In Good Company

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Dress: Anthea Crawford brocade

Kimono Jacket: TS

Heels: Bon Bons patent 

Bag: Guess patent

Bracelet: Vintage Kellie's Antiques silver

Hinged Bangle: Oxfam silver

Ring: Hi! Beauty

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As a massive Balletomane (a ballet enthusiast), being granted a sneak peek inside the workings of a real ballet company, courtesy of a dear friend of mine, was nothing less than a dream come true.

Not many people realise the amount of time, effort, practice, blood, sweat & tears that go into a single ballet production or, indeed, make up the life of professional ballerina. Many start dancing when they are only three years old & so have dedicated themselves to the art form for over twenty years. 

Being born with two left feet myself, a life at the barre (the stationery handrail used during warm-up exercises) is an impossibility, but I can still capture the same insouciant - nonchalantly brilliant, simple yet elegant - style with my choice of ensemble. I love this mix of prints - the white & black baroque print of the Anthea Crawford high-neck shift & the sheer black long-line kimono jacket with toggle closure, replete with velvet flocked birds. Graceful movement is created with the jacket's delicate fringing, reminiscent of dance itself. See below for motion shots: 

It would be almost sacrilegious to add a pop of colour to this synthesis of black & white, so I have chosen black patent Mary Jane heels (the closest I could get, style-wise, to actual toe shoes) & a black patent handbag, adding silver bracelets & bangles for that touch of shimmer & a chunky silver & black flower ring to finish the look. 

My love of ballet even stretches to decor - I am an avid collector of vintage Carlotta Edwards prints from the 1950s & 1960s, which hang in a mini-gallery on the walls outside my bedroom & are pictured below:

Carlotta Edwards (1894-1977) was the daughter of French painter Ferdinand Pourrier. She is well-known for her paintings of ballet scenes & exhibited at both the Paris Salon & the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. The Medici Society published many prints of her work & these are widely available. Framed Carlotta Edwards prints were wildly popular in the mid 20th century & have been recently described (not unkindly) as "retro kitsch." I know they have a "chocolate box" appeal but I love the way that they capture the beauty & spirit of ballet. 

In addition to the prints, I was lucky enough to be given a beautiful & unique glass Art Deco coffee table/occasional table with stylised ballerinas etched into the top as a birthday gift from my parents. I love the fact that I can lift off the top panel of glass & place things inside the cylinder - at the moment, I have a vintage deer planter & some birthday flowers inside. Table is pictured in situ, below: