Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Fashion

What I Wore: To Dinner at Beadnell Towers

Sustainable fashion has made leaps and bounds in the last twelve months alone.  With Second Hand September taking place in the same month as Fashion Month, it’s taking huge steps in the curation of our wardrobes and really making us think not just what we want our clothes to say about who we are as people, but what they say about our purchasing choices and power.  There are so many ways that people can tap into sustainable fashion, whether it’s by sourcing ethical materials and fabrics from high street stores whilst still buying new, or buy purchasing vintage clothing (older than 25 years) or from second hand / charity / thrift stores.

Personally, I do all of that, but I do have a penchant for vintage and as you know, I can’t resist a prairie dress.   I’m not sure if I mentioned this already but Bo turned 40 earlier this month.  Actually I did, I mentioned it in this post and yes, it’s still a very sore subject for the same reasons.  Anyway, we were recently invited up to Beadnell Towers for an overnight stay, seriously the hotel is amazing, it’s recently been overhauled completely and the place is just brimming with original features that are complimented beautifully by new homages to the old.  You can read about our stay here, but the reason for the mention is more to do with setting the scene for my vintage prairie dress.

Beadnell Towers is the most perfect location for blending the old with the new.  It’s exactly what Dynargh Design have done in their interior design brief.  It’s what we do with our wardrobes every single day, maybe not to the same degree, but all of us every day are mixing old and new clothes to create something individual, to stand out in a crowd.

Pixie Tenenbaum stands in front of twin copper slipper tubs wearing a blue midi prairie dress and brown cowboy boots at Beadnell Towers Hotel

For dinner I put together a really easy outfit, I say it every time and I’ll say it again: a dress is easy because it’s one piece.  Easy to pack, easy to dress and easy to accessorise.  This particular one is a vintage midi prairie dress in cerulean blue with white trim and I’ve paired it with my favourite battered old cowboy boots from Topshop.

Pixie Tenenbaum wearing a cerulean blue midi vintage prairie dress in the Muckle Hoose Suite at Beadnell Towers Hotel

The thing I love about this dress is that unlike most other typical prairie dresses, it doesn’t trail on the floor, and it has elbow length sleeves which is quite unusual for the type of dress.  Also, I never normally wear a sash belt with a dress but occasionally with this one I do because it works really well with the ruffles on the front – which are also great for creating the illusion of a bust.  Top tip, or maybe that should be top tit?

Whenever I wear this one, and it’s not as often as I’d like if I’m honest, it always garners lots of compliments – it’s one I’m thinking about taking to London Fashion Week with me because it never seems to get enough of an outing in that I never seem to wear it for a full day.  I’m trying to shake that whole thing of it being a bad thing for Bloggers to be seen in the same outfit twice because I really do love my clothes!

Pixie

Categories: Fashion

What I Wore: Gunne Sax Prairie Dress

When it comes to searching for vintage clothing you most likely have your favourite eras.  Whether it’s the swinging sixties, the flamboyant eighties or the prohibition era – there’s something out there that makes everyones heart flutter.  For me it’s the prairie dress.  Obviously you know this already because I’m always swanning around in them but there are a few different houses and designers who were particularly fantastic at creating the perfect prairie dress.  Roberta and Gunne Sax were two of them who set the bar for the likes of Batsheva and The Vampire’s Wife in 2018 and 19.

Recently I asked a vintage seller I know to help me find an original Gunne Sax dress, a pre-McClintock Gunne Sax with a billowing, layered skirt and a high neck.  Thinking this was an impossible task – she came up trumps with the most beautiful dusky pink dress from the archives.  Ever.  How she managed to track it down I’ll never know.

Gunne Sax is expensive.  For vintage.  It’s not as expensive as regular old high street and it’s still a sustainable option.  They’re very hard to come by and the sizing is tricky to get the hang of as it works from 1-11 rather than 0-whatever and it’s loosely based on the US sizing system.  Gunne Sax sizes are real small but once you find your groove with them they’re absolute keepers.

This one is better than anything I ever could have imagined from a commission, when you ask someone to find something for you you never know what might turn up but this is like something that got up and waltzed off the set of a period drama straight into my wardrobe.

The high street might have jumped on the prairie dress trend, but damn, they really don’t make ’em like this any more!

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, Pixie

What I Wore: Styling the Vintage Prairie Dress

When it comes to trends there’s one that’s been building momentum for some time now.  It started with the resurgence of vintage dresses from a particular era as far back as seven years ago and the emergence of new brands like Batsheva and The Vampire’s Wife who have dedicated themselves to creating modern versions of Gunnies and the prairie dresses we scour vintage rails for.  Now designers like Bora Aksu are reinventing the prairie dress for a new audience to great effect.

I do own a Batsheva frock and two Vampire’s Wife dresses and I do feel amazing in them, but it has to be said, there’s nothing quite like an original vintage prairie dress.  The thrill of finding one, especially when it fits and it’s the perfect length and composition – well, that’s just unbeatable.  So, what exactly is a prairie dress?  Well, let’s get that clear first off…

A true prairie dress has three main features (and a lot of vintage sellers will list any old maxi dress with a few ruffles and call it a prairie dress which is absolutely not the case), so what should you be looking for?

1. a high, stand up collar

2. a feature waist – either elasticated, belted or ribboned, but not empire line

3. a flounce – that’s the detail which appears in the bottom third of the dress

Anything in addition to this is a lovely bonus.  If it has an empire line it’s a different type of dress from the same, or a similar era and your vintage seller is cashing in on your lack of knowledge, or maybe even theirs.  The rules are simple though, if you like the dress, buy it, if you’re definitely and resolutely looking to buy a prairie dress, then stick to the protocol.

Here’s my current favourite (subject to change literally daily) and the one I wore to the VIP launch of The Cosy Club at Durham’s Riverwalk complex.  It’s a full length navy blue true vintage dress, fully lined and covered in tiny polka dots, bought right here in the North East from an expert vintage curater and re-seller called The Pansy Garden.  It’s a dream to wear because it’s so light and flowy and not at all heavy meaning that when it’s warm outside you don’t get all hot and bothered in it.  I’m wearing it with a Topshop leather and chainmail belt which I bought a few years ago, you can find a similar one here, a Western style works well.  Chuck on a pair of cowboy boots (again mine are Topshop) and a fedora (out of shot because the wind picked up), and that’s one fast, easy, and pretty damn sustainable outfit.

Pixie

Categories: Fashion

What I Wore: The Perfect Summer Dress

I know I’m usually all about vintage and preloved fashion, but there are times when I just can’t resist buying new.  The majority of my purchases these days are vintage and they’re getting more and more outlandish, in fact, the last few have been some pretty crazy bridesmaid dresses from the 80’s which make me look like a super cool Little Bo Peep, but we’re not here to talk about that right now.

Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum wears a gingham maxi dress with navy blue embroidery from Marks and Spencers Summer 2019 range

This one is about a simple wardrobe staple; The Summer Dress.  I’ve found a pretty simple solution from high street legend Marks and Spencer and it’s from their new sustainable cotton range so it has decent credentials too.  I bought this right before it went into sale so I paid full whack to make sure I got my size (£59.99) but if you’re on the ball you’ll find it in stores now for £39.99 or failing that, it’s on eBay.

It’s got chunky straps unlike some Summer style dresses and the front is straight – all of these things mean you can wear most bra styles underneath and you won’t see it either over the front, or at the sides.  Winning.  Despite being maxi in length, it’s light on fabric and draughty so you stay cool.  It’s gingham pattern is an obvious choice for Summer but what sets it apart from other high street offerings is the vintage style flounce and the embroidered detailing, I think this is why it caught my eye, because it still has that throwback feel and of course Marks and Spencer are refreshingly transparent about their endeavours to be more sustainable when it comes to the production of their fashion garments.

