Monday, 19 August 2013

A Horrockses Discovery



Back in 2012 I was taking one of my many visits to vintage fairs at Spitalfields when I spotted a gorgeous gypsy style dress hanging on the rails of Rehab Vintage. It was striking, with a real Autumnal feel to the colouring, and I fell in love with it. Upon close inspection I noticed the distinctive label of that sought after brand, Horrockses. This surprised me, not because of the brand itself but more the fact that the dress seemed a little unusual in terms of its styling. 

The Original Dress from Rehab Vintage

Nevertheless I was captivated and referred a picture to my dear friend Liz who is, quite simply, an expert on this brand. She confirmed that the dress was indeed part of Horrockses designs and I asked the owner of Rehab Vintage how much it was. She had it valued at £95 but I felt that this was too low so suggested that she research the brand properly and work out its value.
With the pictures safely stored on my phone I resumed my shopping trip and it was only when trailing through page after page of 1950s dresses for auction on eBay recently that I spotted it. It had been posted at a value of £250, which seemed more appropriate. With this in mind, I kept a careful track of it.
Fast forward to August. I was looking through eBay on the off chance of finding my favourite brand California Cottons (alas, a rare occurence) and came across a "gypsy" style dress that stirred something in my memory. It was only when I looked at the print that I realised it was actually the same Horrockses dress I had seen for £250. 

In a different colour, and similar print, but still the same dress. The description entailed that the dress was without a label, and was offered at a BUY IT NOW price of £35/ Best Offer. I managed to find the original brown dress on completed listings, which had sold at the full asking price and purchased the "twin" at a bargain price. Yes, it may not have the label, but it fits like a dream and looks and feels absolutely beautiful.

I am so lucky to have found this, it proves that its worth looking into the less conspicuous items on eBay!

Holly
x

No comments:

Post a Comment