My Dandy preview post

I've been very busy these past few days getting everything ready for my stall at The Dandy Lion Market this coming Saturday.

Even though it's still intermittently snowing and the temperatures are no where near spring like I have thrown caution to the wind and gone for a rail full of sunny frocks and spring wear...to hell with winter I say!

Perhaps I was inspired by the bravery displayed by some peeps in Edinburgh, chicks wandering around bare legged in mini skirts and chaps wearing short-sleeved shirts and no jackets in sub zero temperatures.

Here in London people are still piling on the clobber and I can honestly say that I have not seen so many furry hats on peoples heads this side of Easter before, it is really rather bonkers!

Oh, spring where art thou? I'm more than ready for you dear!

Here's the collection of fabulous vintage clobber that I shall be bringing with me on Saturday...

I'm bringing a few of my handmade accessories too...

A smattering of close-ups for the first volley of vintage...

There's a whole heap more :)

 Close-ups...

I'm bringing awesome prints for the gents too...

 Close-ups...

I'm going solo this month as Mark is working the weekend, so I can't bring as much stuff as I wanted to. I've tried to mix it up so that there's something there for everyone. I am perhaps bringing too many frocks and not enough separates this time around but what can I say more than there is a good reason to why I chose the name FROCKTASIA ;)

If you happen to be in the Kentish Town area on Saturday it would be lovely if you could swing by and say hello. You can check out all the other fabulous sellers that will be there on The Dandy Lion Market FB page.

I'm knackered now ;)
Hope you've all had a fab week.
Friday tomorrow, huzzah!

Loads of love,
Jennie
xXx

Atomic winter

I sometimes have the oddest thoughts! 

As I was hanging the washing out on the balcony the other day, freezing my fingers off, I started thinking...

"What if this is it, what if winter becomes permanent and this is as good as it will get temperature wise".

I know, the stuff of nightmares right?!

It is thought that the climate would be profoundly effected if for instance nuclear war was to rage across the planet or perhaps a supervolcano decided to erupt or a comet or an asteroid happened to slam into the globe.

The theory goes that if vast amounts of smoke and soot was to be ejected into the earth's stratosphere, the little spinning ball that we call home would be plunged into perpetual winter.

Horrible thought, eh?!

Of course the snow covered naked branches of the trees are pretty and create spectacular backdrop but I have to say that I am now officially fed up with winter and I want spring to march on in and sweep the bastard thing away once and for all!

I was very happy to see that the bird lovers had come out in force today,  there was seed scattered everywhere on top of the snow by the pond.

I'm not the only crazy bird lady around this neck of the woods, I'll have you know ;)

The other day this sweet little girl came up to me as I was hand feeding Lilo and asked if she could have a go. I lent her my "feeding glove" and she was absolutely ecstatic when the Lilo started eating seed from her hand, so sweet!

It's been snowing heaps here today and there's still some snow fall forecast for tonight.

When will this snowy madness end? 

Vintage coat by Spinney, 90s velvet catsuit, hooded cloak dress, Handmade African necklace  gift from my mum, DM boots, 99p stores snood, gloves, slouchy hat & Frocktasia earrings.

I'm playing catch-up with my 'daily ensemble' pics, this is what I wore to go and see Leslie yesterday...

My sister in Copenhagen sent me this awesome 70s bright red needle cord maxi skirt. I'm guessing that the flowers were hand-painted by Inger Leth.

The stunning necklace was a car boot sale bargain from last year, it's a really unusual piece. There's an inscription at the back which reads 'By Laurent Guinci'.

Vintage 70s cord maxi skirt, 70s suede lace-up waistcoat, 80s butterfly belt, 80s boots, 90s floral lace leotard, I also wore a great big faux-fur coat, a faux-fur hat, gloves and snood...it was freezing and damp outside yesterday.

Leslie sent me this pic from last months Can't Buy Me Love market...

There's me peddling my gear to a very dapper chappy. You can also spot  Mark looking on proudly as his wife gets into the swing of things & lovely Sara from Hello The Mushroom :) The pic was borrowed from the CBML blog.

I won't be there this month because my other sister is popping over from Sweden for Easter and we are heading up to Edinburgh for a few days which will be ever so splendid.

If you are in London on the 30th of March you can still go and see Jet-Marie, Leslie and all the other brilliant sellers that will be there at the Can't Buy Me Love Easter Special.

I'm hoping to return there next month, so watch this space ;)

Today's tune is Atomic by Blondie, enjoy :)

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

I'm with the band

Many moons ago when Mark & I lived in Glasgow, we had a band called 'Gretchen'.

