What follows may appear a bit ‘ranty’, but having casually canvassed the opinion of other small business owners, it seems we are not alone in experiencing an ever increasing onslaught of unsolicited time wasting calls which are disrupting our working day.
Junk email is bad enough, what with regular scams involving billion dollar lottery wins and inheritances, offers of fake goods from far flung corners of the globe, PR people who can’t seem to string a coherent sentence together and all these infuriating SEO experts who promise to increase our website traffic by gazillion per cent. Most are are automatically redirected to the junk folder, and the delete button soon takes care of the rest, but answering the telephone to yet another pushy marketer (who may well deny the fact!) is a whole new level of irritant, especially when we are registered with the TPS.
Last week alone we had serial callers offering to get us compensation for the accident we never had and the policy we were never sold, a singularly determined extended warranty flogger (we recently bought a new appliance online and the company ignored our marketing opt-out request), a telephone chugger, several silent and numerous automated calls and, last but not least, some dodgy bloke with breathing difficulties who wanted to discuss the ins and outs of vintage knickers! While we may sound breathless when we answer the frockery phone, that’s usually because we have had to run up two flights of stairs from the stock room to the office.
So regrettably, we are having to screen incoming calls to avoid the marketing mad men (and equally maddening women), which means callers will more than likely be greeted by an answering machine message even when human frockers are in the building. We apologise to genuine enquirers and customers for any inconvenience, but we feel sure it will free up more of our valuable time for providing a first class frocking service.
We are taking a few days away from the frock face for a family celebration and would like to advise customers that we will be closed from 5pm on Wednesday 22nd February until 9am on Monday 27th February.
Please note that all orders placed after 4pm on Wednesday 22nd will be dispatched on Monday 27th February.
The issue of copyright, passing off and trade mark infringement is one with which we are quite familiar since we reported on the Shoeperwoman case back in April. Although Amber managed to get that particular dispute resolved, it is a problem which is all too common, invariably causing anguish, stress and expense.
Successful fashion bloggers appear to be at disproportionate risk of being ripped off , as Amber has documented in her ‘Caughty doing a McNaughty’ post where she outlines some of the times she has been imitated online. From the trafficking of teddy bears to finding her stolen body parts on ebay, Amber does seem to have suffered more than most, but it seems an never ending struggle to put an effective stop to it.
We should stress that we have no issue with bloggers and website owners who credit our original content appropriately, but we have occasionally found our words and pictures being passed off as someone else’s. So while plagiarism may not seem to be too much of a problem for us, maybe we just don’t know about it! Which brings us to the point of this post…
The other evening, a number of emails flew into our inbox in quick succession, alerting us to the fact that one of our images had been stolen and was being used on another website. It was definitely ours, having been taken by Johnny Frocker at a charity fashion show last summer, and featured a one-off original vintage dress which we subsequently sold, but it was being used by a seller on a well known ecommerce platform to flog her own products.
Tweeting the hosts of the seller’s account produced (promptly, to be fair) a contact address to request that image be removed and involved our sending an email with details of the infringement. Apparently, the ‘take down’ could only be requested by the copyright owner, which is why our eagle-eyed informants were unable to report it directly, but they intimated that the person who stole our image is a serial offender when it comes to this sort of thing.
Now we have no issue with the platform owners’ speed in actioning our take down request, which happened within a matter of hours, but why on earth should someone who regularly abuses their terms and conditions be allowed to remain an account holder? Surely that’s sending out entirely the wrong message? Get caught (oops, just unfortunate), fair cop, take it down, wait a while, repeat the offence.
When it comes to content theft, it’s undoubtedly a jungle out there, but thankfully there is help and advice only a few clicks away from those who know much better than us humble frockers. We found this no nonsense post by Gerald Weber, How to Put the Kibosh on Content Scrapers & Thieves, to be especially enlightening, and this 37 page forum thread on the subject of Getty Images copyright infringement is surely enough to send shivers down any potential plagiarist’s spine!
Of course, we’d still have been blissfully unaware of the activities of our own latest copycat had it not been for the community spirited actions of complete strangers, to whom we extend our grateful thanks for the timely tip-offs. You know who you are!
We are in the process of moving to new servers which may result in a short period of downtime for some users of the Frockery website while we transfer the contents of our virtual wardrobe to a more spacious place in cyberspace.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience during the flitting. Faster loading pages and increased memory capacity will make it all worthwhile, we promise!
We have been quiet on the Frockery Talk front as we have been busy making changes to the website based on customer feedback and after taking advice from our techie frockers.
A big thank you to all who completed our survey and to those who emailed suggestions directly. And congratulations to Hollie H, who is the winner of our £20 gift voucher draw.
Happily, the feedback we received about our website was generally very positive and survey respondents reported a good level of user friendliness and satisfaction.
Our regular visitors will already have noticed some changes to the site, including a slightly different front page design and much needed improvements to our product images. Further minor changes are planned for our checkout system to simplify and speed up the process.
Other suggestions we have yet to implement include an expansion of our children’s and homeware departments which we hope to proceed with in the near future.
Meanwhile, we are always happy to receive comments on any aspects of our service and are very grateful to our lovely customers for taking the time to let us know what they think of The Frockery.
Followers of our blog will know that Amber McNaught, who kindly judged our eco-fashion challenge back in February, is one of the brains and all of the beauty (sorry Terry!) behind the Midas Media blogging network, which boasts such popular and successful brands as Shoeperwoman, The Fashion Police and Hey Doll Face.
We just love her originality, her writing flair, her knowledge and her great taste in fashion, most especially shoes, and we thoroughly enjoy keeping up with her personal fashion adventures via her blogs, as well as the antics of her husband Terry and their cute pet dog Reuben.
It therefore came as something of a shock to learn that her established Shoeperwoman brand has been copied by someone else in the UK, who has recently launched an identically named blog, Facebook page and allied ecommerce site.
The similarities don’t end with the name, either, and Amber feels understandably upset that her concept, which she has worked hard to build into a successful brand, has apparently been hijacked. Imitation may well be the sincerest form of flattery, but it could be profoundly damaging in this case.
You can read Amber’s account on the real Shoeperwoman blog here and an update here. She has our full support and we hope the dispute can be resolved as quickly and painlessly as possible.
