Cat Food Couture

I've no idea when I'm going to wear it, the girl replied calmly, I only knew I had to have it. When I tried it on, well.........She shrugged, the dress claimed me.
Isobel Woolf A Vintage Affair

My heart skipped a beat when I spotted this vintage gown in the window of charity shop last week. Weighing over 2 kg and with its intricately boned bodice, layer upon layer of underskirt and exquisite appliqué & glass embellishments, it wasn't so much a dress as a piece of art. I bought it without a moment's hesitation. Too small to adorn my mannequin, it hung on the bedroom door for six days before I tried it on a whim last night. I was amazed to find that it fitted me perfectly.

But when to wear it? Asda, Lidl and the corner shop have been done before so I plumped for Pets At Home, a pet food superstore on a grim out-of-town retail park. Flanked by Matalan & Farmfoods, if anywhere ever needed an injection of vintage glamour on a wet Wednesday in Walsall then that place certainly did.

Funny, the other customers seemed a bit camera shy.

One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.
Oscar Wilde

Early 20th Century embellished silk velvet evening gown worn with fake Lita style leopard print platforms (car boot sale), armfuls of second-hand brass bangles and a brass tribal choker from Orissa, India.
Did anyone bat an eyelid? Of course not (or if they did I was far too busy scanning the shelves for bargain cat food to pay much attention).
See you soon!