Categories / Women's Fashion

Poppy Print Dress by Red Herring

Poppydress

When a mainstream fifties look is the inspiration, it's most often florals that modern designers look to, eschewing the more daring niche looks of rockabilly and pin-up styles from the era. This Poppy Print Dress by Red Herring manages the sweetness of a floral fifties look without being too saccharine.

The use of red and black is a classic combination that adds a tougher edge than many natural floral prints, with the poppies retaining the retro feel. The dress has a simple but effective cut, with capped sleeves and a high waistline allowing a swing style skirt to balance the silhouette.

It's available now from Debenhams for £35.

Find out more from the website

Categories / Women's Fashion

Phase Eight Floral Sasha Dress

201294965_1 This Floral Sasha Dress from high street favourite Phase Eight is a breath of fresh air with it's blowsy roses and fabulous fifties shape.

The skirt is demure, falling to the knee, but has a lovely full shape that will give a real swish as you walk. An embellished belt nips you in at the waist and a tailored bodice and modest but flattering neckline give a great silhouette.

Perfect with an up-do, a pastel cardigan and wedge espadrilles.

You can buy the dress online here

 

Categories / Food and Drink

Manhattan Dining Collection from Marks and Spencer

Manhattan

A striking contrast to some of their recent floral designs, Marks and Spencer are offering this Art Deco influenced Manhattan dining collection.

The designs are all straight lines and streamlined stripes and all the glamour you'd associate with that period. The shape of the teapot and the milk jug especially look to the more angular modernist style. Even better for a collection with such striking looks is that it's all dishwasher and microwave safe.  

Some items in the collection seem to be going out of stock, so grab what you can now. Prices start at £6 for a bowl. 

See the range online

Categories / Books, Kids

Vintage-style book boxes from Dotcomgiftshop

Treasure box
You or your kids looking for a secret hiding places? Perhaps not the most secure – but possibly the most fun – option are these vintage-style book boxes available from the Dotcomgiftshop.

From the outside, they look like old-fashioned childhood tales of daring. Take a peek inside and they're revealed to host a secret hiding place, perfect for stashing away a few secrets. Made from wood, while the box pictured looks like an adventure book, take a look at the other 'titles' which focus on a gymkhana, Buffalo Bill or a plain and simple A to Z. Each imaginary book cover is packed full of nostalgic charm. 

The boxes cost £5.50 each.

Buy them online

Categories / Design and Interiors, Homeware

Tube Tea Towels

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We’ve featured so many tea towels over the years that I expect all our readers dry their dishes with something interesting or stylish, but until I saw these Tube Tea Towels I still wasn’t convinced I would buy a tea towel as a gift.

There is a choice of three tea towel, each with a classic work of vintage typography; Practically Perfect in Everywhere (a quote from Mary Poppins), Votes for Women (the iconic Suffragette poster) and the classic eye test chart. The towels are interesting in their own right, but selling them in a cardboard tubes confers work of art status on them and I think makes them much more acceptable as a present.

Present Provider has all three designs, priced £7.95 each.

Categories / Art and Photography, Film and TV

Retro Scandinavian Style Star Wars Poster

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Czech Republic-based graphic designer Jan Skácelík has created this great Retro Scandinavian Style Star Wars Poster.

He has taken elements of the original film, Episode IV: A New Hope such as R2D2, a Stormtrooper helmet and a lightsaber, and recreated them in a midcentury style. The poster is available in either yellow or red and in A3 or A2 size. There is also an Empire Strikes Back poster in a similar style, but no Return of the Jedi or  tributes to the more recent trilogy, which Ewok-haters and purists might approve of. 

The A3 size poster costs approximately £12 from Etsy.