It’s the colour of love and we have been seeing red in anticipation of St Valentine’s Day on 14th February. There is absolutely nothing not to love about preloved fashion and we have plenty of red, retro and romantic frockery in stock which is sure to captivate your soulmate!
We must admit that the findings of a recent survey of consumers’ clothes hoarding habits, as reported in the Daily Mail, came as little surprise to us. We have, after all, been banging on about unworn wardrobe contents for years.
Having founded our business to help give these hidden, hitherto unworn gems a new lease of life, we can honestly say there is nothing more satisfying than rehoming one woman’s (or man’s) expensive mistake with a new, appreciative owner who will love it and actually wear it.
We all know the clothes shopping routine and, if we are honest, can identify with the all too familar result. What may once have seemed like a dress/coat/top/skirt to die for ends up languishing at the back of the wardrobe for one reason or another, and now we wouldn’t be seen dead in it!
The latest research, conducted by the shopping channel QVC, just serves as a reminder of the extent of the ‘problem’ and highlights some scarily stark statistics.
British women have wasted an astonishing £1.6 billion on clothes they never wear but refuse to throw out.
If placed on a single rail, the 500million unworn items of clothing would stretch over 15,500 miles – that’s four-and-a-half times the distance from London to New York.
The average woman hoards 22 items that she will never wear, worth a total of £285.
Over half have six or more tops that they would not be seen dead in, and a third have six or more unworn pairs of shoes.
There is a geographical divide, with London ladies topping the wasters’ league with £302.29 worth of unworn clothes, followed closely by the Scots (£301.90) and the Northern Irish (£290.28). The Welsh are by far the canniest women with only £223.96 of unworn items lurking in each of their wardrobes.
Men behave almost as badly, collectively wasting a staggering £1.2 billion on clothes they never wear. The average UK Joe has 19 unworn items of clothing, worth around £248, in the dark recesses of his closet.
Excuses range from guilt at wasting money and “waiting” (not wanting?) to lose weight, to hoping the faux pas might actually come back into fashion “one day”. Oh dear!
Sue Leeson from QVC says: “Finding out what you have already means that you can become a smart shopper and focus your wardrobe, buying key pieces that coordinate with each other properly.”Good advice, undoubtedly, but we also need to bear in mind which styles best flatter our body shape and which colours best suit us, all without breaking the bank.
Fortunately, help is at hand in the form of Gok Wan, who has just returned to Channel 4 with his clothes roadshow, promising to get us all shopping, swapping and dressing smarter, and proving you don’t need to spend a fortune to look fabulous. So no more excuses!
February may be the shortest, but it is also the coldest, darkest and most depressing bill-filled month of the year.
So in a bid to banish the winter blues and benefit bank balances, we are inviting you to take part in our 28 day eco-fashion challenge for a chance to win £50 Frockery vouchers.
The rules are simple. All or most of your clothing has to be vintage, hand made, recycled or second hand throughout February. Tell us how you get on by posting your pictures, outfit descriptions, sources and costs on the Frockery Facebook page (non Facebookers can email them directly to us and we will post them on our blog).
At the end of the challenge, independent fashion blogger Amber McNaught, of Fashion Police and Shoeperwoman fame, will select the most stylish and creative February eco-fashionistas, who will each receive £50 Frockery vouchers.
Participants are already signing up and chatting about the challenge here, so what are you waiting for? It’s fun, it’s free and will make February fly!
If you need any more persuading, or inspiration, you might want to check out some of our tried and tested ‘RE’ action ideas.
Preloved Reloved Project
Thanks to the power of Twitter, we were delighted to hear about the Preloved Reloved project initiated by Kim Sklinar, who is wearing only second hand clothes throughout 2011 to raise money for the Macmillan Cancer Research charity.
She writes on her blog:
“From charity shops, vintage markets and eBay, I’ll be spending less on clothes, making less impulse purchases, wearing more unusual things, accessorising better,giving more money to charity and generally not giving money to sweatshop factories via the high street.”
Kim is most definitely a lady after our own hearts (and wardrobes!) and we’ll be watching her progress with interest. If you want to donate towards Kim’s very worthwhile cause, you can do so here.
St Valentine’s Day
One special date to look forward to this month is St Valentine’s Day on 14th February. So why not celebrate the occasion this year by rocking the retro instead of hitting the high street? There is absolutely nothing not to love about preloved fashion and we have plenty of romantic frockery in stock which is sure to captivate your soulmate! What’s more, preloved Valentine’s Day dressing will also count in the eco-fashion challenge.
And finally
A big thank you to all our customers, both new and preloved, for your continuing support. We always enjoy hearing from you, so please feel free to drop us an email or leave us a review on Facebook.
We would like to wish all our customers and website visitors a very happy and prosperous New Year. Lang may your lums reek!
We are pleased to report that the snow has finally melted and deliveries will be back to normal as soon as our local post office reopens on 5th January after the extended New Year public holiday.
Portobello Road Market holds many fond memories for us Frockers who lived and worked in the area back in the early 80s – well before Notting Hill metamorphosed into its present gentrified state with the help of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.
We loved to shop on Portobello Road, dined regularly at the Star of Bombay on Westbourne Grove (still there, thankfully, and still good!) and thoroughly enjoyed the cosmopolitan atmosphere and social mix of this vibrant part of west London. Portobello Road remains a favourite haunt of ours, albeit less regularly now that we live 400 miles away, but big changes are afoot which threaten the very future of one of the world’s most famous and best loved markets.
It is undoubtedly a measure of just how disturbing the locals and not-so-locals find these changes that Save the Portobello Road Market’s Facebook page currently boasts more than 36000 members, all of whom share a passion for preserving its special, unique character and support the feisty local campaigners who are battling for its survival in the face of invasion, and takeover, by retail clones and property developers.
Nicole Harvey has made this mini-documentary focusing on the antiques trade in the Portobello Road Market and the highly controversial planning policies of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Watch it and weep, then please consider adding your support to the campaign to save this national treasure.
Arthur, our vintage male mannequin, may well have seen better days, but since we rescued his constituent parts from the back of a junk shop some years ago, we have become quite attached to him. We thought he should be officially introduced to our readers in time for Halloween, which is when he really comes into his own.
