Retro and vintage: Whitby shop offers Yorkshire ’40s and ’50s style – great for Christmas gifts

The Owl and the Pussycat has recently relocated from Church Street, Whitby, to Grape Lane, just around the corner.

The quaint seaside town has long been a place for quirky shops, and unusual styles – its Dracula connections made it the home of the Goth Festival – but The Owl and the Pussycat will transport you back to the era of Rock and Roll.

Think swing skirts and petticoats, belted dresses in polka dots, checks and bright colours, cute cardigans and beautiful blouses fitted to show off those curves. Or if you’re looking for a more casual look it could be cigarette pants or capri pants, or dark blue denim jeans and dungarees – bold solid stitching and a thick turn-up completes the look.

Husband and wife team Mark and Anita, moved from the south of England up to the Yorkshire coast to be closer to family, and have been the custodians for the last six years.

As well as welcoming customers to the shop – an absolute treasure-trove of goodies for anyone who loves to dress up in style in something a little different from the usual high-street fashions – they also post out purchases around the globe.

“We have customers in Texas,” Mark says. “And we’ve had orders to send as far away as Iceland and New Zealand.”

He said much of the stock was retro, which means it’s new, but made to copy original designs from that era; or vintage, which means it’s a genuine pre-loved item.

“It's an Aladdin’s cave of shopping,” said Mark. “Need a hat, fascinator, feather boa? Yes! We have some burlesque items, also some gorgeous bags and pretty costume jewellery."

Among the vintage pieces is an original Pierre Cardin boned dress. But whilst vintage pieces can have a very niche market – after all, a fitted, boned dress will not fit everyone – the retro clothes come in a range of sizes to suit today’s figures.

Retro style

After the tailored styling of the 1940s and restrictions made necessary by wartime rationing, the 1950s brought with them more choice, more cash to spend and an explosion of young people creating their own styles – think of the movie Grease and you have the look.

Dresses had full skirts stopping just below the knee, often the clinched-in waists had wide belts and they may have net petticoats underneath.

But gloves, hats and cardigans completed the look – and The Owl and The Pussycat has them all. These faithful re-creations come from a host of small designers and manufacturers.

“They are fantastic quality,” said Mark. “The dresses by 'Kaffe' and 'Grace' with the double stitching and roll-hems are absolutely fabulous and should last for years.

“This is about having fun, coming in and browsing around to find something that little bit different.”

The shop certainly offers value for money with dresses priced from about £35 to about £90; bold-coloured patent handbags in all shapes and sizes sell for between £25 to £35 and there’s a collection of luxurious Italian leather handbags from £35 to £70.

For a little accessory or a stocking filler how about some costume jewellery. These pretty and fun pieces won’t cost the earth – a beautiful brooch could be yours for £10 or you could be paying about £20 for pendants on sterling silver chains.

You can’t fail to notice the gorgeous window-displays as you pass their shop – which legend says was a former ships chandlers – on Grape Lane. Or keep checking their Facebook page for inspiration.