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!

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!

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!

Lace overlay

Here at Vivien of Holloway, we've become well-known for our special occasion wear – our stunning Circle dresses in shining white and jewel-toned satin have been seen on blushing brides and at swanky parties the length and breadth of the country. But our new range of luxury dresses are perhaps even more special... they have the power to turn you into a Golden Era starlet.

We've taken our signature Halterneck Circle dress and turned it into something fit for a silver screen queen. These beautiful gowns are fashioned from our favourite high-quality acetate satin, but are overlaid with shimmering organdie, and sprinkled with stars and glittering gold dust. Lace and organdie overlaid dresses were the absolute epitome of glamour back in the 1950s, and although they are mid-century styled, like all our clothing, our luxe dresses look equally at home in today's proms and black tie balls.




Choose from deepest black or midnight blue satin, their sheer organza overskirt scattered with twinkling gold stars or a galaxy of silver stardust. As with all our dresses, the signature Vivien of Holloway cut promises to sculpt your silhouette into that of a wasp-waisted bombshell, with a perfectly supported and uplifted bust, and flattering halterneck.

All you need to add is one of our frothy petticoats and as the sun sets, you'll be sparkling like a summer night sky in our beautiful starlight gowns.

Gorgeous New Frock Alert!

It's November, to call the weather dreary would be a gross understatement and Christmas is still a little while off. You need something to put a little sparkle back in your life.

Well lovelies, don't fret. Like a fairy godmother of all things stylish, Vivien is once again swooping to the rescue with her extremely limited new FIREWORKS cocktail dress collection.

(Pictured opposite) The range features the signature VOH black satin 50s circle dress (which represents the night fireworks exploding over it.

Click here to see the rest of the stunning range which includes Black Satin with a galaxy of gold stars, Navy Satin with smaller shimmering golden stars, Red Satin with golden polka dots and more.

Get them while you can and guarantee yourself a holiday season exploding with glamour!

Satin Star Dresses, Limited Stock!

You may remember a few weeks ago we showed you our new range of Gorgeous Star Dresses. They're proving super popular, and we only have limited sizes left.
Visit our webstore to get yours before they're all gone !