Lights!!

Dursley is just the most exciting place in the world for us at the moment!!  Christmas is coming!!! We love this time of year and the fun is in the planning - it is going to give us hours of entertainment!!

Dursley at Christmas

We have just been to our first ever Council type meeting - who would have thought it?? We are turning into pillars of our local community and having an input into town matters!! And they are Christmas related - yay!

Councillor Lisa Higgings has formally tabled our request for a stall in Silver Street for the light switching on ceremony and we have expressed our delight at the proposals for the themes for the window competition. 

We have a choice: A Traditional Christmas or Panto - so what will it be?? You will have to wait and see!!

We are hoping to attract a few more of our fellow Silver Street traders to join us in making our part of town amazing!!     The shop will be open and looking gorgeous as usual and we hope our stalls by the church steps will add to the festive vibe. 

You might have guessed by now that we absolutely love a competition and when that competition involves making a window look spectacular, we can't help but get totally over excited. We have the best windows in Dursley and this Christmas they will rival Selfridges!!  

Nightmare!!! - We can't possible  lose the
window competition - can we??

........But Dursley is full of talented people and we are sure that ours will be only one of many spectacular window displays on offer. We are lucky enough to have big windows that lend themselves to displays - not everyone does; but that will not stop the talented traders of Dursley coming up with some fantastic ideas.

This year the Christmas lights will be switched on by a 'local Celebrity' on Friday 28th November.  And we are involved this year so it is sure to be spectacular....make sure you bring your families along if you can.  

The Lily & Violet Vintage boutique will be open along with many other shops in Dursley and we are planning a little surprise for anyone visiting us.  So, get yourselves down our end of town - it is going to be the place to be!!


Mary & Lisa x 

Going Gatsby

We are going a bit Gatsby crazy at Lily & Violet Vintage.......... we are going to a Gatsby themed Christmas party this year and are getting a little bit distracted by the whole thing - they flapper, the charleston, smoking in public, drinking hard liquor and everything else that goes with the roaring '20s!! We Love It!!

Wouldn't it have been great to live in the 1920s?!? - Well it would if you were in with the bohemian party crowd and not the 'below stairs' drudgery.  We, of course would be on the side of gambling, drinking, smoking and wearing trousers.

We have been known to smoke the odd cigar in our time so we would have fit in all to well - as for the gambling, liquor and trousers....what can we say?? You know us too well!!

Anyway, back to the shop...we really specialise in garments from the 1950s, 60s and 70s although we do have a few earlier pieces. As you know, all of our clothes are really good quality and condition and finding original 1920s dresses is unusual and therefore expensive - (that said, we do have one or two fine examples, if you are interested).

If you have passed by our windows lately, you will have spotted the '20s theme......one window is showcasing one if our genuine '20s dresses (amazing!!) and the other has a fantastic 1970s lounge suit that we think would make the perfect Gatsby outfit (it is just too cool!!!).

But if you want the Gatsby look without going to the trouble and expense of a genuine '20s outfit, it is really easy to do...go for beaded or fringed dresses and add acres of beads and pearls and some outrageous headgear.  In fact anything goes!! 

Totally Gorgeous

If there are any Gatsby-ites out there looking for a totally unique, totally gorgeous headpiece, come and check out the  Lily & Violet Vintage range.....we have used genuine 1920s beading and embroidered fabrics to create some very special accessories.

Amazing!! 

I have decided to go with a bit of an alternative take on the Gatsby theme.....this is my inspiration.....Completely mad but vert cool don't you think??? Very questionable as to whether I can pull it off though...

So far I have got some black satin pyjama bottoms (by What Katie Did, of course) and some fur to stitch around the bottom and I am still working on the rest of it - I will post a pic when I am done (maybe!!)....


Mary & Lisa x 

Downton or Cilla?? Which one are you.....

…..Or maybe it’s Grantchester, Peeky Blinders or Mrs Biggs……

Whichever one, we have got it all going on here at Lily & Violet Vintage!! It doesn't matter which drama you are into, I am sure we can find something to take your fancy!! And British drama is bigger than it's ever been.  We love it!!

Anybody catch the return of Peeky Blinders this week? Dated a bit earlier than some of the fashions we have got in the boutique, but some of that fabulous headgear is here - come and take a look! 

But one of our favourite bits of this show is the music - just awesome - and we have got some of that going on too! 

