‘Who will buy my sweet red roses?
Two blooms for a penny.’
Although my star teenage turn (ahem!) as Nancy was many years ago, I still can’t get this darn song out of my head. perhaps because it reminds me of being young and swigging whisky backstage, trying to get off with a disinterested Noah Claypole or my male drama teacher shouting at me to walk more like a ‘lady of the night’…who knows. Anyway, I digress. I have been selling some stuff on eBay recently, partly to finance the ongoing project of the bathroom and partly because I am finally reconciled to the fact that those size 8-10 days are long gone, unless I fall back on my bad ways of running until I gave myself boob ache and living off negative calories.
Anyway, I haven’t used eBay for a while, choosing to buy the more creative wares of Etsy instead. However, I appear to have regained a little bit of that old school love from those days when Friends Reunited destroyed marriages rather than Facebook and updating your status meant getting a divorce/getting hitched.
So, a few cheeky vintage inspired finds:
Firstly, my own retro rockabilly gingham number. I so desperately wanted to wear this dress to a picnic or on a hot date with the Handyman…sadly, I put on weight before I ever had the chance to wear it. 
In a similar vein to my own dress, a lovely ‘Vivien of Holloway’ number is up for grabs. Currently only at £12.50…these 1950s style dresses retail at £69.00 so get in there quick! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vivien-Holloway-Halterneck-Dress-Polka-Dot-12-14-/330454549155?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Women_s_Clothing&hash=item4cf0a042a3#ht_500wt_1154. If you felt particularly flush, you could even go for the matching petticoat too, although I would be really careful with the sizing as they use vintage sizings so run very small. I would double check their website for exact measurements.
For a slightly different take on the 1950s style, I’m loving this plaid summer dress. Perfect for serving Long Island Ice Tea at an inappropriate time of the afternoon!
Of course, if all else fails you could always have a go at making your own. There are loads of vintage sewing patterns out there and of course that leaves you the option of selecting your own gorgeous fabric to match the style you like. I’ve recently tried making a vintage wrap dress from a Butterwick pattern which was relatively successful and think that this 1950s cape collar sundress looks like a lovely new project! Very Betty Draper.
So, Mattel are bringing out a Mad Men Barbie. As a child, I always prefered Sindy to be honest as Barbie’s feet were too small but even I couldn’t help but feel a little excited at the thought of owning an immaculately styled mini-Joan. Imagine my horror when I saw that ‘Barbie Joan’ is minus her show stopping curves! The dolls however look perfectly styled and Joan’s outfit is enviably stylish, although am not sure if I am prepared to shell out £50 for a doll! I think I would rather spend it on sourcing the outfit…
I love the series ‘Mad Men’. Yes, it depicts an essentially male dominant culture where the genders roles are clearly defined as breadwinner vs homemaker. However, the character Joan stands out. She is confident in her sexuality, as ruthless as the men she supposedly ‘serves’ and has a great wardrobe. I can’t pretend that it doesn’t disturb me that she is considered a role model for the ‘larger lady’, as she is hardly large but that speaks volumes about what we now consider a healthy size in the world of television and celebrity.
Retro Geek Girl 