Halloween: Vintage Villains & Frightening Fashionistas

An eerie mist is descending over Vivien of Holloway as ghoulish gals and devilish damsels prepare for Halloween. Not sure how to perfect your spooky costume with a vintage twist? Vivien of Holloway is here to help!

Spine-Tingling Luxury


Spellbinding witch is a cute classic for Halloween but our lace Halterneck Circle Dresses make this tried-and-tested costume all the more luxurious. You'll bewitch in Spiderweb Lace while Luxury Black Satin Lace will translate easily into your 'special occasions' wardrobe. Just be careful ladies, those love potions are strong!


Petrifying Prints!


There's a swashbuckling pirate, a fashionable feline, a Day of the Dead damsel in every vintage lover. Find your perfect Halloween VOH shape whether it be a wasp-waisted Leopard Sarong, a skull and crossbones Runaround Sue or a skeletal 1950's Circle Skirt. With Vivien of Holloway's wide range of printed fabrics, you won't be stuck for choice.


We're sure you'll dazzle the damned and can't wait to see your wicked concoctions so don't forget to send photos of your Vivien of Holloway costume to our Facebook Page!

Spooky shopping, ladies! x

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!

Vivien On This Morning!

If you're an avid daytime television fan, they you may have glimpsed us on This Morning yesterday on ITV! And if you did miss it, don't fret because you can catch this little video here.


Give anyone a 1950s and vintage theme and where else would they turn, but Vivien of Holloway? Stepping out in our Sweetheart circle dress and matching bolero, the model had been accessorised with a black belt and black hairpiece and looked utterly fabulous! Our ensemble went down very well with style guru Jason Gardiner and presenter Holly Willoughby!

Snap up your sweethearts halterneck circle dress here before they're gone!

A Classy Affair!

If ever there was the perfect party dress, this is it! With it's elegant tone, it's flattering and luxurious shape and it's classic over-lace, this Champagne Satin with Black Lace Halterneck Circle Dress is going to be perfect for your Prom, Summer ball or that special occasion.

If you haven't yet found your bridesmaid's dresses, then look no further than this Champagne dream! Your girls will look darling in this little number, ideal for elegant weddings with a touch of class.

Find in our luxury Halterneck Circle dresses category on the website, or in the shop on Holloway Road.

Spring Is Here!

The great British Springtime may be an unpredictable time for the weather, but at Vivien of Holloway we can tell you exactly what pieces you're going to need in your Spring wardrobe this year. Now all you need to worry about is whether to accessorise with sunglasses or an umbrella!

You might be planning to spend Easter somewhere sunny, or you might just have your fingers crossed for some British blue skies, but either way show off just enough flesh in our capris pants and shorts. As shown here with a 3/4 length sleeve blouse, all you need to add is some ballet pumps or wedges. With a high waist and in a variety of delicious colours, thay're a tasty addition to your shopping basket.

Our pocket-fronted shorts, with a high waist and a little turn-up work well on all sizes.

Cute and fun for early spring weekends, or great with wellies if your heading to any festivals this year! Tuck in a blouse or peasant top, and slip on some tights if bare legs are a bit much for this time of year! They're almost sold out, so be quick!

Finally, the Halterneck Circle dress with strawberries and polka dots is a spring favourite.

As seen here in white, it's also available in black. Works brilliantly with red, black, white or pink accessories and has the flattering shape of all our circle dresses: sweetheart neckline, boned bodice, nipped in waist and a full swing skirt. You'll look an absolute treat!

We've been Gok'd!

Gok has spoken! And it would seem that he is quite a fan of Vivien of Holloway and classic 1950s styling! As seen in 2 shows in the new series of Gok's Clothes Roadshow, we've featured in both the catwalk and the makeover parts of the show.

On the 8th February you might have spotted our red pencil skirt in Gok's High Street Catwalk when he was experimenting with some 'Clashing Colours'.



