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BUY THE WAY News from the shop front
■ THESE SOFT furnishings from Edinburgh homeware label, Elsie Dodds, are meant to be for children (see above), to encourage curious minds to ask questions. We think they make sofas and beds (owned by adults) look rather special too. Elsie Dodds cushions, £55, from Moleta Munro, Jeffrey Street, 0131 557 4800. See elsiedodds.com for info. ■ WE’VE STARTED wearing socks with our shoes again. The horror. Clearly, summer is on its way out, and it’s time to usher in autumn. Thankfully, Fred Perry’s a/w collection has some nice men’s lambswool cardies and grey tweed dresses, and Sessun is doing a very snug A-line coat. Available at Goodstead, 76 Rose Street, Edinburgh, 0131 228 2846, www.goodstead.co.uk.
■ CHE CAMILLE is getting her bumbag on and becoming a market trader. Sat 4 Sep sees the launch of her first weekend market at Glasgow’s Barras. See twitter.com/ checamille for updates.
suit. When you buy vintage you’re buying for the quality, so while some aspects may look a bit dated, they’re easily changed. It’s all about what suits you personally. The only rule I would say should apply to everyone is never be afraid to try something new.’ Such sartorial bravery is the main thing I will take away from my styling session. That, and my personal list of tips compiled by Greg. Oh, and that skinny beaded belt.
www.welovetoboogievintage. com Call 0141 339 2577 for a chat about a personal styling appointment, or pop into the shop at 100 Byres Road, Glasgow.
Style counsel Lindsey Johnstone gets out of a fashion rut with Glasgow’s vintage personal styling service
T his is hard for me to admit, but I may need some help. As someone who spends far more time than is healthy thinking about what to wear, I have ruthlessly edited my style to the point where it may as well be a uniform.
But I’m starting to wonder if sticking to what I know suits me is the same as being stuck in a rut. Maybe what I think is clever honing is actually just boring? If I’m going to get out of my comfort zone, someone’s going to have to physically haul me out. This is where We Love To Boogie comes in. Owners Greg Milne and Natalia Codona offer a personal styling service that has been used by the likes of Glasvegas and MGMT. They met the latter on a night out, took them to the shop for an impromptu dressing-up session in the small hours, and the band wore the outfits they chose for them on stage the following night. They must be good if they can work their magic, worse for wear, at 4am.
The stock in the shop doesn’t allow for my tendency to gravitate towards minimalist silhouettes in varying shades of black, which is a good start. It’s heavy on 80s and 90s vintage, with an emphasis on quality, designer pieces. Greg and Natalia pull out a raft of jumpsuits for me to try, instantly
64 THE LIST 26 Aug–9 Sep 2010
plunging me into unchartered territory. The first, a cream 80s Escada number, was clearly designed for someone six inches taller than me (most adults) and the second, a print extravaganza in ochre, olive and tan is a little too busy, although I’m surprised to see that Greg is right when he points out that the colours, which I would usually dismiss, actually suit me.
’WE AIM TO GIVE THE SERVICE
YOU GET IN HIGH-END DESIGNER STORES’
Third time lucky though, because the next one, a black 80s number with gold buttons and shoulder pads, is the jumpsuit that would persuade me to consider wearing a jumpsuit. OK, so it is black, but it’s still major progress. I own only two pairs of trousers (both jeans), never mind trousers that are actually attached to a top.
Next up is a foray into colour. A cherry-red, sequinned, flapper-style mini dress gets a thumbs-up for the shade but not the shape, which Greg, with the honesty that was a major plus point of the service, informs me does absolutely nothing for me. A 1970s indigo maxi dress that I would have walked straight past is more successful. Having never worn a dress longer than your average tool belt, I’m amazed to find the floor-sweeping length actually makes me look taller. I was also surprisingly taken with the waist belt that Natalia paired it with. Having previously ruled these out due to their enhancing effect on the bust, I now know the trick is to stick to a skinny version.
Greg says: ‘We’re always happy to spend time with customers and pull out stuff for them to try. We aim to give the kind of service you usually only get in high-end designer stores. ‘We also have an alteration service, so we can tailor things to