My Vintage

Mid-century homeware is prized for its clean shapes, practical design and ability to bring character into a modern home. But the term covers more than teak furniture and atomic-style ornaments. It can describe everything from glassware and ceramics to lamps, clocks and magazine racks. Whether you are starting a collection or looking for one distinctive finishing touch, these ten...

There are certain pieces of fashion that seem to belong to just about every generation, and the Chelsea boot is a particularly good example. Equally at home beneath a sharply tailored 1960s suit, a pair of well-worn jeans or a modern winter coat, this wonderfully uncomplicated ankle boot has managed to remain stylish for the best part of two centuries. Its distinctive elastic si...

There was a time when going into town meant more than simply buying what you needed. The high street itself was part of the outing: polished windows, carefully dressed mannequins, department stores glowing after dark and whole displays designed to make you stop in your tracks before you had even reached the door. You might have gone out for stockings, a birthday present or nothi...

Buttons are one of those tiny details that are easy to overlook until you really start looking at vintage clothes. After years of handling old garments, you begin to notice just how much personality can be packed into something no bigger than a coin. A row of glossy domed buttons, a carved Bakelite-style fastening, a delicate mother-of-pearl button or a sparkling rhinestone clas...

There are some vintage fabrics you learn to recognise by sight, and others you know the second you touch them. Crimplene is very much in the latter camp. It has that unmistakable dense, springy, slightly textured feel, and once you have handled enough 1960s and 1970s clothing, it becomes surprisingly easy to spot. It turns up in shift dresses, neat day dresses, skirts, trouser s...