Dita's New Lingerie

So our wonderfully delightful Dita Von Teese brings out another lingerie collection. This new collection called Von Follies, is vintage-inspired and includes bras, high-waisted pants, garter belts and corselettes to "give the essence of the sultry Fifties glamour girl," according to the press release. (see here )


I am the first to admit this line doesnt do it for me. Unlike her previous collection which oozed sex appeal with its reds and strong lines this is something I would find on the hangers at high street brand La Senza.  I long for Dita to do something in pale silks, with chemises and playsuits... reminiscent of the old Hollywood glam she exudes.


Sorry to say this collection misses the mark for me though the sizing is an improvement as it is now available in a size 18 but only up to E bra cup. Come on Dita...know the competition. La Senza though not always the best quality is cheaper and in this day and economic climate who isnt going to head there instead?1 I would love to buy Dita's set if not simply because I am a fan and expect superior quality but sadly I wont be buying it to wear...I am a 36F.

Vintage DJs

A small sample of my own collection

With a love for vinyl and djing with it. I decided to see who else is doing is...Sadly my first search threw up those in America and whilst this is great I wanted to focus my search on UK based DJs.
I did find a list of vintage DJs but found the lack of information rather disheartening. Email address are great but lets see websites..so off I hunted. For me a vintage dj isnt someone who shoves on a few cds, its about the whole package from dressing the part, knowing the history of the music and the use of vinyl (though not admittedly entirely is not essential as that is not very practical)

Firstly let me introduce you to the ones that stood out for me...

Shellac Sisters


These darlings describe themselves as:
'The Shellac Sisters are four glamorous retrochics who dress in all things vintage and play 78rpm records on 1920s wind-up gramophones.

We have a vast collection of 78s covering all styles of music from the twenties through to the fifties… Big band swing by Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and The Andrews Sisters, classics like Tea for Two and The Lambeth Walk, novelties by Noel Coward and cheeky music hall acts, 1920s flapper favourites, Hollywood movie classics from Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Marlene Dietrich, jumping jive by Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan, 1950s rock'n'roll from Elvis and bombshell hits from Marilyn Monroe, latin exotics by Carmen Miranda and Perez Prado… tea dancing foxtrots, quicksteps, blackbottoms and cockney knees ups!'

I love that they use wind up gramaphones but can also adapt them for  larger space with amps. Perfect plus these beauties dress the part. Their list of clients is very impressive too: Victoria and Albert Museum, London's National Theatre and Abbey Road Studios to name but a few.

Miss Aloha

A dj since 1988, Miss Aloha is vibrant darling of spinning decks playing music from the 1930s to the 1950s. Playing at venues such as Cafe De Paris, Gloria Theatre (Cologne) and Soho Revue Bar.  I adore her sense of style so you know she will not only add music to your show/event but also her style.

Earl Harlem

Now here is a dapper DJ if ever there was one... Promising to arrive in vintage attire he will set up his art deco inspired custom booth

'playing a large selection of hot vintage dance music ranging from 20s Jazz through to 60s soul, including 30s Dance Band, 40s Swing, 40s& 50s R&B, Rock n Roll, Rockabilly and Ska, Earl Harlem will have the joint jumpin! '

Whats more he can even provide dance lessons for you. Perfect!

Dj Lady Kamikaze

I have actually heard this stunner DJ and was impressed immensely. Resident DJ for the Lady Luck and Black Cotton clubs she is a highly sought after DJ. Her website alone is a delight. Beautiful choice of soundtrack as well. Her DJ equipment is a testament to her trade with the use of a bakerlite phone instead of headphones.

Afternoon Listening

A bit late but nevermind.

Here is a sample of what I have been listening to the past few hours..

Wedding Hell

A lovely and good friend of mine is getting married! WHOOPAH! So excited. Sadly her joy has been short lived  as she has found it near impossible to find a dress she likes. Being a plus size 1950s/rockabilly fanatic means she wants a dress to reflect this. With a tight budget she doesnt want to go down the route of a custom made dress if she can get away with it...seems like I am off to the rescue...

Here is what I found:

I have fallen head over heels for the dresses at Elizabeth Avery. Sadly not many items over a size 14. My favourite of her dresses are these two...

A quick glance on Etsy saw a few items. This one from Ellana Couture is pretty but again only up to a size 14.

Another look on the internet threw up a few other style dresses and in a variety of sizes and all over size 14!

This one is available here!

I realise all the dress above are of the tea length style so I have also been researching longer dresses.

