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, 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, North East, Uncategorized

An Evening of Crafting & Power Dressing with Intu Metrocentre

As an official Intu Influencer I always look forward to the fashion preview events that unveil the high street’s interpretations of the key trends for each season.  The team at Intu Metrocentre always put on a show to accompany their previews and the FW17 showcase was their best yet.  Not content with the regular runway show, we were treated to an evening of power dressing with Costume Historian (and my friend) Meridith Towne and crafting with the gals from North East based company The Crafthood.

After being greeted with a custom blended mocktail at Zizzi we were given the chance to browse the trend rail which had been pulled from the shopping mall’s leading fashion retailers.  With lots of high street versions of Fashion Month’s key trends including blazers, stripes and lots of red, it was clear to see from the outset that the evening had been tailored (see what I did there?) to the Power Dressing theme.  So, what did we get up to?

CRAFTING

The Crafthood is a modern craft business.  I’ve come across them before at another event and their workshop model is one that definitely hooks you in.  From candle making to Christmas bauble painting and calligraphy (which I’ll be booking on to) these girls are teaching skills in a social environment and paying it forward to boot.  For every workshop space they sell, they donate a workshop space to charity.  Nice right?

On the upper floor of Zizzi, we had a designated crafting zone laid out with plain canvas makeup bags and a place tag in gorgeous golden calligraphy (a skill you can hone with The Crafthood).  Paint and stamps were laid out for us to get our craft on and create our own bespoke washbags using any colour imaginable.  With a quick lesson from Sharon and Kay, A.K.A The Crafthood, we were let loose with paint and free will, and pretty much every single person immediately looked to stamp their own initials on their bags.  Even with seashells, stars and leaves available to use, it just goes to show that the trend for personalisation isn’t going anywhere.

After a lot of practice on strips of cloth, I made two very questionnable washbags, one for me and one for Plankton.  Both featuring a gucci-esque bee. 

SCRANNING

As this was a seated event, Zizzi put on bespoke platters to satisfy even the most fussy palates.  Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or a meat lover like me, Zizzi has your back.  Think pizza, deep fried peppers, falafel, carrot sticks and all the carbs, the sharing platters are actually big enough to share (so many of them aren’t) and there’s a great variety of food on each one.  I’d recommend the garlic and rosemary bread and that’s why I ate 10 slices.  Fact.

POWER DRESSING

I’m a huge fan of fellow Costume Historian Meridith Towne and we’ve worked together a couple of times now.  Basically Towne travels the country with History Wardrobe delivering a number of talks on topics she’s set, based on her extensive collection of vintage and antique clothing.  Got that?  It’s a sort of educational talk about era or genre specific trends with a little theatre thrown in to keep it upbeat.  Towne’s Glitz & Glamour talk is one of my favourites on her menu, if you get a chance to catch it then I strongly recommend you do.  Today though, we’re here to talk about the art of Power Dressing, given the number of women in politics and the rise in female CEOs it seems an uber relevant topic.  It’s less of a lesson on how we as women should power dress and more a look at how these women dress to exhibit their own power.  Take Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior for example, spear heading the trend for the feminist slogan tee, it’s not so much about angled shoulders and pant suits, but more about different ways of wearing our power in a noticeable way.

We were guided though notable moments in global history which charted the rise of female empowerment, from Maggie Thatcher’s blazers and pearls, to the tricks that women used to widen their shoulders in order to appear equal to men.  Towne has immersed herself in her self curated collection, some of which she’s made herself to the exact specifications that they would have been in their designated era.  After Towne brings us up to date with how female power dressing throughout history has influenced our present day wardrobes, we had the chance to get up close and personal with a small selection of her curated vintage and antique wardrobe, some of which is so old and delicate that we’re not actually allowed to touch it.

FW17 TRENDS

As you know, everything we wear is influenced by the runways of the Big Four at global Fashion Month.  The fate of our 2017 Fall Winter wardrobes was actually sealed in February 2017 when the most influential designers in the world sent variations on old shapes down the catwalks.  Multicoloured fur, stripes, tweed, polo and neck sweaters were all relatable and translatable trends for the high street to deliver as affordable fashion.  Red was the colour of the season but as a block, not a hint so for FW17 if you’re going red then go bold or go home.

Outside of power dressing padding and quilting is the way to go, metallic puffer jackets were on every major runway in Paris with Chanel leading the pack, tailoring in beige and brown toned tweeds with applique are huge for FW17 too and my hero piece is a simple long line tweed overcoat that will bring your Winter wardrobe bang up to date for around £80.

Basically power dressing is about confidence and what makes you feel powerful as a woman.  Whether it’s a slogan tee that shows the world you wear your feelings on your chest, or a pant suit and stilettos, if you know your own power pieces then get out there and work them.  If you’re still discovering your power dressing style then it might just be time to take a class….

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, Models, Pixie

What I Wore: For Mama T’s 60th Birthday Dinner in Menorca

I’m back with another easy vacation outfit post for y’all!  I love vacation dressing, it’s different than what you might wear in your home country so it gives you a chance to experiment a little, I have two main styles when I’m livin’ it up abroad and those are Boho Festival Unicorn, and US Seventies Rock Chick.  Sure I like to mix it up and throw a little boho 70’s in there, or 90’s raver, but these are the old faithful styles that I come back to over and over again.

