics, but it stops itself from being too cutesy with structured shapes, flashes of lace and daring hemlines. Fairground can currently be found in a selection of boutiques around the UK and Australia, as well as online at ASOS too, though they will have their own online store up and running soon.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Traffic People

London based brand Traffic People was the brainchild of Mark Readman and Louise Reynolds, born onto the markets of Camden and Portabello. It did not take long for people to sit up and take notice of their clothing, and they were soon being stocked in boutiques around the UK, as well as having their own boutiques popping up in London’s coolest postcodes, like Spitalfields and Carnaby Street.

If you are desperate to break out of the black and into something a little more spring Traffic People is all you need. They mixed gorgeous prints like Aztec and “Summer Heat” with a range of flattering shapes including tulip dresses and slouchy jumpsuits, with current trends like sheer dressing. The designs largely appear vintage inspired and many are perfect for layering through the spring and accessorising through the summer, the perfect way to start perking up your wardrobe.

Here are a few of About your Dress favourites:

Vaudeville & Burlesque

Vaudeville & Burlesque is a playful yet feminine label, who mixes classic cuts with contemporary style, with a vintage twist. Their clothing, which is exclusive to Urban Outfitters, does not seem to follow a theme, combining pretty printed dresses with structured lace jackets and pink ruffle dresses with black colour block playsuits in one collection.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

Eclectic Eccentricity

Quirky jewellery brand Eclectic Eccentricity was founded in 2004, by jewellery designer Lucy Averill. With help from her small team of fabulous, happy and shiny people she creates vintage and contemporary jewellery, from “a love for unique and varied pieces with a hefty dose of fun”, which are sold without the hefty price tag! Pieces on offer include necklaces, rings, brooches, bracelets and hair slides, featuring animals, globes, keys, books and landmarks amongst many other trinkets. Each order and item at Eclectic Eccentricity is given extra special care, making them the perfect gift for yourself, or if you’re feeling generous, somebody else!