Latest articles from Retro To Go

---

• For sale: 1970s detached house at Bowness on Windermere - with original 1970s interior
• Sateen Bandeau Dress from Oasis
• Viktor & Rolf Farley Jazz Shoes
• Williams Espadrille Wedges from Topshop
• eBay watch: 1960s 'Bond villain' space age armchair
• VHS Notebooks
• Grasshopper lamp by Gina Grossman
• No7 75th Anniversary Decades Make-up Collection
• Twenties London: Sex, Shopping and Surburban Dreams by Mike Hutton
• The Great British Biscuit tea towel
• Retro Hanging Knobs from Berry Red
• Adidas Gazelle OG trainers get three suede reissues for summer

For sale: 1970s detached house at Bowness on Windermere - with original 1970s interior Posted: 11 May 2011 11:58 AM PDT I usually start with an outside view of a house, but the kitchen in this 1970s detached house at Bowness on Windermere could be a page from a 1970s design magazine. It's not - this is a house up for sale right now, with much its structure and interior largely unchanged from the decade that produced it. Obviously the agent says it's a 'blank canvas to the new purchaser to redesign and create their ideal home'. But if you love the 1970s, it probably offers much more than that. In terms of specifics, the house has a superb location in the Lake District, specifically on the edge of Bowness on Windermere. It also offers that typical 70s angular design that houses a dining room, hallways, kitchen, conservatory - rear porch, three bedrooms, a shower room, additional upstairs sitting room, dressing room and en-suite bathroom. There's also an integral double garage and lots of gardens, plus space for several cars around the house. It's sad to think someone will rip out all of this and make something generic, but that's the reality of life. Unless you buy it - offers are requested for around £575,000. Lots more images on the site. Find out more at the Rightmove website

Sateen Bandeau Dress from Oasis Posted: 11 May 2011 10:31 AM PDT Wiggle dresses are a perennial go to for the sexier end of fifties styling, creating the bombshell silhouette that the decade is so known for with ease. For a dress that has all the vampish appeal without being too much for the daytime, this Sateen Bandeau Dress from Oasis is a great choice. The dress has a definite fifties structure, with a kneelength hemline that's balanced by a sweetheart neckline and halter strap. The tailoring is spot on, with a high cinched waist and just enough hip-hugging to create a great hourglass. Finished in a sweet floral print, the colour palette has a sunny feel that just treads the line of wholesomeness. It's available now from Oasis for £55. Find out more from the website

Viktor & Rolf Farley Jazz Shoes Posted: 11 May 2011 10:24 AM PDT   If you've ever fancied yourself as a toe-tapping Fred Astaire doing Puttin' on the Ritz then you should probably check out these Farley Jazz Shoes from Victor & Rolf. Crafted in Italy, the shoes have a classic black and white brogue look, but a lighter leather sole and cotton mesh upper perfect for warmer weather. A great summer shoe for adding a masculine retro edge to floaty skirts and floral prints - and breaking into a spot of fancy footwork if the mood strikes. The shoes cost £335 and you can buy them from Selfridges.

Williams Espadrille Wedges from Topshop Posted: 11 May 2011 10:12 AM PDT To complete any retro look, the footwear is always of the utmost importance. That's arguably never more true than in seventies looks, an era when shoes moved from accessory to centrepiece across the era's trends. These Williams Espadrille Wedges from Topshop truly tap into that, making a statement that manages to turn heads without going over the top. Combining a daring high wedge platform with a summery espadrille heel detailing, the shoe's mesh of textures works well with its vintage inspiration. The upper's suedette is the perfect shade of off-red, creating a warmth that offsets the nautical blue of the striped platform, and is a must for 70s colour palettes. Get yours now from Topshop for £65. Find out more from the website

eBay watch: 1960s 'Bond villain' space age armchair Posted: 11 May 2011 08:50 AM PDT Right, here's a challenge to our regular 'design' readers - can you name this armchair design? It's listed as a 1960s Bond Chair, which I'm guessing is because of its similarity to the kind of chair Bond villains kicked back in 'back in the day'. I'm happy to be corrected though. For your money, you get a fibreglass frame, a tulip base that swivels 360 degrees and a padding black leatherette inner.  That's the good part. On the downside, it has not been re-upholstered, so there's some 'cracking' with age. Otherwise, it's described as being in 'excellent' condition. Bidding stands at (and indeed opens at) £250. More images on the listing. Find out more at the eBay website

VHS Notebooks Posted: 11 May 2011 05:51 AM PDT   There was a time when people disguised their videos in cases that looked like book covers, but now it is nearly obsolete, it seems other products are being made to look like videotapes as with these VHS Notebooks. There are two options available, either a plain sketchpad or lined notebook. Both measure 19.5cm by 11cmand are supplied in cardboard slip covers, just like the kind that covered blank videotapes. They cost £12.95 from Pedlars.

