Latest articles from Retro To Go

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• eBay watch: Large 1970s flip wall clock by E A Combs
• Five of the best: Vintage camera apps for Apple's iPhone
• Patent Leather Carry Case by French & English Confectioner's
• Ginger Slinky Cape Dress from Topshop Maternity
• Mad Men Joan and Betty paper doll set
• Bonjour Mon Coussin collage cushion
• UNA Space-Saving Coffee Table Set
• Green Retro Desk Lamp
• Habitat's retro-style maps of London and Paris by Alice Tait

eBay watch: Large 1970s flip wall clock by E A Combs Posted: 24 Nov 2010 02:12 PM PST We've featured plenty of vintage flip clocks in the past, but this large 1970s flip wall clock by E A Combs is up there with any of them. Made by E A Combs of London, probably in the 70s, but possibly sneaking into the 80s, it's a large item, around 17 inches across, with the date and time and battery power to keep it ticking over. Downside? At 5kg+ in weight, you'll need to secure it well if you want it on your wall. A few bids, but still well priced at £31. Find out more at the eBay website

Five of the best: Vintage camera apps for Apple's iPhone Posted: 24 Nov 2010 01:28 PM PST As retro as we all like to be, it's useful to have a modern handset and we're guessing many of you currently use Apple's iPhone. But the iPhone can be retro too, especially when it comes to photography. In fact, there are so many retro camera apps out there, we thought we would sort out the good from the bad. Specifically, picking out what are, in our opinion, the five best vintage camera apps for the iPhone. 1. Hipstamatic It's the star of the show, at least in terms of sales. It comes with three rolls of vintage-style film (simulated of course). plus a selection of lenses and flashes for the initial price. Once you're in, you can buy more, as well as share via the social networks and if you love your work lots, you can even order your analogue prints. It's the market leader for good reason and is easy to use. But unless you start spending, you might get a little bored of the limited options fairly soon. We like: Ease of use, finished and the options to share. Not so sure about: Cost of add-ons and how quickly we got tired of the initial set up. Price: £1.19 Find out more about Hipstamatic 2. Pudding Camera No, we don't know why it's called that either, but typing that in is the only way you'll find this free Japanese app. Worth the effort too, with a whole range of Lomo-style cameras at your fingertips, packed with tricks like Panorama, four shots in one, sequenced shots, split shots and fisheye, as well as a host of simulated vintage films to choose from. You can even alter the settings of your vintage snapper, with futher options to share your photographic efforts. After a bit of trial and error that is - many of the instructions are in Japanese. We like: The vast array of options, it's like having the entire Lomography range in your back pocket. All for free too Not so sure about: How to do some things, due to the language barrier. With time, you'll work it out though. Price: Free Find out more about Pudding Camera 3. Shake It Photo Polaroid app Polaroid is making something of a comeback right now, both with reissues of older cameras and new instant snap cameras. But you can also get it for your iPhone using the Shake It Photo Polaroid app. Everything you would expect - take your photo, shake it to develop it more quickly, some quirky sound effects and some fairly distinctive finished images with a white border. If you like Polaroid, there's much to like here. We like: The quirkiness of it all, it's fun and certain to impress your retro-loving mates. Not so sure about: How long that fun will last. Although with a price tag of just 59p, it's not exactly a lot to pay if you tire of it after a week. Price: 59p Find out more about Shake It Photo 4. Retro Camera Plus The name is a giveaway. Yes, we're talking vintage-style camera. In fact, we're actually talking replicas - 1950s Barbl (East Germany), 1970s Little Orange Box (USSR), 1972 Polaroid-like Xolaroid 2000 (USA), Canadian FudgeCan (1961) and a classic pinhole camera. All are replicated in detail, most have a black and white or colour film option and all have very distinctive finishes. In a good way. If you love the Lomo thing, this is likely to be for you. Easy to save your works of art and share round the social networks too. We like: The detail and the bizarre effects you can create, all of it for free. Not so sure about: The longevity of it. Like the others, there's only so much you can do - although as it's free, so what's the loss? Price: Free Find out more about Retro Camera Plus 5. Camera+ On the face of it, not a retro/vintage app. But it's all about the detail with Camera+. For a start, it's a great alternative to Apple's built-in camera functionality - touch focus and exposure, stabiliser, light adjustment, digital zoom, lots of great features for your phone. Once you've snapped, head to the lightbox for more fun. In there are plenty of retro filters (amongst a wider set), allowing you to adjust the colouring, or give your photo a Lomo, 70s, hipster or antique feel. You can test out all of them before you save your final image, which is a real bonus. If you love photography in general, this app is really is worth investing in. We like: All the features, turning your phone into a top-notch compact camera, throwing in a tasty editing suite too for a very decent price. Not so sure about: The ease of use at times, but the ability to undo pretty much everything is a bonus. Just remember to save to your camera roll when you're done. Price: £1.26 Find out more about Camera+

