Jubilee-tastic - what I actually wore to celebrate the jubilee

You may have recently seen my blog post about potential outfits for the jubilee. Well...... here's what I actually wore to various events across the jubilee weekend.

Last night (Monday 4th June) I went to the Jubilee Beacon Lighting ceremony at Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre in Nottingham. What a FANTASTIC evening. Free entry but £5 car parking charge so a total bargain. The main attraction for me and my other rockin' friends was our favourite rockabilly band Carmen Ghia and the Hotrods who were playing a live set but it really felt like you were a part of history too...... something to tell the grandchildren about!!! I wore my old faithful Vivien of Holloway polkadot dress and petticoat with a white cardi (it was chilly) and red accessories. I had my shiny red wellies in the car but managed OK in my wedges which were a mere fiver from New Look many years ago. We even managed to get ourselves on the telly being interviewed for local news and dancing in the background of a live link. My dog, Winston, has a matching bandana on!!!

This picture shows the band performing with Carmen looking fantastic in her bespoke jubilee dress by Booboo Kitty Couture - isn't it amazing!!!

Today (Tuesday 5th June) a friend and I met up with our children at Crich Tramway Village to have a picnic and join in their jubilee celebrations. It was good fun and I laughed my head off all the way through the Flea Circus. Rather chilly again so I only took my jacket off for photos but I'm wearing my Tara Starlet union jack VE blouse that I've had for ages with my old faithful Freddies of Pinewood vintage 50s style jeans. Our pictures were taken for the Derby Evening Telegraph and Matlock News websites.

My jubilee-tastic weekend started off on Friday 1st June when I broke up for a week off work and went to see South Pacific at Nottingham's Theatre Royal with a couple of friends appropriately dressed as sailors. We popped in at a local pub on the way home where rockabilly band The Hicksville Bombers were playing. Fantastic night all round!!!

On the Saturday (2nd June) we went to the Hemlock Happening at Bramcote Park in Nottingham primarily to join in the jubilee fun and frolics but also to demonstrate a bit of swing dancing. We didn't realise there was a dog show on but entered Winston in a couple of categories. No rosettes but he did us proud. Another chilly day so I wore my red Freddies this time which are a softer fabric than my denim ones and I tend to wear them a lot in Summer. Please excuse the unstyled hair....it was damp and drizzly so I didn't bother with it.

So - that was MY jubilee weekend, one I (and hopefully my children) will remember for years to come. We had a fantastic time and thoroughly made the most of it. I'd love to know what YOU did...and more importantly what you wore!!!

Jubilee inspired vintage outfits

Have any of you given much thought to what you might wear to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee at some of the events you might be going to??? I love an excuse to put together a specific outfit so have been trawling through my wardrobe for suitable outfits. We are going to several jubilee events and they are the perfect excuse to wear the cheerful combination of red, white and blue to full effect.

This outfit is cute, the skirt was a mere 50p from a car boot sale, the white halterneck top is one of my wardrobe staples from Vivien of Holloway and pepped it all up with red shoes, belt and bangle.

The cute, vintage inspired, union jack brooch is by Peggie Sue Jewellery

One or 2 of the jubilee events I'm going to have a 1950s theme (which suits me, and my wardrobe!!!). I do love an excuse to get this lovely outfit out. Belt. shoes and bangles as before. Dress, bolero and petticoat from Vivien of Holloway. This was taken last Friday at our regular rock n roll club, the band this month was The Inteli-gents.

             

I also LOVE my Tara Starlet union jack VE blouse and have worn it lots at 1940s events and the like. I have a sneaking suspicion it will be making at least one appearance over the jubilee period and again for the Summer Olympics / Paralympics. In the first picture I'm wearing it with my amazing vintage 1940s cut jeans from Freddies of Pinewood and in the second I'm wearing it with my Tara Starlet dancing skirt (man borrowed for purposes of the picture....his wife took the photo for me hehehe!!!).

So......what will YOU be wearing for the jubilee????

Back to basics.........part one

A quick appraisal of my wardrobe a little while ago made me realise that I am sadly lacking in what you would call 'basics'. With a few smart and simple pieces I could probably double the amount of outfits I could pull together for very little extra cost. I'm loving a bit of 'mix and match' - so much fun putting different pieces together to see if they work.

The first item I decided to go for was a white cotton halterneck top from Vivien of Holloway which I thought would be incredibly versatile.............I wasn't wrong!!! Here are just 3 of the looks I've sported recently......

 

Paired here with my faithful Stop Staring capris (another wardrobe basic), bordello genies and a BIG hair flower. 

The second pic is a more jubilee inspired ensemble with my car boot 50p bargain skirt!!!

Worn here with my Tara Starlet satin hourglass pencil skirt in teal. This time I decided to tuck in the halter strap to give it more of a '50s sun-top' vibe which I think worked really well.

(Picture is of The Vintage Vixens on a recent night out)

I'd like a couple more versions of this top.....black cotton for definite and the playing card design.

So......if you 'haven't got a thing to wear' maybe invest in a few basic pieces to breathe new life into your wardrobe. I would suggest having a good look through your clothes and you might find a few key ingredients missing that would enable you to get more wear from what you already own. More 'Back to Basics' blog posts to come, stay tuned.