As shown by Our Gok (bless his cotton socks for trying, God does love a trier), crafting need not be the realm of the Gran. It can be a vital tool in one’s wardrobe, taking a Primarni special into an indistinguishable boutique find. But it is a road to tred with care! (Gok) Haberdashers hold the means and inspiration; stacked chock full of buttons, trim, threads & any number of other amazing finds. Not to forget, of course one of the main plusses a haberdashers hold… the Haberdashers her/him-self… a veritable mine of information & ideas for future projects & ideas. The Lady has yet to find an unpleasant member of staff working in one of these establishments. All goes to prove, crafting is good for the soul! Key things to look for: buttons (ALWAYS – a garment can be made to look a thousand times more expensive merely by the snip of a scissor & the addition of an amazing button), shoulder-pads (seriously. Balmain, anyone?), trim, ribbon & basically any number of miscellaneous objects you will never have known existed before you entered the hallowed portals of a haberdashery.

Local to the Lady is the wonderful Clarks of Ramsbottom. Beware, before you step in, to park up your other half in the nearby Railway pub, should he/she be in attendance – as you may well be some time… Unless they too are a fan of buttons, cross-stitch, craft books etc etc. There is also a very lovely shop-dog to pet. Manchester-bound, there is the infamous Abakhan on Oldham Street (good selection of upholstery & suiting fabrics) & John Lewis in Cheadle who also hold frequent knitting & sewing workshops. For those down South, is of course the London incarnation: Peter Jones (where many hour of mine has been whiled away mooching among wool & zips). Nearby, a little further down the Kings Road, is the incredible, the incomparable VV Rouleaux, favourite of many a London-based stylist or two.

But of course, the creme-de-la-creme of the all-time haberdashery experience has got to be the haberdashery section of Liberty. Pay no mind to the vaulted ceiling & wood panelling of the interior architectiture, instead delve into the enormous wooden tables laden with glass jars of treats & the racks stuffed full of ream upon ream of Liberty print fabrics. A recent visit there saw The Lady’s heart stolen by the exquisite manners of the lovely Koh, who charmed away both heart & personal details as he cut my fabric selection… entrancing me into signing up for a store-card (something a Lady never does on principle) as well as purchasing sets of Liberty fabric covered buttons & belt buckles & a Liberty print hankerchief (to be worn as a cuff). Other delights included: felted needle-books with intricate cover designs, hot pink monogram pins with black italicised initials, knitted cuckoo clocks & sinamay berets. The incredible fabric selection can also be found online, so do not fear fellow country-mice, you too can festoon yourselves in sprigs of delicate florals!! Other good online portals include: Josy Rose & Bedecked. There now, don’t be saying we’re nothing but generous with our tips.

Sensing a current trend at the moment from friends & acquaintances for popping sprogs, the first epistle is centred on gifts for the mum-to-be and baby. We are of the opinion that really the mum should be the focus of any offerings as basically everyone is going to be chucking all manner of baby items at her & she deserves a little attention to remind her that she is not just a mum, she is a VIP too. But if you must insist on adding to the mountain, there are an awful lot of lovely baby bits & bobs around.
Pre-Birth
Anything that will whet the soon-to-be-a-mum’s nesting instincts will always be a good option. Gifts for the nursery are great, but even better are crafting bits & bobs that will keep excited fingers busy whilst creating an adorable wardrobe for the little one.

• subscription to Milk magazine
• a lovely over-night bag
• a vintage afghan pram rug
• one of these lovely books to get nesting with and maybe some fabric/wool? Little Stitches for Little Ones by Amy Butler, Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotters or Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss.
• a beautiful mobile for the nursery (The Lady is currently obsessed with tracking down anything by Irmi)
• comfy headphones & an iPod, pre-loaded with taste-appropriate audio books

Birth
Now is the time for extra special treats for the Mum. Baby will doubtless be getting spoilt rotten.

• an enormous stack of the latest magazines wrapped in a gigantic bow – should include at least one gossipy trash mag, one foreign fash mag, Vogue (obv.) & an assortment of other exciting looking glossies. If your newsagent doesn’t have much more than one lone copy of Heat, order a selection from Magazine Cafe.
• a feather pillow (M&S or Ikea) in a pretty embroidered pillowcase (pref vintage, if the new mum isn’t the type to turn her nose up at second-hand)
• pedicure paraphrenalia – & then treat the new mum with a foot massage while you’re doing it (only if you’re not one of those oddbods who get freaked out by feet)
• NB. this is also the point when the New Dad should be gifting his lady with a romantic piece of bling (being skint is no excuse, an engraved locket needn’t come from Tiffanys)
• Neal’s Yard mum-to-be/baby toiletries
• crochet toys by Anne-Claire Petit

Christening Gifts or, When They’re That Little Bit Older

• personalised vintage style bookplates for a new baby – see the Oiseaux Etsy shop
• anything from the Cath Kidston baby range, esp the melamine nursery sets (inc a sippee cup, bowl & spoon)
• anything from The Little Zebra
• Emma Bridgewater children’s crockery
• a Dr Seuss boxed set
• the obligatory silver teething rattle (try Tiffanys?)
• Charley Harper flash cards or the Eames’ House of Cards game

The Lady wants one. Now. Get yours off ebay or etsy.