Patent Leather Carry Case by French & English Confectioner's Posted: 24 Nov 2010 10:49 AM PST While we are big fans of truly vintage-look bags and accessories from new designers and the high street, there's always room in our hearts for a more quirky retro option. This Patent Leather Carry Case by French & English Confectioner's has an irresistible charm that's unique. The rich cream shade of patent leather is the ideal backdrop for a briefcase style illustration, printed directly on to the bag front. With carry handles and a sizeable inner, it's ideal for both weekends away and work days with your laptop. It's available online from Not On The High Street for £155. Find out more from the website

Ginger Slinky Cape Dress from Topshop Maternity Posted: 24 Nov 2010 10:43 AM PST For vintage loving ladies the choices in maternity wear amount to little more than smocks and more smocks - the much maligned, shapeless garb for all pregnant women well into the 1970s. Thankfully we now have modern retro choices like this Ginger Slinky Cape Dress from Topshop Maternity to keep you looking chic at all times. The cape style dress has the draped glamour of a seventies frock with the practicality of late maternity clothing built right in. In a luxurious ginger shade of fabric, the sheen has a slight Studio 54 feel, ideal for eveningwear. The empire line facilities the baby-bump without looking out of step, too. Get it now from Topshop for £40. Find out more from the website

Mad Men Joan and Betty paper doll set Posted: 24 Nov 2010 05:58 AM PST If you can't quite justify the price of the Barbie Dolls but you do want to have a go at dressing up some of your favourite Mad Men stars, take a look at this Joan and Betty paper doll set.  Made by Things We Love/MS Elliot, it takes the traditional paper doll right and gives it an early sixties makeover. The set contains twenty different outfits for two of the TV show's most stylish characters. I'm not sure if the clothes are interchangeable though - surely Betty's outfits won't accommodate Joan's curves?  You can easily find out for yourself, as the set only costs £7.  Buy them from Culturelabel

Bonjour Mon Coussin collage cushion Posted: 24 Nov 2010 05:02 AM PST What's black and white and re(a)d all over? One possible answer is this collage cushion from Bonjour Mon Coussin.  The cushion is decorated with newsprint, advertising and images of consumer goods dating from the late '50s and early '60s. Being a French company, the text is all in French - surely only adding to the glamour. We've featured some of Bonjour Mon Coussin's designs before which tend to have more attitude than the usual cushion. This design is no exception as the colour scheme of black, white and - yes - red adds to the striking look.  The cushion costs 34 Euros Buy it online

UNA Space-Saving Coffee Table Set Posted: 24 Nov 2010 02:25 AM PST   Following the Full Moon Coffee Table set mentioned last week, here is another space-saving furniture set, but with a very different look. The UNA set, designed by Zita Menyhart, has that great space-age futuristic retro look, rather than the mid-century style that these sets usually adopt. It looks as if it is made from some sort of moulded plastic and conists of a coffee table and two stools. The base of the table acting as either storage space for magazines or can be used with the additional ice bucket to keep drinks cool. It is available in five colours, although the pure white is best for the space age look. It costs just under £2,000 from the Hidden Art Shop.

Green Retro Desk Lamp Posted: 24 Nov 2010 02:06 AM PST   This Retro Desk Lamp from Idyll Home is pretty much your standard desk lamp design, with an adjustable head that allows you to change the angle of the light. What distinguishes it, is the unusual choice of colour, a vintage-looking shade of green, which gives it a much more retro look than if the lamp had been in the usual black, chrome or red. It measures 55cm high when fully extended and uses a 40 watt bulb or low energy equivalent. It costs £129 from the Idyll Home website.

Habitat's retro-style maps of London and Paris by Alice Tait Posted: 24 Nov 2010 12:44 AM PST On a walk round Habitat last week for something substantial to sit on, a couple of things for the wall actually drew my attention - these retro-style maps of London and Paris by Alice Tait. They're canvas prints, each one with a really cool retro illustration of the major sights of each city. Slightly informative, very eye-catching. Each one is 60 x 80cm and is digital image printed onto a canvas backing. They sell for £89. An image of the Paris map is over the page. Find out more at the Habitat Art website

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