Be Inspired: Our First Vintage Find...

To our delight and the dismay of our bank balances there is small, but fantastic, vintage shop called ‘Best Vintage’ on the corner of our street. I’m sure those who live in Leeds know it very well as it is always buzzing with people. Walking through the doors of the lilac painted shop this morning the first thing I did was skim along the line of cut-out white leather stilettos that fill the shop window. Fortunately, for my bank balance, they were all size five so I moved sadly on and only to come face to face with the most perfect vintage jacket I have ever seen and, it was houndstooth!

The design screams Chanel with its elegantly cut neckline, shiny gold buttons but, most importantly, its bold and oh-so-stylish houndstooth pattern.

I just can't take my eyes off the gold buttons!

Ever since it rocked the 50’s the bold, black and white broken checks of houndstooth have made endless reappearances on the fashion scene. Every year the pattern seems to make clothes appear even bolder and more sophisticated than the previous year. As Vogue magazine comments, houndstooth breaks up the dark, enigmatic black and charcoal shades that come with most winter wardrobes by giving them a lighter, fresher feeling. Houndstooth has been pacing itself up and down catwalk shows by Alexander McQueen, Chanel and, in a more playful abstract form, Moschino. Such designers show that houndstooth is most striking when used on fitted jackets, pencil skirts and loose high-waisted trousers. The infamous pattern has hit the high street too. Stores like Dorothy Perkins (featured below) are producing abstract watered down versions that would look fantastic with fitted blazers or chunky knitted scarves. M&S have also brought out a hounsdtooth patterned cardigan which will make any outfit edgy.