A Summer dress, as if you needed to be told, is the perfect garment because it’s one thing.  Easy to pack, easy to store, easy to wear and no need for co-ordinating items – except for shoes.  I’m pretty much always in some kind of boot, with this one it’s the Vionic Kanela suede boot which is a slouchy pirate style boot.  I was gifted a shoe of my choice by Vionic and I chose this one which I’ve worn time and time again because it’s so comfortable.  One of the best things about this particular shoe and this brand in general is that all of their suede is completely and fully waterproof – no joke, it truly is.  Vionic shoes also come with an insole that realigns the foot to its most ‘correct’ position for posture too meaning that it’s a better all round choice.  (FYI I haven’t been asked to write a post by them, this is my genuine opinion and my genuine choice to wear them)

When September rolls around, I’ll be able to slip a white tee under this dress for cooler days and even throw an arran jumper over it for a fisherman’s wife vibe into Fall.  The darker embroidery gives it a trans-seasonal edge that makes it super easy to style.  If you manage to get your hands on one, tag me and show me how you style it!  @pixietenenbaum

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, North East, Pixie

Sustainable Fashion: Finding Treasures in Your Own Wardrobe

We all know that rush that comes from buying a new pair of shoes, or a really great, well-made handbag, ore even just the perfect pair of jeans.  In fact, shopping is up there with addictions such as gambling and alcohol, and is often termed a “secondary addiction’ as it quite often slides in after a different addiction disappears.  Yes, we’re a nation of shoppers.  We spend what we earn and the fashionistas amongst us put our wages straight back into our wardrobes and shoe closets.

A shot of Carrie Bradshaw looking into her closet longingly - Fashion Voyeur Blog

“I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet.” – Carrie Bradshaw

But in 2018 there was a huge shift in the fashion industry, one that saw a light shone on the damage done to our environment and the finger of blame was largely pointed at fashion.  We were shown an ocean once thriving, now nothing but dust.  All for the production of cotton for fast fashion.  The cries were that fashion is fickle, but it’s also a very complicated beast to understand as there are so many tiers, so many layers, and so many season and micro seasons within each level.  It’s difficult to find where the blame does lie, other than to know that garment production plays a huge part in the responsibility of environmental destruction.  Making clothes out of a non sustainable material, unethically, is a challenge.  One which may, or may not be solved.  Pointing the finger most definitely will not solve it, making more conscious decisions at a personal level however, can definitely go along way to make your own contribution towards potentially conserving our environment.

Here’s what I suggest:

1.RE-DISCOVER ITEMS IN YOUR OWN WARDROBE

Pixie Tenenbaum Photographed by @meganlscottphotography
Pixie Tenenbaum Photographed by @meganlscottphotography

This is a personal favourite of mine.  We all have wardrobes and closets of different sizes, I’m a hoarder so mine are huge, I never throw anything away, just move it from floor to floor or from property to property so when I rediscover something, it’s like finding treasure.  (I’m aware that makes me sound like a fucking gross snob but I swear I’m not, I still burp and pump like everyone else.)  I found this Gucci Jackie O bag in black leather and denim when I was looking for something else.  It’s pristine, I bought it when I was 20 years old and living in London and I’m pretty sure I was so terrified to use it that I never did.  That means it’s now brand new and twenty years old, still stuffed and in its original dustbag – probably classed as vintage now.  Simple things like this amaze me.  I took it out to shoot with my Blogger and Photographer friend Megan Scott and I swear, this brought me so much joy you wouldn’t believe.  I also rediscovered a dress I haven’t worn for years, I put it away in a box in the attic, it’s been in there for around 9 years and when I tried it recently it just worked.  Obviously I’m 40 now and my body has changed, my hair is different and my style is different.  Things change, don’t throw things away, hang on to them and restyle them.  Fuck Marie Kondo, if you have the space and you genuinely think you might use it again, keep your stuff.

2. TRY OUT CHARITY SHOPS / THRIFT STORES / VINTAGE FAIRS / ANTIQUE FAIRS

All of them. Charity shops are a little more hit and miss as you’re more likely to find damaged items, or pieces that are just other people’s rubbish, however, in recent years, they’ve gotten a lot better.  St Oswald’s in Jesmond is a good bet and they put together a pretty enticing window display.  There’s also a very good one in Chester Le Street which seems to change it’s name every week so I won’t include it because by the time you visit it’ll be different.  In terms of vintage, Clerkenwell Vintage Fair at Freemason’s Hall in Holborn is amazing, it’s seasonal but generally four times per year.  Trendlistr is an amazing curated vintage seller with a studio for viewing and trying on, and there’s also an online selling platform too for the pieces that aren’t in the studio.  If you’re up here in the North East, you get the best of both.