What with his broken hand and the damage to his bodywork, not to mention that hair, his modelling assignments are generally limited these days to punk themed character shots.
Come Halloween, however, dressed in black and positioned menacingly in the shadows behind our front window, he is scary enough to deter even the most determined trick-or-treaters .
Not that we have anything against the traditional Scottish ‘guisers’ who sing songs or tell stories in exchange for a few sweets or other treats, but we aren’t quite so sympathetic when it comes to bare-faced extortion!
The UK budget deficit reached a staggering £155 billion in the last financial year. In other words, the government has spent £155 billion more than it has ‘earned’ from taxation. That’s an awful lot of debt (plus interest) to pay back when there aren’t enough ‘customers’ paying into the treasury coffers to keep the country solvent.
This week’s spending review will tell us just how bad it’s going to get for individuals and businesses, many of whom are already feeling the pinch in these troubled economic times. There has been much speculation about where and how heavily the axe will fall across each and every area of government spending and the review will undoubtedly contain some very bitter pills. The only thing for sure is that frugality is well and truly back in fashion for the majority of us, and probably for a long time to come.
Almost without exception, we will have to learn to make do and mend as cuts in government spending will have far reaching implications, not just for public sector jobs but for the wider economy. Serious belt tightening is called for, and there are already signs of a ‘correction’ in shopping habits as former spendaholic impulse buyers are transformed by necessity into bargain seekers, and fashionistas adapt to the more realistic ‘recessionista’ mode .
It is vital to get a grip on personal finances in anticipation of the rainy days ahead, but it is entirely possible to shop on a shoestring and dress for less when needs must. Why not take a leaf out of the inspirational New Dress A Day blog, which follows frugal fashionista Marisa Lynch as she spends a whole year without going traditional clothes shopping?
As she explained at the start of her project, which now has just 42 days to run:
“The only shopping that I’ll be able to do is that of pieces that have been used and worn already. So long to mall trips and hello to sifting through piles of vintage pieces at flea markets and at neighborhood garage sales. Each day for the entire year, I’m going to introduce a new piece into my existing wardrobe that I’ve found from these places. On top of this, I’m giving myself a budget of $1 a day. One person’s trash is becoming my treasure this year.”
Now that’s what we’d call extreme shoestring shopping, but Marisa has done a truly amazing job of creating and reinventing outfits from other people’s cast offs and probably deserves a Nobel prize for services to textiles recycling!
If, however, making and altering your own clothes is beyond your skills set, and/or you simply haven’t the time to scour second hand stores and thrift shops for bargain buys, there is always the option of buying second hand or vintage from those of us who have done the sourcing for you. The financial savings from eschewing new in favour of preloved or vintage can be considerable, and so we feel obliged at this point to indulge in some shameless self promotion to remind readers of the benefits of online shopping at the Frockery, which is affordable, convenient and secure with a no quibble returns policy.
We only recently discovered the sensation that is Lucky Uke via a shared Facebook link to a video featuring cute Canadian Matt Laurent and his band performing the 70s Slade number Cum on Feel the Noize in their birthday suits.
Not so much glam rock as cheeky boys naked rock, with only small instruments to cover their modesty, but we had to watch it several times just to check! If they ever feel like getting dressed, they’ll be more than welcome as customers at The Frockery.
We have been busy here at the frock face in our ongoing quest to bring you some of the very best and most affordable vintage, retro and preloved fashion online and have just completed a mega catalogue update of recently arrived stock.
The Goodwood Revival takes place this weekend and promises to be another great celebration of the golden years of Goodwood’s automotive history, from 1948 to 1966.
Designed to recreate a unique heritage motor sport experience, with the original racing circuit restored to its former glory, the three day festival will showcase classic racing cars and feature celebrity drivers.
The Revival weekend is like taking a trip back in time, not only for motor sport enthusiasts but also for vintage fashion aficionados, as ladies and gents dress up in authentic period costume to reflect their favourite Goodwood era. Some take it very seriously indeed!
We are pleased to say that a selection of our own vintage frockery will be making an appearance at Goodwood this weekend, from military uniforms to mini dresses, and we are looking forward to seeing the photographs (taken with a Brownie camera, of course!)
Like Marmite, you will either love or hate this shimmery blue 1980s jumpsuit / flying suit which we have just added to the catalogue. To be frank, the jury is still out at Frockery Towers, but it can certainly be described as sensational and is not for the faint hearted fashionista. Abba aficionadas , come on down!
One which didn’t quite make the catalogue (as a Facebook fan snapped it up) was this psychedelic 60s number, which has apparently already caused a sensation in the customer’s local Asda. The George clothing line can’t quite compete with original vintage!
Those who aren’t quite ready to embrace such ‘in your face’ fashion need have no fear, however, as we have something for everyone at The Frockery, where our focus is on finding new homes for all those previously ‘must have’ items that have turned into ‘has beens’ and found themselves relegated to the back of wardrobes or abandoned in attics, sometimes for decades.
Take a look at the fab frockery in our latest update and you will find some exceedingly wearable vintage and retro fashion, as well as a huge selection of preloved contemporary clothing and accessories at a fraction of their original cost. Don’t be fooled by the fickle fashion police into following the crowd when you can mix and match pre-owned items to achieve a unique look at an affordable price. Throw off these high street chains and be a retro trendsetter!
One serious story that caught our eye this week was this Observer investigation which revealed that some of the best known names on the UK high street have been dealing, albeit unknowingly, with suppliers who run sweatshop operations in India in blatant contravention of local working regulations and the industry’s ethical trading initiative (ETI). Another good reason to buy fair trade, hand made, local or vintage.
T in the Park kicks off again at Balado today, and we have it on good authority that some of our frockery will be making an appearance at Fancy Dress Friday for this year’s ‘Mad Hatter’s T Party’ theme.
Despite the recent heatwave, the weather is not looking at all promising so wellies will be a prerequisite for all festival goers, whatever else they choose to step out in. Sadly we won’t be joining them this year but it promises to be another fantastic weekend with an enviable line up which includes the magnificent Muse, Eminem and Kasabian.
