Happy Dandy New Year

Au revoir 2010, Salut MMXI! With a manic end to 2010 all done & dusted, a few highlights are still fresh.

At the beginning of December trawling through  the wonder/evil ( however you look at it ) that is Facebook, I came across a friends page who was sharing a link on Patrick Grant, who had recently been crowned British Menswear Designer Of The Year. The link was an article on "British Men Are Too Scruffy".

"If you wind the clock back even a decade people associated London with an archetypal image of a beautifully dressed man wearing a grey flannel suit and a bowler hat carrying an umbrella. It may be comic but it projected solidarity to the world and was a positive part of our national identity. Now people are made to feel awkward for being correctly attired." Patrick Grant.

Here here! I went on to leave a comment on Mr Grant's link, saying that his views were bang on the button and  Dress Up Fridays should be the norm here in the UK.

Amazingly, within a few minutes, Patrick Grant himself replied saying, Dress Up Friday? "Mr Schroeder, quite a brilliant idea!" So soon enough saying the idea will be pitched to The Sunday Times Style Magazine as one thing to watch out for in 2011!

I believe whole heartedly that the growth and acceptance of dress down Friday within the British workplace is appalling. The American influenced dress day does, some say even affect employees to slouch off and reduce productivity and have a lazy attitude, so much so that rightly, some City companies do not allow the "dress down thing" any longer! Thankfully

So, what a perfect British response will Dress Up Friday be! Ties, polished shoes, cuffs, silks, hats  whatever you wish, but be sure to make the effort & join Dress Up Friday In Britain! ( And yes we do have a page with that title you can "like" on Facebook  if you so wish. )  But do remember it was this Dandy who gave the British Dress Up Friday! ( Only if it takes off you understand ).

Other businesss was the Dandy Man continuing selling well at Love From Hetty & Dave and going live on Ebay under the ID of dandymancan. Smoking memorabilia is top of the list with charming accessories including Polo Cigarette cases, Ladies Enamel Powder Compact Cig case aswell as the many delightful cigarette dispenser from the 1920's through to the 60's and lighters.

A ladies 1950's copper cigarette case.

A 1920's Art Deco cigarette dispenser where the bird bows down, a drawer opens & picks the cig up in it's beak for you!

A 1940's Japanese cigarette ligher made in occupied Japan.

And for Retro lovers a collectable Coke can table lighter!

In terms of cloth, the Buy Of The Week would have to be this Vintage Military Jacket inn immaculate condition complete with buttons from  "Gaunt London"

This Dandy's New Year's resolution is to adhere to traditional values, write more blogs & Dress Up Fridays!

DM.

The Mania Of Opening A Shop . . . . .

Quite a while has past since last writing and almost too much has happened, evolved & grown it's still a bit hard to believe myself. Early mornings & late nights became the norm  after the girl decided to open a shop under her label "Love From Hetty & Dave" & I rejoiced when we also  agreed to sell Vintage goods there as well! Woooplaaaahaaaahaaaaa!

After getting the keys & with 11 days of the opening night away, step ladders and old rags came out as the white emulsion hit the walls.

Soon though we were catching eachothers' glances and then shrieking " fuck! how ' we gonna fill this space?" Lots of trips to & fro from our flat, filling up a Nissan Micra all day long with bits and bobs we thought were cool would act as "fittings" & also getting up at 5am on Sundays to get 2 or 3 Car Boot sales in it wasn't long before the mania slowed to a " it might actually be alright hun ".

It probably all got done thanks to plenty of Earl Grey!

Oh God where's every thing gonna go? ! ?

Soon enough after raiding our flat, the recycling tip, car boots and Antiques Fayre's it started to look like a shop and with a lot help from the girls' sister who just loves " arranging stuff ". Praise the Lord hour by hour it all fell into place ! 

Here a few of The Dandy Man's bits and handmade goodies which are all up for grabs now!

                                                         

 From selection of 60's cuff links, radios,  a 1966 World Cup  Football  ice bucket, a 1930's croc skin cigarette case and other trinkets to adorn yourself.

To a rare 1968 Raleigh scooter with only 1000 miles on the clock and all it's history!

And Amy herself modelling one of the girls' designs!

  I have to admit the best thing about it all now is we have a license to buy anything we like for either the flat or the shop & it'll probably be tricky to actually letting go of some much loved pieces but, the rent has to be paid I suppose.

So "Love From Hetty & Dave" the shop is here selling Handmade & Vintage Goods at 864 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH7 6DQ welcoming all who are passing through the South Coast town!

Shop lovings!

A Saturday Sought Seeking Our Albion

An  easy week was brought to a  happy end after out yesterday locally rummaging in charity, second hand & Vintage shops & walking away with a a few great finds. First were a few trinkets including an nice old shaving kit & cuff links then for the grand sum of £12.50 was an Oak Suit Stand. I personally have only ever seen one ( fairly modern ) out & about before in charity shops before but this simply leapt out at us at once & is a fine addition to my dressing room!