Grasshopper lamp by Gina Grossman Posted: 11 May 2011 05:36 AM PDT A 1940s design reissued for the twenty-first century, the grasshopper lamp by Gina Grossman looks just as good today.  The floor lamp was first produced in 1947 and is instantly recognisable for its tubular tripod stand. It's been re-issued by Danish company Gubi who are producing it in five different colours - including three variants on grey, as well as jet black and a shade they're calling vintage red.  The lamp costs £565.  Buy it from TwentyTwentyOne

No7 75th Anniversary Decades Make-up Collection Posted: 11 May 2011 05:21 AM PDT   To celebrate 75 years of their No7 make-up range, Boots has introduced the limited edition No7 Decades Collection. The collection takes inspiration from the key looks of the past seven decades and consists of a trio of eye shadows, lipgloss and nail polish so you can recreate the make-up style of that era. The eyeshadows include a set of white/grey/black called Swinging Sixties to recreate dramatic smoky eyes of that period and Electric 80s, a trio of bright colours. The nail polishes are named after key fashion items of the decade (Bobby Socks for the 50s, maxi dress for the 70s) and the lipglosses are named after style icons of the era (Judy, Marilyn, Dusty, Bianca, Joan, Jennifer and Agyness). Lipglosses and nail polishes cost £6.75 whilst the eye shadows cost £9.25. Visit the Boots website to buy.

Twenties London: Sex, Shopping and Surburban Dreams by Mike Hutton Posted: 11 May 2011 05:19 AM PDT If you want to discover the vibrancy of the city between the wars, you might want to get hold of a copy of Twenties London: Sex, Shopping and Surburban Dreams by Mike Hutton. This 228-age book is described as an 'affectionate recollection of twenties London', examining all facets of metropolitan life from the good time party antics of the Bright Young Things to the seedy underbelly of East End gangland. There's also flapper girls and aesthetes, jazz stars and film legends, but also everyday folk going about their everyday post-war business. Throwing in some unique photographs and first-hand accounts of life at the time, the book lands on 30th June, but is available to order now - the price is £8.99. Find out more at the Amazon website

The Great British Biscuit tea towel Posted: 11 May 2011 05:16 AM PDT This Great British Biscuit tea towel celebrates all that is good about one of our favourite teatime snacks.  It's designed by Jill Tytherleigh and shows some British biscuit classics, such as the jammy dodger, fig roll, malted milk and digestive. Charmingly illustrated, it's bound to inspire you to reach for that tin.  The tea towel costs £10. Buy it from Very Nice Things

Retro Hanging Knobs from Berry Red Posted: 11 May 2011 04:13 AM PDT They say the devil's in the details and these Retro Hanging Knobs from Berry Red provide the perfect fifties detail for mid-century inspired interiors. Reminiscent of the classic atomic coat rack,  the hooks come in a lovely palette of muted colours. They are 10cm long with the rounded end 5cm in diameter and suitable for coats, dressing gowns, towels etc. A very reasonably priced and versatile accessory for adding a retro flavour to your decor. The Knobs cost £7 each from Berry Red here.

Adidas Gazelle OG trainers get three suede reissues for summer Posted: 11 May 2011 12:30 AM PDT Yes, we know it's a regular on the reissue circuit, but the Adidas Gazelle OG trainers are certainly one of the more popular Adidas styles. So these three suede reissues for summer are certain to go down well. This is the 'classic' shape of the late 60s shoe, with a choice of blue (above), green and purple for the suede (see images of the other two colour options over the page), with zig zag leather stripes, leather detailing and a gum sole. All three pairs are available to buy online now, £65 is the price of a pair. Find out more at the End Clothing website Via His Knibs

You are subscribed to email updates from Retro To Go To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610