Style Crush: Prunella Scales

Yup, you read it correctly. My style crush du jour is 70's comedy icon Prunella Scales, most famous for playing John Cleeses' long suffering wife Sybil in the famed BBC series Fawlty Towers. No, I haven't gone mad. Check out her pussy-bow blouses, kooky dresses and big big hair. Makes me wish I was born 30 years earlier...


Yes, yes, yes. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to raid the Retro Road section of my local PDSA shop and buy 40 cans of Silvikrin hairspray. Toodles.

Jump Up! Battant get freaky and answer some qu's

A few of you may remember my Top 10 style icons piece I wrote a couple of weeks ago. Those of you who actually read it will remember that I featured the uber stylish Chloe Raunet from London synth-led trio Battant, whom I saw play a killer set in Glasgows Sub Club. Well, I thought that it was only fitting that Battant have a feature to themselves, since I have developed a massive, massive band crush on them. The band answer my now staple questions about their takes on style du jour, and whats new in Battantville...

1) Hello there. Hows things, and whats been going on in the world of Battant?
Chloe: Things are good thanks. Our album has only just been released in the UK. We're doing a bit of touring here, getting ready for a larger tour this autumn and beginning to work on the next album.
Joel: Looking forward to going to St Tropez and sitting on a beach.

2) What are your plans in terms of yr music for the next few months?
J: Learn as many instruments as possible and try and write an album with my new found musical talents.

3)How would you describe your style?
CR: Musically? Raw, lean, unhinged, analogue pop. Fashion? I dunno… boyish?
J: A Larry Clark street rat.
Tim: Starving artisan chic

4) In terms of fashion, who and what are your influences?
CR: My father, circa 1952.
T: 1920’s French factory workers, beatniks, squat party ravers

5) If you could trade wardrobes with one person, who would it be and why?
CR: I don't think I'd wanna swap wardrobes. I quite like what's in mine and the thought of wearing someone else's knickers grosses me out.
J: Nice... Henry VII. Just to know what that would feel like.
T: Probably a young Gene Vincent or Eddie Cochran – if I could pull it off

6)Where are your favourite places to shop?
CR: I got a secret vintage spot in Paris – this lady who’s not open to the public but has the most amazing collection of pre-1960’s dead stock.
T: Second hand shops and markets.
J: Army surplus stores. Places that sell clothes that fit me. I'm quite small. Shopping can be a bit of a headache.

7)What items in your wardrobe hold particular sentimental value to you?
T: My LEVIS replica 1940’s air force jacket. I have had it years, it’s falling apart but I love it. Or my Churches brougues.
CR: An Edwardian leather utility bag I received from my lover last X-Mas, weird silk faux-bomber I bought visiting my sister in Taiwan, my gramma'sCowachan sweater
J: Anything that's been given to me by a friend.

8) What significance do you think fashion holds to todays youth?
CR: Same significance it's held for the past 6 decades. Superficial identity.
J: Ha. Invention, Re-invention and a lot of cliche.
T: Pretty much the same thing since the invention of the teenager – who you are, what you’re into.

9)What are your biggest ever fashion mistakes?!
CR: I've had my fair share of ropey haircuts but hold no regrets.
T: There could be a long list… the big dyed black glam hair was a low point.
J: I dyed my hair a bad colour. Then it went plum. That was pretty bad. Then i had to shave my hair off. That wasn't so bad...


10)What are your three golden style rules?
T: Pull up your trousers, wear proper shoes, no stretch denim
CR: 1) wear polka-dots with caution 2) have matching socks 3) make sure your shoe-laces aren't too long.
J: 1) Dungarees are fine. 2) If your mum likes it wear it. 3) Buy loads of accessories.

http://myspace.com/battantbattant

© Copyright Betti Hunter 2009

Emma Jane Clothing

Three weeks ago I got cabin fever and decided to escape to London. So I hot-footed it to the train station, shelled out £60 for a one way ticket, and headed off to the Big Smoke. And once I was there, where’s the first place I went? Why, Camden of course! Shopping Mecca. So after buying a pair of killer heels and meeting my friend for a Kopparberg, I wandered off to the Electric Ballroom in search of a bargain.



That’s where I first discovered Emma-Jane. Tucked away on a tiny stall in the Ballrooms corner was the most fantastic selection of repro boudoir lingerie I’d ever seen. I bought some black and white stripy knickers, took Emma-Janes card and promised to get in touch. I caught up with her a couple of weeks later to find out more about a fashion renegade who eschews style rules and icons in favour of spontaneity and a DIY ethic. In her own words, “I just wear whatever I like, whenever I like!”
Based in East London, Emma Jane started out when her mother used to teach her to embroider and sew from an early age. Various attempts (some successful!) at making her own clothes led to her taking an O.N.D & H.N.D in Fashion Design when she left school, but from there the path wasn’t so smooth, as EJ explained:

“I found it hard to get into Fashion Design when I left college so worked in various shops for years! I got married a few years back & my husband was going to open a shop so I stayed at home sewing/designing clothes with the aim of selling the clothes when we had the shop! The shop never happened & I still had all the clothes I'd made, so eventually I decided to try to sell them at Spitalfields market as I discovered I loved being at home & making clothes! It was a success & I'm now selling my clothes from my website (www.emmajaneclothing.com) & from Camden's 'The Electric Ballroom', London!.”

Emma-Jane now has an impressive catalogue of beautiful home-made items ranging from baby-doll lingerie sets to gingham dresses and mens dungarees, all of which are one-off pieces made by the lady herself, dreamed up and bought to reality as she goes along:


“I design my collection spontaneously. I get the idea of what I'm going to make just by seeing the fabric, usually! I get inspiration from the fabric type/colour etc. & the design just comes to me from there!”



Despite the massive amounts of interest people have in her designs and the success of the business so far, Emma Jane has no plans to expand, claiming autonomy as her reason;


"I do everything myself,the designing, fabric buying,making etc..I don't want to employ anyone else!"



So for now, it seems, Emma Jane Clothing is going to remain the Electric Ballrooms best kept secret...

http://www.emmajaneclothing.com/ - check it out ASAP!

© Copyright Betti Hunter 2009