DRESS UP TO GET DOWN!

Mink Schmink - Eartha Kitt

On this evening’s Peppermint Candy we’re very happy to be playing the Queen of Glam herself, the stunning Eartha Kitt. Kitt, of course being the purrrrrfect name for her. No, she’s not the car in Knightrider, but she is a leeeetle bit cat-mad. Not only did she play Catwoman in the Batman TV series, but she was never far from anything feline be it alive or dead. It might have been the abundance of wild cat pheromones that led to Orson Welles calling her the “most exciting woman in the world.” Miaow. In this day and age it’s surprisingly easy to live up to such catty standards. Take PPQ and Anna Sui, for example, who have both recently created fabulous cat hats. And to take it to its logical extreme, you could dress YOUR ACTUAL CAT up in a ridiculous/amazing outfit, a la the slightly bonkers Takako Iwasa who even makes all the costumes herself. Luckily for us, they’re all documented in the incredible book Fashion Cats which you can buy here. We’re totally feline that.

DRESS UP TO GET DOWN!

Pennies From Heaven - Billie Holiday

We love the late, great Billie Holiday and are delighted to be playing her on this week’sPeppermint Candy. But we’re not the only people to notice the timeless allure of Lady Day, as Elle ran a whole ‘Get the Look’ feature on her back in May. And along with the 1940s obsession this season, kickstarted by Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu, it turns out shes bang on trend too. So grab yourself a rayon printed frock or a tailored suit complete with structured shoulders and peplum and join in the Holiday fever. And whatever you do, don’t forget the gardenias.

DRESS UP TO GET DOWN!

When I Take My Sugar To Tea - The Sunshine Boys

Tonight on Peppermint Candy we’re talking about our favourite cafes - like Lowry & Baker, Lily Vanilli Bakery and Pelicci’s (where Amber is now a celebrity, but you’ll have to listen to the show to find out why).

Obviously these places don’t have a specific dress code, but we still feel it’s important to dress appropriately, given the illustrious history of afternoon tea. In fact by the end of the nineteenth century, women were wearing specific ‘Tea Gowns’ for the social occasion that was afternoon tea. These gowns were halfway between full dress and undress – you could receive guests into your home wearing it, but you certainly couldn’t wear it out on the town. They were so unstructured and flimsy (and relatively easy to remove) that ladies would arrange to see their lovers at teatime so that afterwards they could slip quickly out of their tea gowns rather than having to fiddle with the extensive buttons and hooks and eyes of their usual daywear. Cheeky! There are two examples of these gowns from the 1870s and 1899 above. 

But we understand that times have changed and that popping out to your local caff in your undies might not sound appealing… In which case you could make like us and snap on a feather ruff, which is what we did for this shoot at another of our favourite cafes, Maison Bertaux.

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A Guy What Takes His Time - Mae West

On this week’sPeppermint Candy we play the inimitable Mae West and discuss her role in Hollywood censorship - a pretty conspicuous role considering her love of innuendo and euphemism; she’s basically the Sid James of America. She certainly wouldn’t be the same voluptuous temptress without her exquisite bias-cut gowns that show-off every curve, and that reveal even more in the lacier (racier) numbers she was often seen sporting in her publicity stills. A look that definitely doesn’t leave much to the imagination. And how to recreate this style today? Galliano (centre) is a modern master of the bias-cut, but due to recent events it’s understandable if you want to give him a somewhat wide berth. Luckily for us, the Parisian house of Vionnet (right) has recently been resurrected, bringing original 20s and 30s-style draping and bias-cutting back to the fashion-loving public. Fancy a bit of it, do ya? Ooooh, Matron…

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When Amelia Earhart Flies Home - Richard M. Sherman

We’ve all heard of Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, but what interests us far more is the magnificent WOMEN who were involved. Amelia Earhart, for example, who we discuss this week on Peppermint Candy. Not only did she win about a gazillion awards and set even more records, but she continues to inspire myths and rumours about her mysterious disappearance even to this day. The allure of the unknown indeed. So we were delighted when we discovered this Richard M. Sherman version of ‘When Amelia Earhart Flies Home’ about the amazeballs aviatrix herself. For the well-heeled, we would recommend bagging yourself a piece of the Hermes collection from Autumn/Winter 2009 (they call that ‘vintage’ now) as it’s totes inspired by the great lady. Leathers, check. Shearling, check. Goggles, check. It makes you yearn for the feeling of the wind rushing through your hair as you loop-the-loop in early twentieth century aircraft. Tally ho, chaps!

