V&A & Fans on a Frock

On Friday, Miss Bethan Garland and I went to see the Hollywood Costumes exhibition at the V&A. It's been open a few weeks (well, a month) but time and work tends to scupper fun things plans for both of us. But on Friday, we went! It was absolutely brilliant. Obviously, the costumes themselves were fantastic, but the curation and display was excellent - each outfit being topped by a screen with the character's head on it, moving slightly like a cinemagram. Our favourites were the Addams Family and the tiny Pubert, Batman/Cat-woman and Gone with the Wind. Dorothy and Marilyn were strangely drab and anti-climactic! 

Photographs were, of course, forbidden inside the exhibition. But the gift shop was fun! 

And photos can be taken inside the museum proper. Any excuse for an outfit post! 

I recently made a purchase from friend and sponsor Helen of Pinup Parade, who has her own range of repro dresses, Swagger Joint. You may recall I already have a dress with a very similar (though not identical) fan print. But one fan-print frock is not enough for this girl, and so I had to treat myself to the Olivia. 

It's a late 40s/early 50s style dress, not a housedress but a practical cotton number, with useful pockets at the front. It's lined too, so it's quite good in cold weather (particularly as it doesn't go all staticky on stockings)

Nice, huh? Unfortunately, my much-loved and much-worn winter boots, which are now about five years old (or more) are worn through at the side. Nooooo! A finger can be poked through the bit you can see overlapping the sole. Confound it!

If anyone's seen any retro-looking faux fur lined numbers about, please let me know. Miss L Fire ones are obviously the dream, though they come up half a size too small for me, big wah.

Please go and see the Hollywood Costume exhibition if you can, and also go and check out Helen's designs. This dress is a strong contender for Christmas Day outfit . Do you have yours planned yet?

Fleur xx
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