Most of what I wear on vacation is pretty easy to recreate on the highstreet, especially if you shop at the end of the Summer, around the beginning of September when you can pick up items in this style pretty cheap.  I like to wear Daisy Dukes in stretch denim when I’m away and my favourites are aptly named Daisy by Topshop, the lycra in the denim means they don’t sag around the butt giving you shape and lift all day long and keeping everything where it should be.  These ones are £36 but be warned, they’re short!  Topshop now do a Kiri short which is cleverly cut to your shape so that it’s higher on the outside thigh, but lower on the butt and very flattering.  Wanna check them out?  You’ll find them here.


I wore this outfit to go out to dinner for Mama Tenenbaum’s 60th birthday in Menorca so looking back at it will always make me smile.  The tee is a tour tee from Beyonce’s Formation world tour in 2016, it’s got a drop sleeve leaving me pretty exposed so underneath I’m wearing a bright orange non-wired bralet from the Victoria’s Secret Pink collection which costs around £14.

The cowboy boots (which I take everywhere I travel) are from Topshop (you can find similar ones here) and this cute little fur bag is a super bargain from Primark that I picked up for just £7, it has a gold chain handle too so looks pretty cute with anything, it’s in store now in two different colour ways.

My boho tasseled jacket is River Island, it rung in at around £90 from what I remember but I’ve since seen non branded ones on eBay form way cheaper, it’s a velvet burnout with yellow and orange tones in it as well as a tone of heavy beads and I bloody love it, I get tonnes of compliments on it every time I wear it.  You’ll find something similar at a vintage fair, or at Rokit vintage in London and if it’s a little battered it looks even better.

The necklace I’m wearing is a local designer to Newcastle called M.I.A which stands for Mirror Image Accessories, you’ll remember I shot a campaign with them recently and their laser cut jewellery is produced in limited numbers so you’re not getting something that everyone else has.  There’s an Etsy shop where they sell their jewellery and pin badges and they’re over on Instagram too.

Obviously I wore my signature star tattoos, I’m not sure Mama T would have recognised me without them, and loose tousled beach hair which had lost the very last remnants of lilac which had faded up to a sandy blonde.  Wearing no makeup on vacation gave my skin a real break and my LVL Lashes by The Wax Bar gave me enough refined polish to not have to wear mascara.

Man it sucks to be back in the UK, gimme this sunset everyday of the week…

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, North East

Glitz & Glamour with Meridith Towne at Q Festival

Gateshead’s inaugural Q Festival is well underway, taking place in a traditional spiegeltent structure that’s been erected right in front of The Baltic on the Gateshead side of the Milennium bridge, perfectly positioned for some epic photographs of some of the best North East landmarks

The timetable for the festival is brimming with awesome and unusual activities for the whole family to enjoy and I was invited along to a fun fashion session called Glitz and Glamour with Costume Historian Meredith Towne.  Admittedly I didn’t know a lot about what to expect from the session or what it might entail, but as a fellow Fashion Historian, I was definitely intrigued.

 

I arrived ahead of schedule to get my first proper look at the spiegeltent and true to Deutsch tradition, it was a solid structure with mirrors all around the outside.  Guests were treated to a popup shop from vintage reseller Trendlistr and crafty goodies from The Crafthood.  One thing it’s worth telling you early on is that the light in the spiegeltent was geared up for a performance so not that great for taking photographs, hence the poor quality of my images.  Bloody bollocks.

Costume Historian and Dressmaker Meridith Towne took to the stage in a 1920’s style dressing gown with her hair pinned in low rolls and from the moment she first spoke I was riveted.  Speaking eloquently and confidently about fashion through the decades in a way that demonstrated not only the fashion that you would typically see, but also the circumstances and social and financial climates.

Towne’s collection of original vintage and hand made gowns is impressive to say the least.  Personally collected, found, and rescued, her vintage wardrobe includes beautiful original pieces such as Juliette caps, flapper dresses and original stilettos (by their intended and true definition).  Towne offers the audience a chance to get up close and personal with the collection at the interval answering questions and making tongue in cheek jokes about her charismatic “glamorous assistant” who doubles up as her mum.

We’re guided through each decade from the 1920’s to the 1970’s with precision, detail and even a little audience participation with Towne’s signature panache.  It’s hard to describe just how incredible this ‘show’ is because I don’t really know how to categorise it.  Somewhere between a talk, a history lesson, a performance and a play, it hits the spot when it comes to getting an insight into how fashion was used to express femininity throughout time and you definitely leave feeling like you learned something, albeit in a super fun way.

From the rebellion of the 1920’s to the end of rationing in 1947 and into the 50’s, Towne’s Glitz and Glamour show includes every major fashion trend synonymous with the decade it appeared in and even a few more.  As a speaker she’s fantastic, engaging from start to finish and very well informed, her ability to pull together a complete, era specific outfit is astounding and the part she plays when on stage only serves to add artistic flair and aids delivery superbly.

I was kindly gifted to tickets to the event because the organiser thought it was right up my street and she wasn’t wrong.  With a face value of £15 per ticket, if you’re a fan of fashion, whether vintage or modern, it’s well worth that and I’ll definitely be looking out for the next in Towne’s series of shows on vintage fashion.

Towne tours the U.K. With History Wardrobe delivering ‘shows’ on a range of topics within the vintage fashion genre including The Art of Power Dressing, 100 Years of Hats, Victorian Lady Cyclists, A History of Shapewear and lots more.  If she’s coming to a town near you then buy a ticket Voyeurs, I promise you you won’t be disappointed, this was one of the best events I’ve been to in a while.

Pixie xo

Follow @pixietenenbaum