Dedicated followers of fashion Sixties’ fashion is everywhere and Biba is celebrating its 50th birthday. Yours remembers how hard it was to be stylish back then if you didn’t live in London By Valery McConnell ave you been browsing in M&S this autumn? Then you can’t have missed the huge influence of Sixties’ fashion on the latest styles. Black and white is everywhere, plus skinny polonecks, PVC and knee-length boots worn with everything. Apart from the dilemma of, ‘If I wore it first time around, dare I wear it this time?’ it may also bring back memories of how much more challenging it was in the Sixties to find groovy fashion at all. The famous fashion brand Biba turned 50 this year and quite rightly there have been celebrations galore. It was the shop where you knew you’d never meet your mother; assistants viewed anyone over 30 as ‘old’ and out of place! Biba was cool, quirky and, even better, within a young working girl’s price range. It was where everybody young shopped... if, of course, you lived in or near London. Most of us didn’t. Although Biba is famous for its fashionable Kensington High
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For customers, store assistants and top models such as Twiggy (third from top), Biba was a brand like no other
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Street store, it actually got its first big success running a mailorder offer on a gingham dress for 25 shillings (£1.25) with the Daily Mirror in 1963. They were overwhelmed when 17,000 orders poured in. By the mid-Sixties, 40 per cent of the population was under 25 and nearly all of them were working. This new army of typists, telephonists, nurses, shopworkers and bank clerks wanted to look like Cathy McGowan and the groovy girl dancers on Ready, Steady Go! At a time when a coat cost 9½ guineas, 25 shillings for a dress was fantastic – especially when you could find nothing like it in your local high street. Biba’s London success was first built on the fashion-starved teenagers in the provinces dependent on mail order. We could listen to Radio Caroline on our transistors and buy records in local stores, watch Ready Steady Go! and The Avengers. But where did we go Every girl wanted to for clothes? Biba was part of a look like whole fashion movement that Ready Steady became known as Swinging Go! presenter, London. There was Chelsea’s Cathy King’s Road with the newly McGowan
❙ retro fashion ❙
trendy boutiques. The shops’ décor, as much as the clothes within it, were part of the attraction. One such, Granny Takes a Trip, had an entire shop front made out of the giant pop-art face of Jean Harlow. Inside it was dark, music blared out and it had (gasp!) a single changing room. And just across town there was the even more famous Carnaby Street. From, I Was Lord Kitchener’s Valet, to Lord John and Lady Jane, rows of psychedelic boutiques were frequented by mods, rockers and up-and-coming pop stars. Meanwhile, the rest of Britain had... Dorothy Perkins and C&A. Back then, Dorothy Perkins was not the youthful brand of today. It mainly sold underwear, tights and nighties and the sales’ staff wore nylon uniforms. A far cry from Biba where all the assistants were would-be models and clothes didn’t come over a size ten. As for C&A, your Biba style was cool and quirky
mum was happy to shop there, so you were hardly likely to find something she was going to disapprove of – half the point! Big provincial department stories might create a ‘youth’ section that would stock the likes of Young Jaeger – but it was way out of our price range. There was the odd exception. Sheffield department store, Peter Robinson, created a young brand in its basement in the mid-Sixties to cater for the growing youth market. They called it Topshop and it was such a success the idea was soon exported to the Peter Robinson store in Oxford Street. Then in 1965, a family-run chain called Lewis Separates, which had been around since 1955, saw an opportunity and cleverly renamed its 70 stores nationwide Chelsea Girl and gave them a makeover. Just like Biba and those other groovy boutiques, Chelsea Girl had dark interiors and cool shop assistants. Mum would complain she couldn’t see anything and the music was too loud. Best of all, you could afford the clothes. We might not be able to go to London – but at last it seemed like a bit of London had come to us.
Where are they now? BIBA: The store grew ever more elaborate and over the top. They couldn’t survive the Seventies’ recession and went bust in 1975. After many false starts, the name is now a successful franchise online and in of House of Fraser branches since 2010, channelling the unique style of its founder, Barbara Hulanicki.
