Foxy Lady
September 8, 2014
A Juicy Review
September 11, 2014Unless you’ve been in a long term coma you’ve likely come across some books from the Style Me Vintage series already.
I’ve reviewed 4 of them already and today I am reviewing an advance copy of another one. Style Me Vintage: Accessories
The bulk of the vintage I own is confined to accessories or homewares. As the book says in it’s introduction, vintage clothing is becoming rarer and less of an affordable option and I still remember with vague nausea the time I spent £80, a humungous amount of money to me, on a 1930s day dress that turned out to be made of fabric so fragile that the collar tore as soon as I put it on. I’m tough on my clothing and I want the money I spend to last me a while.
Brooches, handbags, hats, gloves and scarves, however, can normally take whatever I have to throw at them, even when they’re almost 100 years old (apart from the memorable time I broke a brooch after owning it for 5 whole seconds). I have a particular thing for vintage brooches.
I do find that vintage accessories are an aspect of vintage people forget about. That means that even in Charity Shops with a “vintage rail” of over priced tat you can still find a 1940s celluloid brooch for £2, or a 1950s silk scarf for 50p.
If you’ve never considered shopping for accessories before then Style Me Vintage: Accessories is an excellent starter guide to the options available. The chapters are arranged by type, rather than decade, so you get a good overview of what to look for when you find a big jumble of costume jewellery in an antique store, or the names for styles of hats and what decades they were most popular in.
If, like me, you are a regular purchaser of vintage accessories, there’s still plenty in the book for you. I’ve never been one to pay much attention to designer or brands, so to brush up on popular names to look for might mean I pick up on a bargain I might otherwise have missed. Also, and I say this unashamedly, it has really pretty pictures to look at and lust over and rekindle a little bit of excitement for vintage accessory hunting.
Another bonus, even for the more experienced vintage buyer, are the little tips on etiquette and care sprinkled throughout. You’re bound to find something you didn’t know. I, for instance, now know how to clean kid gloves.
Like the others, this book also finishes with a handy reference guide to shops and places to visit, including a list of places to shop for modern repro or future collectables, which includes the wonderful Betsy Hatter, so they must know what they’re talking about!)
The best thing about this book is it’s lack of cliches and snobbery. The authors have a genuine love of vintage, and although there is a lot of focus on labels as they are more collectable, there’s also a focus on items that are wearable, and not just on recreating a totally authentic style, or even on a twee modern idea of “vintage”.
The Style Me Vintage series is an excellent, accessible guide to the world of vintage shopping and styles, and this is a great addition to it.
It’s released on the 25th September with a RRP of £14.99, and is currently available for pre order on Amazon for £10.49. If you do want to add it to your collection then I’ll earn a few pennies if you buy it through the link below. If you hate me and want me to be poor then feel free to buy it another way!
51 Comments
Ordered via your link! I have these books too!
Thanks 😀 I’ll spend the pennies completely frivolously 😉
Shirley Edwards liked this on Facebook.
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Cathy S’Carey liked this on Facebook.
Pre-ordered (whatever that means) via link. Brooches are my favourite too! Thanks
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Janice Jones liked this on Facebook.
Thanks for the lovely review @Retrochick_uk BIG SMILE http://t.co/YglzaXkE3E
(CC: @imoantweets )
Hope you enjoy it ladies : D I’m rather proud of my little book baby!!!!
RT @Retrochick_uk: Retro Chick Reviews: Style Me Vintage Accessories: http://t.co/CQZASmkxcg
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Liz Tregenza liked this on Facebook.
That looks like a good buy, I’ll have to add it to my ‘wishlist’. Accessories are always something I struggle with, primarily because I don’t really know what I’m looking for when I’m looking at things, and to buy something that I know is something I want online can end up being sadly expensive, as most of it tends to be in the US when you look on eBay and the like
Pernille Fredriksen liked this on Facebook.
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Wake Up Little Susie liked this on Facebook.
I’m really wanting to pre order the book, but cannot fit it into my budget at the time. I’ll be book marking this post so that when I can get it’ll, you’ll get a few pennies. Thank you for sharing!
She Knits in Pearls
Holly Foster liked this on Facebook.
I’d really like to snag some books from this series. I think I’ve added another to my xmas wish list. Thanks for the review!
RT @liztregenza: Thanks for the lovely review @Retrochick_uk BIG SMILE http://t.co/YglzaXkE3E
(CC: @imoantweets )
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@Retrochick_uk has reviewed Style Me Vintage Accessories in her usual honest self. Here is what she had to say! http://t.co/nj3FZHfYVk
I have the clothing one and love it, so I can’t wait to get my hands on this! Have pre-ordered using your link 🙂
RT @imoantweets: @Retrochick_uk has reviewed Style Me Vintage Accessories in her usual honest self. Here is what she had to say! http://t.c…
Also preordered using your link – exciting! Luckily there are enough brooches to go around since we are all vintage brooch lovers by the sounds of it! 🙂
Hillary Wray liked this on Facebook.
Ooo a review of the new book with lots of pictures http://t.co/GxGHvPFglR
RT @imoantweets: @Retrochick_uk has reviewed Style Me Vintage Accessories in her usual honest self. Here is what she had to say! http://t.c…
If you missed it, @Retrochick_uk has reviewed our new book. No holds barred! http://t.co/7Dg2aR6ceT
Lolà – London Style liked this on Facebook.
If you do wish to pre-order SMV Accessories please do so via @Retrochick_uk’s link so she can have pennies to spend. http://t.co/nj3FZHfYVk
RT @Retrochick_uk: Retro Chick Reviews: Style Me Vintage Accessories: http://t.co/CQZASmkxcg
BOOM Style Me Vintage Accessories is now PUBLISHED! That took up 18 months of our lives and quite a bit of Lydia’s! http://t.co/nj3FZHfYVk
RT @imoantweets: BOOM Style Me Vintage Accessories is now PUBLISHED! That took up 18 months of our lives and quite a bit of Lydia’s! http:/…
RT @imoantweets: BOOM Style Me Vintage Accessories is now PUBLISHED! That took up 18 months of our lives and quite a bit of Lydia’s! http:/…
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Susie Pritchard liked this on Facebook.
@Retrochick_uk Ooooh, already have the clothes, hair and make-up one so would be nice to add accessories to it 🙂
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