Frisking the Whiskers

You have your hair artfully piled up on top of your head and you’ve just bought some oversized glasses.  The man on your arm is wearing his skinny jeans and his James Dean hairstyle. You nabbed your Grannies cardi last time you were home and now all you need are some fabulously vintage tea dresses to finish off the look! Where can a girl go…??

Here is a lovely list of our Frisking the Whiskers favourite Vintage shops in and around London town that make us jump up and down with glee!

One of a Kind, 253 Portobello Road W11 1LR

This is a little Aladdin’s cave in the heart of Portobello road where you could easily while away many an hour.  Every inch of this little store is adorned with vintage finds, from floor to ceiling. You can find everything and anything here, from delicately embroidered Victorian blouses, to silk 50s negligees and 60s shift dresses. Hidden away in the back is a little shoe shrine with Vintage footwear from every decade.  They stock some glorious fur coats too- but they don’t come cheap!

Victory Vintage, 151 Queensway W2 4YN

Tucked away in Whiteleys Shopping centre, this is a real gem of a Vintage shop. A limited amount of stock, but very well laid out, they have cherry picked the best bits for you and done away with the ‘generic vintage fillers.’ Beautiful printed 50s dresses from £125 that are in pristine condition and small fur jackets from £350.  The ladies that shop here mean business.  There is also a good selection for men, from quirky bowler hats to smart suits.

Absolute Vintage, 15 Hanbury Sreet E1 6QR

A bit like the Primark of Vintage stores, this ticks a lot of boxes and at good value for money.  Do not expect hidden gems or real silks here mind, this is catering to the vintage masses.  You will find lots of 80s dresses and blouses from £25 and if you’re on the lookout for a leather satchel- then you will not be disappointed.  There is also a huge array of shoes and boots for you to get your greedy little mitts on. The Lambrini of the Vintage world as opposed to a fine Merlot.

Rokit, 101/ 107 Brick Lane E1 6SE

A mecca of a Vintage store for Londoners that dwell in the East, and so good they have two stores, only a few doors apart! They have a good range, covering decades 1940s-80s and at affordable prices too.  Best finds- denim hot pants in an array of colours, perfect for festival season, and 80s blazers, I mean who doesn’t love dogtooth and shoulder pads?? Vintage guys- you are well catered for, from pastel suede loafers to double denim.  Everything is well labelled and sections are clearly marked out which makes shopping an organised affair as opposed to ‘every man for himself.’

Happy shopping people, hands off that little peach negligee, its mine!

Calling all Vintage Fashion Lovers!!

Hello Guys and Gals,

Today my thoughts and musings centre around a First kiss.  Can you remember yours??

I don’t think you would necessarily appreciate my going into great detail about the school disco and the boy with the  puppy fat who tried to plant one on my lips but landed on my eyelid…so instead here is a first kiss movie fact that I bet you didn’t know!

The first smooch on the Silver Screen was a 47 second film from 1896 aptly named The Kiss! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kiss_(1896_film)

It was one of the first movies ever shown commercially to the public and my what a flurry did it cause! There was huge outcry at such a scene, calls for police action and the kissing was described as ‘beastly’ Oh-er!

I particularly like this quotation from the time-

“They get ready to kiss, begin to kiss, and kiss and kiss and kiss in a way that brings down the house every time.”

Well I have to say, that sounds like my kind of kissing! Much better than a fumbled attempt on your eye at any rate…

Happy smooching people!

What’s in a Kiss?

In honour of our newbie Blog and to continue with our theme of FIRSTS, today’s post is about a First Crush.

We’ve all been there, dreaming idly out of the classroom window during Maths with Mr.Rye yabbering on about equations.

Thinking back, its hard to choose, there were so many! (I’m that kinda gal)

But I think I’ll pluck for the original rebel without a cause, James Dean.

His sexual screen presence in Giant, 1955, was almost too much to take.  That cowboy hat, dishevelled hair and cigarette hanging nonchalantly from his perfect lips was about as close to heaven for his female fans as you could get.

A short-lived Hollywood career, only 3 major film roles to his name, then his fast paced lifestyle caught up with him and in Hollywood bad boy style, he was tragically killed in a car crash aged only 24.

Yet his impact and legacy have been huge throughout history and popular culture.  He is an iconic legend and one hell of a sexy man, swoon!

For your viewing pleasure…Please take a second to appreciate the beautiful James Dean from my favourite role of his, as Jett in Giant.

Warning- may cause hot flushes, hysteria and possible fainting and we cannot be held responsible.

Blue Jeans, White Shirt…

Hello and welcome!

Happy Birth Day to our little Friskin Blog, I hope today will be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Frisking the Whiskers is all about dressing up, having fun and celebrating the beauty of a by gone era.

This blog will endeavour to honour and celebrate the Glamorous, the Icons, the Quirky, the Silver Screen, the Kitsch and all things VINTAGE!

To celebrate our first day of blogging this weeks posts will all be about FIRSTS!

First Movie Role.  Marilyn’s that is, not mine.

I think there is quite possibly a video out there of my singing in a school talent show but, alas, its not movie standard.