DOROTHY PERKINS: Ironically, in 1975 Dorothy Perkins bought 75 per cent of Biba. Later, it became part of the Burton group and transformed into a successful fashion brand for the 25 to 35 year old budget end of the market.
TOPSHOP: Peter Robinson’s is long gone but the Topshop brand is one of the coolest names for youth fashion, with branches all over the UK and beyond. But the flagship store is on the same Peter Robinson site in Oxford Circus as it was all those years ago.
CHELSEA GIRL: Inevitably this brand became passé in the late Eighties, so Chelsea Girl morphed into River Island – still thriving on high streets. But with the passion for all things retro, there’s now a Chelsea Girl range within the store, inspired by the clothes we loved in our youth. And it’s still family owned.
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PICS: GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY; MIRRORPIX; REX FEATURES
Carnaby Street was synonymous with cool shopping, with stores like Lady Jane and Lord Kitchener’s Valet
Style notes
Give your
hands a youthful boost Don‘t let your hands give your age away! Keep them looking young and beautiful with our top tips By Charlotte Haigh MacNeil
Meet our expert Bryony McMillan is a nail expert and educator at nail company OPI Leighton Denny is a leading celebrity nail technologist, visit www.leightondenny.com
ou cleanse, tone and moisturise your face without fail and use anti-ageing serums and masks. But do you treat your hands the same way? If not, you’re far from alone – most of us focus on our faces and it’s all too easy to neglect our hands. Yet hands are exposed to ageing UV light at least as much as our faces, as they tend to be in direct sunlight when we’re driving, cycling or gardening. One of the main culprits is housework – if we don’t wear gloves, detergent can wreak havoc on our skin and nails, speeding up the ageing process. The skin on our hands has few oil glands and little fat to pad it out, so ageing can take its toll relatively quickly, leading to tell-tale signs such as brown age spots, which are areas of pigmentation caused by sun damage, and wrinkling.
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Your hands have to contend with house work and being repeatedly dipped in and out of de te rgent YOURS
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Get protected
YOURS LOVES
A good rule of thumb (pun intended) is to use a hand cream with SPF15 or higher every day to block the effects of damaging UV light and nourish skin. Put it on first thing in the morning, then reapply it whenever you wash your hands. Massage it into the backs of your hands and up past your wrists. TRY The Body Shop Wild Rose Hand Cream SPF15 (£5/30ml)
You can massage plain almond oil into your cuticle s to he lp aid healthy nail growth
Don’t forget to fight the effects of ageing on your nails, too. “Your body produces less oil with age, which can mean your nails become dry, making them more likely to break,” says Bryony McMillan, educator for nail product company OPI. “Applying a deeply nourishing oil daily to your cuticles
allows the root of your nail to be hydrated and nourished, so a healthy nail can grow through.” TRY OPI Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Replenishing Oil (£16.50/15ml)
Your ultimate anti-ageing manicure A manicure can knock years off your hands – from the way you shape your nails to the shade of nail polish you choose. Try these steps to younger-looking hands.