Boho festival frockery is one of our favourite looks and we have a good selection of maxi dresses, skirts and tops to take you through the summer festival season and beyond. Don’t forget the woollies for when the temperature drops and the sun cream (just in case!), but above all remember to pack the tent poles, toilet paper and a supply of wet wipes. We speak from experience!
We occasionally get telephone calls or emails from potential customers who want to reassure themselves that we are a legitimate business, run by real people in the UK, before they commit to shopping online at The Frockery. This is an entirely sensible course of action in our opinion as the internet has its fair share of opportunists as well as opportunities.
For the record (but you can still call us!), we are a small, family run business which is based in the Angus county town of Forfar. We do not have a bricks and mortar shop and are therefore not open to the public. We started trading online in 2007 and have built up a loyal customer base which is every bit as diverse as the items we sell. We love vintage and retro fashion, we abhor waste and we recycle almost everything, which is probably why you may receive your vintage hat in a recycled cornflakes carton!
The Frockery team is small but perfectly formed and we thought you might like to ‘meet the Frockers’!
Alison – chief frocker
Alison has lived through most (but not quite all) of the fashion eras featured on The Frockery website. As a child, she was dressed by her seamstress mother in some strange creations, often involving crimplene, but came of age in the early 70s as a student whose fashion sense was sometimes questionable but never boring. She has collected and worn vintage (formerly known as second hand) clothes for as long as she can remember, her only regret being her expanding waistline which has rendered some of her favourite pieces unwearable (although it has to be said that 1970s wrapover skirts make fine aprons).
After spending seven long years working as a parliamentary researcher on portfolios as diverse as children, education, enterprise and waste, the Frockery was born when her last MSP boss lost her seat. Combining as it does a lifelong love of vintage and retro clothing and a deep distaste for throwaway trash fashion and waste, it seemed a natural progression and a convenient way of reducing the vast personal collection that was threatening to engulf the family home.
Kirstin – model daughter
Kirstin is the model daughter of the family who features prominently on our website and proffers much advice in her role as Frockery fashion guru and stylist. A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, she derives inspiration from vintage items and fabrics and has recycled many of her late grandmother’s treasures to create unique new looks. She also regularly wears her mother’s ‘old’ clothes, often adding a contemporary twist, and has been spotted and photographed by street scouts who appreciate her quirky style. We love it too, which is why she is such a key asset to our business.
Daniel – computer geek son
Daniel is the family’s IT expert and can fix almost anything that goes wrong with a computer (with the possible exception of the blue screen of death). He is a qualified Microsoft engineer and currently completing a degree in network security. He keeps the Frockery hardware running smoothly, but frequently loses patience with those of us who don’t understand what he is on about. He doesn’t much care for vintage clothing, preferring to spend upwards of £60 on a T shirt, but we are working on him!
Tom – web developer and adopted son
Tom is a star in many ways. As the young owner of Clear Blue Designs, not only does he do all the incomprehensible (to Alison) technical things with the website, but he is also, literally, an all singing, all dancing talent who performs regularly at concerts, cultural events and festivals, including the Edinburgh Fringe.
Alison met Tom on the internet some years ago and was immediately impressed by his professional expertise as well as his friendly manner and infinite patience with the technically challenged. He has now become an adopted member of the Frockery family and keeps a number of other websites running for us.
And last but by no means least:
Johnny Frocker– vintage husband
John and Alison met in 1981 and started married life in Notting Hill long before it became posh. Portobello Road market was always a favourite haunt and still is on occasional visits south, although John can now be heard muttering “How much?” at regular intervals before taking welcome refuge at the Inn on the Green.
John has an entirely sensible day job as a management consultant who specialises in legal stuff which is unfamiliar and highly tedious to most ordinary people. He is also very good at accounts. If our joint phone is answered in our shared office by someone from JWA, you’ll know you have also reached The Frockery!
John has his own collection of original vintage clothes, including his now skin tight wedding suit and lots of other things that have ‘shrunk’ over the years. He does, however, own a fabulous vintage olive green Burberry raincoat and a vintage Crombie coat, neither of which he will part with, along with 18 suits that still fit, a vast collection of cufflinks and some seriously dodgy ties.
He provides the brawn for moving paraphernalia when we go to vintage fairs and has once or twice been mistaken for John Otway. He has also been known to act as a ‘template’ for Frockery customers seeking 42” jackets or 34L trousers.
Rather than announce our new website with a full bells and whistles fanfare, The Frockery has opted for a more staggered approach. Moving from our old site was a complicated business, and not without its headaches, so we decided to work through the changes methodically (aka slowly).
One of our latest tasks has been to integrate our blog and update bulletin into the new Frockery Talk, which has now been completed, and we promise to keep customers and visitors regularly updated with the latest news, views and offers directly from the frock face.
There is now a more sophisticated search facility, gift vouchers, a wishlist feature and special delivery option, all of which had been helpfully suggested by customers. Although the website look is very different, it still works in the same way, so returning customers will still be able to log into their accounts and track their orders. However, if customers do not wish to register prior to making a purchase, there is no need to do so.
Feedback so far has been very positive and encouraging. One of our lovely customers wrote: “The website looks great, well done! You have taken it to a whole new level. I love it!” Another commented: “It’s really good, better than before, some nice touches.”
As ever, we will endeavour to provide the best service we can to customers old and new. Thank you all for your continuing support.
Yes, we did! We have made the move from our old website and are now running on a new platform and server with much more wardrobe space! We hope you like the new features and will bear with us while we finish ironing out some of the creases over the next week or two. Please feel free to comment, link, browse and/or buy.
Well, we have returned from holiday in time for the so called austerity budget and are not looking forward to the inevitable belt tightening that lies ahead for all of us. One of the aims of The Frockery is to provide quality clothing and accessories at affordable prices and we are determined not to disappoint.
We have experienced a few delays with our new website, but all the blips should be ironed out this week and we will of course provide forewarning of the changeover to our new look. Meanwhile, we are busy catching up on holiday orders and have a lot of super stock to add to our new catalogue so will be burning the midnight oil for the rest of the week. We are also looking forward to taking part in the vintage fashion fair and catwalk show in Kirkcaldy on 3rd July.
