The 1960's - Out of this World

No doubt inspired but the Yuri Gagarin space race of 1961, cutting edge fashion houses such as Courréges and Pierre Cardin began to bring futuristic collections to the catwalks. Using limited colour palettes, shimmering silvers and glossy whites; these 'space age' clothes were based on that fantasy vision of life in the modern year 2000. The pretty, whimsical and superfluous decorations were shunned in favour of short straight skirts, simple a-line tunics and flat leather boots and shoes. Minimal was the buzz word.

In 1964, André Courréges showed his 'Moon Girl' collection which was full of straight lines, boxy shapes and most definitely no frill in sight. Skinny trouser suits with front slits to fall open over flat boots, simple square cute coats with basic pockets and buttons and of course the very shortest of short skirts. Accessories were also 'space age' with goggle style sunglasses and astronaut inspired helmet-style hats.

In an already androgynous style era, the hard and straight lines of these collections and the more angular models that were chosen to show them off, led to a trend in his 'n' hers clothing. It was the must have look for young hipster couples who would have identical looks to show they shared absolutely everything.

I love the modern take on 60s Space Age fashion and here is a quick checklist of the most important features of this trend:

• Mini pinafore dresses.
• Monochrome and graphic prints.
• Plastic detail and accessories.
• Asymmetric cutting.
• PVC coats.
• Metal and chain mail incorporated into garments.
• White, silver and shimmer.

We always have a great range of 1960's fashion here at My Vintage and if you fancy stepping into their preconceived version of the future, come and see some of our collections - they are truly out of this world!

You can shop 24/7 at www.myvintage.co.uk or visit us in store on The Circus in Darwen,

Welcome to 2014 - Vintage books and a fresh start!

Well I must start by wishing each and every one of you a very Happy New Year and I hope you had a lovely Christmas break in some way or another...

2013 was a crazy year for me. Business was busy and I have still been learning and getting used to life as a shopkeeper. Every day has new challenges to throw at me and I am thoroughly loving every minute of it...

On a personal level, 2013 was quite a tough one, with my Mum having some major health problems and a few other family crises. All things said and done, my blog took a bit of a back seat towards the end of the year so I haven't been paying you lovely readers half as much attention as I should have! Fear not though, I am back with a bang in 2014 and have a master plan tucked firmly up my sleeve...

This year you will be hearing a lot more from me, as well and seeing My Vintage continue to grow and expand, with a few lovely surprises along the way. Again I thank each one of you for your support. Every blog comment, Facebook share, tweet, YouTube thumbs up, review and so on, helps to keep bringing the wonder of My Vintage to more people so please keep up the good work!

To kick things off for the new year, I just have to share with you some of the wonderful books I was lucky enough to receive this Christmas. I've said if before but I really do have a fantastic group of family and friends around me who know me so well, and these books are testament to that - I adore them!

First up is "Fifty Dresses That Changed The World" from the Design Museum.

This is a gorgeous book that takes you through a chronological journey from the 1915 Delphos Pleated dress to Hussein Chalayan's LED dress of 2007. It's a must have for any fashion lover like me and a would make an ideal coffee table/bathroom book.

Next we have this fabulous book from The Press Association - "The 1960s-Britain in Pictures"

As soon as I saw the Beatlemania front cover I knew I'd love this book. The 1960's is my favourite vintage era and this book takes you through a journey of the whole decade. Telling a story in pictures, the book features music, celebrity, sport, industry, politics, culture and every day life. It's a real gem for any 60s fan.

My lovely Mum in law gave me all the other books, but this next one was a gift from my very special friends Julia and Laura (from www.darwendeli.co.uk). Not only did they get me this gorgeous book but they also treated me to a manicure and pedicure, I felt very spoilt! This is Minxy Vintage by Kelly Doust.

This is such a beautiful book with gorgeous artwork and images. Kelly shows you lots of ingenious ways to repair, revamp, customise, rework and recycle tired or damaged vintage clothing. She also shows you how to make beautiful headdresses, hairbands, clutch bags and other cute accessories.

I haven't had chance to read the other books yet but they all look fantastic..

I think there is a Sunday afternoon curled up on the sofa with the fire on and a large mug of tea just waiting for me and my new books!

I'd love to know if you got anything vintage related for Christmas? Let me know in the comments below...

Bye for now
Emma
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