And last week you may have noticed a particular lady in red who dazzled her friends after a top Gok makeover, in a Vivien of Holloway Red Duchess Satin Halterneck Circle Dress!

Gok clearly knows what makes a woman look and feel feminine and how to accentuate those curves. He's been opting for some classic Vivien of Holloway pieces this season, and we hope you girls have been paying attention how to style yourselves up! Keep your eyes peeled for some more VoH featured in future episodes.

Using some this season's hottest trends such as 'Mad Men' styling, 'Heritage' and 'Block Colours', you can follow fashion while giving a nod to the 1950s. Where else can you pull these trends together whilst looking lady-like and feminine? We'll see you at Vivien of Holloway, where the girls here will be more than happy to help you get the perfect 1950s look for you!

SALE! SALE! SALE!

Quick! Make Haste! The Vivien of Holloway sale began last night, don't miss out on grabbing yourself a bargain!

A selection of our Halterneck Tops, Halterneck Circle Dresses and 1940s Dresses have been reduced to breathtakingly low prices, so if you've always wanted a classic floral Vivien of Holloway dress but your purse strings have been a little tight, today is the day! Even some of our newest prints have been plunged into the sale, so these are certainly not to be missed.

Check the website for sizing advice on all our sale stock as you don't want to miss out on a bargain. Hurry girls, because this sale is only for a limited time, we are clearing the odd sizes on the website before the Spring stock comes in! Sale online only- Grab a bargain before they are gone like the wind!!

More Strictly love for Vivien!

This weekend's Strictly Come Dancing featured a rather splendid 'Swing-A-Thon', in which every one of the lovely ladies was wearing a different Vivien of Holloway swing dress! Have a look!




The dancing was almost as good as our dresses, we have to say! The show's stylists picked a good range of favourites and brand-new prints. Eagle-eyed viewers will spot the Masquerade dress, being worn with a green petticoat, the Telstar looking rocking on Pamela, Kara Tointon swinging to victory in the White Rose Bouquet fabric, the classic Black Purple Roses print, and last but not least, the Black Strawberry dots. Our halterneck swing dresses and petticoats are perfect for dancing the night away, with the right combination of bust support, figure flattery and comfort, so you can pull out all the stops, not to mention, your very best moves. All our gorgeous customers are winners in our eyes!

Dressing to the nines

So many parties and so little time (or funds) could be the motto of the festive season. Balls, work parties, family gatherings, even weddings - so much goes on throughout Christmas and New Year, and we all want to look our best, even when burning the candle at both ends!

Wearing a truly spectacular dress, one that will turn heads everywhere you go, stop men dead in their tracks and make girls whisper in awe; that's all you really need to get through to the new year in perfect vintage style. And boy, do we have the dress for you!

We're well-known for our signature halterneck circle dresses, which come in a rainbow of colours, satin shades and bright prints, but just in time for the soiree season, we've designed something even more special.

 If you're going to a lavish masked ball this New Year... or even if you aren't and just appeciate a bit of Venetian carnivalesque style and wild abandon, the new Masquerade dress will tick all the right boxes. Emblazoned with vivid masks, feathers and multicoloured atomic starbursts, you can pair it with almost any shade of petticoat for a striking party look that will go down a storm at any decadent parties you might attend. Anna's teamed hers with a vibrant royal purple for a wonderfully opulent look.

 We've also just received a limited number of these rockin' frocks, which we've christened the Telstar dress. This fabulous print features electric guitars, gleaming drums and cymbals - the perfect choice for all rockabilly and Fifties loving chics! Red accessories make it wonderfully festive, and it will work just as well for Christmas dos as it will for New Year shindigs! We hope you have a smashing time, whatever you do!

Gorgeous new styles

Now the dying days of autumn are here, with the last few leaves clinging to the bare branches, but we're not quite ready to surrender to winter just yet! We've just restocked the shop with two delightful new floral prints that will brighten up any of the gloomy days yet in store. First of all, we have the gorgeous Anna modelling our new Autumn Lily halterneck circle dress! The soft, rich colours and white background will certainly bring a bit more cheer to the muted colours of the season, and our famously flattering style will ensure you look as stunning as you feel.



