The shop

Finally! After a long wait, we can officially present to you the true mission of Lemms & Hems.

The shop.

We have ransacked the whole of London, searched far and wide to find quirky, whimsical treasures for you and you alone; Vintage Karen Millen, Teenflo, Pret a Porter, handmade Italian boots and many more vintage items that will entice you to return for more. We hold strict principals and ensure that every gem chosen is something that we would personally wear. All items are in excellent vintage condition (unless stated). We hope you will love what we love!

Now, we are proud to present our Launch Collection - 6 unique pieces just to give you a flavour of what's in store. We stayed sleepless and sugar-highed to bring you our take on these looks; well worth it.

To celebrate our Launch, we are offering our first 3 buyers 20% off and subsequently a 10% loyalty discount on your next purchase.

Item # 1

Item # 1
Laura Parker Dark Blue Coat/Dress
Made in Paris
Vintage Size Label: EU 38
Faux fur collar not included
£30

This item has been sold.

This can be worn as a coat or a dress, and it is, IMHO, one of the coolest things we have. The defined shoulders, the mandarin collar, the three-quarter sleeves, the slinky length -- it's a formula for FIERCE! Also comes with pockets to shove your hands in if they're cold or if you want to look nonchalant. (Nonchalantly FIERCE.)

Measurements
Shoulder to shoulder: 39cm
Length: 116cm
Sleeve length: 46.5cmCurrent sizing: UK 8-10

Item # 2

Item # 2
Pret-A-Porter
Little Black Satin Dress
Lace tank top worn underneath not included
£10

This would be great for a night out. Since us Lemms are incredibly boring and never have nights out, we're selling it. Accessorise it with a belt and killer heels and think pityingly of us as you're dancing the night away.

Measurements
Bust: 83cm
Hips: 79cm
Current sizing: UK 6-8

Item # 3

Item # 3
Simon Jeffrey
Royal Blue Blazer
Vintage Size Label: UK 10
£15

Doesn't Sam look like some sort of indie Japanese musician? All she needs is a guitar. This could fit a modern size 14 beautifully, but would also be ever so slouchily chic on smaller girls. The material is pretty thin, so it'd make a great summer jacket.

Measurements
Shoulder to shoulder: 42cm
Length: 66cm
Sleeve length: 57.5cm
Current sizing: UK 6-10

Item # 4

Item # 4
Blue Gauzy Top
£10

This delicate gauzy top makes a really cool layering piece. I love the patterning, the subtle variation of colour and the ruffle details on the lapels. Throw it over a tank dress or roll it up to turn it into a scarf.

Measurements
Shoulder to shoulder: up to 50cm
Length: 64.5cm
Sleeve length: 43cm
Current sizing: UK 6-10

Item # 5

Item # 5
Uber Wide Red Trousers
£25

As a child, I once wore red jeans to school. I was mocked cruelly by kids who had no imagination. If I could go back now, I would strut through the playground in these red culottes, combined with a white tank top, a Balmainesque/Napoleonesque military jacket and knee-high boots. Sure, those kids would still laugh at me. They would say: "Are you wearing trousers, or a skirt? Ha ha!"

But I wouldn't care. Because I would look awesome.

Measurements
Waist: 81cm
Length: 85.5cm
Current sizing: UK 8-10

Item # 6

Item # 6
Irie Silver Blazer
Made in France
£25

You can't really see it from these photos, but we've just discovered that this blazer has a glorious flare at the back which is amazingly flattering to the hips. This is therefore recommended for girls with hips. The material is also slightly shiny, so that wearing it makes you feel like a sexy robot from the future. There is no downside!

Measurements
Shoulder to shoulder: 42cm
Length: 71.5cm
Sleeve length: 60cm
Current sizing: UK 8-10

The pound has greatly devalued and interest rates are at its all time low so why not invest in some classic vintage pieces without looking like the girl down the street who got that vintage-esque tweed jacket from H&M? E-mail us at lemmsandhems@googlemail.com if you are interested in any of the pieces above, or just want to own a real vintage tweed jacket from the 70s, with shoulder pads to boot.

Lotsa Love,
Lemms and Hems

Opposites Work

Presenting to you frabric geniuses. Mix match. Colour co-ordination. Complex layering. Simple lines. Girls gone bad. Ladies who lunch. DSquared2. Lanvin. Enjoy.


Starbucks toting, blackberry handling chic? Brilliant.





I love how elegance and decadence are rolled out nicely in simple block colours.


/


And can someone please, for the love of the fashion god(s) up there, tell me this is not becoming a trend?

Hussein Chalayan


Prada

Because in my honest opinion, they are horrible.

- Sue

I want

Florals ....







Maybe if we dress as if it's spring, that will make it come faster?

Mr. H, So Sweet, €45.50
Accessorize, Japanesque Floral Foil Print Bag, £25.00
LoveColour LoveTights, Lullaby Peach, £9.95
Hetty Rose, Amalie 2
H&M, Rok, €34.90
Modcloth, Floral District Dress, $74.99


- Zen

LFW 09

Erdem Moralioglu. Loves I. The most EPIC empire line dresses I've seen so far. Those prints and embroideries make you go, oh daaaaannnnnng





Now, can someone tell me what were Rodarte and Dolce & Gabanna thinking?
- Sue

Unconventional Finds

Finally, a break from studies and back to lazy mornings sipping English tea and munching on freshly baked bread spread with Lurpak butter while going through e-mails and blogs. No, the fresh part was faux because firstly I don't mix and knead dough everyday and secondly, there's this small miracle in life where you can get part baked pain, pop them into the oven for ten minutes and voila! The illusion of freshly baked bread.

