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).

A new vintage inspired lingerie set is new in today, brought to us by lingerie label BannBee. This chocolate brown and cream bra and panties set sports the classic halter-neck cut and iconic polka-dot print of 1950s fashion whilst having a slight hint of burlesque influence in the details, the panties are ruched and gathered at the rear and are adorned with a big spotty bow.  The whole BannBee range is lovingly handmade in the East End of London and is such seductive eye-candy it’ll make any girl feel like a proper pin-up!

Today we have an exciting new range in from London Designer Emma Brigitte London. We spotted Emma at one of our favorite hunting grounds Craftactular just before Christmas where she was showing a selection of beautiful and unusual customized vintage knitwear and some yummy handmade 1950s style dresses. Emma has since been working on some new pieces too; some 1950s inspired playsuits. All of the above are now available at www.queenib.com. Each knitwear piece is an individually customized vintage jumper or cardigan adorned with the Emma Brigitte London signature lace insert which adds a romantic feel to a previously disowned gem. There are two super-cute playsuits with giant bows; one leopard print and one pink and black polka-dot, both are perfect for a budding pin-up or rockabilly girl. Finally but not least of all, we have six 1950s style dresses exclusive to Queeni-B Boutique. The six styles include the 1950s inspired ‘Bo Peep’ dress in polka-dot or floral – a pin-up inspired tailored dress with sweetheart neckline and peekaboo back, the 1950s inspired floral ‘Hattie’ short pencil dress with peekaboo back and the ‘Missie’ dress –  a yellow polka-dot dress with adorable plunge white collar back. All of these shapely dresses are designed to emphasize those pin-up curves. Click here to view the Emma Brigitte London collection.

Yesterday we had a lots of fun shooting our 1950s fashion inspired photo shoot  for spring/summer with a lovely lady you might recognize from last years photos, face of Queeni-B Boutique actress Jessica Ellerby. Jessica is a pleasure to work with and is such fun on set…not only that but she gives good face. The 1950’s inspired photo shoot included retro playsuits, and 1950s dresses from upcoming addition to the boutique Emma Brigitte London, a new clothing range from best-selling 1040s hat designer Rosa of Rosielee Clothing as well as some lovely vintage clothing due to arrive in spring 2010.  Look our for pictures throughout the next few months but here’s quick a peek!

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!

We took a little time to reflect on what we saw and who we met at September’s London Edge alternative fashion trade show at Kensington Olympia when we popped down to scout out some alternative talent last week. Not long into the show we discovered that although the core of the show is well-heard off classics such as Criminal Damage, Cyberdog and Lip Service, we were pleasantly surprised to find new and emerging talent in the form of Limb, Get Cutie Co, Prong Jewellery and the coolest brand from my own hometown, rockabilly addicts Miss Fortune. Miss Fortune offered an array of polkadot garb to squeeze your vintage booty into, Limb displayed an array of adorable printed corsets and tutu style dresses likely to make anyones toes curl (and believe me you’ll want to firm up those buns before sporting one) whilst Get Cutie Co’s Fiona gave us a miniature tour of the rockabilly summer frocks and tea dresses which are available to women of variable cup sizes!

A new collection have just arrived; handmade retro housebags from Manchester based indie fashion brand Vintage Yum. From March 30th Queeni-B Boutique will have in stock a limited selection of Dolly and Minnie bags. Check out this adorable array of candy stripes, polka dots and bows.