Queeni-B Boutique have been invited by Land of Pash to ‘Pop-Up’ a shop at their debut Vintage and Retro Fashion Fair at Bermondsey’s Biscuit Factory on London’s Southbank. We are very excited to be amongst a selection of inspiring retro traders and passionate vintage fashionistas where we will be showcasing our collection of retro & vintage inspired clothing at accessories from independent designers and cherry-picked vintage pieces alike.  If you pop down you will have the opportunity to try things on before you buy and will be giving special gifts to customers who make purchases on the day. We will be giving out a free entry visa for the event to all our Facebook fans, blog readers & newsletter subscribers a little to closer to the time. There is also rumored celebrity attendance but as it’s all a bit hush-hush we’ll just have to wait and see!

Subscribe to Boutique Secrets Newsletter or become a fan on facebook for updates on the event and to bag yourself free entry thus saving yourself 4 quid (or £2 if you are a student).

Ever wanted the perfect Pin-up coiffure?  I found this fantastic victory rolls tutorial for anyone yearning for 1940’s hair and who hasn’t quite mastered it yet and all you need is spongy rollers, a few bobby pins and some hairspray. I have tried and tested the methods given in this tutorial and it’s definitely worth a watch.

The 1940’s are being inspirational for mainstream fashion once again  as this week the Telegraph supplement Stella Magazine celebrates 40’s outerwear with their ’40s for the Noughties’ 1940’s  fashion inspired photo spread. The shoot features both designer and high-street garments including lots of thick woolen winter coats and a gorgeous tweed pencil-skirt by Next which resembles one I picked up in Asda a few years back. This suggests we might all have a little something deeply buried in our wardrobe or even in the nearest charity shop which we can revive for this seasons hottest look; the 40’s winter ensemble.

If like me, you love 1940’s fashion you’ll love the 40’s photo spread which is in this weeks Fabulous magazine. I am biased of course because some of our lovely goodies are in the shoot! The Fabulous ‘Fashion Sirens’ editorial shoot styled by fashion director Tracey Lea Sayer celebrates ’40s figure-hugging dresses and nipped-in waists and features our 1940’s Inspired Military Hat and 1940’s Inspired Circular Hat With Bows by Rosielee Clothing worn with an amazing 40’s coiffured fringe. We Love it!

Today was the launch of The Gallery at Mare Street Studios in Hackney, East London where Councillor Ünlüer, Caribbean Gastronome Patrick Marche and the London Youth Support trust collaborated on the opening event hosted by Invincible Group. The common factor amongst the organizers was a desire to help young professionals and businesses in East London to thrive hence the launch of The Gallery; a competitive space for exhibitions, events, photo-shoots and more. The centrepiece of the launch was a double-whammy showcase of two of East London’s fashion designers; Leona Simms and Wild Suga. Simms, relatively knew on the scene presented a wearable collection chock full of upholstery fabrics, wools and leather.  Wild Suga’s ‘Shabby Chic’, a collection of one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces made from recycled curtain fabrics and inspired by the 1940s was more my bag. A collection that when worn would make you feel like a vintage barbie; bursting with colour and floral, pink piping and frilly collars. A fringe here… a pleated hem there… and all topped of with giant tassel necklaces, picture frame jewellery and floral ornaments as accessories. To top it off and lead into the post event mingling Sarina Leah (AKA Wild Suga) let out a lovely song from her debut album. I can’t wait to see what this woman does next…

I have stumbled across a gem. Although I never knew it before Future Classics may be one of my new favourite high end labels, that is if they continue to deliver the same fabulous standard and style as seen on the catwalk of their A/W 2009 show. I’d like to thank Kingdom of Style for introducing me to this 1940’s-come-victoriana All Saints reminiscent collection, beaming full of asymmetric buttoning, puff sleeves, subdues florals, tailored tweeds and an untiring play on proportion and shape.  Extra attention must be paid to the mid-20th century influenced coiffured locks, my favourite!

The women who first worked the war paved the way for women who did what they wanted and wore what they wanted, that hasn’t changed but the time’s tailored style of dress subsided to make way for the bowling shirts and poodle skirts of the 50’s. Forties fashion has reappeared on some this season’s catwalks in a palette of muted colours, greys, and browns.  Pleat-waisted slacks and felt hats grace the magazine and newspapers while seamed tights emerge as the modern replacement for the fouties seamed stocking trend. This recap on mid-twenties century attire is an opportunity for chic 40’s inspired fashion to be more readily available and for a season at least you may be able to pop down to your nearest high-street store for a pair of sexy nylons.

