Time for Twinwood

It's that time of year again! The Vivien of Holloway girls are packing up the vintage glamour for Twinwood Festival this weekend. We're especially excited to be hosting the Ms Twinwood competition where we'll be on the hunt for the most fabulous gals. If you're not in the running, don't despair! You can still be a star in your own right this weekend with a little help from Vivien of Holloway.

Last year's Ms Twinwood

So, the wellies are ready, the tent poles have been counted, the pin curls are set - but what to wear to Twinwood? We love spotting our fabulous garments at retro festivals and highly recommend looking to previous guests for inspiration.

As you can see, our 1940's Swing Trousers are perfect for a comfortable daytime look. The lighter fabrics are ideal for the weather and easy to dance in!

Charlotte White from Restoration Cake looks gorgeous in our 1940's Tea Dress. We love this authentic 40's look paired with low heels and a vintage hand bag.

What a great image of our Halterneck Circle Dresses at their 'swoosh'iest! These dresses are ideal for a dressed up evening look.

Or wear dressed down, without a petticoat, to stay cool and casual in the summer sun. We still have some Halterneck Circle Dresses in our sale. Order before 2pm today to have them in time for the event! Florals are a perfect choice for Twinwood - they're sweet, summery and just bold enough to stand out in a crowd. The Satin Dollz look great in our Victory Rose Halterneck Circle Dresses.
 

We look forward to seeing your vintage ensembles and hope you have a wonderful time.
If you can't make it to Twinwood, never fear. Remember there's still time to win tickets to the now sold out Goodwood Revival Festival. Find out how here.

Enjoy your Bank Holiday!

News and New Kitty

Good Afternoon to all you glamorous ladies and dashing gentlemen!
We're very happy to have been voted 'Best Vintage Reproduction Brand' by The Vintage Guide to London for the third year running. We'd like to thank all of our stylish customers for making this possible once again.

Speaking of which, here's what some of you gorgeous girls have been up to this week.

Lucie Luella looking fabulous in a shoot for Things & Ink. She wears our Grace in red duchess

Miss Rainbow is a summer sensation in our Gypsy Crop top.

Diablo Rose and Anna Fur Laxis wear our wiggle ready halterneck pencil dress and sarong.

Italian beauties Ladyvette wear halterneck circle dresses in satin.

Thank you to Kat Beadle who sent us this stunning picture of her wearing our red sateen circle dress.

These lovely ladies are a vision in our turquoise and white polka dot circle dress.

Where are you ladies wearing your Vivien of Holloway this weekend?  Make a note of these glamourous events:

Vintage High Tease sets sail from Poole this evening on a cabaret & burlesque boat cruise. Our Royal Palm sarong is a perfect blend of elegance and the exotic. And the matching bolero will keep you safe from the chilly air!

Vivien of Holloway fans in Valencia should definitely make a beeline for the Classic Custom Car Festival! Be sure to get some snaps of your VoH outfits. We love this one of mother and daughter act, Sincerely Yours.

In other news, we've been so excited about our brand new dress! Isn't she gorgeous? She has cap sleeves, a nipped waist, a full gathered skirt and sweet patch pockets. She buttons down the front and has a cutaway collar, all the favourite features of an early 50s day dress, with lightly padded shoulders to give a flattering shape. Kitty will be available online this afternoon. Have a fabulous weekend!

Vintage Glamour at the CLA Game Fair

Last weekend, Blenheim Palace played host to the CLA Game Fair, an annual extravaganza described as a 'grown-up village fete', held not on a green, but in the lavish grounds of Blenheim Palace itself. David Domoney (www.domoney.tv) is a unique garden expert, he is the brains behind Catwalk in Bloom and he also hosts both shows. It's a wonderful event for residents and admirers of the English countryside alike, and everywhere you turn there's something new to see and do, from clay pigeon shooting to admiring chaps in tweed and fine facial hair.

You may be wondering what such countryside pursuits have to do with Vivien of Holloway, but, in the sea of air rifles and hog roasts, there was an oasis of pure vintage glamour and something we really do best - a fashion show!





We sent perfectly poised models clad in sarongs, bombshell wiggle dresses, and full skirted swing dresses down a catwalk lined with lush flowers. The Catwalk in Bloom show was organised by garden expert David Domoney. The juicy strawberries, fifties florals and pastel plain colours were all a perfect match for the event, and the models had an absolutely smashing time! The elegance of Blenheim Palace was also the perfect backdrop for an impromptu photo shoot, and even if the overcast skies made things a little grey, our frocks certainly brightened the 'old place' up!


As you can see, no country chap in his right mind can resist a thoroughbred filly in such a divine frock! Did any of our friends and followers visit the CLA Game Fair this year? We certainly hope to be back next year for some more countryside fun and frolics. See you there!

Flowers and Frocks

It's no surprise, we're sure, to find out just how much we love flowers here at Vivien of Holloway. If they're not on our dresses, they're in our hair, on our shoes or pinned to our halter straps.So it was a true honour to be invited to clothe models on the Hampton Court Flower Show 'Catwalk in Bloom'.

Our Anchors Away circle dress and pink Sweetheart sarong take centre stage!

The organisers were trying to capture the spirit of 1940s, 50s and 60s Britain with a marquee full of bunting, lush floral arrangements and vintage crockery. The catwalk show itself was celebrating both vintage fashion and flowers, and involved lots of beautiful, real blooms, pinned to our frocks.

It was so warm on the day, that the embellished clothes had to be stored in the fridge so the flowers didn't wilt! But it was worth it, they looked absolutely spectacular.

Our favourite segment had to be when the gloriously (if we say so ourselves) clad ladies in polka dot sarongs and halterneck circle dresses were joined on stage by strapping young men, clad in nothing but their tool belts!


