Polaroid Sunglasses

Last time on the Fashion Files I talked about the the resurgence of vintage fashion.  But how can you put this into practice?  Well I’m here with my mini guide on how to get some great pieces into your wardrobe.

The best way to start is to go online. Online boutiques are a great way to shop as they are convenient and  some hold original pieces whilst others offer vintage inspired clothes. Here a few of my favourites:

1) Lady Pearls Vintage

Lady Pearls is an online vintage treasure chest of all things vintage and recycled. Put together by two friends with a fashion and vintage background both sharing a great passion for recycling and all things old.

Vintage 50's floral dress £50.00

2) Devoted 2 Vintage

The boutique offers individuals with a wide range of vintage clothing and accessories.  Stocking items from the 1930s to 1970s.

Vintage 1960s terry towling St Michaels dress £24.00

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I just recently started to take this sun thing seriously. Working as a make up artist I have to look after my face and skin. But its more about the crows feet slowly creeping down my face!
Usually I just buy cheap trendy glasses that have no UV protection and frankly change the world to a brown hue.

I wanted some real sunglasses and aquired these beautiful Liberty glasses.

My first reaction when I put them on was that none of the colours had changed with the lenses, if anything they enhanced the colours and made them pleasurable to wear. They also look expensive and are perfect for covering the most amount of face possible for a hangover!

Our family have never been sunglass wearers. My mum has never worn sunglasses but she adored the Liberty style. She especially liked the fact that they don’t change the colours you are seeing due to their high UV protection and polarization. She liked them so much she has borrowed them to go on her 3 month trip round Russia! Hopefully I’ll get them back!!

This is the season of the remake and reinvention,  fashion is no exception.  Designers have been channelling the reinvention of the female form, no longer will we have to squeeze into our skinnies.

There’s been many a revival recently in fashion with the hottest being the 80’s. Last summer was all about bright colours, Miami Vice cool and making statements.  However, it seems things have taken a shift for the more reserved and ladylike turn.  This was exemplified by Marc Jacob’s collection for Louis Vuitton’s Fall campaign.

 

“Last season was all about the idea of the New Age traveller, this season was a manifesto for beautiful, ladylike clothes”

The show featured full length skirts and dresses, fitted patterned bodices and fabulous bags and shoes.  As Marc Jacobs said in a statement for the collection “Last season was all about the idea of the New Age traveller, this season was a manifesto for beautiful ladylike clothes”.

So with the recent vintage revival, what is it that has us so interested? I posed this question and others to Anne Detmer, owner of vintage boutique ADvintaged in Wimbledon village.

So Anne, why vintage?

It is individual, fashion nowadays dictates what you should be wearing.  Fashion has always been commercial but now clothes are more generic. Furthermore vintage clothes are better made making them a great investment.

A great collection of clothes

How long has the boutique been in Wimbledon Village?

It’s been in Wimbledon for a year

Where do you source your clothes?

The clothes are sourced from America via trade shows, specialists dealers and my contacts

Do you specialise in a particular era?

We specialise mainly in the 40’s – 60’s as fashion changed dramatically through these periods.  The 40’s saw classic tailoring as clothes were handmade and fabrics conserved. With the men away fighting, women could look masculine with power dressing. This was the era of the big shoulder pad which symbolised shouldering the burdens whilst their partners were away.  Dior introduced a new curvier look in 1947 and this lasted until the early 1960’s.  The middle of the 60’s saw the birth of the teenager. During this period fashion was very much youth led with shift and A Line dresses. You also had other different groups such as mods & rockers and teddy boys. These groups wanted to create a distinct look that stood out.

We’ve seen a resurgence in interest in 50’s  and 60’s fashion through the TV show Mad Men. Why do you think this is?

It will keep coming back as it focuses on femininity, Mad Men encapsulates a period in history as people didn’t have the pressure of the war. Men were men and women were women.

Fabulous range of accessories

What advice do you have for people wanting to get into Vintage fashion?

Firstly Google to find out where vintage stores/fairs are and visit them to see what’s available and try things on. Remember vintage pieces can be mixed with modern pieces. Buy a few vintage pieces and try to see how they fit into your wardrobe. Don’t go for labels, buy it because you love it.

Many thanks for talking to us Anne!

Here are some pieces that I loved:

To find out more go to www.advintaged.com or call 0208 947 3677.

Until next time Stay Fabulous!

Welcome to the first post in Mimi’s fashion file series!  I’ll be providing you with key trends and tips to help you boost your wardrobe.

