Southern Retro Collection

Elizabeth Cook

2012-05-17T14:26:05+00:00

]]> - - “My love for vintage started at a really young age - I remember being picked on at school for wearing a vintage faux fur coat that I bought from a charity shop - I must’ve only been 8 or 9!

My Mum introduced me to Rita Hayworth movies when I was young so she was the real inspiration behind my love for 40s. What I adore about both the 40s and 50s is that the clothes really flatter the female form. Women were so beautifully put together; it’s why I set up Tally Ho! Vintage - so I could inspire other women to want to look like a movie star!”

Kimberley Kiss

2012-05-14T09:39:18+00:00

]]> - - “My love of vintage began when I was a child - my Mum would play 50s Rock & Roll records and my Nan would make me petticoats to wear under my school dress - but I didn’t start to collect and wear vintage clothes until I was a teenager.

The allure for me is the hunt to find a beautiful, original item knowing that it is one of a kind. I love the effort that went in to an outfit and hairstyle and feel that being a vintage collector shows an appreciative nod to a charming era.”

Sharon Williams

2012-05-02T15:40:21+00:00

]]> - - “I was 13 when I first heard R. Dean Taylor’s “Ghost in My House” at a disco, I found out it was called Tamla Motown and that it even had a special style of dancing! So, I started to do my make up by copying Marilyn Monroe and the girls from Elvis Presley films then I saw photo’s of the Supremes in London wearing ski pants and little jumpers and this has been pretty much my style ever since.

I love the Mod scene - the first time I went to a Northern Soul night I had found exactly what I was looking for: a group of people who shared a passion and celebrated it together.”

Lizzie Pauling

2012-04-12T13:01:27+00:00

]]> - - “I was brought up with music and films from the 30s, 40s and 50s and was entranced by the glamour and elegance. I remember rainy afternoons watching old films with my mum and sister and spending hours afterwards drawing the costumes and designing dresses. I wanted to look like Rita Hayworth and dance like Ginger Rogers!

I love the history, the glamour and the elegance of the styles, the way that dancing makes me feel - I loved swing dancing from the moment I started - its so much fun and I’ve met so many fantastic people!”

Katrina Allen

2012-04-10T11:00:56+00:00

]]> - - “For me, wearing vintage has always been linked with being alternative and different; if you’re no good at being fashionable then you may as well go out of your way to stand out! And I’ve always loved a bargain - my favourite pastime is scouring the charity shops and markets for vintage.

I love getting involved with the more historical detail of wearing vintage - getting the right hair and make-up, the right cut or fabric, the little things that make a period outfit accurate - clothing and style can tell you so much about an era, and people take it so seriously, it’s fascinating.”

Pia-Maria Meyer

2012-03-28T13:28:14+00:00

]]> - - “As a child I grew up surrounded by the art and antiques in my parents house and would watch 50s films over and over again. Then as a teenager I really got into second hand - this was before the word vintage became so en-vogue and overused.

For years I drooled over vintage blogs; admiring the modern day 40s and 50s styling and pin-up/rockabilly clothing; and I would dress up for big occasions and grand outings. Just before my 31st birthday I took a vow to take the plunge and go vintage every day - Vintage styling makes me feel all woman.”

Angie Elliott

2012-03-23T14:17:34+00:00

]]> - - “I love pre and post war glamour. At Fashion College I loved the fashion history side and the clothing from the 20s through to the Dior look. I always wanted to dance like they did in the movies. When I went to the Lady Luck Club in London it opened up a whole new world to me.

I learnt to dance when I moved to Brighton in 2005 and haven’t looked back since! I love hunting for vintage clothes and am currently restoring our
Bungalow to its 1950s splendour.”

Steve Williams

2012-03-21T15:37:45+00:00

]]> - - “As a kid I was fascinated by the old movies and couldn’t understand why nobody dressed that way any more. I would imagine myself dressed that way when I was older.

Around 2003 I came across the Lady Luck Club when living in London. To my amazement my childhood dreams were reality. There were people dressed in the old fashioned styles and dancing to great old music. I was hooked and haven’t looked back since. For me as well as loving the style it’s also about escapism from a modern world looking for a slower pace.”

Tommy Lloyd-Baker

2012-03-19T14:02:57+00:00

]]> - - “As a teenager I became obsessed with the mod culture. My Mum, an antiques collector, was a mod when she was young and I soon inherited her vinyl. Mum and I would go to car-boot sales, antique fairs & flea markets on a weekend and I soon came to appreciate older things.

Wearing vintage clothing and dressing like a gentlemen keeps traditions alive and that’s something England is certainly lacking at the moment. You also become to appreciate, and love, the quality of the past & how much effort went into everything.”

Paul Stewart

2012-03-16T11:04:34+00:00

]]> - - “As a teenager I would accompany my mother to jumble sales and invariably come back with an old radio, suitcase or jacket. I then became obsessed with Bakelite and the era that it represented and trawled fairs and flea markets for radios, clocks, telephones and other paraphernalia.

Finding and owning something vintage and original can be so rewarding and is the ultimate ‘green’ statement - if a typewriter or suit has been used lovingly for the last 80 years or so, there is no reason why it shouldn’t carry on being used and loved for many more years. It makes perfect sense doesn’t it?”