For fabulous and feisty vintage inspired fashion with a heavy 1950s vibe, you need look no further than Tara Starlet. Tara Starlet is a boutique fashion line offering classic, timeless attire, with a special focus on glamorous, chic skirts and dresses. Inspiration is taken from 1950s’ silver screen idols such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, resulting in clothes that are sexy, vibrant and vivacious, whilst retaining a significant edge of class and subtly. Think rockabilly fashion meets Betty Boop meets 1950s’ pip-up paintings, and you are along the right lines.
These clothes have a decisively fun edge to them. They are certainly beautiful, but they are also robust and well-made enough for everyday life. There are playsuits for picnicking in the park, dresses for rolling in cornfields, blouses for frolicking on the beach, and lingerie for seducing. These sartorial choices are not simply for looking pretty – they are for enhancing and enabling natural feminine allure and vigour.
Tara Starlet is now predominantly run by Tara Scott, although her mother, who is still involved in the company, initially set up the business. The timeless ethos of the company’s clothes has been with them since inspection, and goes far deeper than brand marketing. Tara Starlet’s clothes intend to make strides against throw-away fashion, instead taking further literal influence from a era when clothes were valued and cherished - where buttons were sew back on if they fell off, where “make do and mend” had real meaning. As well as making clothes to a very high standard to ensure each item will last, Tara Starlet recycle where possible, use end of roll fabrics, and re-use original buttons and trimmings for that extra snippet of authenticity. Clothing is often made from original patterns, and are produced on short-runs, making items borderline original. Put it this way, it is highly unlikely anyone will be wearing the same item as you on the bus or train! Finally, all clothes are designed and made in London, so each item has a low carbon footprint.
Tara Starlet have an online shop, and are stocked at various boutiques across the UK and Europe. A small selection of their line is also available in the concessions department of Topshop’s flagship store in Oxford Circus. Items can be a little pricey, but as always, you can pick up some excellent bargains in the sales. It is also important to remember that these items are so well made and classic that you could still be wearing them in 10 - 15 years time, and are therefore worth a bit of extra investment.
