Horrockses Dresses in Alfies!

In reference to the last post, it was brought to my attention that we have some fabulous Horrockses dresses in Alfies. The Girl Can't Help It have currently got two stunning examples in their shop.

Blue floral polished cotton cap sleeve dress

Blue and white cotton strap dress with matching bolero

And remember to get down to the Fashion and Textiles Museum to see the exhibition!

We know what we'll do this month, will you join us?

So we have heard about some very cool and intriguing events and exhibitions in London this month, we will definitely try to check out all of them and will report back to you with what we thought. But we're quite sure that some of our dear Alfies followers will be there anyway...

Firstly, we will pay a visit to the Fashion & Textile Museum to see their current exhibition entitled 'Horrockses Fashions: Off the Peg Style in the '40s and '50s'.

For us, the most exciting part will probably be to find items at Alfies afterwards that remind us of what we've seen at the exhibition, who knows, one of our dealers might even have a real Horrockses piece among their vast amounts of lovingly selected items?

Friday evening (27 August 2010) we will go straight to the V&A after work to their Friday Late which focuses on Retro Hollywood Glamour, ooooh, we cannot wait for this one! Workshops! Performances! Film screenings! Oh there will be so much going on, and an excuse to see the fabulous Grace Kelly exhibition!


And have you heard of The Cineroleum? Well, we are told it is yet another amazing project in London not to be missed! Guerilla cinema! Sounds exciting? Well, it is!!

If you - like us - are fans of the golden age of cinema, of the idea of supporting independent groups of people that work hard to enrich our leisure time; if you like the thought of being part of a great outdoor screening at a derelict petrol station which has been transformed into a hand-built cinema, and last but not least - if you love off-beat classics like 'Rebel Without A Cause', 'Metropolis' or 'The Long Goodbye' to name but a few, you must go to the following website and secure your ticket to one of the screenings!



And for those of you stuck for ideas what to do Saturday night, why not venture down to the most fabulous 1930's New York style bar/club in London that is Positively 4th Street? You have probably passed this place a hundred times either not having noticed it at all or having wondered what is going on behind those pretty Art Deco frosted windows... We know we have, and we have gone in and never regretted it!

This Saturday sees a club night called ShugaPush which brings London's lovers of hot tunes from the '20s to '40s their monthly fix lovingly selected and delivered by some of the finest purveyors of hot jazz, swing and blues from that era. For more information visit the club's Facebook group site:



And if you are a little stuck with ideas as what to wear for such events, or should you feel inspired to start your very own collection of lovely vintage records or perhaps even want to buy a vintage record player - Alfies has it all under one roof!

Vintage Costume Jewellery

What I love about Alfies is the huge amount of costume jewellery on offer. From all periods and spanning all price ranges there is always something that little bit tempting to try on and buy!

A selection of bakelite and celluloid necklaces and bracelets offered by The Originals

Late 1960s Trifari Lucite Owl Pendant, from Deborah Woolf Vintage.

Where once this mass produced jewellery was considered cheap and worthless, it is now not only collectable but worth far beyond its original price. Costume jewellery was originally created as a disposable accessory to a particular garment, so the variety of styles and materials is a constant reflection of the changing fashion throughout the 20^th Century.

Art Deco brooch 1920's offered by Linda Chan

Costume jewellery first appeared early in the 20^th Century in Europe and soon the Americans dominated production from the 1920’s. Brands such as Weiss, Coro, Miraim Haskell and Trifari can be found amongst the dealers vast collections at Alfies. During the war, when metal was in short supply, silver became a more economic material to use for jewellery, something that has added and increased the value of these pieces now.

Coro is a middle priced brand synonymous with authentic vintage jewellery. Production stopped in the 1980’s so the pieces in circulation are all collectables.

Signed 'Coro' brooch multicolored glass/gild metal 1950's offered by Tony Durante

Costume jewellery was further made popular by designers such as Dior and Chanel and its use in the Hollywood movie.

1966 Christian Dior 'elephant' brooch offered by Tony Durante

1950s Lucite Bracelet & Earrings, from The Girl Can't Help It

With so many brands and styles to choose from, whether it is something to accessorise a particular outfit or to buy as an investment piece, the Alfies dealers are happy to share their knowledge and offer advice to help you find that perfect piece!

Have a look at the huge collections offered by The Girl Can't Help It, Tony Durante, Persiflage, and The Originals, Deborah Woolf Vintage and many more.

My favourite purchases from Alfies

Working in an antiques market can certainly have its advantages, not only are you surrounded by beautiful objects everyday but its a perfect place to buy presents for friends and family, and the odd present for yourself!

This post is sharing my favourite items I've bought from Alfies. When I first started I was immediately drawn to Ian Broughton's fantastic shop, as I was on the lookout for a record player. It just happens that's what Ian specialises in!

So, after telling him my budget and the sort of one I would like he kept his eyes peeled and a couple of weeks later brought in this beauty for me! It was perfect size and looked super cute!

It even folds down to become a little suitcase!

Another favourite buy was quite recently, I was rummaging in Persiflage and spotted this amazing vintage tea towel. The illustrations are brilliant and each little character is different. Its definitely too good for drying dishes with!

Close up of the illustrations.

Jewellery Heaven

Working at Alfies is quite difficult sometimes... it's so hard not to be tempted by all the beautiful objects you see everyday! This is the start of a regular blog post where we will show off some of the many fantastic items the Alfies team have fallen in love with and taken home for keeps!

Our assistant wears a white 1970s shaman inspired bead necklace, a celeste & diamante beaded necklace & vintage faux topaz bangle.

Vintage faux topaz bangle as before & 1950s cocktail ring.

Our wonderful assistant says about her Alfies experience: "Every now and then I see a piece and I go for it. I particularly like 50s jewellery, like this cocktail ring with red and yellow water marks and my celeste and diamante bead necklace (pictured above). It's a time when people started wanting more exuberant and fun objects. But I tend to mix with other periods and styles. The faux topaz bracelet is from a later date. For the summer, this shaman inspired early 70s white bead necklace makes me feel happy because it connects me to other people and places and my boss says it's healing"

All the jewellery pictured was bought from The Originals. You can find their beautiful stand on the second floor at Alfies, Stand No. S057.