We have just updated the catalogue with a selection of the finest frockery, from silk tops to leather jackets with a few hats thrown in! We want to make it easy to get your summer style sorted for a fraction of the original cost, whether you fancy boho festival chic, want to add some glamour to your holiday wardrobe or go all out for that fearless SATC look.
But remember, we will be away for two weeks from Friday 4th and won’t be sending out goods until our return on 21st June, so please get any last orders to us before 12 noon on Friday.
Our new website is meanwhile nearing completion and should be ready for action on our return. We are very excited about our new look and have incorporated some customers’ suggestions, so we hope you will like it!
Apologies for the longer than usual break between updates from the frock face, but we have been busy working on our new website design which will hopefully be ready for unveiling next month. Customers are advised that we will be closed for business from 4th June until 21st June for our annual summer break.
It will soon be the festival season which is the perfect excuse to throw on some boho style frockery and soak up the music and atmosphere. We just love this crochet maxi dressand this ethnic print silk skirt (but don’t forget the wellies!) Tea dresses are meanwhile proving a popular choice this season, despite a distinct chill remaining in the air when the sun goes down.
Looking a bit further in advance, we will be at the charity vintage fair being held in Kirkcaldy on 3rd July and showing a few outfits at the catwalk show, so put the date in your diary and drop by to say hello if you are in the vicinity.
We have had a busy week sorting some recently arrived stock and have just updated the catalogue with a selection of dresses, jackets, skirts, tops, lingerie and accessories. We hope you’ll enjoy browsing the various Frockery departments.
For all the Pringle knitwear lovers out there, this animated film should raise a smile. It certainly cheered up our rainy weekend in north east Scotland.
Another catalogue update has just been completed and we are especially loving this grey longer length cardigan with colourful motifs and this fabulous cream ostrich leather handbag which will complement any outft. As promised, we have listed a selection of lovely Laura Ashley dresses, some of which have already been snapped up.
Thank you to all the lovely customers who have taken the time to send us feedback on our services and suggestions for our website which is currently being redeveloped to include a host of new features. We are trying to include as many ideas as possible to improve the Frockery shopping experience and should be ready to unveil the new look website by the end of May. We have to say we are more than a little excited at the prospect!
Happy Easter to all our customers and website visitors! We will be closed on Easter Monday but have been burning the midnight oil to bring you another catalogue update to peruse over the holiday weekend.
We have just listed an Aquascutum navy raincoat in immaculate condition and in a generous size 16, along with a selection of fab footwear including these cute tan suede pixie boots and these vintage blue peep toe heels. If it’s denim jackets that take your fancy this spring, take a look at our selection here.
We thoroughly enjoyed the return of the Gene Genie (along with a perm free Alex) in Ashes to Asheslast night and will be firing up the Quattro to get away for a day or two ourselves!
We also have quite number of Laura Ashley summer dresses in stock, mostly size 8/10, which will be making their way onto the website in the next week or so, as well as a selection of scarves, shoes and accessories to put some spring into your wardrobe.
And don’t forget that Ashes to Ashes is back for its third series starting Friday 2nd April! We are all looking forward to revisiting the 80s and catching up with our favourite Gene Genie.
We have been missing in action on the Frockery Talk front lately as it has been so busy here. We have, however, been enjoying modest success in matching items to customers’ requests, although some we are unfortunately unable to fulfil.
This week we have been sorting through lovely Laura Ashley dresses, cowboy shirts and a selection of trench coats, all of which should soon be making an appearance in the catalogue. We have also just taken delivery of a beautiful vintage 1970s dress by Marion Donaldson, one of our favourite designers. And just how cute are these 80s pink court shoes?
Our new website is still at the planning stage, but we are making progress. Thanks to all who have contributed suggestions for additions and improvements, either directly or via Twitter. We are hoping to launch a brand new site by the summer and it’s all very exciting!
We have just updated the catalogue with a selection of jackets, coats and some pretty blouses. We also have some super jumpers looking for new homes which will be listed in the next few days, including chunky arran and traditional knitwear. It has been snowing here again and warm woollies look like staying a wardrobe staple for the foreseeable future.
Our sourcing service has been busy of late and we have managed to match a number of items with customers as they come into stock. We get some unusual and often quite specific requests (does anyone have a nurse’s cloak from Ashludie hospital or an original Biba feather boa?) While we obviously can’t always guarantee a result, we do always keep our eyes open for wanted items, so just drop us an email with a note of your requests.
In an effort to expand our horizons, we have been doing some business networking over the past couple of weeks and meeting all sorts of interesting people at conferences and seminars. One event last week had Michelle Mone, founder of Ulltimo and one of Scotland’s most successful entrepreneurs, as its keynote speaker and her presentation was both entertaining and inspirational. However, it also reminded of us why we want to stay small and we don’t see key performance indicators coming to The Frockery anytime soon!
We are already into the shortest month of the year and Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Love may be in the air, but if these post festive bills are threatening to dampen your romantic spirit, you need look no further than The Frockery for some inexpensive but tasteful tokens of affection for your loved one. Or why not just treat yourself?
Apologies for the lack of recent frockery talk, but we have been battling off bouts of colds and flu here. Hopefully a few drams for Burns Night tomorrow will help see off the last of the lurgy and we can start looking forward to the first snowdrops of spring, as well as some spring in our own step!
We have been incredibly busy this past month and would like to welcome all our lovely new customers and thank our equally lovely regulars for continuing to support us. We always appreciate your feedback and remember that, in the event that an item doesn’t fit or it isn’t suitable for any reason, you can be sure of a prompt refund.
We have just added another selection of new stock, ranging from warm woolly jumpers to pretty party frocks, and we hope you’ll enjoy browsing through the site. We will be sorting and cataloguing our latest arrivals this week, so do please keep dropping by the site by to see what’s new.
Happy New Year to all! We have now re-opened for business after the festive break and all orders placed since 31st December will be dispatched today. It’s good to be back at the frock face, although we could do with some huskies to help out, given that our vehicle is still under several inches of snow.
We will be updating the catalogue this week with some scrumptious new stock. For those who have already spent too much over the holidays, check out our Clearance section, or look out for some highly affordable accessories that will be coming soon and won’t cause credit card trauma.
