So, What’s With the Radio Silence?
From vintage haberdashery and a lingerie website relaunch to EU red tape: here’s where I’ve been and what’s coming next.
Vintage Katie
Behind the Seams: Vintage inspired lingerie and fashion. The inspiration and design journey behind What Katie Did pieces plus beautiful true vintage finds.
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Latest posts
The Joy of Buying Less
A few years ago I challenged myself to stop buying new clothes, and the experience completely changed the way I think about fashion.
The Risks of Dyeing Synthetic Lingerie
I set out to discover whether synthetic lingerie and stockings could be successfully dyed at home. The results were mixed, educational and occasionally disastrous.
Marilyn Monroe’s Nippleless Bras and the Carefully Engineered Illusion of Nudity
With Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday approaching on 1st June, I’ve been revisiting the revealing bras, sheer lingerie, and clever tricks behind her famously provocative image.
Why Are Retro Brands Selling Fast Fashion?
Over the past thirty years I’ve watched vintage inspired fashion transform from a small world of passionate reproduction brands into an industry increasingly shaped by Amazon and ultra fast fashion.
Yet More Bad News for British Stockings
Pretty Polly and Aristoc have collapsed again. A look at British hosiery, Harmony Point stockings, and what happened behind the scenes.
The Possible End of Another Fully Fashioned Stocking Factory
The UK may have lost one of its last fully fashioned stocking factories, and once these machines fall silent, it’s almost impossible to bring them back to life.
Engineering Marilyn: The Bras That Shaped an Icon
As Marilyn Monroe’s centenary approaches, I’ve been revisiting the lingerie behind her iconic shape, particularly the Hollywood-Maxwell Whirlpool bras she loved.
Schiaparelli Stockings at the V&A: Are These “1940” Nylon Stockings Misdated?
Are the Schiaparelli stockings at London’s V&A misdated? A 25-year hosiery expert investigates nylon, seamless myths, and 1950s evidence.
Dior in the Late 1940s: Tariffs, Stockings, and the Birth of Licensing
In post-war Europe, exporting wasn’t optional — it was survival. Faced with American tariffs, Dior built his empire through local manufacturing and licensing.