Sumptuous Satins

Ava Gardner

Evoking golden era glamour of Hollywood in the 1940's, Vivien of Holloway's Satin Sarongs are the perfect way to get you in the mood for the imminent party season.

You'll be spoiled for choice when choosing your perfect elegant evening frock- and we know how hard it is to choose just one! 

Red Satin Sarong

In ten rich, shimmering, jewel-like colours, and with a seductive waterfall drape from the hip, revealing as much -or as little- as you dare courtesy of a wrap-around skirt; the Sarong dress is a firm favourite with the most glamorous gals around.

They're also sold with a matching bolero- ideal for keeping that winter chill off your shoulders.

White Satin Sarong

Lilac Sating Sarong

Burgundy Satin Sarong

These fabulous frocks -and so much more- can be bought either online or from our gorgeous 

London Boutique!

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Gorgeous in gold

It's too late for Christmas, even if the post was working properly, but how about a jaw-droppingly sensational new dress for New Year? We've just taken delivery of an incredibly opulent new design - our Gold Jacquard Sarong. This stunning new dress is made from beautiful, gold brocaded jacquard, which is magnificently thick and drapes perfectly.

 

As you can see, this is a sarong with a difference! We've added thin shoulder straps in places of the usual halterneck, for a look that's both different and extremely elegant. The construction of the bodice is as flattering and supportive as ever, with strategic boning and a close cut to ensure a smokin' hot torso. The waterfall-draped skirt looks divine on all hips, no matter how slim or generous.

Available with the matching bolero, this exquisite, exclusive and strictly limited party dress is £120, available instore or online. Make sure you look as sparkling as the champagne you quaff this New Year! And have a wonderful Christmas.

Be a siren in our Sarongs

Now the clocks have gone back and the nights are longer, you have the ideal excuse to get a seriously glamorous new dress to celebrate the extra partying time! Christmas brings so many fabulous soirees, and the perfect, slinky little number that will cause a stir, comes in the form of our 1940s Satin Sarong.

We have just produced this best-seller in some brand-new satin shades. We think they're utterly gorgeous, and we hope you'll agree!

Our favourite might possibly be the Aubergine - a glorious shade of royal purple that would look amazing with contrasting accessories.

It comes with a matching bolero included in the price - as do all these new shades, whether shown in the picture or not...

The midnight navy blue is a close contender, though - imagine it with red and white accessories - a fabulously patriotic look! Or, go for a deep shade of persimmon orange for an authentically 1940s colour combination.

With new stocks of classic black and red as well, it's impossible to go wrong - all eyes will be firmly on you as you sweep onto the dancefloor... whether you're wowing at the office party, or jiving the night away.

Classic Style at the Classic Rally

A few weeks ago, we made our way down to the historic St Katharine's Docks for the Thames Festival Classic Rally, which was a wonderfully nostalgic trip back in time to when boats were truly glamorous! Historic vessels dotted the wharves, with colourful bunting flying in the wind, draped over rigging and wound around masts. We were absolutely honoured to be asked to provide clothes for the fashion show, and had enormous fun dressing the models and choreographing the show. Have a look at just how fabulous the girls looked in our designs!




The girls line up! The model in the front looks wonderfully willowy in our capris and halterneck top.

 Be splendid in red satin - our popular halterneck circle dress looks perfect with a matching bolero.


 For something really special - one of our luxury dresses, a popular choice for brides.
This one has silver stars on it, and is paired with a contrasting emerald bolero.


We teamed a pair of black pin-up shorts with a cheeky purple gingham peasant top for an exotic look...
 
Our eternally popular sarongs look lovely in elegant purple polka dot.
 
Playsuits are for life, not just for summer! Team one with tights to keep warm and
stay vintage stylish this winter.
 
A floral print swing dress is just the thing to bring sunshine to any winter functions. Choose an unusually coloured petticoat for extra rock n roll style points.

We also couldn't help but have an impromptu photoshoot aboard the beautiful clippers moored in the harbour - the perfect setting for our vintage-couture style gowns and pirate-tastic sarongs!



Avast ye land-lubbers, this skull-emblazoned sarong will lure many unsuspecting sailors to their fate...
to be held forever under your spell!



 All photos by the talented Anya Holdstock.


We can't wait to test out our sea-legs again next year!

Some Press-ing news!

It's been a really mad couple of weeks in the Vivien of Holloway press department, with our dresses making it into, not one, not even two, but three really huge magazines! First up, it's our very dear friend Paloma Faith, who was spotted in Closer Magazine, wearing one of our fabulous Forties print sarongs, complete with matching bolero. The print on this number is sadly resigned to history, but don't worry, we have several new tropical prints to tickle your fancy!

 

We are delighted to be featured in the October edition of Cosmopolitan, in a fashion entitled Mad About The Girls.The beautiful model is wearing one of our most stunning Special Occasion dresses - a black taffeta halterneck circle dress emblazoned with gold stars. The fitted and flared Fifties style is big news for this season... but that's no surprise to our well-dressed customers!

 

And if all that wasn't enough, OK! Magazine have done a lovely feature on top interior designer Laarence Llewelyn-Bowen and his lovely family. It had a Mad Hatter's Tea Party theme, which is close to our hearts anyway, so the fact that they chose our red polka heart halterneck circle dress for his gorgeous daughter Cecile, is just the icing on the cake as far as we're concerned!



Have a fabulous week, everyone!

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.

Scarlet Magazine

We're delighted to see that the ever-fabulous Paloma Faith is gracing the cover of the latest edition of Scarlet Magazine, wearing one of our Leopard Print sarong dresses, complete with matching bolero. We've so nearly sold out of the leopard print version (a few lucky ladies can grab one if they hurry!), but we have a myriad of gorgeously sassy prints and fabrics available if you fancy a slinky sarong in a different colour.

Our sarongs are perfect for Scarlet readers, the magazine which celebrates women's sexuality and doesn't shy away from embracing all things naughty and nice. We're big fans here at Vivien of Holloway and you should be too! Go and have a look at their site now... but don't forget to come back! You know where to come for beautiful, empowering dresses!

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!

Tiki Floral Dresses

As well as our gorgeous spring floral dresses, we also have a fabulous range of tiki prints on our 1940s dresses and halterneck sarong dresses, modelled here by the lovely Miss Malone. They still have all of the wonderful features that make Vivien of Holloway dresses so popular, but this time they are in wild Hawaiian fabrics!



These stunning dresses are perfect for exotic weddings, a tropical beach holiday, or even for a summer BBQ with friends! Why don't you wear them to some of London's best tiki bars? Our favourites are Mahiki and South London Pacific, both with impressive Hawaiian interiors and a range of delicious cocktails!