Monthly Archives: May 2018

Hello sunshine

Posted on by Amy

Guest post by intern Amy

No outfit is complete without this perfect accessory. In this mini heatwave we’ve all had good reason to get out the shades and basque in the sunshine.  No matter what your style, everyone owns a pair.

Here’s some of our favourite spec-tacular looks (pardon the pun) that we couldn’t help but notice, even if the sun was in our eyes

Anna Ewers rocking a pair of Gucci sunglasses

The modernista look is never complete without a pair of round framed glasses

One of the fashion industries most recognised figures, Anna Wintour, taking us back to the 90s with an oversized jumbo pair

There’s nothing like being dramatic, and that’s why these 60s style glasses are always a personal favourite. With their over-sized frame and block colour, you can’t help but stand out

Translucent glasses have become widely popular this year. I think its easy to say this accessory is to express your inner bohemian, rather than its actual purpose of protecting against sunlight but I love it

Drew Barrymore giving those rebel festival feels with her petite framed shades

I hope you feel as inspired as we do here at The Stellar Boutique! Why not check out our sunglasses range to discover a blast from the past and add that missing touch to your outfit

Second to ASOS? That’s us!

Posted on by Stella

We were delighted to be second to ASOS in Marie Claire’s online vintage stores countdown.

Here are the highlights:

By Marie Claire

Or how to look like Alexa Chung, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and co.

Mixing vintage with high-street clothing is the key to being trendy without looking too try-hard, just ask Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller and Kate Moss.

But vintage shopping isn’t easy, you can easily spend hours in a store and walk out with nothing – which is why online shopping is the answer.

We’ve rounded up the best online vintage clothing stores for you, whether you’re after a vintage Chanel 2.55 bag, or the perfect retro band t-shirt.

2. The Stellar Boutique
You are very safe in Stella’s hands. Having worked at Levi’s, Marks & Spencer, Topshop and own a stall at Portobello Market (Kate Moss and Stella McCartney were regulars, FYI), she set up The Stellar Boutique. It’s bursting with one-off gems from designers and artists from all over the world. Warning: you will lose hours of your life pouring over Stella’s cleverly curated collections.

Read the full article here

Casting our vintage net

Posted on by Stella

This was a lovely surprise for us; a mention in German magazine Maxima’s website.

Great to see us reaching vintage fans from far and wide!

Just incase your German is a bit rusty, here’s the translation:

“Prior to starting her online career, the operator of this store worked for Levi’s and Topshop and had her own booth on London’s famous Portobello Market, which was often visited by Kate Moss and Stella McCartney. A very good address to pimp your own wardrobe with vintage treasures! You can search for a decade or a category. Since this is more about style than labels, the prices are also cheap. We are in love with this Seventies skirt!”

Read the full article here

We’ve been listed within the top 5 online vintage shops!

Posted on by Stella

We’re over the moon to be listed number 5 by The Odyssey in their online vintage places to buy countdown. We’re up there with Beyond Retro and ASOS Marketplace. Woo!

Here’s the article highlights:

Aug 17, 2016

Vintage! Some people love it, some hate it, others use it as costumes, whatever you’re lifestyle, it’s time to bring back the good ole silhouettes of the past. Everything comes back into fashion right!?

Vintage clothing has recently become a huge trend as the “hipster” phenomena has swept our nation, our eateries and especially our closets. Something about the pre-owned clothing brings about a melancholy, retrospective celebration of our past fashions, stapling a whole new uniform for our generation–20 something, college students. Possibly the greatest benefit from vintage is the price! If you are like me and always trying to keep up with the trends–vintage is a great alternative and in turn gives you a look no one else can replicate–not just keeping up with the trends but one-upping them. For example I didn’t want to be the billionth girl to order the original Adidas superstars, so instead I shopped Asos Marketplace and found some dope grey and white vintage ones and for half the price! This then sparked a conversation with my mom about how she remembered buy her first pair of Adidas in the early 80’s, connecting generations in style. Still if “old” clothes aren’t in the cards for you, they still make the BEST costumes. For my sorority girls, bid day is coming up and no better accessory than a neon windbreaker or some sick hightop trainers. Socials, game days, everyday, you name it and there is some piece of the past that can really enhance your style and outfit. Here are some of the top places I have scoped out to buy vintage, some just around the corner for my fellow bulldawgs!

Online Shopping for those girls a little too tired to leave the comfort of their bed! Shopping online definitely has it perks, just have to super careful about the sizing and quality of what you are buying into! The money signs indicate the price scale showing where to splurge and where to find great deals.