Daphne’s haute habit is revealed as being less about delusions of grandeur and more of being a kind of benefactress to a dying art of bespoke craftsmen.  Added to the fact that a large chunk of her wardrobe was auctioned off a few years ago, with the proceeds going to Womankind, a charity helping women across the globe to improve their lives, The Lady feels inclined not to hate Daphne too much at all for her pretty clothes collection. In addition, we also share the interpretation of jewellery as armour (and armour-as-jewellery) and a similar fond appreciation for McQueen’s pet jeweller, Shaun Leane. That’s plenty enough for us to declare Daphne a good egg indeed.

Photograph by Steven Klein

Mmmmmm…. the only problem now is picking which colour goes best with our new Summer wardrobe.

The Language of Flowers

• NO CARNATIONS. Not ever. Even if you’ve only just remembered it’s Valentine’s Day & that’s all they have at the garage down the road.
• You need to ask for a ‘hand-tied’ bouquet (a round gift-wrapped display in a cellophane bubble of water). The flowers do then not have to be put immediately into a vase and can be put aside whilst you present whatever else is on offer (”coffee, tea… me?”)
• Successful flower selection rests on scale – go for either one stem or two dozen. Never ever just pick up one pre-wrapped bouquet. If you must go that route, pick up three bunches & ask for them to be re-wrapped. Multiple bunches of the same variety always looks amazing too.

The Card

• Draw your own Valentines card using some vintage examples for inspiration
• Moonpig is only ever to be used in birthday emergencies. There is no romance in a card ordered off the internet from a pig that lives on the moon.

Gifts

• Fitness videos are a definite no no. Unless purchased as a porn substitute. Rather unclassy though.
• Same goes for marabou slippers.
• Or ANYTHING from Ann Summers. Decidedly chav. However firmly you enter with your tongue in cheek.
• Heart-shaped jewellery is a classic & is a definite yes. Love Hearts (the confectionery kind) have created a range that is quite sweet (boom boom!!) Or a Vivienne Westwood necklace would go down a treat. Ha ha. Or a heart & wings necklace maybe? Not heart-shaped, but still lovely, is the Lulu Guinness lipstick-themed jewellery range.
• Comedy underpants & boxer shorts belong in the same reduced price sale box as marabou anything.
• This Alessi heart-shaped spoon & giant pink ice-cream bowl designed for sharing could be a fun treat to open in bed, complete with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food.
• The Love Letters of Great Men book would score double points for romance & for remembering it from its appearance in the Sex & the City film.

Presentation

Almost as important as the present itself. How you display your offering is a good opportunity for scoring bonus points & can make even the cheapest gift look a million pounds. A Rolo in a box with a bow would melt any heart and would cost a lot less than a fiver. Not having any money is NO EXCUSE. My paramour once impressed me big time by designing his own Valentines card when at the time he was reduced to borrowing bus fare off his mum. The fact that it was designed as part of the Tesco Value range, complete with the blue stripes, did not. Pop down to Paperchase & invest in a colourful box/bag/bow & then check out some comedy present-wrapping clips on YouTube for hints. Tin foil is not an acceptable solution.

Photograph & Arrangement by Nicolette Camille

The headwear wary can channel Marie Antoinette (circa Sofia Coppola) and add odd bits of bric-a-brac like bows, old crystal brooches, real / fake flowers, feathered butterflies & even a bird or two. For instant hair ornamentation,  Accessorize is the best high street one-stop solution. Crafty girls should ferret in their local haberdasheries to discover ^If there’s no such convenient establishment nearby, try the quite brilliant Robson & Mason or the online shopfronts of Macculloch & Wallis (a must-see should you be venturing to London) & VV Rouleaux (another one worth visiting). For millinery supplies and patterns, try Vena Cava for inspiration. And the bolder amongst us can masquerade as a film noir heroine by sporting a beret or trilby. Chapeau Claudette are a wonderful modern milliners and can be found both at Topshop Oxford Circus or at the Outland Boutique, just off Brick Lane or via their online diffusion range at ASOS.

Hairhat & Photograph by Nagi Noda

Whether a burgeoning burlesque starlet or an innocent ingenue, ‘Lady, Behave!’ caters for every girl’s misadventures. ‘Lady, Behave!’ was borne from a desire to remind us of the time when women were ladies and men were gentlemen. Back then, hats were an essential part of a woman’s armoury in the battle of courtship. Whether traditionalist or exhibitionist, we say:

Bring Back the Hat!

THE MANIFESTO

☆To primp, prettify and pouff up our dreary day-to-day existence

☆To add magic to the mundane, to create sparkle where what was once previously dull

☆To give the mousiest wallflower the strength to cut a dash with vigour and verve

☆To make chic what once was shock-frock horror