The faux fur has been literally flying here and we have had numerous enquiries from customers desperately seeking jackets and coats. We always do our best to source garments, but it can sometimes be difficult to meet demand for such sought after items.
Strikes, delays, lost parcels and general indifference on the part of Royal Mail have caused headaches to many small online enterprises over the past year, including The Frockery, so we thought we’d blog an end of year rant before focusing on rather more positive news in future posts.
Royal Mail is in fact the weakest link for many small ecommerce businesses who need to send goods from A to B at reasonable cost and expect delivery to be made within a reasonable timescale. In short, Royal Mail simply can’t be relied upon and seem to be getting worse, a complaint that is regularly raised on various business forums.
Several of our pre-Christmas orders have not yet reached customers and we are left wondering if they ever will. Yes, the weather has been especially inclement and most reasonable people will understand that some slight delays and disruption to normal services are inevitable. However, it is becoming less likely that parcels will actually reach their destination unless we pay through the nose for special delivery – and even then, there is no guarantee, as we found recently to our cost. One customer emailed last week to say she had just received the dress she ordered in September and which had been posted to her the same day. Naturally there was neither apology nor explanation as to where it had been for three months.
Claiming compensation is made so difficult that there is almost no point in bothering. The hoops are designed to be so difficult and time consuming to jump through that it is often less troublesome to take the financial hit than waste time and energy filling in the paperwork. What it means is that small online businesses are effectively held to ransom by a combination of Royal Mail bureaucracy, the whims of the postal workers’ union and the vagaries of the weather. We lose out every time.
Our New Year’s resolution is to send goods by alternative means such as courier services where practicable, and by recorded or special delivery when using Royal Mail. We will of course endeavour to keep our shipping costs as low as possible for our customers who will always receive a full refund in the event that their order does not arrive. What a pity Royal Mail can’t do likewise.
We would like to advise our customers that ‘last orders’ for Christmas delivery within the UK should be placed by midday on Monday 21st December, which is the last posting date for first class mail. Rest assured, we will still be sending out orders until Christmas Eve and will be back at the frock face on Monday 28th December. In Scotland, we always need an extra day to recover from Hogmanay, so we will be resuming normal service on Tuesday 5th January.
For these end of year parties we have been busy adding some lovely cocktail dresses and glitzy sequinned tops. We also have a stunningly beautiful size 8 chocolate brown silk slip with luxury lace trim and embellishment from French designer Lolita Lempicka, which is in unworn condition and going for a bargain price – the perfect gift for a discerning lady.
Today is forecast to be the busiest day of the year for online retailers and we can confirm that sales are indeed brisk at The Frockery. We are also hoping to have time to fit in some online Christmas shopping of our own this week as it’s just so much more convenient and less stressful than battling through the crowds on the high street.
However, when it comes to internet shopping, customers should always heed advice to click carefully so that they can feel confident that they are dealing with a bona fide business, that they can expect to receive the goods they have ordered within a few days, and that their card details remain secure when making payment.
We thought we would take the opportunity to remind our own customers and visitors that, for added security, we use third party payment processors. This means that all our online transactions are processed via the secure PayPal or RBS Worldpay websites, where you will see the https prefix and padlock on the payment pages. Once an order has been received, we aim to dispatch goods the same or next day and will always make refunds on items that are unsuitable for any reason.
On a lighter note, we are busy adding lots of lovely stock to the catalogue this week, so do keep dropping by to see what’s new at The Frockery!
First of all, a special mention for our growing contingent of male customers. We started stocking men’s “frockery” by popular demand and have not been disappointed with the result as our male buyers have been snapping up bargains for themselves as well as the ladies in their lives. Thank you, lads, we love you!
Also, a word about sizing – a perennial problem in the vintage and retro world where garements rarely, if ever, resemble contemporary sizes. Customers are advised to refer to our sizing guide for information on how we measure things up at The Frockery, but should be assured of our no quibble returns policy for any garment that is unsuitable for any reason.
As the festive season approaches, glamour and glitz are proving popular. We are absolutely loving some of the fabulous frocks which have just been listed in the evening and party dress category and we will be adding several more in the next week or two.
And finally, our model Kirstin (pictured above) was featured in the Herald this week while out enjoying Glasgow’s cafe culture and naturally sporting some of our fab frockery!
The suspension of industrial action by the postal workers’ union has brought us much needed relief from the inconvenience of organising alternative delivery services for some of our orders. It’s now back to business as usual – and with a vengeance! With the festive season rapidly approaching, shoppers are snapping up Frockery bargains in anticipation of the partying to come.
We have had a run on faux fur jackets and coats, most of which have been sold as soon as they have been listed in the catalogue – and in some cases before they even make the catalogue. We blame Twitter! However, we are trying to keep up with demand and are about to add another two, as well as some more gorgeous cashmere knitwear (one yummy tangerine cardi with tags still attached would make a great gift at a fraction of the original price). We also have a selection of glitzy party wear waiting in the wings.
Kirstin has been doing a spot of modelling of some of her own favourites, including a Burberry’s nova check shirt and a fab gents’ Kilspindie cardigan which looks equally good on a girl! We think you’ll agree she wears them well.
We have been operating with a skeleton staff for the past week – not, as some have suggested, in anticipation of Hallowe’en, but due to illness sweeping through our ranks. We are hopefully all on the mend now and only have the postal disruption to contend with, but there will hopefully soon be a breakthrough there too so that deliveries can get back to normal
Some fab footwear and bags will soon be making an appearance on the site. Having tweeted about the arrival a cute little Radley handbag just the other day, it has already found a new home, but there are plenty more bargains to be bagged.
The industrial action scheduled by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) for 22 and 23 October will undoubtedly cause some disruption to the delivery of our orders, although contingency plans have been put in place by Royal Mail management to minimise disruption and maintain services. We plan to continue to dispatch orders by first class mail on non strike days, but will use special delivery or courier services on strike days at no extra charge to our customers. We very much regret any inconvenience caused by circumstances which are beyond our control.
We have been so busy getting the orders out that there has been little time for updates, but we would like to welcome to all our lovely new customers and thank all our loyal returners for Frockery shopping! The website has seen a big increase in traffic over the past few months, as well as a corresponding increase in requests to source items as diverse as kilt jackets, military uniforms and clutch bags in a specific shade of green!