You'll find this divine print in pink and purple, too.

We've also added some amazingly authentic 1950s rose prints. They evoke that picture perfect floral look that was so popular in the middle of the last century, whether for clothing or home furnishings. Our fabric is absolutely spot on and comes in a variety of shades. Anna is wearing the striking blue and purple colourway, but you'll also find a beautiful white version, and one with pink roses, a lush rose bouquet version, and even one in a tasteful autumn brown.



If you have a little look around on the Halterneck Circle Dress prints page, you'll find some really stunning new party dresses there, which we'll return to tell you all about in the next couple of days. So stay tuned!

Strictly Come Vivien!

As huge fans of the jive and all things rock 'n' roll, it was an honour to have our dresses and petticoats featured on Sunday's Strictly Come Dancing! We've been associated with the show before, when they put Alisha in one of our swing dresses for a photoshoot... but it's nice to see them in the dancing action they do so well, on the wonderful show dancers.

Have a look!



We can't think of a more fitting choice than our halterneck circle dresses in purple polka dot, pink hearts and a cheery cotton novelty print with frothy petticoats in contrasting colours. Now's the perfect time of year to get moving and join some dancing classes to beat the winter blues into shape. And if you do, you know just where to come for the wardrobe!

Vintage style on the Street

I think we can all agree that it's been a whirlwind few months for celeb-spotting, here at Vivien of Holloway. We couldn't be more delighted with our latest five minutes (or more) of fame - our pink Sweetheart Halterneck Circle Dress was seen in none other than Coronation Street!


Image found on the Coronation Street Style Blog

Corrie turns 50 years old on the 9th December this year, and is one of the UK's best loved soap operas. It holds the grand honour of being the world's longest-running, too! And although it stays incredibly current in its themes and storylines, it's not afraid to have its characters embracing vintage style.

Julie Carp, the gorgeous lady who was seen in our dress, is often clad in Mod style outfits, and was last week invited on a date with Brian Packham. Choosing something feminine that made the nost of Julie's assets was an obvious choice for the costume team. And it made Julie look absolutely amazing!










Doesn't she look lovely? All that's left to be seen is whether Brian will break poor Julie's heart... if he does, at least she will still look smashing in her Vivien of Holloway Sweetheart frock!

A very vintage Halloween

As the end of October approaches, there's one date we all look forward to here at Vivien of Holloway. Halloween is the perfect excuse to get dressed up (not that we need any excuse), and really get creative. While a walk about town on All Hallows Eve will reveal an abundance of green face paint and frayed bandages, we're definitely advocates of a high glamour, vintage couture look to your costume, whether you're portraying a sexy pin-up witch, or a bloodthirsty pirate wench, wearing one of our creations will have people doing double-takes, and most definitely not recoiling in horror!




Head to our website and feast your eyes on our Luxury Halterneck circle dresses. From midnight black overlaid with gossamer tulle and glittering ghostfire, to vivid satin festooned with spiderwebs... our circle dresses are cut to fit like real vintage couture of the late 40s and early 50s. Your curves will be deadly, your cleavage killer and your waist will be positively lethal to the opposite sex!



Or choose a full skirted frock emblazoned with the Jolly Roger and be a sultry sea witch for the evening.




If you're feeling more smouldering than cute, something with a slim skirt and an air of exotic mystery is something we can do just as well.

You'll have the seven seas under your command in our Pirate sarong. This dress is the perfect mix of vintage elegance and rockabilly charm, but the skull and crossbones print prevents it from being too girly. Accessorise with a pair of pet ravens, and just like Kitten here, you'll give no quarter to any who cross you!


Last, but by no means least, if you're more of a femme fatale than a pirate captain, a slinky black satin sarong will give you more than a touch of the black widow! 

We hope you have a ghoulishly glamorous Halloween, girls!