Friday Wishlist: Gorgeous things you'll want to buy RIGHT NOW

The perfect dress. £34.99 from Lindy Bop.

The perfect unicorn key. £7 from Let's Go Hme. (Cut to fit any Yale lock.)

The perfect lobster and crab cookie cutters. £4 each from RE-found.

The perfect leather skirt. £125 from & Other Stories.

The perfect stripy bowl. £12 from Rockett St George.

The perfect shoes. £125 from Kurt Geiger.

Sluttery Sales Spy: French Connection, Boden & Urban Outfitters

Everything here has my SALE OF APPROVAL.

THE DRESSES

Embroidered shirt dress, £52.50 (was £70), ASOS

GUYS, someone stole summertime while we weren't looking, and embroidered it on to a dress. I LOVE THIS. The stitching continues all the way around the back - there's no thread-scrimping here, oh no. And there are pockets and buttons and all the other things we go wild for on a dress. The model looks like she's wearing the sky, just at the moment a breeze has blown the heads off of every flower in Alan Titchmarsh's garden. Poor Alan. They'll come again next year, pet.

Summer Bark dress, £64 (was £80), French Connection

I like that this is called Summer Bark, and even though I suspect it's a reference to trees, I'm going to imagine a small dog - probably a terrier of some kind - who changes his bark depending on the season. I think his summer bark is light and joyous, reminiscent of laughter and the tinkle of the ice cream van.

Oh, yes. Back to the dress. Well, the dress looks - in the very best way - like someone has intermittently wiped their brush on it during a heavy day of painting the shed. You can almost smell the turpentine from here, feel the satisfaction of a job well done. The petals from Alan Titchmarsh's flowers float by. In the distance, a small dog barks his tinkly bark. 

That fucking dog gets everywhere.

THE SKIRTS

Floral organza skirt, £48.50 (was £65), ASOS

Matchy-matchy things - or co-ords, which I recently discovered isn't just a fancy way of saying cords - are not usually for me. But this floral organza skirt from ASOS looks so good with the matching top that at first I thought it was a dress, albeit a dress with an annoying gap in the middle. And I actually adore it. Sadly, crop tops aren't ever coming anywhere near me, but that skirt will be.

Nancy skirt, £20.70 (was £69), Boden

Boden's Nancy dress has already made an appearance in Sales Spy, long ago in the mists of March when it seemed impossible that we would ever have a chance to wear it. Now the Nancy skirt has shown up to summer's party, shouting "Look at me! I'm only £20.70!" and wearing hideous shoes. Who among us doesn't know at least one person who's notorious for doing that? She is, though, a very pretty gatecrasher. She can sit with us.

THE BAGS

Nali studded bag, £34 (was £56), ASOS

When Nali described this bag as a wine bag, I got excited. Turns out it's not a bag filled with wine, and it doesn't have a tap on it for top-ups (unlike these "classy, camouflaged booze bags" - um). No, it's just wine-coloured, but I suppose you can haul about a bottle of plonk in it if you so wish.

Bucket bag, £6 (was £12.99), H&M

I've decided that I urgently need a watermelon-print bucket bag to carry on all my summer trips. Not only does it provide me with endless opportunities to say, "I carried a watermelon", but I actually could carry a watermelon in it, and that would be so meta that my head might EXPLODE, like a watermelon, and then I'd surely become the subject of a Daily Mail article investigating the dangers of watermelons.

THE HOMEWARES

Armrest chair, £80 (was £150), Urban Outfitters

All my life, I've wanted a plastic moulded chair that matches Krist Novoselic's purple trousers of 1992. Now my dream has come true, and I find myself having to re-evaluate everything. What's left for me now? I've reached the pinnacle of purpleness. At least I can have a nice sit down while I rewrite my life goals.

Broadway arrow lamp, £79 (was £89; typically £330 on the high street), Made.com

WANT. You can use this Broadway arrow lamp on the table or the wall - I'd probably use it as a table lamp, and move it around to highlight all the best bits of my house. Or rather, to distract from the piles of magazines and that box of mince pies from last Christmas I just found on the bookcase (it was UNOPENED, everyone. No need to call environmental health just yet).

What have you been buying this week?

The UK's best online vintage homewares shops

After last week's guide to shopping online for vintage clothes, I want to see your homes spruced up in equal vintage style too! Vintage homewares are a great way to avoid that identikit IKEA look (even if IKEA are responsible for almost everything else, including the kitchen sink).

If you've got something very specific in mind, I'd probably head straight for Etsy or eBay but here are my favourite UK vintage homewares shops for a good old browse. I've only included shops that let you click and buy without sending an enquiry first here, mainly because vintage shopping is at its most fun when you come in after a couple of glasses of wine and decide what you really need in your life is a vintage poodle toilet roll cover, and then forget all about it until the package arrives. (But, if you prefer shopping without such an element of surprise, I'd definitely check out The Old Cinema, Little Paris, Chase & Sorensen, Fragile Design and The French House...)

The Mint List sell a lot of very lovely things, new and old, but they are definitely worth checking out for vintage too (typing 'vintage' into the search box happily pulls it all up). They've got industrial style furniture, brilliant old letters and this rather handsome red Hungarian enamel pot in stock at the moment.

H is For Home is always full of treats. Their website is organised into categories such as 'What's cooking?' and 'Duvet Days' emphasising that their stock is really about lovely, usable pieces for your home. I'm taken with this desk lamp, a very reasonable £30, and they usually seem to have some good examples of the sought-after Cathrineholm too.

We told you about the joy that is Pedlars Friday Vintage just recently, but it's always worth checking out their vintage section for unusual bits and pieces. They have an especially good way with prints and signs. Check out their bus blinds, or go transatlantic with this New York train destination roll.

For more things for your wall, Bonnie and Bell specialise in those old-school (literally) educational charts and maps that are so fashionable at the moment. They can be very handsome too, as this Willow chart from the 1960s shows.

While we're feeling educational, I shall mention Elemental. They have a fascinating range of stock, seemingly pulled from factories, laboratories and schools across the land. Who wouldn't want their own library trolley? However, I don't understand why they have to be so coy about their pricing.

Want something to go on your trolley? How about this pretty Pelican book from The OK Corral? This shop has a well-selected and styled jumble of objects, from books to pictures to crockery.

Vintage Home, meanwhile, is definitely the place to head if your preference is for the more romantic side of vintage style. They specialise in 20th-century textiles, and have gorgeous floral examples of bedspreads and quilts, such as the homemade example shown above.

Brighton's Nanadobbie does all kinds of bits and pieces. I recommend their posters and artwork section especially. If you're still hankering after that Oliver Bonas drinks trolley we featured at the start of the month, why not check out this 1950s bamboo brass original instead?

Ruby Tuesdays advertise themselves as for "for all kinds of everything". That everything includes a great range of old fashioned phones, which have been adapted for contemporary sockets (looks just as good not plugged in).

20th Century Collector specialising in finding those bits of tableware, midcentury ceramics and glass. But they've got all sorts at all kind of prices. Start your coffee pot collection here.

Retro-Bazaar offer affordable retro items, such as these 1950s shot glasses. Also check out Pineapple Retro for their pineapple ice buckets and accompanying kitsch barware.

And while we're on the more kitsch-side of vintage, take a look at Retro Mojo. They've got collectable glass and ceramics, served with a healthy dose of kitsch. And, yes, I'd love a Babycham tea towel.

The Peanut Vendor is slightly more restrained in its taste, specialising in early to mid-century furniture and accessories, such as this cane chair. Sign up to their newsletter for a weekly stock update.

This list is all about online vintage homewares. Something that Space do brilliantly with their range of vintage and retro. But I'd definitely be tempted to hit their physical shop in Harrogate too. Space share their ... errr ... space with Major Tom's cafe/bar and the Wall of Sound record shop, making it sound like an excellent trip out and away from the computer for all vintage lovers.

Any online favourites I've missed? Let me know in the comments so I can hit up their vintage poodle section when drunk immediately.

Shop in the Spotlight: Kate Broughton

Illustrator and designer Kate Broughton is most definitely a woman after our own hearts. Her shop is overflowing with beautiful stationery and accessories adorned with Things The Domestic Sluts Are Very Fond Of, including woodland animals, cats, birds, teapots, and cocktails. Everything is extremely relevant to our interests, which makes not buying it all very difficult indeed. 

First up: I do enjoy a pretty greetings card, and Kate has masses of 'em. This teapots card comes with a teabag, so you're sending not just a gorgeous illustration, but ten minutes of feet-up time and at least one loud exclamation of "AAAH, LOVELY", too. It's £3.50 of relief and relaxation. 

Birdlovers will appreciate these bird seed cards, available in five designs. And if you know someone with a garden/allotment/balcony/windowsill, a vegetable seed card is the perfect little postal surprise. 

Grown-up colouring-in is a brilliant pastime. All the boozy hits have made it into this classic cocktails colouring book, and it includes recipes for all 11 drinks. Not that you'll need those, because you've already got Nick's back catalogue bookmarked, haven't you? Very good.  

The cocktail theme continues with this gorgeous giftwrap set. Each pack contains four sheets of wrapping paper and matching tags. I also love the winter lodges design, even though we're in the middle of a heatwave. I probably love it twice as much because we're in the middle of a heatwave. Oh, to be cold again. Just for a second. 

Nail decals are the only form of nail art I can be bothered with. They are truly unfuckupable, and inspire passers-by to ask, "WOW! Did you paint those individual portraits of Doge and accompanying Comic Sans catchphrases yourself?", to which I will always reply, "Why, yes. Yes I did, and it took me HOURS". And now, thanks to these nail stickers, I'll be able to pretend that I've painted tiny badgers on my fingertips. Or owls. Even sewing machines! Each pack is £3 for 24 stickers, and there are 19 designs to choose from. 

Speaking of owls, how great is this writing set? It's got stickers and everything. Snowy's my fave. Each set is £8, and other designs include toadstools, for the fun guy in your life, and British tits, for the... um. OH BEHAVE.

There's loads more to explore in Kate's shop, from badges to mirrors, notebooks to prints. Her illustrations are beautiful, and I love that you can choose to decorate your home, body, stationery, even your fridge with them. Would head-to-toe stoat tattoos be too much, do you reckon?

Friday Wishlist: Gorgeous things you'll want to buy RIGHT NOW

The perfect dress. £48 from ASOS.

The perfect tumblers. 99p (I know!) from Zara Home.

The perfect pillowcases. £24 from West Elm.

The perfect ceramic clock. £12 from Anthropologie.

The perfect skirt. £55 from Oasis.

The perfect unicorn ring dish. £12 from Urban Outfitters.

The perfect shoes. £52.50 from Boden.

The UK's best online vintage fashion shops

I'm possibly at my happiest when searching through a rail of vintage dresses. However, I get frustrated by how poor vintage shopping online can be: too many bad pictures, too many items badly labelled. Over years of searching, I've around 15 different boutiques I come back to time and time again. Want to experiment with vintage? Trust me: try these shops first.

Lucy in Disguise was once both a brilliant physical and a brilliant online shop. Although the actual shop has now closed, thankfully the online shop lives on, selling the vintage of my dreams. You may know the shop through its connection with Lily Allen - she's the co-founder - and it stocks the kind of clothes you'd like to wear out partying with Lily. Although some of the clothes do have pop star prices, they also do brilliant sales. And, god, this 1940s green gown is beautiful.

We tend to promote the designer/makers on Etsy, but it's also a brilliant place to browse for vintage from all over the world. Type a general search, or simply head straight for your favourite shops. Some of my favourite UK sellers include Darlings Vintage (great dresses, also a nice line in lingerie), Palette London (designer label dresses and jewellery) and Advantage in Vintage (specialising in mid-century vintage, such as this gorgeous 1940s silk tea dress). Don't forget ASOS Marketplace too, another multi-seller marketplace that can turn up gems, although I find it generally takes more searching work than Etsy, and is a bit more focused towards 80s/90s clothing.

Peekaboo are one of the companies that sell on ASOS Marketplace but I prefer to browse their site directly. They have a concession in the giant Oxford Street Topshop which gives a good indication of their style: trend-focused, easy-to-wear vintage pieces such as this 70s floral print dress.

Rokit's stock is huge and covers almost every era and style. While the photography can be a bit basic compared to other stores, it's hard to argue with the choice available. Search and you will be rewarded with gems such as this 1950s sundress. Check out the Rokit Recycled range too: pieces that have been rescued and reworked to make them modern wardrobe suitable.

Beyond Retro is similar. If you've been to one of their stores, you know how you could spend hours searching through their stock: it's the same online. However, they're particularly good at picking out clothes for you: there are often features on how to replicate a trend. This 1950s dress is from Dawn O'Porter's edit of their stock, part of her 'This Old Thing' drive to promote wearing vintage.

At the other end of the vintage shop scale is Juno Says Hello, a tightly edited selection of glam cocktail and entertaining wear, such as this gorgeous Bianca dress from the 1970s. Dresses can be hired as well as bought, and the store throws in all sorts of perks for customers, from scented candles to access to their incredible library of fashion and style books.

I discovered Vintage Deli through Domestic Sluttery and now it's one of my firm favourites. Owner Katy Coe always has something interesting in stock - and they are photographed beautifully. My current favourite is this sailor shirt dress.

Talking of Sluttery favourites, Love Miss Daisy has been one of our most-loved vintage shops for years. If you're after a fab frock, dating from any time between the 1940s and the 80s, there's bound to be one here for you. I love the primness of this 1950s pussybow dress.

The selection at Lovelys Vintage is a bit smaller than some of these other shops but definitely worth keeping an eye on, as they get in some fabulous pieces. An Ossie Clark for Radley dress you say? Yes please.

It's Vintage Darling! stock both vintage and vintage-inspired dresses so you are bound to come away happy. I'm all about this simple 1960s dress. They also stock a great range of accessories.

My Vintage stock both vintage and repro clothing too. Owner Emma is an avid tweeter: follow her to see what's in stock first. I've got my eye on this extremely cute 1950s St Michael dress.

The Stellar Boutique has something of a bohemian edge. The photographs of its vintage stock - dating from the 1940s through to the 1990s - are a lesson in how to make vintage look contemporary. I love the colours of this 50s shirt dress: I'd quite like her yellow converse and basket too.

Merchant Archive's stock is exquisite. There are 1920s beaded dresses and 1930s gowns worthy of starlets. Some of the prices go into the thousands, and you can see why. Some pieces are just about within budget for special occasion wear, however, such as this smart, streamlined 1960s wool dress - yours for £120. If you are after some serious vintage porn, also take a look at William Vintage: there's a reason why his dresses regularly appear on the red carpet.

Lady Pearls does glamour too, at a much-more wallet friendly price. Their range of evening dresses include this divine dusty pink evening gown. Simply add one of their bags, some jewels and shoes and you're good to go - and with the vintage guarantee no-one will be wearing the same as you.

Got a favourite online vintage fashion shop I've missed? Let us know in the comments so we can shop there too!