Aside from that, Marilyn Monroe and I are practically the same person, my attractiveness knows no bounds, woe is me to live with such a beautiful face.

The world’s biggest sex symbol (Marilyn, not me) made her movie debut in 1947 in ‘The Shocking Miss Pilgrim’ with an uncredited role as a telephone operator.  Monroe made her break through however in 1952, with four commercially successful movies that year, including a starring role in ‘Don’t Bother to Knock.’

However, arguably, her first notable film role came in the 1953 Film Noir, ‘Niagara.’

Cast as a femme fatale, this movie saw Marilyn establish what would become her trademark look.  The film was a success but the majority of reviews focussed on Marilyn’s overtly sexual performance and damn could that girl ooze sex appeal.

Her ‘sex-bomb’ persona was firmly established, she became a household name thereafter and the rest, as they say, is history!

If you’re quick, check out the Marilyn Exhibition at The Getty Images Gallery, London, ending the 23rd of May.

I headed down a couple weeks ago and spent an inspiring hour looking though beautiful photography and admiring some amazing costumes from her movies, including the sensual ‘wiggle dress’ from Niagara that fitted her curves perfectly.

Almost 50 years on from her death and she’s still the most famous woman on the planet, a beauty that has yet to be eclipsed and a total enigma.

Happy Birthday Blog. Marilyn’s Wiggle!

We’ll start blogging soon – promise!!

Hello. Is this thing on?

Join us to step back in time to cinemas golden age.  We’ve taken inspiration from Hollywood’s greatest legends of the silver screen to offer you a glamorous and unique experience.

Our service allows you to recreate some of the most iconic images of the past or to simply be inspired to create some original vintage style shots of your own.  Taking part in a Hollywood Glamour photo shoot is an unforgettable experience and you’ll come away with some pretty cool pictures too!

Here are a few pictures to get you in the mood. There are more where they came from though – just check out our full Hollywood Glamour portfolio.

Love what you see? Why not have a look at our full Hollywood Glamour up portfolio, or better still check out our great value packages.

Hollywood Glamour

Welcome to the world of the Pin-Up – fun, flirtatious and just a little bit naughty!

This experience draws inspiration from the 1940s-1950s where the pin up girl reigned supreme.  With a mix of genuine vintage pieces, alongside some retro recreations, we’ll create some unforgettable images that will make you look and feel like a true pin up girl.

Booking a pin up photo shoot is not only the perfect way to treat yourself, it’s also fantastic for groups that are looking for a truly unique way to celebrate anything from a birthday to a hen party.

Here are a few pictures to wet your appetite… if they leave you hungry for more then be sure to check out our full pin up portfolio.

Love what you see? Why not have a look at our full pin up portfolio, or better still check out our great value packages.

1950 Pin-Up

We want your photo shoot to be a fantastic experience with memories that you’ll treasure for as long as the photos.

Whether you decide to join us in a trip back to cinemas golden age and take inspiration from Hollywood legends of the silver screen, or you choose to go for something fun, flirtatious and just a little bit naughty in one of our pin-up shoots, we will do our very best to ensure you have the best time possible.

Booking a vintage photo shoot is not only the perfect way to treat yourself, it’s also fantastic for groups that are looking for a truly unique way to celebrate anything from a birthday to a hen party.

Before The Shoot

From the moment you enquire about making a booking, we’ll hold your hand all the way and make sure you are comfortable with everything.  You’ll get emailed a confirmation pack with all the details of your shoot, including anything we need you to bring on the day, instructions for how to get to and when to arrive at the studio, and a few tips on what you can expect from your photo shoot.

When You Arrive

When you arrive in Stratford we’re just a 5 minute walk from Stratford station, which is well connected by the Central and Jubilee Line on the London Underground, as well as by the DLR, London Overground, and National Rail trains.  If you’re driving to Stratford then we have free on-street parking available outside the studio on weekends and afternoons.

Once you’ve been greeted and taken up to our studio we’ll have a chat with you about what we’re going do and how the session will work.  Everything is very relaxed, and you’ll start off by getting glammed up by our professional vintage hair and make-up artist, before our stylist looks after the wardrobe side of things.

The Shoot Itself

Our photo shoots are very informal and above all we want you to have fun!  We’re experienced in working with people who aren’t used to the glamour and attention of being in a studio, so we’ll take it slowly and make sure you’re at ease.

Within just a few minutes you’ll relax into it and the whole process will feel natural!

We’ll continue to give you posing advice and stylist help as we go through the shoot and try a variety of shots, and of course hair and make-up help will be on hand in case you require any last minute adjustments or touch-ups.

After the Shoot

The shoot may be over, but don’t worry we won’t abandon you just yet!

We’ll work with you to select the best shots from the shoot, and for customers of our standard package you’ll get to select the photo you want as a large 8×10″ print, as well as the five photos you would like to have as part of our social media package.

You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase anything that falls outside your package including extra prints, canvases, and frames.  We promise to never rip you off for extras like this, and because we make sure the price of our shoots actually covers the cost to us of  putting it on you can be confident that we won’t be pressuring you into buying anything extra at all.

The Experience

Vintage Blog