7 Key Pieces to Give Your Wardrobe some Vintage Style This Autumn....

Autumn is approaching fast and as the temperature drops it's a great time to update your look and wardrobe. Vintage clothes and vintage accessories offer an ultra-stylish and really inexpensive way to do this...

 

Check out these 7 fabulous pieces we've hand picked to show you just how easy and cheap it is to take your Autumn wardrobe from ordinary to phenomenal!

 

 

 

1. Take it from the top - you can't go wrong with a vintage beret guaranteed style and warmth, it just keeps coming back decade after decade and for good reason it's a style that looks good on everyone ....

 

 

 

 

 

2. Snuggle up in style - a vintage scarf will add extra warmth, a touch of colour and personality to any outfit and this 1980s one is bang on trend for A/W 2013.....

 

 

 

 

 

3. Wrap Up Warm  - a jacket can take you through more seasons than a coat and a good vintage jacket will last you for years, keeping your autumn and winter wardrobe fresh and you warm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. It's In The Bag - get a genuine vintage handbag..... It's an instant wardrobe uplift, it'll last for decades, never date and it will always fit - enough said!

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Grab a Cardi - A cardigan will let you extend the life of most of your summer wardrobe and even turn evening dress into daytime outfit, so it's a must have. Check out our 1980s Navy Blue Wool Cardigan - it's lovely!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Cold hands are no fun, so don't neglect them - get a pair of gloves. Anyone with even a vague interest in fashion will tell you that gloves do give instant style to an outfit and our selection of vintage gloves is no exception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Sparkle Like You Mean It!  A pretty 1950s diamante brooch will add glamour to anything you pin it on - so buy it and use it!  Pin your scarf, make a style statement on your lapel, take your little black dress from day to evening.... let your imagination run wild!

 

 

 

This entire Autumn look is just under £103 with our back to school discount... we've got a fantastic 35% discount off all orders over £35 and FREE UK delivery!

 

Enjoy

 

Sarah x

Summer's not quite over .......

 

Well - the rain's come today and after all the lovely sunshine it feels like Autumn may be on it's way, but, hopefully we'll get a bit of an Indian Summer So here's a few bags that'll take your wadrobe from summer into Autumn at a gentle pace.

We sell loads of wonderful vintage handbags - here are my top five that I think will really rock your  wardrobe for Summer / Autumn 2013 .......

 

1. 1960s Straw tote with bamboo handles ...... it'll add instant colour and has pleanty of room.



 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Sleek Fassbender Lizard Skin Handbag - it's really elegant and if you are hankering after some colout, you can inject it by tying a bright scarf to the handle - it's very versatile.

 

vintage handbag - lizard skin

 

 

 

 

3.  1950s Florida Beach Bag - why not do away with the handbag and get a totally relaxed look with this cute vintage 1950s beach bag, it's large enought to take all your essentials....

 

 

 vintage beach bag

 

 

 

 

4. Sixties Cream Tapestry Fabric Handbag - a very pretty bag for Summer/ Autumn. Florals are still  trending for A/W 2013 and it's a good size too.

 

 

 

 

 

5.  1990's Rucksack - rucksacks and 90's fashions are bang on trend and this one is a cutie!

 

 

 

We've loads more and new arrivals all the time, check out all our vintage bags here.

 

Enjoy! 

 

Spring is in the air!

Spring is in the air - it's official - my mum-in-law bought me some daffs the 1st of the year - lovely!
So time to Spring clean home heart & wardrobe.....
You may want to inject a spot of fresh air into your world, so here a my top tips:

1. Get everything out and try it on. Throw away old socks with holes and the like. For items you like but don't really wear - then try pairing them with items you wouldn't wear them with - such as: a long sleeve t-shirt, cardi or shrug under a summer dress, so it becomes a spring dress!
At www.steptoesantiques.co.uk we've got a big selection of vintage Lucite Bangles in lovely juciey Spring-time colours and lots of great vintage handbags, all perfect for adding a touch of Spring freshness to your wardrobe, without braking the bank!

2. Clean - do a little bit at a time - but do it well and start on one room - don't move on to anouther until it's finished and move through the house. Take plenty of tea brakes and keep the biccies handy! Wash cushion covers - it instantly brightens the room. Wash the windows and polish dry with newspaper it really shines them and it really works! Remove cobwebs with a feather duster - we've got a Black French Maid type feather duster at www.ninetyninegifts.co.uk, it's perfect for hard to reach places and the sight of you with it may even put a little Spring Oh La la into your love life!

3. Go for a walk in the sunshine and smile. Hug those you love - even if it's the dog - in the dogs case, I recommed hugging before gong on a walk rather than after!
Buy yourself a treat - we've loads of lovely treats at both our stores some come & check them out! Happy Sringtime!

Afloat on a Sea of Vintage Jewllery....

Vintage is really eco-friendly, it is recycling or even precycling at its very best, so I think it's a great business to work in. However, i have decided that we can do better and I have done a Carbon emission analysis for the business and found that we produce very low carbon emissions (v good!) and then I decided that it would be good to off-set the ones we do produce. And a couple of cups of tea and a the odd jammy dodger later and I decided that it would be even better if we off-set the carbon emission for all our products too, so we have off-set them too! So

I went to see Marie-Ann, this week (again). Marie-Ann is the lovely lady who searches the length and breadth of the UK for the beautiful vintage and antique jewellery and accessories that find their way to Steptoes Dog Vintage Wares. She has perfect taste and a good eye for a bargain and usually is the source of the very best of our vintage jewellery and accessories and she now fancies a trip to France, so we may well head over there togeather next year - hurrah! I LOVE French vintage (I lived in France for 4 years and couldn't afford anything other than vintage, so have a close personal relationship with it)! Anyway I digress. The upshot of my several lovely meetings with Marie-Ann other than trip planning is a huge range of truely delectable antique and vintage jewellery and accessories, which I've been lovingly slaving over and are now coming in store - so don't say you haven't been warned. Christmas is coming and the lovely pretty vintage things are starting to fly, so don't miss out! A breif rundown includes:
Antique amber necklaces
Antique Victorian Whitby Jet brooches & bracelets
Vintage Art Deco glass necklaces
Vintage Art Deco brooches
Vintage sterling silver bracelets and brooches
Vintage 1950s Norwegian enamel and Sterling Silver brooches
Antique Victorian glass and mother of pearl cufflinks
Vintage theatrical diamante rhinestone necklaces
and loads loads more......

Busy Busy Busy!

Apparently there's no peace for the wicked... which makes me a very very wicked girl indeed! I'm not quite sure where the summer went really! Anyway, we've been putting lots of new dresses, jewellery and accessories into the online shop, so those departments are looking really full of wonderful vintage treasures! We've made a start on putting so more of the vintage homewares on to the site too, so they'll be coming online over the next month, along with more vintage jewellery and accessories.

The Amercians do have some amazing vintage clothing and accessories labels, such as Enid Collins and Whiting & Davis (the bag in the picture is a 1930's Whiting & Davis alu-mesh handbag, with Cream Bakelite frame and handle) and I do try and stock these, so this week I'm going to New York to source some more fantastic vintage handbags and evening bags, and whetever other vintage treasures I find! So watch this space!