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Fly Me To The Moon - Julie London

When Julie London sang of ‘playing among the stars’ we assume she meant fashion stars, and by that the reigning queen of fashion Miuccia Prada. As no one says Fly Me to the Moon quite like 60s air hostesses, a reference which was all over the Prada catwalk according to The Guardian (and our own eyes). This also happens to chime perfectly with the new Pan Am series starring Christina Ricci that’s about to kick off in the States that we discuss on this week’s Peppermint Candy. How fortuitous! In fact, nothing says sexy and sophisticated quite like vintage airline uniforms. And Pan Am were so certain of their place at the forefront of air travel that they even set up a waiting list for flights to the moon and handed out “First Moon Flights Club” membership cards. We certainly hope Julie London signed up. Whoosh!

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Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals

We’re girls who love a bit of sparkle but we know that all that glitters is not necessarily gold. In fact, certain things sparkle much better than gold, especially when those things are covered in Swarovski crystals. So when we decided to play The Crystals on this week’s Peppermint Candy you can guess how easily our minds wandered. We’re big fans of Swarovski Elements (who have been providing their own brand of glitter and sparkle to the fashion world since 1895) as they collaborate with design houses like Ferragamo shoes, Roberto Cavalli and Jean Paul Gaultier to give you even more glittery bang for your fashion buck. Last year we were lucky enough to DJ at a party in Florence at the Luisa Via Roma boutique and we got to wear these GORGEOUS Mary Katrantzou dresses (made using Swarovski Elements of course). Sparkle, sparkle, swoon. Who needs kissing with this much glitter?

You can see a video of us in Florence for the Swarovski Crystal Lovers party HERE.

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Top Hat, White Tie and Tails - Fred Astaire

Welcome to our London Fashion Week special on Peppermint Candy! Who better to listen to while debating your front row dilemmas than Fred Astaire himself with his sartorially-obsessed Top Hat, White Tie and Tails? Some of our top tips for London Fashion Week would be the wearable art of the Rodnik Band, the ethical fashion and voluminous shapes of Ada Zanditon and the giant bows of PPQ

Happy fashion week dahhlings! Ciao!

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Summertime - The Shake Spears

“Summertime and the living is easy” as the song goes. Well yes, if you live in the Mediterranean maybe, and your sartorial choices are simplified by weeks of endless sunshine. Not so for us UK dwellers, who can never be sure when the next downpour of the Great British Summer might catch us unawares. Best to be prepared then, which if you’re us involves carting round a lot of plastic clothes - Melissa shoes and Burberry macs being our top picks. So slip into an unbreathable fabric, sit back and listen to the Shake Spears, who we’re playing on Peppermint Candy this week. Plastic Fantastic.

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Ooh! You Gotta Have Apocalypse - Barbershopera

On this week’s Peppermint Candy we’re very excited to welcome modern day barbershop quartet Barbershopera into the studio with us. “How on earth is barbershop a relevant art form in this day and age?!” we hear you cry. Well, incredibly relevant if the songs are about NOT marrying Kate Middleton or indeed Pepsi cola. But despite the modern tinge that Babershopera bring to this classic art, we’re keen to match the style to its Edwardian and 1920s heyday. So, don a striped blazer from Rag and Bone or Emporio Armani and a boater from Pork Pie Hatters then sit back, relax, and wait for the harmonies to wash over you. And you can see more barbershop tomfoolery in this clip from Friends. That’s such a Ross thing to say…