So Very Lady Mary

And what about Downton? 'Granny' is our favourite (if we are as cutting and witty at her age we will be awesome!!) but if Lady Mary is more your thing then check this out…..we can recreate her look!...and with authentic period dress too! 

1920s dresses are very difficult to find in a Totally Gorgeous state (after all they are nearly 100 years old). But we do have one or two little beauties!  If you happen to be coming along to our evening shopping event on Saturday, maybe we can encourage you to try it on!

My favourite recent drama has to be Cilla!. Whilst being suckers (like everyone else!) for the lovely shapes of '50s fashion, it is the '60s that have the ability to span all generations. This is just our humble opinion, but - there is no one that can't do a classically cut shift or A-line! You just have to have the attitude to match!

'60s Mink -Gorgeous

The fab dresses and coats that Cilla was wearing in the recent series were just amazing. Surly, no one watched that and didn't wish that they were part of the Cavern crowd in the '60s. amazing! 

We have got lots of '60s stuff in the Lily & Violet Vintage boutique, ranging from shift dresses to fur coats. The fabulous Biba boots have gone - but we have plenty more great stuff from the swinging ‘60s!!

If the tea dresses gracing our screens in Grantchester are more your thing, then we have one or two of those as well!! 

But, the party season is nearly here, so ditch the tea dress!!! and get yourself a fabulous shift to dance the night away in, or a beaded or fringed gown for your Gatsby party!!!

Right, time to stop!!! We might be giving the impression that all we do of an evening is curl up on the sofa and watch TV.  Us??? Never!!!, we are out there partying most nights away……If you happen to see us out, please send us home - we need to watch more telly….

Mary & Lisa x 

Autumn is here!!

Have you seen our new window display yet?? 

We have such a lot of fun dreaming up the plan for the windows - when we opened, we created our lovely Lilies and Violets (it was absolutely obvious to us what they should look like and they didn't disappoint!). Simple but spectacular!!! 

Out with the old!

Now that we have taken the flowers out of the windows, they are dotted around the shop adding a splash of colour everywhere....When we start marketing ourselves at vintage fairs, we are hoping to utilise them on our fabulous stall (and fabulous it will be!!!). 

In fact we will be attending our very first vintage fair -  the Blackfriars Vintage Fair in Gloucester -  with one of our caravans!! - watch this space for more details!!

Lots of people have asked if we are selling our props but to be honest they take such a lot of time and effort that we are going to keep them and re use them all!!

We have decided to change our window displays seasonally which means that our Autumn windows have just been done and we will be creating the winter scene to go in at the beginning of December.  We have started putting the plan for them together now. 

We have a pretty gorgeous double fronted shop and that enables us to stick with the idea of simple but spectacular (a bit like the two of us!!)....... Although, we would rather be simply spectacular,( but spectacularly simple could be a better description!)  So our Autumn windows are full of falling leaves and toadstools - and they look AMAZING. Well, we think they do - in fact they are worth a visit just to see them.

Lisa has done a brilliant job of pulling together the toadstools. It wasn't all plain sailing though and 'fungi' is our new favourite swear word.  (Actually, one of us is struggling with this concept, so we are practicing with Fungi and Shitake just to get a bit of variety into the swearing)... 

After a whole day of work, we walked into the stock room the following morning to find unravelled toadstools everywhere!!  (Top tip - fungi masking tape is not the thing for toadstool making!).  And that's without the pain of cutting and painting all the Shitake leaves.....And then stringing them up in the windows, invisible cotton is evil stuff!!

In with the new!

The new Autumn windows were unveiled last week and we have had lots of lovely comments about them.  We are obviously trying to catch the eye of the passer-by, and we think we have been really successful in this! We will continue to change the mannequins on a regular basis - and we get so many people asking about the things in the window that they don't stay in the windows for too long!

As we said, we have a few ideas for our winter windows but any and all contributions to put in the idea stew will be gratefully received......so come on, give us your favourite ideas…. 

Mary & Lisa x

Lonesome Town

Yay!! The school holidays are over at last and Lily and Violet have both returned to school this week!!  And the reason I am so pleased about this?? No, it is not that I want my daughter out from under my feet (although I have wished for that many times over the past 9 weeks) but rather that I can't bear to be in the shop on my own for days at a time!!

Labourer Lily

Lily has kept me company on a couple of occasions and has helped to open up the shop....although I obviously don't advocate child labour, I can see nothing wrong with instilling a good work ethic at a young age!! Actually, it may look as if she is being really helpful and couldn't possibly get in the way, but believe me, this shot remarkably managed to snap a rare moment in time....