Very old school Hollywood. Not entirely sure on the giant bow but it is beautiful... It can be found here

needless to say you have to look further afield to find plus size vintage inspired dresses...but thats not to say they arent there.

Just a Jump To The Left

Owing to a rather busy last few months or so, save for a few moments on the internet I have had no time to shop. So when my lovely boyfriend decided he was fed up with my sulky face...or uninspired wardrobe he took me out for some retail therapy.

Excited I headed out...I did feel at the end of the day that I would have much rather not gone. Whilst it was a fabulous time spent with the boyfriend, the shops were uninspired and I was miles away from the nearest vintage shop. I did however purchase a beautiful 70s inspired jumpsuit. Not at all my usual style but the boyfriend was right: it looked pretty lovely on. He even selected a star belt and before I knew it we were sipping coffees (soy latte for me and a mocha for him) laughing at all the dodgy hair extensions and soggy Ugg boots scooting past us.

Rocking an attempt at a beehive and my beloved Rockalily lipstick I attempt here not to look like a muppet.

DIY Tutorial: Multi-Layered Tulle Petticoat (Make Your Own Rainbow Petticoat!)

DIY Tutorial: Multi-Layered Tulle Petticoat (Make Your Own Rainbow Petticoat!)

Click the link above as its a great article on how to make your own petticoat!

FashionFinder

Ok I am officially obsessed with this new discovery I made on the famous ASOS website. Its called Fashionfinder and you simply upload images of your own outfits and/or create your own using the ASOS stock. Its pretty addictive and there is even a community. A sort of fashion Facebook but without the awful 'pokes' and exes stalking you. Over time with each activity you do you earn credits and work your way up the fashion stylist ladder..its addictive...really addictive.

I rather like how creative you can be with the fashion though my outfit creations seem heavily influenced by Vivienne Westwood and 50s starlets...AAAHHH! My only criticisms would be the lack of 'plus size fashion' garments you can find in their stock and the search criteria isn't always very good e.g. searching black clutch bag doesn't always bring up all the black clutch bags.

Anyway enjoy! Befriend me!!

King Mob Beat

So sometimes I get emails from musicians who want me to have a gander at their music. Whilst a lot lose my interest within the first 20 seconds I had to share this video. The band creditals alone are amazing. Whilst the video is somewhat uninspiring bar the delightful burlesque talents of Chrys Columbine (Love her!) the music speaks louder than any video could. Perhaps my brain has been numbed by all the over the top produced music videos from the likes of Lady GaGa or Rhianna...


Anyway I give you KING MOB BEAT!

The press pack info is below. I think I will have to go see these guys live to really appreciate them. Needless to say I downloaded their single and not because it was free...I would happily pay for this.

"New London supergroup King Mob release debut album ‘Force 9’ on
31st October and announce special London show.
KING MOB is a brand new English beat combo comprising guitar legend Chris
Spedding (Roxy Music, Elton John, John Cale, Paul McCartney), Glen Matlock -
bass (Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, Faces), Martin Chambers – drums
(Pretenders), Stephen W Parsons aka Snips – vocals (film composer and
vocalist of legendary 70’s band Sharks) and introducing hot new guitar
talent Sixteen.
 
The Mob, who are heavily influenced by two great composer band leaders, Duke
Ellington and Jimmy Page, will release their debut album FORCE 9 through
SPV/Steamhammer on 31 October 2011 on 11 track CD and 180g Vinyl LP with
gatefold sleeve, 7 tracks.
 
The album shows a band at the height of their powers. From the sharp riffing of
the first single “Selene Selene” to the truly infectious “VA VAH
VOOM”, from the gentle groove of “Chapel Of Love” to the blast of album
opener “Lover Of High Renown”, this is an album that draws on the
collective experience of all members to create something completely unique. The
band draw on the Spirit of ’69 – but not in a retrospective way – they are
bringing the raw power and spirit of that golden age of music into a
contemporary setting - from the songwriting, to the playing, to the sound of the
records, to the live show, to the spirit of the act. The album was recorded in
four days…
 
The group has signed an exclusive recording deal with SPV/Steamhammer for the
World excluding North America and have released their first single ‘Selene
Selene’, which is available to download now for free at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005SGIY86
 
The band are to play an exclusive one-off headline show at London’s 229 The
Venue, Great Portland Street on 17th November with special guests The
Bermondsey Joyriders.  For tickets head to: www.229thevenue.co.uk
 
“Force 9” will be released through Steamhammer / SPV on the 31st October
2011.
 
For further information, videos and track samples head to the official website
and Facebook page:
www.kingmob-beatgroup.com and www.facebook.com/KingMobBeatGroup"