✢ Next, massage in a nourishing hand cream. TRY Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Eventone Age Spot Hand Cream (£3.99/60g) ✢ Now tackle your cuticles while they’re soft from the warm water. Never cut them – you risk trimming them back too much, which can lead to infections. Just push your cuticles back gently with a soft-tipped cuticle stick. TRY Boots Essentials Manicure sticks (£1/60g)
✢ Shape your nails with an emery board (never a metal file) in short sweeps rather than a seesawing motion, which can make nails fragile and prone to breaking. Long, pointed talons are ageing. “Keep nails short,” advises leading nail technician Leighton Denny. “And file them into a rounded shape as square nails can make fingers look wider. Ridges can appear on your nails with age so buff these smooth with a nail buffer.” TRY Leighton Denny Quatro File and Buffer (£5.50/60g) ✢ Apply a protective base coat to help your polish last longer and prevent staining. You could take it over the tip of your nail to prevent polish chipping at the ends. TRY Essie First Base, (£8.99/13ml)
✢ Choose your colour. “You may be tempted to choose a natural shade so as not to draw attention to your hands, but bright colours work better,” says Leighton. “Avoid varnishes with sparkle and go for bold brights.” Look for punchy corals, reds or pinks, and avoid dark tones.” TRY Leighton Denny Expert Nail Colour in Viva La Diva, £11/12ml), or Revlon Nail Enamel in Cherries In The Snow (£6.49/14ml)
✢ To apply nail polish, use three long strokes – down the centre, then one either side, avoiding going right down to the cuticle. You may need two coats, but wait until the first coat is completely dry before applying the second. Finish with a top coat, which ‘seals’ your polish, making it last longer. TRY Mavala Colorfix (£11.50/10ml)
STOCKISTS The Body Shop 0800 092 9090, www.thebodyshop.co.uk; Champneys www.champneys.com; Essie 0800 731 2119, essie.co.uk; Leighton Denny 0845 862 1525, leightondenny.com; Mavala mavala.co.uk 01732 459412; OPI John Lewis stores; Revlon 0800 085 2716, Revlon.co.uk; Sally Hansen 01233 625076, uk.sallyhansen.com Details correct at time of going to press
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✢ Start by soaking your hands in warm water to soften your skin, adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil. After two or three minutes, smooth on a gentle scrub to buff away dead skin cells, then rinse and pat your hands dry. TRY Champneys Pure Touch Hand Scrub (£6/75ml)
✢ NEXT ISSUE Find out who won our Beauty Awards – and win the lot! YOURS
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HEALTH &
vitality f you’re fed up with feeling sluggish and being too tired to do anything, you’ll be glad to know there are ways to make yourself feel better. Boosting your energy levels could transform so many aspects of your life; you will be more likely to exercise regularly, eat well, think positively and you even take on new challenges. More often than not, you can make the change from being ever-tired to raring-to-go just by making a few simple changes to your lifestyle.
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7 ways to have
MORE ENER
Go for a walk Energy and exercise go hand in hand, meaning increased physical activity naturally leads to raised energy levels. Just a 15-minute walk around the block could give you an instant energy surge that can last for up to two hours. The chance to get out of the house into natural light and fresh air, especially when you’re feeling your most tired, could also brighten your mood and make you more alert. If you already exercise regularly and want to step up a gear, jog or cycle for an even bigger energy boost.
Check your iron levels There might be an underlying medical condition causing your tiredness, so it’s worth seeing your GP. Iron-deficiency anaemia is one of the biggest causes of low energy and a simple blood test could reveal if your iron levels are low. Keep them topped up by eating dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, red meat such as beef and liver, and fortified cereals.
Rediscover your get-up-and-go with our simple fatiguebusting advice By Katharine Wootton
ve...
ERGY
Keep calm Fretting about things or losing your temper could raise your heart rate, send your blood pressure soaring and tighten your muscles, all of which have an exhausting impact on your body. If you’re feeling anxious, try to set aside time to concentrate on your worries and come up with possible solutions. Avoid putting things off, too, as this will only knot up your stomach and wear you out. Take a stroll on your own, practise deep breathing or take up a relaxing activity such as yoga to keep stress at bay.
Switch the drinks When your energy levels are low it’s tempting to reach for the caffeine, but drinking lots of coffee and tea could actually make you feel worse. Try to reduce your caffeine intake over a three-week period to see if you feel more energised and drink water to avoid energy-draining dehydration. Reducing your alcohol intake could also stop you waking up in the night and help you feel more awake the next day.
If you eat quickly and don’t chew food properly, you could be missing out on vital energy. Chewing your food for longer helps to break it down into smaller particles, which your body can better digest, and a US study found that good digestion could mean more energy. Experts advise you should chew softer foods five to ten times and more dense foods, such as meat and veg, up to 30 times before swallowing.
Regulate your sleep pattern It stands to reason that not getting enough sleep affects energy levels so the first thing to try if you wake up feeling shattered is to regulate your sleep habits. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day and create a pre-bedtime routine that slows down your body and mind. Try a calming hot bath, some soothing music and little or no caffeine. Steer clear of the snooze button in the morning too, as continual bursts of napping could confuse your brain and leave you feeling drowsy for several hours.
Try supplements Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that is used in almost every cell in your body to produce energy. As we get older our natural levels of COQ10 drop, which could leave you feeling tired. Small amounts are found in foods such as wholegrains and oily fish, but the best way to top up your levels is with a supplement. The Pharma Nord Bio-Quinone Q10 range (from £8.95/30 oil-based capsules) is backed by 90 clinical trials, proving it can be absorbed by the body and contribute to energy production, especially in the heart and muscles. Call 0800 591 756 or visit www.Q10.co.uk
✢ See your GP before taking vitamin supplements or herbal remedies, particularly if you take prescribed medicines. Always speak to your GP before stopping any medication or before starting any diet or exercise regime.
Kick emot ional eat ing
ght Could you lose wei Find out without dieting?edom, how to stop bor and iety anx pile on the guilt making you
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Chew your food
✢ NEXT ISSUE We explain how to spot the signs of a heart attack YOURS
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❙ time for you ❙
Easy comfort foods Create cosy meals guaranteed to fill you with warmth and satisfaction! Compiled by Claire Williams HONEY MUSTARD SAUSAGES WITH COLCANNON You can substitute the cabbage and leek in this recipe for carrot, swede or turnip. Simply add to the cooking water with the potatoes. Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
• 680g (1lb 8oz) potatoes peeled and cut into chunks • 1 leek, trimmed and finely sliced • 225g (8oz) savoy cabbage, finely shredded • 50g (2oz) butter • 12 chipolata sausages • 6 tbsp milk • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • Pinch of grated nutmeg • 1 tbsp coarse-grain mustard • 1 tbsp honey
TR Y THIS...
Splatter screen Stop sausages from spitting out hot fat with this silicone frying pan guard. It’s easy to clean and is heat resistant to 260˚C/392˚F ✢ Available from www.tesco.com or call 0800 323 4050
£10.99
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1. Put the potatoes into a saucepan with just enough lightly salted water to cover them. Cover with a lid and bring the water to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Steam the leek and cabbage over the potatoes for the last 5-6 minutes of cooking. 2. Melt a knob of the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the sausages, turning them occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until browned all over and almost cooked through. 3. Drain the potatoes, reserving 6 tbsp of the cooking water. Put the potatoes back in the pan and dry over a low heat for 30
seconds or so. Add the milk, bring it to the boil, take off the heat and add the rest of the butter. Season well with salt and pepper and mash until smooth. Drain the greens well and stir them into the mash with a good sprinkling of nutmeg to taste. 4. Drain almost all the fat from the frying pan if necessary. Mix the mustard and honey in a small bowl, then spoon it over the sausages with the reserved cooking water and cook for another minute or so, turning them occasionally, until cooked through and have a sticky glaze. Serve the mash with the sausages piled on top and drizzled with any extra sticky glaze. Per serving: 492 cals, 29g fat (3.3g sat fat)
C a n be ma de w it h saus age s of your choic e
❙ time for you ❙ PORK AND CRANBERRY HOTPOT Let this hotpot cook then simply take the lid off and brown the potatoes under the grill for a few minutes Serves 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 2½ hours
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil • 700g (1lb 10oz) pork shoulder steaks or 4 boneless spare rib chops • 1 onion, peeled and chopped • 2 tbsp plain flour • 450ml (¾pt) chicken stock • 4 tbsp sherry (optional) • 1 tbsp tomato purée • 2 tbsp cranberry sauce BUY THIS... • 25g (1oz) dried cranberries Fruity accompaniment (optional) Try using Ocean Spray’s new • ½ tsp ground allspice Cranberry Apple Sauce for this recipe. The • Salt and freshly ground black combination of apple pepper and cranberry is the • 600g (1lb 5oz) potatoes peeled perfect partner to any and thinly sliced pork dish. • 25g (1oz) butter ✢ Available from most supermarkets
£1.49
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pork for about 2 minutes on each side until browned. Lift the meat out of the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a shallow flameproof casserole dish. 2. Add the onion to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until softened and just beginning to turn golden. Stir in the flour then mix in the stock, sherry if using, tomato purée and
