Are you ready to frock?

February 1st, 2012

No, you didn’t miss our earlier announcement of the Frockery’s Eco-Fashion Challenge 2012 which starts today and runs throughout February, it’s just that January ran out faster than anticipated. Our best excuse is that we are dedicated followers of slow fashion!

Our inaugural challenge was held last year as a fun way of combating the snowdrift blues and was a great success, so we decided to make it an annual event. We have, however, simplified the rules this year to make it easier to take part. So do come and join us in our 2012 February frock-up!

Frockery February Eco-Fashion Challenge 2012

In celebration of hand made, vintage, retro and recycled, we are once again encouraging friends, fans and followers to take part in our February eco-fashion challenge during the shortest, darkest and most depressingly bill-filled month of the year.

The rules are simple

Most of your clothing should be hand made, vintage, recycled or second hand during February and you should post your pictures, outfit descriptions, sources and costs on the Frockery Facebook page over the course of the month (as many or as few as you like!)

If you don’t ‘do’ Facebook, you can post your entries here on our blog or email them to us directly and we will post them for you.

Pics mean prizes

Frockery vouchers (£100 for the winner and £50 for the runner up) will go to the posters of the most stylish and creative eco-fashionable ensembles at the end of the month.

So come on everybody, let’s frock!

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Hearts and flowers

January 31st, 2012

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this cute Top Shop heart print mini dress is looking for an appreciative new home.

top shop heart print dress

Or why not say it with flowers in this Miss Selfridge peach shift dress with a big bouquet of roses on the front?

roses print shift dress

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Feminine frockery from Diane Freis

January 29th, 2012

Diane Freis studied fine art at UCLA in her native of California before turning her talents to fashion design in the mid 1970s, attracting the interest and patronage of numerous Hollywood celebrities, including Diana Ross, with her bespoke beaded jackets and vintage inspired creations.

Relocating to Hong Kong in the late 70s, she had her distinctive and elaborate designs made up in luxurious fabrics by a skilful and meticulous local workforce. Her beautiful ultra feminine floral and geometric combination print dresses, mainly in georgette but also in silk, quickly proved popular and Freis progressed from owning a single Hong Kong boutique in 1978 to opening her own design, print and manufacturing facility in 1982, producing exclusive ranges of limited edition garments. By the mid 80s she had become a key player on the international fashion stage with celebrity endorsement for her high end bohemian creations.

Freis’s designs remain essentially easy-to-wear, unashamedly forgiving and figure flattering, which is a boon for the less than perfectly formed amongst us! “Real women gain and lose weight and they do not always conform to magazine standards of beauty”, the designer has always insisted. Thank you for that, Diane!

We are privileged to feature in our catalogue this stunning new arrival, a distinctive 80s georgette maxi dress with so many of the fabulous hallmarks of Diane Fries design.  In a mainly black and white print, accented with bright fuchsia, teal and yellow, it incorporates lots of romantic detail, including a crystal pleated frill around the neckline and trademark tasselled and beaded neck ties. The shoulders are accentuated with delicate crystal pleated frills and the natural waist is defined by a contrast fuchsia and teal shirred band for a comfortable fit. The skirt is in two complementary contrast prints: black and white to hip level, below which it becomes black and white with colourful leaves and is crystal pleated for added volume and fluidity.

Buy it now for only £45 and prepare to turn heads!

Diane Freis 80s dress

diane freis 80s dress

diane freis 80s dress

80s vintage diane freis dress

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Happy Australia Day with corks on!

January 26th, 2012

We seem to be on an international roll, having celebrated both the Chinese New Year and Scotland’s Burns Night this week, but it’s not over yet!  Today we want to wish all our friends and customers from downunder a very happy Australia Day.

Our own Australian of the Year is a  lovely lady called Ria who has become a Frockery friend and follower since making England her adopted home for the past few years. We fully expect tweets about (suitably weather proofed) barbecues, kangaroo steaks, pavlova and other traditional Aussie fare as the day goes on. You know that old old saying: you can take the girl out of Australia, but…

We are still feeling stuffed after all that haggis and the Chinese banquet earlier in the week, so a few days of starvation rations are in order before we visit our local Aussie restaurant Roo’s Leap, whose Australia-sized portions almost caused the chief frocker a wardrobe malfunction on her last visit. We’ll settle for a few Australian lagers in the meantime.

We must confess to being somewhat stumped when it comes to ‘typical’ Aussie fashion (apart from the obvious – see below), but Australia certainly scores highly in the style stakes, boasting several famous fashion ambassadors. Think Kylie, Cate, Kidman et al!

While we regret that hats with corks are currently out of stock at the Frockery, this stylish Crocodile Dundee version is available from The Party Mill. G’day all!

hat with corks

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Chow mein gives way to haggis

January 25th, 2012

The start of Chinese New Year has only just preceded Burns Night this year, so we are swiftly moving on from oodles of noodles to haggis with bashed neeps and tatties to celebrate the Bard’s 253rd birthday. Now that’s what we call a good innings!

haggis

Burns Suppers are hosted all over Scotland and beyond on and around the 25th January. If you have never been to one, you are missing out on some wonderful entertainment, including the obligatory ‘Address to a Haggis’, the ‘Immortal Memory’ and ‘To the Lassies’ (with a response on behalf of said Lassies). There is frequently also a recitation of the marathon  Tam O’Shanter, traditional music and a fair few drams before singing  Auld Lang Syne and awaiting the carriages. Not forgetting, of course, the opportunity to dress up in all your finest tartan frockery for the occasion!

tartan ball gown

 

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Hot frockery for the Year of the Dragon

January 24th, 2012

“Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!”

The Chinese New Year celebrations kicked off yesterday and, if we are to believe the fabulous folklore, this coming Year of the Dragon will bring happiness and prosperity to all good and honest people.  We are all for that!  It is also the year for new ideas and innovative projects coming to successful fruition and we are all for that too!

When it comes to dressing to impress, we are reminded that the Dragon loves splendour, magnificence, grandeur and finery, so be sure to wear some luxurious fabrics and vibrant colours. This green and gold reversible satin robe fits the Dragon bill nicely!

dragon oriental satin robe

Here are some more examples from our collection of Chinese frockery which should please the most discerning of Dragons. And a happy Chinese New Year to you all!

Chinese reversible cherry blossom jacket

chinese reversible red jacket

Chinese black satin dress

Chinese satin dress

Turquoise padded Chinese jacket

turquoise padded Chinese jacket

Black embroidered Chinese  jacket

black Chinese embroidered jacketChinese red satin skirt

chinese red satin skirtChinese silk wrap top

Chinese silk wrap top

Black Chinese jacket with butterflies

black chinese jacket with butterfliesChinese style wine blouse

chinese wine blouse

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