Monday, 10 February 2014
JSH selected for top 50 online fashion boutiques
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Vintage Fashion Magazines: My FT Blog
Monday, 7 May 2012
Welcome back!
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Grazia Hot Trend: Embellished Collars

We have three stunning vintage dresses with unusual collar details in the boutique. Our Naomi Party Dress is an original 1960s handmade garment in metallic fabric with grey and gold woven thread. It has a cream lace collar with ribbon detail - very Alexa Chung - and the dress is fully lined.
Our second dress is a gorgeous 1960s-inspired design with white plastic 'gemstones' sewn onto the neckline. Available to buy here.
Finally we have a stunning Peggy French Couture late 1960s dress with embellished collar detail, available to buy here.
If you would like to make an appointment to visit our Kings Cross studio, please get in touch via this link. We can open up any time between 7am and 10pm, including weekends. There is no obligation to buy and all visitors receive a Juno Says Hello canvas tote and scented candle.Monday, 4 January 2010
How to get a festive reality check
Lisa Armstrong writes another brilliant (and hilarious) article on our obsession with 'party-dressing':Obviously I would never cast aspersions on the usefulness of what is written on a glossy page, but has it occurred to anyone else that all this anticipation might be mass delusion?
A real check list of what you need to do in the clothes department right now would start with ensuring that your favourite items have been dry-cleaned and aren’t missing any buttons.
Another plan of action is to revamp your wardrobe. Ever since I saw Christopher Kane’s velvet biker jacket in October I’ve been mulling over why it would be endlessly useful – with strappy dresses, jeans, T-shirts… And why it would make everything look just right, whatever the occasion. I think it comes down to it being a simple classic piece, but reworked to look fresh. I’ve also been wondering how to work the idea of it in without having to own it, since owning it would mean parting with £1,000. And they say fashion’s easy.
Switching around favourite combinations in your wardrobe could result in a similar, fresh eureka moment. If you’ve always worn black with black, try adding some navy – it looks chic, understated and very dramatic, especially if you mix textures like velvet and silk.
Go for sheen rather than out-and-out shine – it’s more flattering and, on the whole, classier. If you can’t resist sequins – by New Year’s Eve the pressure to have a Diana Ross moment may be overwhelming – a sequined top under a jacket or a sequined skirt with a jersey or cashmere tank (as seen at Costume National, above, right) looks cooler than head-to-toe glitter, and it’s more versatile. While we’re on the subject of tops, something one-shouldered is a simple, striking graphic statement that’s also current. Skip necklaces with this one though, in favour of bangles or earrings.
Lace is another standby that slides from wedding to understated. There’s a lot around, from horrifying tat to beautiful classic pieces – as at Moschino, above, left. (The best high-street lace tops seem to be in Oasis.) A lace dress can look tacky but a top or trim is often all it takes to nudge daywear into something special. A tweed, Chanel-esque jacket thrown into the mix also looks hip and elegant and works well with velvet jeans on Christmas Day.
If you need head-to-toe glamour, think about buying something plain that you can rev up with jewellery for big nights out and wear more casually for cosier gatherings. Strapless dresses are another versatile fix – slip a cardigan over them for lower-key evenings.
Image: Karl Lagerfeld for Romanian Harper's Bazaar
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
London's oldest specialist fashion bookstore
RD Franks, founded in 1877 and located just off Oxford St, is stocked with a mind-boggling selection of books and magazines from around the world, not restricted to, but specializing in the fashion sector. Publications are imported from countries such as Italy, Germany, Japan, and USA.For the curious, R D Franks is also a supplier of ‘advanced trend information’. They stock a range of Trend Forecasting Books filled with colour palettes, texture samples, fabric patterns and shapes. These do not come cheap, but are small bibles for all designers.
Their equipment section covers areas such as pattern blocks, dress stands, mannequins and fashion figure templates for illustration. It doesn’t matter if you’re popping in for something in particular or if you are looking to get lost in a wonderland of magazines out of the cold winter rain. RD Franks is a magical cave for those with a creative mind.