And more links & shaving accessories to add to the  dresser & jewellery box!

So onto our Saturday & off to the town of Bridport, the girl said it promised lots of little antique & independent shops which we of course jump at the chance to spend our days wandering around  hunting for treasure! These are what we found!

This great building with units stretching far back inside was "Cornucopia"

At the top of the street "Vintage!"

Inside a real life treasure trove.

Though sadly this dapper couple were not for sale!

And for the Chaps.

For a couple of years now I've been in search of a place I wasn't sure existed & didn't know whether any vessel at all could get me there. Always convinced I'd been born at  least one generation late I've longed to find a setting which encapsulates everything that was great about Great Britain & quintessentially English. That place to get to is Albion! So we couldn't just walk past this old lock up!

Yesterdays' news is just todays bunting!

We were after a cuppa soon enough & the " Cafe Royal" was suggested, "great ol' 60's place it is" quipped a local, so off we trotted.

Never been in such a space & I'm quite sure the owners didn't think it was as cool as we thought it was! It just needs some love an' a lick o' paint guys! Although you can keep the till.

I wish I could have caught on camera a young kid who'd just been standing at the jukebox & I swear put on Elvis' All Shook Up while tapping his foot in tracksuit bottoms & Adidas, it was like the first time he'd heard it. Class.

Back looking for the main High Street & over the moon we came across  "The Hat Shop!"  T.Snook.

And funny a couple of days ago I was pondering the acceptability of Bow Ties & here I found all of this behind the counter on entering!

The staff were so helpful & welcoming & excitingly informed us of the "Bridport Hat Festival" which they'll be playing a key part in on September 17th,18th & 19th. Editor of "The Chap" Gustav Temple will be in attendannce reportedly giving a lecture on 49 ways to doff your hat! Splendid, cannot wait!

It's one fantastic establishment offering not only of course hats but almost all gentlemans' accessories! Picking up tailors' armbannds, hankerchieves, an "S" belt (I think they're called?) & it goes without saying the latest edition of The Chap we were soon on our way 10 minutes up the coast to Lyme Regis for a stroll along the promenade there but not before catching one more Vintage shop Sublyme before they closed for business.

And our walk into Albion as the evening drew in!

Enough silk scarves now doll, let's get off home eh?

So until next weeks' Burlesque Teasy Pleasy & hopefully reeeeal exciting news for us, farewell 'til then.

Midweeks' Bits . . . .

Not a day after my last post when popping into the supermarket & passing the news stand I couldn't help but notice that on the front page of almost all the national rags were photos of the Mad Men girls on the red carpet at the Emmys & that the show had won 4 awards! Also flicking through & seeing double page spreads and predictions of this Autumns on trend look will be that of the early sixties. From the success of the show the BBC have decided to bring forward the airing of the 4th series on these isles for fear of too many people downloading it first! Coooolio!

So the theme continued today of the said trend that could be this Autumns' key look. While out this afternoon with the girl picking up records & rag I was notified by Modculture that there was an article in todays Times on Mods. They said it might be worth a look. Funny that, not worth buying but just a look. And I agreed when getting to the Fashion page was disappointed by the front page shot of a nice enough scoot but apalled by the so called  " Mod Targets" that were included.

That simply, IS NOT MOD, or what it's about. I may be being a little Vinatge snobby here myself  but so be it. I or no other present day Mod that I know would be seen dead within a hundred yards of that thing unless passing an RAF institute. Far too commercial looking & fancy dressish maybe as what is always paramount to Modernist values is the idea of individuality & not trying to look as though you're modelling for a recently released Northern Soul compilation being sold on QVC by an Apprentice type with more rabbit than Sainsbury's.  The article that followed didn't get much better with reference to Liam Gallaghers new label opening a store on Carnaby Street permmanently. I wouldn't be at all suprised if it were true that the shop staff there would be working in Boot Cut jeans. Oh dear Lord.

However I was pleasantly suprised to see a dear friend Natalie Hannah Barker had herself included looking razor sharp & understated in the spread & looked spot on with a great fitted Ben Sherman jacket on her beloved 1973 Vespa Primavera "Mabel". Great to see & so can comfortably still say " In Mod We Trust."

In the post today finally came " Front-Line Dispatches From The Advertising War" by Jerry Della Famina. Starting from his career in 1952 as a 16 year old delivery boy for Ruthrauff & Ryan on Madison Avenue. His writings were the main inspiration for the first series of Mad Men ( yep sorry back to that again ) & I'm sure this book will be finished by the weekend at the latest!

Lastly I forgot to include in the last post what I received from the girl when she returned from a weeks holiday in Lyme Regis was a pebble she'd picked up and hand painted us on,

 with our cat Jaques in a TV screen & on the back as a postcard!

Superb & how lucky I am to have such a gorge girl by my side! 

TDM.