Anyway, enough about my morning rituals. Let's talk about something more exciting. Stuff you've never thought you did like before. You know, things like mince pies, liquorice, marzipan or brussel sprouts. I am sorry, everything here seems to revolve around food, but you get what I mean.

Today, I bought something I would never have worn. Prints. More specifically a watergarden open back print dress. A more visual object, this.

Well, to be fair, the picture does not do any justice to the colours at all. It looks like a Renoir painting. But again, what was I thinking? Let me explain.

My aunt was in a shopping spree mood, what with all the great reductions welcoming the 'next great depression the world will ever witness'. We were also in an area where high street stores were absolutely obsolete aka Sloane Square. I mean, I love the area and its stores but it's just that I never felt it was right to splurge daddy's money on decadent things. My own? That's another story which I can only tell if this recession gives me a job.

So, I was there being her carrier for all bags paper and big when she went into Whistles which was having this massive 50% off sale. 50%! I must admit, I am a quantitative person but when it comes to percentage, as long as the numbers are BIG, even if the the net price nis high, it will always increase my endrophins and adrenaline. (Man, I should just have 50% off signs posted all over my bedroom to make me happier.) High levels of endrophin and adrenaline are really such a dangerous combination. I just started grabbing dresses that apperead nice without a second thought and immediately rushed into the changing rooms to try them on.

I don't suppose I was going to actually buy any of them but I just wanted to try them on 'to see'. And when that dress clothed me, I was amazed at how flattering the prints made me look. It's ruched at the waist so the top hangs loosely but in a nice way because it's silk. Then the bottom skirt bit had a slight volumious flow to it. I was actually reminded of Bree van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) of Desperate Housewives.

In a good, low key, sophisticated way of course.

Did I mention that underneath the dress was a lace skirt as well? It was lovely! To be honest, I hated those things when I was 5, they itched like hell and gave me the heeby jeebies when my mum dressed me up. I even had matching laced socks for effect which amplified my itchiness and grouchiness. But those things do make a huge difference to how the dress hangs on you. In fact, if put under the right material, it makes the whole dress looks so much better.

So yes, in my defense, I thought I looked great in it. Plus, it was something different. Not a staple in the wardrobe but one striking outfit. It's rare to find dresses that looks great on you and doesn't look black. And of course, I could have waited for boxing day sales but I didn't want to take the risk of not being able to find it in my dress size and then I would regret and be sad and paste 50% off signs in my room to alleviate my sadness, which would make me an even sad-er person. Another plus point, I have a return option too.

I actually plan to wear this for the Chem Eng annual dinner going to be held at The Roof Gardens. It's pretty apt, don't you think so? The dress is also a great summer dress and perfect for any classic English country wedding, if I am going to one that is. So what are the thoughts? Have I absolutely lost it or was it a moment of genius?

Zen's picks from Oxfam online - #1

Vintage 50s dinner coat and dress set, £145

I have a new means of procrastination: the Oxfam online secondhand store.

It's a sad truth that it's difficult to find affordable vintage in the UK -- of course all depends on your definition of "affordable", but what with shipping costs those beautiful Etsy shops selling gorgeous vintage dresses at $20 a pop are rarely an option, and even on eBay the real beauts soar beyond £20 pretty darn quickly. Sue and I hardly ever win eBay auctions because we are so cheap.

The nice things about charity shops is that they are affordable. The less nice thing is that often they are an exercise in wading through a sea of Marks & Spencer jumpers. The Oxfam online shop is not dissimilar to its real-life counterparts in that respect, but it has some really gorgeous pieces if you dig a bit, like this vintage lace dress:

Garmel of London dress with lace overlay, £35

And this highly bargainous Prada jacket:

Prada pinstripe wool jacket, £34.99

(It did occur to me to wonder how one would know it was Prada -- but hey, if one is going to trust N. E. Ebayer when she swears her item has only been worn twice and retailed at a million, one might as well extend that trust to Oxfam.)

And even Marks & Spencer has it in them to come up with something pretty neat once in a while.

Marks & Spencer cotton/polyester jacket with damask pattern, £9.99

I love the glossy brocade effect on this jacket, and ever since I saw it I've been wondering what one would wear it with. I don't know! I don't think it is that wearable and I am a bit dubious about the fit and yet I am strangely infatuated with the jacket all the same. (A chunky scarf? A little dress? Jeans and unexpected shoes?) I would so buy it and find out what it'd look good with if I were not on a shopping ban right now.

So, um, after about a coupla hours surfing the website I decided I had best put my wasted time to some kinda use and do a Lemms post about it. Here's a handful of Zen's Picks -- nothing over £20 unless it was awesome enough to merit inclusion. Click on the pictures to go to the Oxfam website!

Dresses

1970s dress with matching belt, £11.99

1970s shift dress, £13.99

The description on the website claims that this is handmade. This isn't a great picture, but from the close-up of the fabric it looks like it would be super cute on, and I love the angled pockets.

Jacques Vert sheath dress, £16.99

I can't decide if one would look like someone's great-aunt or totally awesome in this -- I suppose it would all hang on the fit.

1980s jersey crossover dress, £17.99

1970s handmade dress, £25.00

I didn't like this one at first, but the more I gazed at it the more charming it became. I like the grid pattern, the glossy material and the gorgeous deep colours.

Kaliko loose roll neck dress, £19.99

High street secondhand rather than vintage, but if the colour is anything as rich in life as it is in the picture, I think it'd be gorgeous.

And I was going to go on to coats (-- then waistcoats -- then tops -- then skirts), but I looked at the list of links I'd collected and, well, it is bedtime. I'll save it for another post. You should tell me if you buy any of the dresses linked here so I can hate you secretly in my heart!