This week, I’ll be looking at the latest trend to hit the high street.  It seems the blazer has come a long way from the days of the suit. It is now a key staple in our wardrobes taking us to work and play. This season the blazer is no longer merely just a jacket, it has taken a life of its own.  Bright colours, bold prints and exaggerated shoulders are a sure way to set tongues wagging.  However, with so much choice available where do you start? Well fear no more. This guide will take you through key pieces for work and play.

Work

In work situations you want to be professional but that doesn’t mean you have to be boring. On the contrary, a bright blazer can really help to update your look. Block colours and strong patterns will certainly up the style stakes.

ASOS Africa Print Blazer

ASOS Exaggerated Shoulder Long Wool Blazer

These can be all be worn with great a pair of  Polaroid aviators for a clean summer look.

Day to Day

Let’s face it; we’ve all been there when we wanted to take a casual outfit up a notch. Either for a day shopping with the girls or a hot lunch date.  Here’s a tip to create a whole new look, throw on a great jacket.  Casual blazers are all the rage this season and they definitely turn up the volume on a plain outfit. The key is to keep things simple. Clean colours and designs will help keep this look casual without going too overboard.

ASOS Rare Floral Print Flannel Blazer

Next Black Jersey Blazer

Polaroid’s Emerald sunglasses provide the perfect contrast to this great black blazer from Next.

Play

The latest trends to hit the catwalks and high streets are the sequined blazers and shiny fabrics. This is perfect on top of a classic LBD (little black dress) or with a feminine take on a male suit. You can take these looks two ways,  bright and loud or understated glamour.

For the loud characters amongst us, bright colours and smooth textures will certainly get you noticed:

Matthew Williamson for H&M

With the emphasis on the blazer with its strong colours it is essential to keep the other elements of your ensemble plain with a great pair of shoes.

If your not so crazy about bright colours then a plain sequin blazer blazer can be worn for simplistic glamour. This can be jazzed up with some killer accesories:

ASOS Sequin Waterfall Blazer

ASOS  Peach Suede Platform Shoes

Killer jacket + shoes = one hot outfit

Pair this with some great Polaroid shades such as Wicked, Firenze, Roxy and Pall Mall to give you movie star status. Remember, whatever you wear, strut like you mean it.

Stay fabulous

My personal style is elegant with a colourful twist and I couldn’t find sunglasses that gave me the wow factor until I met Roxy. Like a light she appeared out of the night (well not really but you get the picture) and instantly gave me IT girl status. I normally shy away from big glasses as I think they make me look slightly bug eyed but Roxy drew me in with her chic frames and simple design.  Think Jackie O with a modern twist.

the perfect fit

check out these chic frames

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Asos gives you the perfect foundation for a holiday wardrobe.

It’s half term.

So, even if the weather doesn’t co-operate we know summer and Polaroid Sunglasses are on the way. To celebrate, we’re creating a series of blogs to help you get your wardrobe organised – starting with the perfect pair of women’s sunglasses . Today is all about the sophisticated traveller – the woman who never lets a week pass without a manicure and never leaves the house without lippy and mascara.

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Fitflops - making every walk more of a ride

At Polaroid Sunglasses, we believe that if you can combine fashion with performance you’re on to a winner. We’ve invested in the technology and processes to ensure our sunglasses cut glare and dangerous UV light. And it’s great to see other companies developing new and better products.

Fitflops are a bit of a design revolution. And Fitness footwear is the place to go for a huge selection of them. They were invented by Bliss Spa and Soap & Glory founder Marcia Kilgore. Each Fitflop has  Microwobbleboard™ technology designed to make your legs work harder by constantly challenging your stability. As you try to compensate and re-balance yourself, your leg muscles have to work harder. The result: an almost effortless workout.

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M&S leads the way in this season's nudes!

One of spring’s top trends is nude –a colour palate that runs from dark white to pale pink, light grey, gold and peach tones. Even delicate shades of bronze find their way into the mix. Nude is definitely subtle, cool and leans toward elegance. But how do you wear it? Well, start with a perfect for a pair of dramatic women’s sunglasses . Then sit back and relax while Polaroid takes you on tour of the top pieces. (more…)

Polaroid aviators, jeans and a crisp white shirt - great style

Here at Polaroid, we’re great admirers of men with style. So much so that our men’s sunglasses give you the choice of classic aviators, sports sunglasses and contemporary plastics. There really is something for everyone. And, all our sunglasses come with Polaroid polarized lenses to protect you from glare and dangerous UV rays.

For men who share our commitment to fashion, there’s a new contest that just might be right up your street. Esquire Magazine has put together a panel of leading designers, fashion critics and style icons to judge a competition that will find Britain’s best dressed real men. The shortlist will appear in the September issue and the ultimate winner will grace the cover of Esquire’s October issue.

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