Crepey continuum

[Cremolafoam]

Over here!

I seem to be continuing the crepey tradition of starting rucks on other threads. Ridiculous woman on the 'zone 1-3' thread getting a pasting.

BTM - Midlands (I work in Birmingham and live in Malvern...up a hill, on the snowy side :) )

I love the fact this is a truly crepey love in... where we can bond over these common memories. I find it quite moving [don't worry I'm not normally quite so soppy, think it's me hormones]. I just KNEW what wilbur's poster would be before clicking on the link.. which made me think of that iconic Biba poster that I had on my teen bedroom wall and which no doubt many of you did too, all frizzzy permed hair and panda eyes..

Can't believe the extreme weather you're having to contend with crem, BD. Just some rather painful hail here while out with dog. ddog not impressed!

Herbs, can't believe your tales of childhood unnatractiveness. When I met you you were luverly. Am going to find that thread and join in the ruck.

Who else used to have clothes from "Tammy Girl", the pubescent offering from Etam? I had a tiered maxi skirt with a print of telephones on it... Why?? I thought it the height of sophistication along with a couple of knitted "tank tops" and a cheesecloth shirt (bleurgh).

At least it wasn't the tennis bum pic

And talking of childhood unattractiveness, I feel perhaps having a mother who said 'consolingly' to me "don't worry, the pictures I've sent to the family in India only show you from the neck upwards" goes some way to explain why a spot of eating disorder, in our house, was not considered unreasonable.

OCQ . My legs have remained pretty much the same since I was one, it would seem.

I don't think I was allowed clothes from Tammy Girl. I think it was thought 'not naice'. And remember when Tesco was just horrible? More so than now, even?

Current fashions are taking me back to teen favourites - cords, jumpers with lurex in them, batwings... but I suppose that's more early 80s than 70s.

I spent the late 70s in hand-me-downs from our trendy North London family friends, as a house fire destroyed everything we owned. The clothes were, however, much nicer than those that got burned, so it wasn't all bad.

I had a number of my mother's hand-me-down trousers, though I was a bit fat for them.

at your house fire herbs! That must have been awful!

BTM - not sure a puffed sleeved comeback would do me any favours now, but I do remember loving that blue top. And in school sewing I made myself a tiered skirt and matching waistcoat out of fabric that was floral print on a black background, a look I am still partial to today (the fabric rather than the skirt/waistcoat combo). Mum was a demon seamstress - she made a selection of boned-corset ball gowns when the 80s rolled around - and one of the things I greatly regret about the busyness of life these days is that I have very little time to sew - not that I am of my mum's standard, but I could make quite a number of things you see on sale for kids in Boden for £££. My machine is out at the moment, but only so I can attempt to piece back together the clothes that ds2 appears to shred every time he puts them on .

Might have to buy a copy of the Aubrey Beardsley poster.

Ruby - hope the tooth is feeling better.

Chelsea Girl was the most desirable place when I was growing up (along with Clockhouse from C&A - someone mentioned that up thread) I recall buying footless tights which my mother absolutely loathed with a passion ....
I had a bamboo handbag (bloody uncomfortable and impracticable).

I did spend aged 10 in a pair of (boys) jeans and a jumper (hand me downs) - my mother disparied - I was the female child she wanted to dress in frilly flowery flocks....
I did covet the clothkits stuff though..... :)

Ooh - I used to love Chelsea Girl. I would hate puffy sleeves to come back - I have big shoulders and so puffy sleeves make me look like an american footballer looking for a fight.

It has hit 13°C here in Paris with hazy sunshine - feels boiling compared to what we had just last week. I feel happy and am going to downgrade to lightweight jacket for the school run. .

Oooh Clothkits - that was what the hand-me-down dresses were!

Yes indeed, the fire was awful. It was an old wooden house, and the summer of 76, so when the arsonist poured petrol all over the inside and lit a match, it went up like a tinder box. We were on holiday (in the Norfolk cottage) at the time, so didn't die, but a neighbour did try to break in to rescue us.

