July's curated vintage collection is all about high summer. Think Picnic at Hanging Rock, Howards End and a Room with a view. A romanticised cinematic way of styling in the heat.
I sourced some beautiful victorian cotton nightgowns and skirts, along with straw hats from around the world. I love seeing them together and how across history and the world we all wear straw hats and had skills to craft these by hand in rural communities in different ways depending on the grasses available in our environment.
Picnic at Hanging Rock - Film by Peter Weir 1975
Straw Hats
A also love seeing how the conversation of design around the world bounced back and forth throughout history. French fashion designers being inspired by Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese traditional hat designers and so on. Form following function.
One thing I'm sad to hear is the word 'coolie' used to describe conical hats. Not OK, and let me explain if you don't already know the etymology.
Traditional Chinese conical hats were called Douli's and many people working in the fields wore these outside, designed and crafted to protect their heads from the sun and the heavy rains.
The word Douli meaning conical hat in China and the word Kuli meaning hire/wages in Indian Tamil or hard labor in Chinese.
These words appear to have been turned into 'Coolie' by some dimwitted overseers in the 1830s and was used as a derogatory term to describe Indian and Chinese people shipped to the Caribbean, South Africa and Americas as indentured labourers by the British and Dutch. The word Coolie is a racial slur designed to degrade someone, it's not nice.
It sad to hear the term still used by some milliners and interior designers to describe hats and lampshades. It's weird and at best lacks curiosity in design.
I know no one is trying to cause offense and its pure ignorance but time to smarten up. We don't describe objects with racial slurs. 
A douli Hat (斗笠) hand crafted in Southern China or Hong Kong with bamboo leaves encased in woven rattan and finished in a pointed centre. Features a very wide reinforced brim and preserved with tung oil. Velvet ribbons are used to secure the hat under the chin and if you wear a high bun, this perfectly balances the hat inside.
A Nón lá Hat hand crafted in Vietnam with wood and leaves in a geometric symmetrical circular design and stained with black and warm brown oils and dyes. Stitched with strong cotton threads. A small crown sits inside the hat to balance on the head and grosgrain ribbon ties secure under the chin.
Straw Hat making is in the critically endangered crafts list read more about straw hat making at Heritage Crafts.
Rattan Straw hat - I love this simplicity of this design, probably 1970s but the straw is so finely woven in a double layer. Its beautiful.
A British made straw woven hat by Bermona 1970s. Hand woven lace design in raffia straw grass.
A wounded bird with grass fringing.
Rene Gruau's illustration for Christian Dior 1950s
Victorian White Cottons
I love the idea of floating around in these crisp cottons. The lace detailing, like the hats are hand embroidered and woven and just stunning.
I like styling the skirts with bloomers and t shirts. The night dresses with leather belts and sandals. There is also a beautiful Edwardian muslin summer dress with lace trimmed sailor collar and some beautiful blouses.
Check out the full collection in the New Arrivals or From the Source collection
Antique Victorian petticoat skirt with bloomers, styled with a leather belt and white t shirt. 
Victorian heavy cotton night dress with cotton lace ruffled collar.
Light Edwardian cotton voile maxi dress with lace sailor collar.
Summer Bags
Continuing the straw weaving and rattan, I love these hand woven bags from the 1950s. It really reminds me how much you can create with natural grasses and plants that are brilliantly sustainable and durable. 
1950s Chinese hand woven and lacquered rattan hand bag. So beautifully designed in its elegancy.
A fun embroidered wool rattan box bag 1950s with leather handles. Country of manufacture unknown, possible Britain, Hong Kong or American.
A tiered petal crotchet woven grass hand bag from Japan. 1960s with printed lining.
An ammonite shaped woven grass straw beach bag. Possibly 1970s. No Label.
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