It was the perfect marriage of sophisticated vintage style with a bit of good old-fashioned British humour and fun. Which is something that could be said of many of our own dresses and separates - which are designed with love, made in the UK and enjoyed by fabulous ladies across the world. We had a truly smashing time and can't wait for next year!

Vivien and vintage girlfriend looking the picture of glamour despite the heat!

Have a watch of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show episode that starred Vivien of Holloway on BBC iPlayer. We're about 40 minutes in! See you all very soon.

Amazing Imelda May

One of our dresses took centre stage in Times Square recently, as Imelda May chose our stunning Red Gold Dragon sarong to wear during an intimate tribute concert to celebrate the life of the late, great guitar legend Les Paul. Imelda May and her Band performed with the equally legendary Jeff Beck at the Iridium Jazz Club in Times Square on the day before what would have been Les Paul's 95th birthday.


We're huge fans of Imelda May, and we're delighted that she's being rewarded for all her talent and hard work with the success that she so rightly deserves. But as well as being one of the UK's best singers, she also looks absolutely gorgeous in Vivien of Holloway!



Imelda with Jeff Beck, who was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame last year!

Our Red Gold Dragon sarong is currently out of stock, but you can look equally exotic and chic in our Blue Gold Dragon version, or any of our other beautiful prints, satins or plain sarongs!

To hear more Imelda May, and see lots more pictures from this epic concert, please visit Imelda's site. We think this lady is really going places, and we're proud that she loves our clothes! Thanks Imelda.

A Day At The Races

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It's almost time for one of the most glamorous fixtures in the social calendar, Ladies Day at Royal Ascot. This event is a veritable extravaganza of dazzling dresses, and glorious headgear, and the perfect occasion for introducing a bit of timeless vintage style into the mix!


For a classic 1950s look, a plain cotton or satin Halterneck Circle Dress and frothy petticoat is an ideal choice – not too bold, but certainly not shy or retiring. The more daring can choose from our fabulous and authentic novelty patterns or ethereally beautiful Special Occasion gowns, with glittering stars or delicate floral lace to see you through the day and night in perfect style. Or, if you fancy something a bit slinkier, why not try one of our wiggle Pencil Dresses or a 1940s sarong?


The most essential ingredient for a day at Ascot, of course, is a hat or, 'a substantial fascinator'. Here at Vivien of Holloway, we sell a wide range of hairflowers and floral headpieces. Simply channel a bit of old-fashioned pin-up glamour and attach a burst of tropical flowers to a gorgeous updo. Or, combine a few of our juicy cherries and luscious lilies into something that would make Carmen Miranda proud. Add a matching pair of cherry shoe clips and you'll stand out from the crowd in a super stylish way, we promise!



Tally ho, ladies!

Dreamboats and Petticoats

You've got your new Vivien frock, you've found the perfect accessories and you're having the best hair day since time began. But where to go?

May we suggest that those of you in the North check out hit Rock N Roll musical Dreamboats and Petticoats. It's been on tour throughout the UK since September and still has Milton Keynes, Hull and Sheffield to go.

Click here for details of dates.

(Also, does the dress in the picture look familiar? It should! It's one of ours. Click here to buy it)

Goodwood is only DAYS away!

Yes, the only way to say farewell to summer with style is just around the corner. The fantastic Goodwood Revival takes place the 18,19 & 20th September.

That's this Friday,Saturday and Sunday folks.

If you're a little last minute with your shopping here's the link you're looking for. It takes you straight to our Goodwood page where you can peruse our recommended outfits.

Don't forget we offer next day shipping and the shop is open the whole weekend for your convenience.

Whether you're interested in the classic 40s dresses, our beautiful tea dresses, the glamour of our halterneck pencil and circle dresses or the timeless chic of the 40s trousers, there's something perfect for you and Goodwood.

Goodwood Countdown

It's only 2 weeks until the glorious Goodwood Revival Do you have your outfit planned yet? Fret not, dear girls, for we are here with a series of suggestions in the lead up to the event.

Our first is the beautifully elegant White Chantilly Halterneck Circle Dress.

Imagine this with curls, the perfect heels and a class of bubbly in hand.

Say goodbye to Summer with style.

Get "Carefree" with Brigitte

To celebrate (the original sex kitten) Brigitte Bardot's 75th birthday the town of Boulogne Billancourt, near Paris (France, not Texas) is playing host to an exhibition dedicated to her "Carefree Years" or "Les Annees Insouciance" if you want to impress your friends.

Anyway, the big news is that all the hostesses at the exhibition will be sporting Vivien of Holloway Pink Gingham Dresses. Swoon! A meeting of this much glamour might cause some kind of implosion, but we're willing to take our chances.

Now might be the time to grab yourself a Pink Gingham number, and affect a Parisian accent, as the exhibition starts on September 29th and runs through to January 2010

(If you're looking for some Paris chic, but not into the girly gingham, here's our Parisienne Wiggle post)

The London Burlesque Festival

The London Burlesque Festival starts tomorrow, so grab some tickets quick!

The London Burlesque Festival exposes Londoners as well as Burlesque connoisseurs across the Globe to over 100 of the World's Best Burlesque Strip Tease & Variety Acts every year, ranging from the nostalgic traditional style of Burlesque's early years to 50's 'Bump and Grind' as well as modern avant-garde interpretations that are growing in popularity with Neo Burlesque's younger set.

If you are planning on attending this event, you can look the part in one of our sexy pencil skirts or wiggle dresses!

Several showcases of sultry song, sizzling strip tease, vaudeville variety and Burlesque pageantry at it's best takes place April 1-2-3-4-5. Full performer & event schedule is now confirmed HERE.