The Chipper Chap

July is the bringer of warm sunny weather and long days, summertime frolics, and pastel tones. It is only appropriate then, that July also provides us with a chance to combine all of these lovely summer phenomena into one event, the Chap Olympiad!

This was our second consecutive Chap Olympiad, and we definitely took our looks to the next level!

James:

My outfit this year was inspired by an English Great Gatsby a very 1920's combination of glamour, colour and picnics. In the sweltering summer heat I opted for a three piece pink linen suit, ideal for scorching summer days sipping Pimms. The light linen fabric kept me cool and made it possible to stay composed throughout the day. I paired it with a traditional boater hat from Dunn &Co. Dunn & Co have been supplying headwater since 1887 and are as traditional as they come. Boaters, made of straw are light and perfect for that 20's English look.

I wore a white shirt as a blank canvas which would allow for my purple tie to stand out, I even matched the purple in the tie with a pair of purple socks. The Purple silk tie is a part of the V&A collection, decorated with art deco jungle cats and plants indicative of 1920's glamour. Additionally, the combination of pink and purple is certainly under appreciated and one that I was happy to show.

The look was accented and concluded with a pair of round sunglasses, a golden pocket watch and chain, bamboo walking stick with silver hilt and a pair of vintage two tone shoes, all to further add to that 1920's summer in the park feel.

Suit: Louis Feraud

Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt

Tie: The Victoria & Albert Museum Collection

Hat: Dunn & Co. (Vintage)

Shoes: Vintage/Handed down

Cane: Vintage

Pocket Watch: Vintage

Sunglasses: Vintage

Jeordy:

This year I stepped up my game for the Chap Olympiad. My straw hat, striped pastel dream of a dress, and crocheted gloves all lent themselves to my vintage summertime fantasy. While James' look was 1920s, I styled myself more with the late 1930s- early 1940s in mind. I even managed to set my hair and make it look acceptable!

The star of this ensemble was the beautiful striped blue and pink dress I got in a vintage shop in Krakow, Poland. The dress is technically vintage reproduction as it was made recently, but it was made from an authentic 1940s Polish dress pattern using vintage 1940s Polish fabric. Lack of fullness in the skirt due to rationing is distracted from by the playful use of the stripes, and interesting cut of the bodice of the dress.

I paired it with contrasting navy blue accents in the shoes and purse, as it was common in the 1940s to add accents which did not necessarily coordinate or match. To finish off my look and accentuate that summery feeling, I wore white crocheted gloves, red lipstick and a straw hat.

Dress: Vintage - Vintage Classics Kazimierz (~£25)

Stockings: What Katie Did (£10)

Shoes: Eurosoft (~$40)

Hat: Vintage - Thrifted (£3)

Earrings: Gifted

Gloves: Vintage - Gifted

Purse: Vintage - Alexandra Palace Antique Fair (£18)

Estimated total: £87/$113

Estimated total (- shoes): £56/$73

Did we step up our vintage summer game, or did we simply don too much pink?