cranberry sauce. Mix in the cranberries, if using, then add the spice and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. 3. Bring the sauce to the boil, then pour it over the pork. Arrange the potato slices overlapping over the top, sprinkle with a little extra salt and pepper then dot with the butter. 4. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 1½ hours. Remove the lid or foil and cook for 30 minutes more until the potatoes are golden. Spoon into shallow bowls and serve with steamed peas or green beans. Per seving: 558 cals, 25g fat (9.9g sat fat)
SMOKED FISH FILO BAKE A quick and easy creamy fish pie with a buttery pastry topping Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ Gas Mark 5. Melt 40g (1½oz) butter in a saucepan, add 40g (1½oz) plain flour and beat to form a paste. Gradually add 450ml (¾ pint) milk, bringing the mixture to the boil between each addition of liquid. Once all the milk has been added, simmer the white sauce gently for 2-3 minutes to ensure the flour is cooked through. 2. Add 450g (1lb) smoked haddock, skinned and cubed, 75g (3oz) frozen peas and half a 198g can of drained sweetcorn, to the
sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then add 1 tbsp chopped parsley and the zest and juice of ½ a lemon. Transfer to a shallow, ovenproof dish. 3. Divide each sheet of shopbought filo pastry into three and brush one side with the leftover melted butter. Scrunch up the filo pastry and lay on top of the fish mixture. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional) and bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Per serving: 439 cals, 16g fat (9.4g sat fat)
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mfrom y lessons life… Elaine Paige, currently on her 50th anniversary tour, talks to Yours about her passions and who inspired her ✢ Time flies
✢ I’m not retiring
I’m celebrating 50 years in the business and I just can’t believe it. It’s a terrible old cliché but it’s gone by in the blink of an eye. Ever since I first appeared in the musical, Hair, I’ve lived in the moment but I’ve been planning my UK concert tour for October and it’s forced me to look back down the years.
Because I’ve played a lot of divas, people assume I must be like that off-stage. But it’s not true; I’m a professional and I like to work with professionals. I demand a great deal of myself and expect that of those around me. My passions are good food and wine, fast cars and tennis. I play as often as I can and have the great honour of being president of the Dan Maskell Trust, a charity set up in his name for wheelchair tennis players. I enjoy travelling for pleasure but this tour, which will also take in Ireland, Australia and the US, will be my last. It’s simply too demanding at my age sleeping in a different bed every night. I’m not retiring, though; performers never lose the desire to perform.
Sometimes, it feels like all this happened to someone else, but I don’t think I’ve lost touch with who that girl was because, fundamentally, it’s always been me. I had a lovely, suburban upbringing in north London surrounded by family. I always liked singing, but was amazed when my father suggested I go to stage school aged 16. That didn’t happen to girls like me.
ever the same again. It changed my life forever. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice and producer Cameron Mackintosh all have a special place in my heart because we went on this journey together. I feel very privileged and very lucky.
✢ Evita was life-changing
✢ Growing older has advantages
To my family and friends, I’m just Ellie. I’m sure they always thought I was a bit over the top. My mother used to say: “Oh God, Ellie’s in the house!” – like a whirlwind had arrived. But they were proud of me; they always came to the first night of any production I was in. I’ve been in many wonderful productions – Cats, Chess, Piaf, Sunset Boulevard – but landing the role of Evita was the defining moment of my career. Nothing was
I still feel uneasy about being the centre of attention. I prefer to disappear into a character and have always regarded myself as an actor who sings, rather than the other way around. Funnily enough, my ten years presenting a Sunday show on Radio 2 has given me a confidence boost. I suppose it’s one of the advantages of growing older.
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✢ Elaine was talking to Richard Barber ✢ For more on the Elaine Paige 50th anniversary tour, call 0844 811 0051 or visit www.gigsandtours.com
WHAT MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE TODAY? Ann Hill, head of music at Southaw Secondary Modern Girls’ School, who first recognised my passion for music. And my father, Eric, for sending me to Aida Foster Stage School and making me stick it beyond an unhappy first term. By the end of the three years I was utterly hooked on show business.
PICS: REX FEATURES, CORBIS
✢ I’m still the same person
With Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh and Tim Rice. Right, in Evita