Charity Shop Gold - The Jean Varon Catsuit

Unlike my fab friend Suzanne, bemused by a blogger moaning about being slim with a large bust, many of our customers don't consider having big boobs a blessing, they have terrible trouble trying to find vintage frocks to accommodate both them and the bra required to keep them in place. Luckily I've never had that problem. Can you imagine trying to wear underwear with this?

As soon as I spotted the Grecian-style ribbon binding peeking out from a rail in a charity shop yesterday I knew it was something special and wasn't at all surprised to see the Jean Varon label stitched inside. Such was my enthusiasm for buying it that I didn't even realise it was a catsuit until I'd handed my money over.

During my teens I used to get teased for my body shape. The most memorable insult being that I had a figure that was weird and old-fashioned like one of those women in a Bond film. Yeah, I cried all the way home from school after that one (not!). A small bust, angular shoulders, high waist and wide hips with a flat arse weren't conducive to the fashions of the time - padded shoulders, pencil skirts & tapered trousers looked atrocious on me as did pointy-toed stilettos on my long, slim feet.

Vintage St Michael bikini from my friends Gail & John
Thank goodness for the genius of designers like Jean Varon & Ossie Clark who, back in the 1960s & 1970s, created clothes which didn't require restrictive knickers, rib cracking bras or hours of Jane Fonda's aerobics to make the most of a woman's natural shape.

Me in Ossie Clark and very little else
Jean Varon aka John Bates designed affordable clothes for the groovy 1960s and 1970s Swinging Set. His finest hour was probably designing Emma Peel's wardrobe (including the iconic leather catsuit) for a series of the TV show The Avengers.

Anyone who was anyone wore Jean Varon - Penelope Keith for her role as flashy Margot Leadbeater in The Good Life, Julie Christie in Shampoo, Twiggy, Cilla Black, my Mum. For such an iconic label I'm quite surprised at how I've managed to amass quite a few great pieces for very little money.

The infamous leather catsuit: SOURCE
Want to know more? The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool currently have an exhibition featuring some of John Bates designs.

Vintage early 1970s Jean Varon catsuit (local hospice charity) worn with a feather boa (car boot sale)
Thank to all of you kind enough to express concern over my Dad, his head has been glued back together and he seems pretty much oblivious to the whole sorry affair. You really are lovely.

See you soon!