Miss Bamboo's Ravishing Retro Dresses

I haven't been keeping Miss Bamboo a secret from you, promise. I did mention their bangles in the Vintage summer holiday post. But when I saw Fleur of Diary of a Vintage Girl pictured on her blog looking typically stunning in their above Del Rio dress, I realised I probably hadn't fulfilled my duty to rave on about the shop enough: they've got some of the prettiest retro style dresses in the Northern Hemisphere.

Miss Bamboo specialise in a specific kind of retro, what they describe as "'Pacific wear' for 1940s and 50s Girls, Rockabillies and Pin Ups." That basically translates as colourful frocks inspired by exotic travels - you can search the shop by your look of choice, be that Americana, Mexicana or (my favourite) Hawaiiana.

Talking of exotic travels, Miss Bamboo stock some of those repro brands that are hard, not to mention expensive, to come by this side of the Atlantic, such as Bernie Dexter and Trashy Diva. This stunning 1940s anchor dress is a Trashy Diva number. While you definitely save on shipping and custom duties from bringing it from the States, they're still pricey dresses. Most are around the £100 mark - this dress is £110 for example.

However, these are stunning dresses which aren't going to date quickly - well, not beyond the 1940s or 50s anyway. I love the classic va-va-voom of this red Honey Dress, available for £85.

The gorgeous shape of this Betty Las Senorita's dress, meanwhile, helps you pull off an amazing novelty print without feeling like you are on your way to a fancy dress party. It's £95. It's also worth keeping an eye on their vintage section for the real deal.

The shop stocks a range of accessories to complete the look, from those bamboo bangles to hair flowers, as well as some fabulous shoes. It's probably not a surprise they stock Miss L Fire - their Sonny shoes are currently reduced to £67.50. I also love their Bamboo bag box which I think would look just as good in an interior as on your arm. I'm planning on buying one for when I give my bedroom a Tiki make-over.

For something a little different, take a look the Sun Surf's repro Hawaiian shirts. They're exact repros of the 1940s and 50s originals, and also currently on sale - this one is reduced to £90. And the Hawaiian shirt isn't just a look for the boys. Take a look at the lady featured on The Sartorialist this week for how to rock one in vintage style (note to self: buy more bangles).