Having an online store means that we rarely get to meet our customers in the flesh, so it was a lovely surprise yesterday for Alison to find herself seated next to a young lady who knew of The Frockery because her mother is already a customer. Both were celebrating 55 years of the Esk Academy of Dancing in Montrose, whose principal, Miss Beryl Couper, looks every inch as glamorous today as she did back in the 60s when Alison’s mum made many of the costumes and Alison still looked cute in a tutu! Congratulations to a lovely lady who has inspired so many young dancers and who has contributed so much to local charities over the years.
Meanwhile, the Royal Mail industrial action has so far not caused too much inconvenience, with only the odd delivery delay being reported, but one item arrived just two hours before it was due to be worn to a wedding, which was cutting it rather too fine. Since the announcement that the industrial action is to be stepped up, we, like other online retailers, are considering all the options so that we can maintain service. We will of course keep customers ‘posted’.
We have been quiet on the frock talk front due to being so very busy over the past few weeks. While the recession is undoubtedly causing many people to rethink their spending habits, The Frockery remains an ever popular choice for eco friendly fashionistas on a budget who demand value for money without compromising on style.
We just love the uniqueness of vintage pieces but we also enjoy rehoming quality contemporary items, many of which have never been worn by their original owners. With most of our dresses under £20 and a full catalogue of vintage, retro and recycled fashion to choose from, you can’t go wrong!
We have been quiet on the frock talk front due to being so very busy over the past few weeks. While the recession is undoubtedly causing many people to rethink their spending habits, The Frockery remains an ever popular choice for eco friendly fashionistas on a budget who demand value for money without compromising on style.
We just love the uniqueness of vintage pieces but we also enjoy rehoming quality contemporary items, many of which have never been worn by their original owners. With most of our dresses under £20 and a full catalogue of vintage, retro and recycled fashion to choose from, you can’t go wrong!
We have been sneaking some time off this past week to take in the Edinburgh Fringe which transforms the Scottish capital every August into a cosmopolitan and vibrant mix of artists, entertainers, tourists and local folk.
Starring in one of our favourite Fringe shows was our webmaster Tom, a man of many talents who gave three energetic performances over the weekend with his Irish dance troupe Absolutely Legless. We were exhausted just watching them and you can see some of Tom’s fancy footwork here.
Apart from enjoying the entertainment, people watching at festival time can be fun. The wacky frockery is certainly a joy to behold in the carnival atmospehere of the Royal Mile where there are always some amazing creations on display. And the Grassmarket in the Old Town is home to some wonderful vintage shops which we can highly recommend.
We have been in handbag heaven here sorting through some recently arrived stock. From classic black to lipstick red, vintage to boho, we have lots of bargain baggery on offer so keep an eye on the catalogue for this week’s update.
What was that we were saying about a heatwave when we last wrote? Monsoon (and not the high street shop) was the order of most days during our recent visit to London, and emptying rainwater from one’s shoes gets irksome after a while – as well as necessitating new foot frockery!
The New Designers exhibition in Islington, which showcased some exceptional talent from art schools acoss the UK, was the main reason for our visit as our own recently graduated Kirstin was showing her designs. We were especially delighted to see the Glasgow School of Art’s Paul Rodin scoop the new designer of the year award for his truly inspirational printed textiles.
Having now returned to the frock face, we will be bringing you some fab new and not-so-new fashion to take you effortlessly through heatwaves, monsoons and every other weather. Jumpers and coats have been selling steadily alongside our summery frockery as this unpredictable climate of ours demands we be prepared for all seasons regardless of what the calendar tells us.
Finally, we should mention that a local holiday on Monday 27th July means that all weekend orders will be dispatched on Tuesday 28th.
The heatwave has hit Scotland with a vengeance, but we’re not complaining (yet!) We are off to London next week to check out New Designers (where Kirstin is showing some of her prints) and to do some shopping, sightseeing and catching up with friends, so we will do a catalogue update with some fab sundresses before we depart. Enjoy the sunshine!
Many congratulations to our part time model and assistant Kirstin on her graduation from Glasgow School of Art with a BA(Hons) in Design Textiles and on a fabulous degree show which has already gained her a commission. Well done!
We are back from a whistlestop tour of the south west of England and even managed a short visit to Wales where it rained non stop! Having enjoyed glorious weather the previous week, we packed some cool summer dresses in anticipation of enjoying continuing sunshine, but alas, we spent most of our time wrapped up in jumpers and jeans with a brolly premanently to hand.
Now that we are back, we have just completed another catalogue update, so please feel free to take a browse through our latest selection of frocks, tops, skirts and jumpsuits to see if anything takes your fancy!
Apologies for the absence of updates as we have been so busy thanks to all our lovely customers, two more of whom have walked down the aisle resplendent in frockery from The Frockery!
The bank holiday weekend was an opportunity for us to take a bit of a breather from the routine, and the sun even shone sympathetically for much of it. There was no prospect of relaxation for Kirstin, however, who has been madly busy in the studio preparing for her degree show at the Glasgow School of Art. We are all so looking forward to seeing the fruits of her loom labours next month.
We will be updating the catalogue with some nifty numbers this week so keep checking the What’s New link!
At last the sun is breaking through in this corner of north east Scotland. Let’s hope it lasts so that we can give the woolly jumpers a bit of a rest.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks, with many of our recently added Clearance items having been quickly snapped up. We have also managed some successful sourcing of items for customers with specific requirements and have received some great feedback. We were especially delighted to hear that another bride-to-be will be wearing some of our frockery at her wedding next week.
The return of Ashes to Ashes seems to have fuelled a growing demand for 80s fashion, which – like Marmite – you either love or hate. As we have previously mentioned, what we all agree on here is that the gorgeous Philip Glenister (Gene Hunt) is unmissable!
Happy May Day to all and a quick reminder that we will be closed on Monday, so all weekend orders will go out on Tuesday 5th May.
Having just taken delivery of a large consignment of dresses, skirts, blouses, coats, jackets and even a couple of jumpsuits, mainly from the 70s and 80s, we will be working overtime to sort them for the catalogue.