1. Asos Marketplace $

2. Spanish Moss $$

3. Beyond Retro, London $

4. Nasty Gal $$$

5. The Stellar Boutique $

6. Etsy Boutiques – Surprisingly the BEST vintage clothes on Etsy, my favorite shop being ShopExile, a vintage boutique out of LA.

 

Read the full article here

En vogue environment

Posted on by Hannah

With nature and sustainability hot topics right now, I was excited to see the V&A’s new exhibition, ‘Fashioned from Nature’. The exhibition is set over two floors and take visitors on a journey through fashion’s relationship with nature.

On entry, visitors are greeted with a room filled with antique treasures. Some garments are undeniably beautiful. Others, like furs, a controversial talking point. There are some beautiful printed dresses, made from fibres such as silk and cotton. The prints are often inspired by flowers and plants. The ground floor also documents the industrial revolution, and how the mass production of clothes was both helpful in bringing reasonably priced garments to the lower classes, and also a hindrance to the environment.

Moving up a floor, the tone of the exhibition changes. This floor explores sustainably and the steps that designers and manufacturers are taking to be kind to our planet. The pieces include both vintage and current pieces. Designers such as Stella McCartney, a pioneer in sustainable fashion, and Vivienne Westwood, climate revolutionary, are prominent. I found an interesting ensemble designed by one of my favourite actors, John Malkovich. I was unaware that Mr Malkovich launched his first menswear collection in 2017 and that he favours traditional fabrics such as linen. Another favourite piece from this floor was a pair of trainers by Veja, who work directly with co-operatives to produce sustainably grown organic cotton. Finally, I enjoyed learning about new and innovative techniques such as that by company Colorifix, who are aiming to create a low-water, pollution free method of clothes dyeing.

It was so inspiring to see so many brands and designers making great progress in the way of sustainability, climate change and animal rights. The exhibition also had a little gift shop where I was very naughty and splashed out on the accompanying book, and a couple of badges. Here’s some photo from my fun and informative visit 🙂

Colorifix’s innovative dyeing processes

John Malkovich’s linen and cotton suit

Stella McCartney

Revolutionary Vivienne Westwood

‘Fashioned from Nature’ is on at the V&A museum, London, until the 27th of January 2019. Head over…you’ll love it!

Fair is fair

Posted on by Hannah

We had a great day on Sunday at Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair in Chester! The weather was perfect (although a tad chilly!) and brought some wonderful people from far and wide. We had a steady stream of customers at The Stellar Boutique stall. We had a great array of vintage clothing on offer and some of our favourite garments were sold to special homes, which made us super happy!

We got to meet some fellow vintage stall holders, and the atmosphere at the fair was so friendly and fun. Stella was in her stall holder element, whilst Hannah was able to hone her barrow girl skills. We were able to spread The Stellar Boutique word with some great flyers, and we can’t wait to welcome some new faces to the website.

We met some lovely people and had fun handing out flyers. Here’s some photos of just a few of the many great moments from our day:


 

Just my cup of tee

Posted on by Hannah

I recently had the exciting opportunity to visit the Fashion and Textile Museum‘s exhibition, ‘T-shirt: cult – culture – subversion‘. As an avid wearer of this versatile garment, I was looking forward to exploring the history behind the tee.

The Fashion and Textile Museum, founded by iconic fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, has been on my must-see list for a good while now, and I was not disappointed by my visit. The cosy and inviting building, with its bright orange exterior, is down a funky fashionable street in Bermondsey Village. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the inside of the museum has a really industrial and spacious feel.

The t-shirt exhibition was set over two floors and was categorised into area such as ‘t-shirt typologies’ and ‘ethics and ecology’. My t-shirt journey began at the very beginning, and I learned that examples of decorated T-shaped tunics excist from as early as the fifth century AD. Who knew! Also highlighted was the fact that the first promotional t-shirt was produced to advertise the Wizard of Oz film in 1939. Aside from the flurry of facts, here are my highlights from the exhibition:

Beautiful BIBA t-shirts with the iconic black and gold colour scheme

Vivienne Westwood collection, 2013

Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s infamous naked cowboys t-shirt, as worn by the Sex Pistols

My dream come true – a wall of band t-shirts!

Guerrilla Girls/ Barbara Kruger t-shirts – swoon!

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior t-shirt, stating that “we should all be feminists”. I agree, Maria!

Now don’t mind me, I’m off to buy some vintage t-shirts 😉