The boys (Mark, Jim, Dave & Allen) and myself practiced every Sunday and gigged regularly for a year at intimate venues like 'Nice N Sleazy' and 'The 13th Note'. 

We never got to the recording stage before splitting up but thankfully Mark bought me a four track recorder, so I do have a whole heap of live demos, from various rehearsal sessions, that I like to dust off and listen to every now and again ;)

The band didn't split up because of artistic differences, it was simply life pulling us all in different directions.

Mark and I moved to London, Jim changed career and relocated and Dave became a father.

Allen is still living the rock and roll dream though, playing bass in Maiden Scotland an Iron Maiden tribute band.

I actually still have both the trousers and the jacket that I'm wearing in these pictures...

The striped cami was my mums from the early 80s, the pink boucle jacket was bought from the Benetton sale in '96 (with some tax rebate money), the mad space boots I bagged in Copenhagen in '99, they were originally priced at over £100 but the zip was "bust" so they had been marked down to a mere £20. I took the boots to a cobblers in Copenhagen and he had them fixed in two minutes flat and didn't even charge me for it. The trousers I bought in the Topshop winter sale in 2000.

I'm amazed at how brand spanking these trousers still look cause I've worn them a lot...

I know that I usually harp on about how modern High Street clothing have no longevity because of  poor quality but I may have to eat my hat about this conjecture, cause in some cases it is obviously not true.

I told you the lurex jumper would get a few more outings this month...

number one and counting ;)

It was so nice outside today I didn't even have to wear a jacket or coat.

The fabulous fuchsia pink felt is by St Saviours Hats, these hats usually retail at over £50.

Needless to say I paid rather less than that, cause I am the original bargain bint ;)

00s Topshop trousers, cropped lurex jumper, vintage 60s psychedelic print shirt, Indian block print silk scarf, St Saviours  felt hat, velvet gloves, mini cross & safety-pin earrings & 80s boots.

Before I sign off I'd also like to tell you that I have made a fabulous new addition to my little gang of  Legendary Frockstars, namely Ariane of Style Sud-Est. 

She always bowls me over with her amazing style! 

If she's unknown to you, go check her out, you won't regret it :) 

I did want to share a song that Mark and I wrote a few years ago but I can't upload it, so here's a tune that we covered back in the gigging days in Glasgow, enjoy :)

Almost weekend again, huzzah!
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx

I spy

When I first started blogging back in 2007 on a Swedish fashion blog platform called Modette, my daily blog  post would usually only consist of a picture and a short description of what I was wearing that day.

I blogged on Modette for a year before the site was bought up by a news company that decided that they wanted handpicked & trendy bloggers rather than people like me, so my blog was unceremoniously binned. 

Then I started my first blogspot blog called Calamity Jem's Vintage Vaudeville and although I spent a good few years blogging about charity shop bargains, car boot sale treasures and my daily get-ups (mostly photographed in the same spot on the balcony) I never felt entirely happy with the blog itself.

 So in 2011 I decided I needed a change and Frocktasia was born.

To start off with I had this idea that I wanted to keep my "daily ensembles" in a separate place, however slowly but surely they've crept back in to my regular blog content.

Why?

I love looking at other people's outfits and I love sharing mine, it's as simple as that really :)

Here are my February 2013 outfits...

Have you got a favourite?

I really loved wearing the cropped lurex jumper and I'm sure it'll get a fair few outings this month too :)

Today's ensemble was a bit 'Cold War Spy'...

...mixed with a large dollop of 'Comic Strip Heroine'...

I bought these trippy tie-dye tights from a Swedish High Street store called Indiska in their sale when I was across two years ago. Shortly after I returned home they disappeared without a trace. I found them again the other week whilst going through my stash of vintage bags, they were stuffed inside a very elegant 50s handbag. Very odd but I'm sure that it must have made perfect sense at the time ;)

Vintage 70s leather coat...I do love a good leather coat! I know, I know...not very vegan of me :(
Vintage 80s jumper, satin & lace corset, latex belt by House of Harlot, vintage 80s boots, faux-leather hotpants, opera gloves, Indian sari wrap as scarf & Frocktasia earrings. 

What is your view on outfit posts, do you love them or loathe them?

How many pics of the same outfit do you think is overkill in an outfit post?

I'll leave you with a wee ditty by Norwegian singer songwriter Mikhael Paskalev, 

enjoy :)

Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx