It’s curtains for bidders at vintage clothing and fabric auction

VINTAGE clothes, hats, bags and shoes will be sold alongside fabulous furnishings at the biannual fabric auction from Moore Allen & Innocent in Cirencester on Friday, October 13.

Following the success of the last fabric sale in March, during which an entire designer wardrobe of modern classics sold for a total of £36,000, auctioneers are hoping to lure back fashionistas with big names like Burberry, Chanel, Hermes, and Mary Quant.

The vintage clothing section really does include some vintage pieces, including a green Burberry trench coat from 1908, when the brand was still called Burberry’s. A bid of £40 to £60 should secure the lot.

From the 1960s, a ladies’ sheepskin coat by Mary Quant – the most iconic fashion designer of the decade – is expected to attract bids of £50 to £80, as is a green striped men’s blazer by Mr Fish, who dressed celebrities including Peter Sellers, Lord Snowden, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Jon Pertwee’s Doctor Who, and popularised the kipper tie.

A large selection of men’s suits and shirts, women’s jackets and dresses, and coats and jackets – including furs – for all occasions will be priced to suit all budgets, while a large collection of decorative hats are suitable for any occasion – providing the occasion is a wedding or Royal Ascot.

There are also silk scarves for the ladies, by designers including Hermes and Chanel, and ties for men, by Hermes and Cirencester outfitters Pakeman Catto & Carter.

Military uniforms can be found in the section – including an RAF greatcoat and RAF Crombie greatcoat with an estimate of £70 to £100 for the pair, and three RAF officers’ dress uniforms at £80 to £100 for the lot.

And for a less formal look, three Japanese kimonos – two from the early 1900s, and one from the middle of the 20th century – should achieve between £50 and £120 each.

There are also bags and bags of handbags, purses and luggage, and auctioneers are expecting an alligator handbag and accompanying snake skin bag – both with heads as clasps – to be snapped up for between £50 and £80 for the pair.

For those who like to stitch it themselves, there are lacemaking supplies, miniature looms, bobbins and reels of cotton, dressmaking patterns from the 1960s to the 1990s, and metres of fabrics.

The home decor department is dominated by a mahogany four poster bed, complete with hangings, which is expected to achieve between £200 and £300. There are rugs, and cushions, wallpaper – including three rolls by Morris & Co, which are expected to command a bid of £50 to £80.

And dozens upon dozens of pairs of curtains – almost all interlined and of a generous length – will draw the auction to a close.

For a full auction catalogue, visit www.mooreallen.co.uk