Aug 27

Aug 27 Bridget enjoys standing out from the crowd

As you'll know if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, it was a VERY rainy bank holiday Sunday, when I went to the Twinwood Vintage Festival to hear my super-talented sister, Linda, sing with Sticky Wicket and his swing orchestra (check out either page to hear her in action). Usually packed with people dressed in glorious vintage clothes, for understandable reasons many of them were entirely covered up with raincoats. Fortunately there was an indoor area, and even more fortunately for me, Bridget, 59, was taking shelter there. Of course, I couldn't resist talking to her, and of course, she turned out to be every bit as fabulous as she looked!

"I’ve been wearing and collecting vintage clothes since I was about 15. I inherited a lot of clothes from my mother, so those are really precious pieces. I grew up watching a lot of films and I wanted to be, well, a film star, I suppose. Or as close to one as possible.

I’m a good shape for vintage. I’ve got a real hour glass figure - a little waist and big hips and thighs - so vintage clothes fit me really well. I wear reproduction shoes, because the authentic ones are too painful and I’ve got funny feet. And I’ll buy repro cardigans, because it’s quite hard to find authentic ones, trousers and jeans. Some original vintage trousers are a bit of a funny fit - they’ve always got a really low crotch, because they used to think cutting them up high looked too sexy. Whereas although the dresses and skirts are sexy in their way, they skim over the thighs and are very waist-centric. Which is what I am.

I do get a lot of people looking at me in the street

I don’t know how dressing this way affects my life, because I don’t know any different. If I have a day when I’m in trousers and a jumper, it’s remarkably easy to get around, which is lovely. Being in full vintage dress mode does hamper progress a bit I suppose. But I wear a lot of petticoats because it gives you a sort of exclusion zone. So if I’m on the tube wearing a petticoat, people just aren’t able to get too close to me!

Obviously I get a lot of people looking at me in the street and I do like standing out. I feel protected by my clothes to an extent, but people are usually really nice to me.

I had a pink car for a long time, and other drivers were so nice to me, letting me in at roundabouts and things like that. They expected the unexpected, which is the way I like it.

The way I dress is the equivalent of that."

If you want to see how sensational Bridget looks in all her glorious vintage outfits (and you really do!), have a look at her Instagram account - biddystanford, or check her out on Facebook where she goes by Bridget Stanford.