At the start of the holidays me and Lisa decided that we would take it in turns to look after both the girls and be in the boutique on alternate weeks.  At first it was all great but as the holidays went on, I found that I most definitely do not love my own company!!!.... Well, not unless there is sun, cocktails and a good book involved..... And there has not been a lot of sunshine in the past few weeks - and cocktails during the working day are not allowed!!

The biggest drawback of our 'arrangement' is not having a partner in crime to banter with and share ideas and gossip (not that we have any time for that sort of thing!!! ).

Something funny or amusing happens and I find myself looking around for someone to share the moment but there is no one there - sad isn't it??  Don't feel too sorry for me - I am still in the most Totally Gorgeous, Totally Unique shop EVER - but it is so much more fun when there are two of us!!

To keep myself amused during any quiet times, I have taken to singing along very loudly to our fab music - the world is just a great big onion don't you know??

This is especially entertaining when customers come into the shop and they too join in the sing along!! This seems to be a couply thing to do!! - he starts singing along quite quietly and then she
joins in - or if she doesn't join in she throws one of those 'stop it now' looks - and invariably he stops!!

I have now progressed onto choreographing little dance routines to accompany my singing - much to the amusement of the bike shop opposite and slow passing traffic!! My very favourite so far is 110th Street (it is just my key I think!)

My next challenge,( had the holidays not come to an end,) would be to encourage a bit of SSD!!  According to the Urban Dictionary:

spontaneous synchronized dance

An unplanned but obviously pre-choreographed outburst of dancing within a normal, non-party setting by a group of three or more people, usually including singing, as in most films classified as "musicals." Often abbreviated as SSD.

Lisa has now saved me from myself!!  She has a rather special Birthday coming up (don't tell her I told you!) and has decided that the theme will be "I Hate Musicals". 

Now, I personally love a musical and can sing along to just about anything! And I love nothing more than trying out the dance routines in my living room!!

Oh how I wish!.....

Admit it!! - Who hasn't tried being Sandy (or Danny) doing "You're The One That I Want - you are the one I want - oooo oooo oooo Honey!"?!?!?

So anyway, we thought that Lily and Violet would look pretty cool dressed up as the Blues Brothers doing "Shake Your a Tail Feather".  We might not be able to pull this one off though - Lily is practicing songs from Annie all day every day (wearing a red clown wig) and Violet is insistent on being the donkey from Shrek...... Mmmmm not quite what we had in mind!!.. 

If you come up with any good ideas the girls (or us), then please let us know..

Mary & Lisa x 

The Things People Say!!

Can you believe that we have been open for over 2 months now?!?

And in that time we have received some really lovely comments.....but some people just find it impossible to say something nice - in which case we would rather they didn't say anything at all.....(and that could be the start of a whole new blog!......)

So, we thought we would tell you a few of the things that people have said to us (or about us) over the past couple of months.

A guy cycles past on his bike and then a few seconds later cycles by in the opposite direction.  We thought he might be casing the joint, but on his third cycle-by he parks up his bike and wanders into the shop removing his helmet.....

"I just wanted to congratulate you on the awesome windows"
 - well, thank-you kind sir - 

A 1000!!! You have got to be kidding!

"I have just been at a Glastonbury wrap party. I put together some of the stage sets and we have been mulling over the designs for next year. Well, one of them is a sort of UFO theme with flowers and butterflies - I need about a thousand of your flowers!!!"

Such a massive compliment - Thank You!!!!

We have received many compliments on our windows and lots of people comment on the frequency of the change of clothing on our mannequins.  Well, we do like to make an impression and so far the windows are doing their job!!!

The Winning Windows

"And the winner of the Dursley Festival Window Competition is da... da.... da...Lily & Violet Vintage!!"

There was really never any doubt that this was ours for the taking!! Lisa put her crazy brilliant papier mache skills to use and the windows were absolutely incredible!!!! The £50 Stonehouse Court Voucher will be put to very good use...

Over the course of the past couple of months we have been lucky enough to meet lots of great people all looking for an item of clothing to add to their own story....

One of these was a Mother of The bride To Be who came in looking for something truly special for her daughters' big day.  She was looking for something that no one else could possibly have.  And, you've guessed it - she found it in our little boutique!!! She decided to return the next day with her friend in tow for a (not needed) second opinion.  Her friends reaction -

" If we are friends, you will take my advice and buy the dress!"

