Vintage Valentines

Okay so I'm not saying that I don't agree with the view that Valentines day has become over commercialised over the decades and I'm not saying that you should only treat your partner once a year because you should always show them love and respect and treat them whatever day of the year it is. But just because something has become over commercialised that doesn't mean that we should stop celebrating Valentines Day or start hating on it just because we're single. (okay so I'm not single this year but I'm 19 and this was my first Valentines day EVER so I've had a few single valentines and it hasn't made me bitter) So, perhaps we just need to remind ourselves of the reason we celebrate Valentines day, the history behind it. 

So, long story short, Saint Valentine was a priest who performed weddings that were illegal in the eyes of the Roman Empire and he was sentence to death for it. That doesn't sound so romantic when you think about the whole dying in the name of love part it's a little tragic don't you think? Saint Valentines story was romanticised by the poet and writer Geoffrey Chaucer during the middle ages and by the 19th century in Britain Valentines Day had become a commercial day where lovers sent each other cards and gifts of chocolate or flowers.

Valentines Vintage;
I love vintage as any of you who follow me on instagram will know. I have an obsession with vintage and dream of setting up my own business selling on vintage finds at a profit and making reproductions of vintage styles and cuts.

 

The main part of my outfit was a white dress from the 80s made by the design brand Hamells Petites. I found it in the Sue Ryder Charity shop in Queensgate, Peterborough for an amazing bargain of just £5. Charity shops are my favourite places full of hidden gems.

 

 

It was obviously a dress that had been used for some sort of important function, most likely a wedding as it was rather elaborate. But I wanted to wear a classy dress that also showed off my personality and my interests.

Therefore, the most important part of my outfit was accessories. In the evening we went out for a meal so I dressed it up with red heels and a vintage Levi denim jacket that I'd picked up at a little vintage shop in Leicester. The heels cost me ten pounds in a sale at New Look and the denim jacket was about £30. During the day I dressed it  down by swapping my heels for my blue All Star  Converse for comfort.

My weekend was amazing and I couldn't have asked for more. We tried not to be lavish as we just wanted a nice weekend together without lots of extravagance. The majority of our weekend was cost free but as always the cost of food and little extras does eventually add up for my poor boyfriends wallet.
We went for some nice walks around a local nature reserve. The nature reserve was beautiful and a really good date as it didn't cost us anything to walk round it. We weren't cooped up inside sat on our phones but outdoors enjoying the fresh air and each others company.  At the end of the day we hopped on an old steam train to take us back to the city centre and away from paradise. The steam train although a really short journey really was worth it! It ended the weekend on a perfect note as the retro interior really embraced my love of all things historical.

 

 

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