The best thrift store we have up here is one I change my mind on quite a lot, at the minute it’s probably Retro which is on High Bridge Court, but last week it was the Durham American Thrift Store which is a HUGE thrift store in Langley Moor.  It just depends what their stock is like.

Antique fairs are a bit more exciting.  You can roll through these in a flash, especially if you’re looking specifically for clothes and accessories.  I tend to get caught up in picking up stuff for the kitchen but generally speaking, antiques fairs are where I go for hats, they have the best and most outstanding (by that I mean as in standing out from the crowd) collections you’re likely to come across.  You’ll find crowns, tiaras, hats, widows lace, cloches, all kinds of weird and wonderful hats at an antiques fair and the one I tend to head to first is the seasonal Colin Caygill Antiques Fair at Gateshead Stadium.

3. BUY LESS, WEAR MORE

Try different ways of styling what you already own.  I know that’s easy for me to say as a Stylist, but trust me, there are lots of different ways to wear what you already own, it’s why a Capsule Wardrobe is called a Capsule Wardrobe.  Set yourself a Rail Challenge where you pick yourself 12 items from your wardrobe and see how many different ways you can style them in a 7 day period.  If you work in an office it’s something that can be great fun, if you’re a busy mum parenting the kids at home – not so much, then you need to get your fashion kicks in other ways.  As a busy mum myself, I take great pleasure in wearing my son’s clothes when he’s at school, I’m contributing to the sustainable fashion movement and still getting a new outfit every day.  Plus, he has some freaking cool clothes man.  Double the wear and he doesn’t even know I’m doing it.

4. DO NOT BUY INTO THE “YOU CAN’T WEAR AN OUTFIT MORE THAN ONCE” BULLSHIT

This is one thing I can’t stand about the Blogging / Influencing community and something I appreciate that I’ll never be able to change on my own.  The whole ridiculous ethos of “I would never be seen in an outfit I’ve been photographed in”, or, “I can’t wear something I’ve worn before”.  It’s utter bullshit, I don’t know how this came about, it’s like Bloggers suddenly believed they were A-List celebrities, except an A-List celebrity would never behave like that.  You are single handedly contributing to the problem you are preaching about.  By saying that you won’t be seen in the outfit you just posted to Instagram, you are contributing to the sustainable fashion problem directly.  It’s just crazy and unbelievable that people don’t see that.  I’m more than happy to be seen in my clothes more than once, twice, three or more times, clothes are built to last, hence the term sustainable.  I’ve had other local Bloggers say to me that they wouldn’t dare, and they think it’s disgusting that I wear the same clothes a second time, or “Do you know you’ve worn that before?” (er, yes I do, they’re my clothes) “It might be time to throw that T-shirt away, you’ve worn it before” and “You’ve already posted that on Instagram”.  I’m literally facepalming right now.

Wear your clothes.  Wear them out.  If you get sick of them and no longer want them, pass them on to a friend or a charity store. Or, and that leads me on to my next point….

5. ORGANISE A CLOTHES SWAP OR SALE

Got a closet full of clothing and accessories that no longer fit, isn’t your style, no longer works with your brand new hair shade or you feel you just need a change?  A clothes swap or sale might be for you.  So what’s the difference?  Well, a Swap is basically a night in with a selected group of friends who each bring round some pieces from their wardrobe that they no longer want.  You agree to showcase your pieces and then swap anything you don’t want, for something you do want.  Simples.  The problems with this is that you generally need to swap with a group of friends who are all the same size –  I don’t know about you, but my friends come in all shapes, heights and sizes.  This is why sometimes a sale is the best option.

A Sale is similar except you exchange cash.  You might be saving up for something, moving home, saving for a car, for medical treatment, decorating or giving proceeds to charity (all of these are perfectly acceptable).  You set a price, your friends might haggle, once you agree, you complete the sale and sell your item.  I like these ones, they’re like eBay or DePop but more personal, usually in someone’s home, with a few drinks, a few nibbles and you generally get to pick up some amazing bargains and make some awesome new friends.  I went to one in London and met legendary designer Pam Hogg which completely blew my mind.

I’m actually thinking about holding a private sale at my home maybe in April of this year so drop me a comment, message or email if you fancy coming – I promise, it will be mint.

Pixie

Follow @pixietenenbaum