Me and my girl just got back from New York. This is one in a series of posts breaking down the fun and games we discovered during our week long stay in Brooklyn in the hope that you may enjoy the same pleasures, whether you are a visitor or a local.

On Sunday morning we had much needed iced coffee and pumpkin muffins a cute breakfast place on the corner of 7th Avenue and 5th Street whilst watching vendors setting up for the weekly PS 321 Flea Market. This Park Slope flea market was our first taste of New York flea marketeering and with a good result. There was about 20 stands when we hit the stalls, displaying a decent mix of vintage homeware, furniture, second hand jewellery, collectables, vintage clothing and generic flea market tat. By the Second stall I had already bagged myself a gorgeous and perfectly fitting original 1960’s turquoise hounds-tooth dress. Although small this market is well worth a visit.

On the walk north from we crossed paths with a lot of cute looking antique and collectible stores including the curiously named Under The Pig , alas due to it being before noon on a Sunday, most of them were closed. We hung around for a while until the opening of Bob & Judi’s Collectibles, this narrow store has an good eclectic mix of vintage and retro homeware, collectible and jewellery. Although we fell for much of the kitchenware our luggage allowance was limiting, I left with a gorgeous ‘clay look’ floral rockabilly hair comb for under $4.

The walk up Fifth Avenue led us to then Guvnor’s and Odd Twin, I was in my element. Govnor’s is a vast cavernous room with rails and rails of vintage attire; playsuit on the fist rack followed by dresses, then shirts and so on. The store is divided roughly down the centre into menswear and womenswear whilst accessories are strewn in abundance. Perhaps most impressive was the round rail filled with vintage swimwear. I left with what is now my cherished grey and blue pussy-bow cotton house dress which ominously fastens at the back with just three poppers but is nonetheless adorable.

On the other hand, almost next door Odd Twin (pictured left) was tunnel like room but also divided centrally into mens and womenswear with well attended fitting rooms at the end. Homeware is arranged neatly near the entrance and nestled on giant overhead shelves. The vintage period outfits here appear to have been much more selectively sourced that the average vintage store with a good range from throughout the decades. Granted the fitting room attendant is a little ‘hard sell’ but friendly, as were all the staff. The clothes are neatly organised and the store is clean and free of musty vintage smells allowing for pleasant unfettered shopping. In essence this is a vintage store for the novice and well practiced enthusiast.

Do you have more to say about any of the places featured here or places in Park Slope we have not mentioned? Please do share…

• Bob & Judi’s Collectibles, 217 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215-1256, United States
• Guvnor’s Vintage Thrift, 178 Fifth Avenue, (Between Sackett St & Degraw St), Brooklyn, NY 11217
  
• Odd Twin, 164 5th Ave, (between Douglass St & Degraw St), Brooklyn, NY 11217
• PS 321 Flea Market, 180 7th Avenue,Brooklyn, NY 11215-2609, United States. Saturdays and Sundays 8am-6pm.
• Under the Pig Antiques & Collectibles, 355 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215-2827, United States

I got a huge box delivery today. I was a bit perplexed because I was not expecting anything and took a while to realise it was something I was expecting ages ago that was just running late. I was indeed very excited to discover it was a box full of the 1940s style 2011 pin-up calenders featuring burlesque performer Kitten Von Mew. Its a beautifiul calender with a differnet theme for each month including a bunny Kitten for easter, military Kitten and a Wicked Kitten (October).

These pin-up calenders will be available soon from www.queenib.com.

Traditionally used at weddings  and more recently for beauty products, a ‘Dolly Bag’ is a small round bag gathered at the top with a drawstring. This brand new Nude & Polka-dot Pin-Up Dolly Bag (£18) from ZukieStyle is a new take on the Dolly Bag inspired by the 1940s. Unlike the usual Dolly Bag it has a strap handle as well as a drawstring.  The bag is fully lined in brown and white polka-dots and are also two cute handmade pin-up girl buttons.

Need ideas when it comes to buying birthday cards and gifts? These new pin-up greetings cards  from Crumpet & Skirt might help; instead of looking for something new, go instead for something classic… and there is nothing more classic than a vintage pin-up. You can find a selection of ten different saucy pin-up girls on offer from Marilyn the classic pin-up girl to Rita, the feisty red-head with a twinkle in her eye. All the cards are blank inside making them suitable for any occasion. Cards as beautiful as these stay on the mantelpiece longer than they ought to.

Hi all,

I though long and hard about what would be the best way to show you all great selection of lingerie available at Queeni-B Boutique so that you could get a proper feel of how it fits and moves with the body, and of course how utterly pin-up cute it all is! And here is the result, the Hula Lula Vintage Pin-up Peep show starring Olivia Orchid in all her hula glory showing the lingerie in action. The lingerie featured includes lots of vintage inspired bras, panties and pasties by BannBee, the Queen of Hearts Bra and Panties set by Bunnies Forever and a couple of pieces of cherry-picked vintage. Olivia (or Lula) also wear some really cute 1940s style hats by Rosielee Clothing. I’d like to thank everyone involved, the editor Roshan Moliko and Olivia for shaking her thing! As for everyone else, I’d love to hear what you think of the goodies.
Best wishes, Be