We lost absolutely everything: all photos, documents, books, clothes, furniture, and all the heirlooms my dad had just inherited from his mum, including things from the Royal Yacht Osbourne (my great grandad was its captain). The only room not to be incinerated was the larder, with a thick oak door, where even a box of cornflakes remained unscathed.

Oh herbs, how dreadful that must have been.

Herbs - that is an extraordinary story, and an arsonist too! Gawd, how sad about the family heirlooms and photos . Did your parents rebuild the house? There was a thatched house, a big one, that burned down near where I grew up and we saw the fire when it had really taken hold - it went up so fast it was really scary and the fire brigade, after they'd made sure everyone was out, just had to stand around making sure it didn't spread, there was no way they could save the house. It took them years to rebuild It's one of the strongest memories of my childhood.

Oh yes, BD, I remember now!

OQC, I was too fat for TammyGirl, having been a really cute baby and toddler, my DM started feeding me up. I think it was a ploy for me to only be able to fit into clothes that she made for me.

Herbs at the fire - how dreadful.

Wilbur, lovely pic. :)

I remember having a fairly strange poncho made of some heavyweight carpet-like material. And then my nice aunt gave me an even stranger one that made me look like a Mexican bandit.

Herbs, the fire story is shocking. How awful. A random arsonist or a fire meant for your family?

Well, we had just sold the land to a builder, who had built some houses on it (one of which for us, fortunately). In buying the land, he also bought the old house, which was pretty valueless. So when it burned down, it just so happened that he owned it, and got the insurance. My dad had his suspicions, but it's almost impossible to prove arson, as all evidence is destroyed.

I remember going into the burned out house, balancing along joists, and seeing all our furniture charred right through. M&D rescued what they could, but even metal had melted. I lost my dolls house, which I loved, and I remember my dad lovingly cleaning soot off the surviving tiny china cups.

And behold We Have Light.!
And heat and power !
It is Still snowing and I have been modelling my fleece dressing gown over my clothes all day! Three cheers for the poor engineers who had to go out in the blizzard . Three cheers for the postman who in a twist of cruel irony came out specially to deliver the electricity bill and A Fifty Plus catalogue. How did I get on that list FGS - I'm only 47.

Herbs that is quite a shocking story about your fire. How on earth did you all cope with having to start again with nothing? Just awful.

Loving the mention of clothkits
How wonderful they still exist

Oh Herbs

Cremo, I would have died in the cold - well done for surviving! But at the fiftyplus catalogue!

I had never heard of clothkits till I was on MN but the stuff is actually quite cool!

OQC here crepesters. Fancied a Friday afternoon namechange. Thought OQC (can't remember now what made me change it to that) seems rather presumptious. Wanted just Queenie but that is taken .

Look at these clothkits skirts, aren't they fab? I might even make one!

barbican skirt!

flowery monochrome to match my hair

We were so lucky that we had a house to move into. It wasn't quite finished - didn't have carpets or cupboards, etc - but was fine. It was indeed sparsely furnished, however. The builder () lent us a three-piece suite, and some beds, I think. The first thing my parents bought with the insurance money was a grand piano and a stereo. They were woefully underinsured, however, so we only got about a third of the value of what we lost.

They spent years and years reassembling a collection of silver, only for some utter bastard to break in and steal it all. I would have quite willingly murdered that arsecrust.

Herbs

I yearned for clothkits, at the time.

Qq the Rob Ryan one in baby cord is lush too.< likes new name>
Wilbur that photo is brilliant! Absolutely of its time.

The fifty plus catalogue has 3 tiered skirts a la summer 76. In a variety of lengths.

Ooh yes, like both of those QQ, and that cord one Cremo and Alice skirt Maybe I'll get my sewing machine out...

Hmph. Very of all your descriptions of tiered skirts, C&A, Clothkits etc...

DM made ALL my clothes, and she wasn't particularly in touch with preteen fashion. I had a huge wardrobe of dowdy hand-made dresses when all I really wanted was a pair of turquoise sparkly hot pants, like Penelope down the road. Or a cheesecloth shirt.

CV, snap! Except your mum was something in fashion wasn't she? My mum was soooo totally out of touch with any fashion. And loved elasticated skirts. Not a good combination with a chubster!