Period Dress

[Chris Spencer]

With the Basingstoke Rally in mind Amy & Sharon have put this guide together on how to obtain the correct styles for period dress - but who knows you may want to do other events in your chosen outfit once you you have put it together:

We need all of you, our members to get into the spirt of our 90th year and dress up for our Party!!
Our Chairman recently asked me "where DO you find your vintage outfits?". Alan Bartlett has been asking for tips on Jowett Talk as to how to make sure his attire matches his award-winning car; to which many JCC chaps have contributed ideas.
As there is a vintage theme to our 90th anniversary rally in Basingstoke this year, we have compiled a few tips below, as well as sources for said items.
1. Accessories are key
The easiest (and cheapest) way of matching one's outfit to one's car is to look for accessories which were common to the period. For the ladies, a hat, gloves, handbag & seamed stockings may be just the thing, whereas the gents may find that flat cap, braces, old tie & shirt arm bands or a pocket watch might provide that period finishing touch.
2. Inspiration,
Old family photographs, period films, relatives: all of these may provide inspiration for what to add to your outfit to give it that period authenticity. A quick look on the internet will turn up many a photograph from the requisite era, and fashion pages are currently full of all manner of period looks (is nothing original these days?!).
3. Sources
There are bound to be things lurking in the spare room wardrobes, or even a friends wardrobe, which are long forgotten and authentic. Charity shops are a great source of things as people donate things that haven't been worn for aeons, as is eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/). Clements Jnr has snapped up period handbags for 99p, entire outfits for a few pounds more, from both eBay and charity shops. Clements and Moon Snr have donated items from their wardrobes to Moon Jnr, and seamed tights are now once more in the shops. ( M&S, John Lewis)
Find your local vintage fair on http://www.vintagefairsuk.co.uk/ or http://www.judysvintagefair.com/ both Sharon & Amy have bought from this fairs in London or there are websites that deal with good original clothes & some that specialize in modern copies these can be expensive but an easy option.
Ladies http://www.myvintage.co.uk/ or http://www.deadlyisthefemale.com/ great to get ideas from -- Men http://www.darcyclothing.com/ great for braces, ties & hats
4. Imagination is all you need!
Let your ideas run free - after all, this is meant to be fun!
We are very much looking forward to this – See you there – Amy & Sharon