Burberry certainly hasn’t lost its appeal, given the number of enquiries we receive from lovers of this classic label. So it was no surprise that the trench coat we catalogued last week was gone within hours and we had several emails asking when we might have another in stock. The truth is we never quite know, which means it’s a good idea to keep dropping by to see what’s new on the site – or you can always ask us to contact you if a particular item comes in.
The long anticipated new series of Ashes to Ashes started last week, which pleased us no end as we absolutely love Philip Glenister and his various sidekicks. The 80s music and fashion flashbacks are great reminders of the days when life seemed a lot simpler, although we confess we are happy that the sexism which permeates this and other retro series has now largely been consigned to history.
On the fashion front, Gok’s Fashion Fix influence has been evident on high streets everywhere, with accessories such as belts being used to jazz up otherwise dull outfits without busting the budget. We are particularly liking the self-tie leather cummerbund style belts, some of which we have in stock. It seems that belt tightening is now more fashionable than ever!
We admit to being fans of Gok Wan’s Fashion Fix, which returned to our screens last night for a new series. However, we aren’t so sure about his ebullient, over confident sidekick, Blix Smith-Start, whose designer label obsession seems a bit unhealthy in the present economic climate. Although Blix’s designer outfits may have won the audience vote in the first programme of the new series, Gok’s high street chic wasn’t far behind, but still on the expensive side for us.
For real credit crunch chic, you need look no further than The Frockery (we would say that wouldn’t we!) You really don’t need to spend a small fortune on fashion when you can put together a unique outfit for less than £50, or, if times are tight, jazz up your look with stylish accessories for under a tenner. We have a great selection in stock to help you revive a tired wardrobe without resorting to fast fashion faux pas – and without breaking the bank.
The Frockery has had a call from a nursing home where a staff member has accidentally shrunk the favourite jumper of one of its elderly residents. The staff all feel so bad about this mishap that they have taken it upon themselves to try and find a replacement.
Although we do stock Kilspindie knitwear from time to time, we have nothing suitable at the moment, so we thought we would put out an APB for a jumper of this description: size L, navy wool, V neck with cabling, and contrast green and red stripes around the neck, hem and cuffs.
If you or anyone you know can help match a suitable Kilspindie with this delightful elderly gentleman, please contact us and we will put you directly in touch with the nursing home. We know it would make both the elderly gentleman and the nursing home staff very happy!
This blog has been seriously neglected for far too long so we thought it was time we remedied the situation!
Our excuse is that we have had a hectic time at the shop and we have been kept very busy sourcing new stock to meet customer demand. We have also been experimenting with new social media, including Facebook and Twitter, where we have already run into quite a few of our customers.
As The Frockery approaches its second birthday, we are planning a redesign of our website and would therefore welcome feedback from visitors and customers on how we might improve its content and functionality. What would you like to see? And what would you not like to see? Answers in an email, please, to info@frockery.co.uk.
March is here and it’s officially spring, so it’s time to inject more colour into that winter weary wardrobe! It’s still cold, however, and most of us are not quite ready to abandon the comfort of cardis and jumpers.
This week we are promoting that perennially popular wardrobe staple, the humble cardigan, and bringing you a selection of the finest colourful but cosy cardis from The Frockery catalogue. How about this this fab teal cardiganfrom Fat Face - or maybe you prefer fuchsia, lilac, red or the luxury of Burberry wool?
Print is also making a dramatic entrance this season to help clear these cold weather cobwebs and is a strong theme in everything from coats and dresses to knitwear and shoes. We are especially liking this striking black and red floral print dress.
We have been almost cut off by road repairs this past week with a proliferation of diggers, piledrivers and steamrollers operating directly outside our office window. Happily, we have at last returned to a more acceptable decibel level, which means we can hold normal telephone conversations again and the postman is managing to reach us without risking life and limb!
On the frockery front, things have been busy, and customer optimism that spring is just around the corner seems to be growing judging by the number of dresses and blouses we have been dispatching. Look out for another catalogue update soon as we have just taken delivery of some fab stock, some of which we know we are going to find hard to part with!
On the Oscars front, we just loved Kate Winslett’s stunning one shouldered Yves St Laurent gown with netting overlay, but found some of the other creations a bit over the top; in fact we are still having nightmares about Beyonce’s black and gold mermaid style dress, but each to their own!
Meanwhile, the government has just launched a campaign, in the form of a sustainable clothing action plan, to tackle the environmental impact of our ‘fast fashion’ culture. This is of course something we have been banging on about for years, so it’s good to see them cottoning on at last to the fact that something needs to be done to reduce landfill disposal of textiles and promote sustainability in a meaningful way.
Brrrr, it’s still freezing here but life is getting back to normal after several days of living in snowman’s land. We are grateful to Royal Mail and our courier services who have continued to serve us well during the big freeze and we have been busy supplying our customers with jumpers, coats and hats to beat the continuing winter chill.
According to the weekend news, the 80s are making a big comeback, which is probably a timely antidote to all the doom and gloom since 80s fashion can’t fail to bring a smile to everyone’s face! Our latest stock selection is certainly full of 80s promise.
Look out for more warm woolly arrivals over the next day or two, including hand knitted and Pringle numbers, as well as a some fab coats, both vintage and contemporary. New arrivals include a Paddy Campbell two piece, a Karl Lagerfeld 80s skirt suit and a good selection of vintage boots and shoes.
February has certainly made its chilly presence felt and we all woke up to a blanket of snow this morning, like everyone else in the UK it seems. For London buses to stop running, it must be serious!
We are sorting stock today, having had a very busy week trying to keep up with a surge in orders which suggests that more and more people are embracing the benefits of preloved fashion for green and other practical reasons. Money is tight for everyone these days and fast fashion is losing its appeal as more discerning consumers want to create an individual look with an emphasis on quality and style.
Fashionistas need look no further then The Frockery for a doubly eco-friendly experience which makes sound economic as well as ecological sense. Be it vintage, retro or more contemporary preloved fashion, quality and affordability are our bywords and we are delighted to have been included in Penny Lane’s list of recommended British vintage shops.
Happy Burns Night to everyone! Here in Scotland, we are sporting traditional tartan frockery today as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Bard‘s birth and kick off our Year of Homecoming. Slainte mhath!