She did; she looked absolutely fabulous and on her daughters' big day she will be wearing a one off dress that will set her apart from the other guests for sure!! Totally Unique. Totally Gorgeous.

Loving It!!

And how can we forget the young lady who looked amazing in one of our favourite iconic dresses - The Poodle Dress!! If you have visited our boutique then you may remember seeing this dress....

Katie was off to Secret Cinema's screening of Back To The Future showing in the East End and recreating the 1955 fictitious town of Hill Valley from the original movie. So the poodle dress was perfect!! Katie's verdict:

"I love it" 

Katie - that dress was made for you!! You should always dress like its 1955!!

We have had lots of people popping their head around the door and complimenting us on the shop and what a lovely addition it is to the town.  And in some cases, we may even have tempted them to stick around for a while and take their property off the market!!...

We are very proud of our little boutique and it is a pleasure to find out what you, our customers, think of us.....so, please - let us know!!

Mary & Lisa x 

Should You Stick Your Vintage Stuff In The Wash??

You've watched Dawn and you have rifled through those vintage rails and eureka!! you found the perfect vintage gem for you.. It could have been worn by Audrey Hepburn herself or maybe you take your inspiration from Olive of On The Buses fame. But whoever it was, you can rest assured that your lovely vintage gem probably hasn't strutted its stuff for quite a few years!!!

So, please, please bear this in mind when it comes to caring for and cleaning your vintage things!! When you buy a piece of clothing that has already lived one life (at least!) then the responsibility for caring for it becomes yours... Remember,  - at Lily & Violet Vintage we hope you will find clothes that you want to wear forever.... This will be a bit difficult if you kill it in the first attempt at a wash!!

Don't panic!!! This is your very simple guide to caring for your vintage wardrobe......

The first rule is surely obvious to everyone - if it isn't a washable fabric, don't stick it in your washing machine. Sounds obvious but maybe (like me) you sometimes risk a short, low temperature delicate wash - Don't!!

Now, you have all seen the advert - two girls in a launderette. One sat on a worktop looking bored. The other with some washing in her hand...

"so its usually when I want to wear my favourite vintage dress that I realise maybe I should do my washing a bit more often"

No, No, No!!!! Don't listen to her!!! She is (probably) a uni student with no full time job, working in the local cafe on a Saturday, living in a shared flat with 4 other like minded students.  They are all just getting to grips with having to fend for themselves.  Her skills in the washing department are limited ...

Even cotton needs careful handling
- especially where there is appliqué

Always go carful putting vintage items in your washing machine - bear their age in mind and handle them with care.  Even a bog standard cotton top should be treated carefully.  Some people advocate trying not to wash your vintage gems too frequently - in fact as infrequently as possible.  Try to air them instead of washing them and leave at least a day or two between wears to allow the fabric to rest.

If you have a mark that needs removing then try spot cleaning just that area or delicately washing by hand to remove the stain. If is absolutely has to go in the machine then always use a dedicate cycle on a low heat and use a liquid specially formulated for delicates.

As a general rule of thumb - make sure you air your clothes well and don't was them too frequently as it will damage the fabric. And always let the fabric breathe!!

Dry cleaning.  Surely its safe isn't it?!? Well not always! Firstly make sure all of the buttons and any appliqué etc is properly fastened.  Some vintage garments may well have discolouration of the fabric from wear over the years. Often, this is a permanent characteristic and cannot by removed by any sort of cleaning.

If you garment has rhinestones or heavy beading, make sure that it is all secured before taking it to the dry cleaners. Any quality items from the '50s will probably have as a general rule of thumb - make sure you air your clothes well and don't was them too frequently as it will damage the fabric. And always let the fabric breathe!!

Magical zip lube!

Keep sticky zips running smoothly with a zip lube. No other lube will do!! It would be such a shame to discard your favourite item just because the zip sticks a bit. Some vintage items may not have been worn for the past 60 year!! Of course the zips might be a bit stiff.. So prolong the life of your garments by keeping them in good working condition.

If you have a bit of cashmere in your closet then beware any harsh, abrasive washing powders. Best to use a bit of fairy liquid and gently hand wash your woollens - actually that is exactly the same for new cashmere...And don't let the moths bite!! Good quality vintage woollens are hard to come by so if you find some handle with care!

So the moral of the story here is wash only if you have to and even then do it with care - your vintage favourites have already lived one life and have come to you only because their previous owners took good care of them, so make sure you do the same.

Mary & Lisa x