In spite of modern society`s apparent fixation with originality and innovation, modern fashion seems to be taking more and more inspiration from the popular trends of days gone by. The classic elegance of the 40s and 50s, for example, surged back into popularity a few years ago and flattering nipped in waist-lines and peep-toe heels have remained a firm favourite with many ever since. Likewise, it`s fair to say that we`ve all noticed the reappearance of all things 80s, as there really is no getting away from the tidal wave of leggings and sequins that seems to be hitting every shop across the country.

It isn`t, however, just clothing that`s heavily influenced by the fashions of past decades – or even centuries – as retro, vintage-inspired lingerie is also a favourite of many women (and men!). Whilst continual advances in design and production techniques and the development of new materials mean that lingerie today is more comfortable and better fitting than ever before, lingerie designers are constantly looking back to the glamour of bygone eras, in doing so creating beautiful retro items designed to make every girl both look and feel like a pin-up.

One of the most obviously nods to vintage style lingerie is the ever popular corset. Perhaps surprisingly, corsets have been worn by women since the 16th century, being originally designed to encourage good posture and emphasise the bust. Though they`ve been around for centuries, the flattering design of the corset has proved to be unbeatable, as the slim-lined waist, curvaceous hips and up-lifted bust that a corset provides has never gone out of fashion! The corsets we are most familiar with today are generally an homage to those worn by the burlesque dancers of fin de siècle Paris – think Moulin Rouge, complete with rich jewel-hued satin and black lace. Oh la la!

Burlesque inspired corsets aren`t the only hint of vintage glamour in modern lingerie, however, as the fashions of the 1940s are responsible for many popular lingerie styles today. During the war years materials were scarce and with this lingerie shrunk to smaller proportions than ever seen before! It was at this time then that the world took its first glance at two-piece bra-and-knickers sets of underwear, a trend which, though borne out of necessity, became the prototype, or rather blueprint, of underwear as we know it today!

Following the austerity of the war years, the 1950s was the decade of high-glamour and decadence in terms of lingerie and the hourglass silhouette of the pinup was what every woman aspired to achieve. In the 1950s, high-waisted knickers weren`t considered grannyish, but were instead classy and elegant and ensured that at least something was left to the imagination! Today, high-waisted French knickers are experiencing a resurgence in popularity and we`re even seeing the fun frill-trimmed legs made popular over 50 years ago. Perhaps the most iconic image of 50s lingerie is, however, the suspender belt. Created back in a time before tights had been invented, suspenders and suspender belts were initially little more than practical, yet today these are seen as the height of seductive lingerie, particularly when involving seamed stockings. Other ways in which the underwear of the 1950s has influenced the lingerie we enjoy today is the use of soft satin, sailor-inspired designs and countless frills and bows as adornments!

So whatever lingerie you go for, chances are that even cheap designer underwear contains more than a little nod to the fashions of a bygone era!

I love a good pencil skirt. If you have never slipped a skinny hobble skirt over your assets you don’t know what you’re missing! Contrary to popular misconception they are not difficult to wear and can hide a multitude of sins. If you are worried about a belly which doesn’t match up the the stomach of a Miss Moss then don’t be, if you find the right pencil skirt in any size then it will work to maximise your hips and waist and disguise the bits your not so proud of. However there are some problems you must look out for; I recently felt satisfied spending £40 in River Island on a high-waisted pencil skirt with slit in the back and kooky mismatching buttons, it was just beautiful… that is until I wore it for the first time and the back hem gave way. Uh-oh! I have overcome this disaster by stitching and re-stitching the seam at the back so that I might be confident to wear the piece again without fear of exposure on Whitechapel High Street. I love my skirt now it is fixed but feel slightly more concerned about wearing it now I know it’s faults. It occurs to me that many women may not have the sewing skills which previous generations passed on to me so as a pre-empive measure I thought I’d give you a few tips to success when finding the perfect pencil skirt.

• Choose Strong Fabrics. Many high-street suppliers make pencil skirts of same basic fabrics as the rest of their collection, such as cotton. Often this is too weak to last where pressure is applied to the garment and usually leads to the seam in the back of the skirt splitting as you walk. Try to choose your skirt in a thick  fabric like Drill or Tweed.
• Watch out for cottons. Even if a manufacturer has chosen a good strong fabric your skirt may still fail you at a bad moment if the cotton holding it together is not up to scratch. Check the cotton is strong by pulling gently on the end of a seam, if the thread looks strained then it probably won’t last five minutes.
• Look for lining. It’s a good idea to buy a pencil skirt which is fully lined or least wear an underskirt with it. The reason for this is to stop the skirt from rouching up as you walk, or worst still snagging your tights. Egnore any ideas you might be having about underskirts belonging in your grandmothers drawers, honestly, you will thank me.

If you have any comments or stories about pencil skirt wearing I’d love to hear them.