Inspired by a visit to the Imperial War Museum in London we thought it would be interesting to have a look around Alfies to find objects that are typical of the WW2 era.
Below are some amazing medals that were awarded to soldiers who fought in WW2. They usually state the country in which the soldier fought, this makes them very interesting collector's items. If they could talk they could surely tell some heartbreaking and fascinating stories.
Also from Janes Antiques, a nice selection of some really well preserved photographs, one can't get much closer to history than that!
Photographs from Janes Antiques
It is hard to imagine what the British public felt when they were informed about their country and France being at war with Germany. We can get a good idea about the way people had to make do with much less - but somehow still managed to make themselves and their homes look immaculate.
Clothing items became much more tailored which was caused by the shortage of pretty much everything including fabrics. Designers didn't have much to work with which resulted in a more fitted look and more details were added to make up for the lack of pleats, which would have required more material.
A small snippet of fabric went a long way if added as a decorative pocket flap for example. One label/stamp to look out for is 'CC41' which stands for Civilian Clothing 1941, these items are very rare but you can find some true gems at Tin Tin Collectables:
Pretty blouse with 'CC41' label from Tin Tin Collectables
Original 'CC41' labelled socks from Tin Tin Collectables
Original 'CC41' labelled children's boots from Tin Tin Collectables
Just like food, clothing required tokens and if you wanted to get something very fancy this required the use of a large amount of tokens. No wonder most women perfected the art of making clothes out of fabrics or old dresses.
Should you have found a true vintage gem not in its best condition and don't possess the expertise to bring it back to its former glory, pay a visit to Empire Vintage, where the very skilled Julie Elgar will be happy to take on your project. While you are there why not have a rummage for another vintage bargain?
Lovely dressing corner in Empire Vintage
Should you be tempted to try your hand at sewing/mending yourself you might want to look at getting a vintage tailors dummy. They are not only useful for dressmaking but if you get a lovely vintage one they are great for adding a feminine touch to any space.
Why not use it to showcase your favourite vintage finds or projects? Stephen Lazarus has this beautiful vintage Singer model for sale at the moment:
Original Singer tailor's dummy at Stephen Lazarus
It is definitely hard to find 40's items, not only because they are so rare but also because that era was dominated by the war, thus design and style was not a very important factor. Saying that, people did make a point of dressing up when going for dinner (if they could afford it), it was important to look one's best when out in public.
We feel that back then ladies seemed to be a lot better at doing their hair, for modern women like us, all the gorgeous vintage hairstyles look masterpieces which we could never manage to create ourselves. Fret not - the ladies at Nina's Hair Parlour know all the secrets to turn anyone's bad hair day to one of vintage glamour.
Lovely 40's updo at Nina's Vintage Hair Parlour
And for those that are looking for a perfect gift but can't quite decide what to get, why not purchase some beautiful gift certificates that would put a smile on any vintage lover's face?
Alfies gift certificates are available in £10, £20 and £50 denominations
