End Of An Era

Morning,

Just a note to say that from the end of this month, we will switching to only selling online through our online shop and the last day our physical shop at 15 Silver Street, Wellingborough will be open is Saturday 25th June. After that, we'll still be able to get you all your favourite pieces, it will just be delivered to your door instead!

Because of this, we are having a massive sale as a big thank you to our customers. The sale is on both in store and online, and includes clothes by Death Kitty, Max C, Monsalina Chic, Worn Free, Spiral Direct, and even this season's Yumi. It also includes Temporary:Secretary jewellery, our ethically traded accessories and homeware, Smashing Glass glassware, and Stargazer hair dyes and false lashes. Some items have more than 50% off their original retail price!

Thank you to all of our in-store customers for all their support, and we hope we can still help you look unique via our online shop. In the meantime, enjoy the bargains!

Some of our bargains are below:

Death Kitty skirts only £10 and jeans from £12.

Lots of reductions on our ethically traded products.

All Iska dresses reduced to only £15.

Reductions on all our Max C pieces, with some less than half price!

All Monsalina Chic dresses £20 or less!

All Spiral Direct pieces are now £20 or less too.

Our Stargazer hair dyes and false lashes have been reduced.

All of our Temporary:Secretary jewellery is in the sale.

All Worn Free t-shirts are now only £20!

Up to £25 off this season's Yumi clothing.

Also, in store there are reductions on our Smashing Glass glassware, ethically traded kimonos, Wildcat body jewellery, and a pair of Dr Marten 8-Eye boots in Purple, size 9, for only £50!

Pick Of The Day today is this Max C Low-Waisted Bow Dress, RRP £42 but now only £19 in our clearance sale! It's a great summer bargain! Made from lightweight material, with pale pink and black polka dot around the sleeves, neckline and on the decorative bow, the drop-waist makes it very flattering. It's also got big pockets for your sunglasses and bits!

Have a great weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Lights Out - Easyworld

Where The Wild Roses Grow

Morning,

This week is flying by! Our Stargazer Semi-Permanent Hair Coloursare very popular this week, with Magenta and Rouge being the fastest selling! Also, the Yumi Kenna Swallow Maxi Dress is still selling really well in both pink and navy, so make sure you get yours! As with all of our clothes, we only stock things in limited numbers to keep them desirable and you looking unique, so once they're gone, they're gone.

Today's Pick Of The Day is this handmade D'n'J Make Up Roll in Red Rose, £15.00 and includes a free Barry M Kohl Pencil. This is perfect if you're travelling about this Summer, especially if you're heading to the festivals. It keeps all your make-up pencils, liners and brushes together and protected from the elements! Because after 3 days in mud, a girl needs to look her best!

Have a great day (and get out and vote, if you can, we're big on getting involved here!).

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: 40 Miles - Hot Zex

Hippy Hippy Shake

Morning,

It seems ages since the last blog post, what with various holidays. Just a reminder, we are open today and tomorrow, 9am to 5.30pm, then on Friday we're open from 10am until 4pm for those with a day off and no plans (we promise we won't mention the royal wedding, unless you do!).

Did you pick up a copy of Saturday's Northants Evening Telegraph? If so, bring in our advert to receive 10% off our Yumi Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

Pick Of The Day today are these Stargazer Glitter Shakers, £3.00 each. They're great for any celebration or night out. They come in a variety of colours (we like the black Onyx one, for something different) including a selection of UV ones that glow under UV lights. Not only are these available in store and on our online shop, you can also pick them up on your night out at The Horseshoe, Sheep Street, Wellingborough where we have a little pop up Stargazer shop behind the bar that also includes their fantastic Neon Gel Colours.

Have a great day!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Diamond Rings - Chipmunk feat Emeli Sande

You're Still On Your GameBoy

Morning,

Planning on finishing reading C.J. Stone's The Last Of The Hippies today before moving on to Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (also have Emma Donoghue's Room to start as well). A big thank you to all the friends who pop in with books I can borrow!

I've been meaning to dye my hair for days now but something always keeps coming up. I will do it tonight! Going to finish off the last of my Stargazer hair dye in Violet, then switch to something else next time. I used their Rouge one before and that was great, but tempted to try a new colour entirely. Coral Blue maybe? Any opinions out there?

Pick Of The Day today is this awesome RedRock Fashion GameBoy Necklace, £7.00. A great bit of 80s retro, it's on a long chain and made of hama beads. RedRock are a fantastic up and coming label coming up with bright, casual, fun clothing and accessories. Get 'em while we mere mortals can still afford 'em!

Enjoy the sunshine!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Mambo No.5 (A Little Bit Of...) (Extended Mix) - Lou Bega

Purple People Eater

Morning,

It's Saturday! Which means several things: for our in-store shoppers, it's your last day to get your Stargazer hair dyes for only £4.00. Also, for those in the Wellingborough area, make sure you get your copy of the Northants Evening Telegraph today and look out for our advert. Just bring it in with you to get 10% off all Yumi clothing.

Today's Pick Of The Day is this gorgeous piece of hand drawn, signed, original artwork by Pippa Alice. This is The Purple House, and all Pippa Alice pieces have now been reduced to only £20 each. It is on handmade recycled cotton rag paper, and measures approximately 11x15.5cm so it's a small and perfectly formed piece for decorating any space.

Have a great weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Atrocity Exhibition - Joy Division

Life In Mono

Morning,

You know how I was talking about all that planning meeting stuff yesterday? You can check out the full story from the Northants Evening Telegraph. Also, make sure you get your copy of the ET tomorrow and look out for our advert. You'll get 10% off all Yumi clothing if you bring the advert in the shop with you!

We have now sold out of the Max C 'Damien' Skull-Studded handbag in Khaki that we featured as Pick Of The Day yesterday, but we still have one left in Grey so if you fancy one, snap that up now!

Pick Of The Day today is this Monsalina Chic Black & White Mini Dress. Perfect for nights out, Summer cocktail parties, or proms, this is only left in a few sizes and is on sale (as is the white with black detail version). Beautifully made and a really classy example of monochrome chic, this dress has an elasticated back so it fits like it was made for you, and it also comes with clear plastic shoulder straps that can be attached to the dress or to a multiway bra, if you choose. Curvier ladies who may usually shrink away from off the shoulder numbers or shiny materials should really give this one a shot (and we still have size 16 available), as it is surprisingly flattering (we always make an effort to stock clothes that don't just look good on tiny girls... because I'm not one!).

Have a great weekend. Remember, you have until tomorrow to take advantage of our in-store offer on Stargazer hair dyes (all colours back in stock), reduced to only £4.00 each, and online shoppers that registered with our site before Tuesday morning have until Sunday to use their 10% discount code (see earlier blog entries if you missed it).

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix) - Gorillaz

Everything Zen

Morning,

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Just placed our Stargazer order for more hair dye. So as an added bonus, I will keep our in store offer for hair dyes at £4.00 each until they arrive. For those shopping online, as we promised, we have launched a discount code for those already registered with our online shop. Just enter GIFT10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

We were in yesterday's Northants Evening Telegraph, in their fantastic fashion and shopping section Spree, talking about the colours for this season. Check out Jill Robinson's article, Return Of Colour. If you're looking for brights this season, make sure you have a look at our pieces by RedRock Fashion.

Pick Of The Day today is this handmade, one-off JP Jewellery Buddha Necklace. This is a unisex piece, with a distinctive chunky chain and a wooden buddha pendant. Great if you need a little extra good karma. As it's a handmade, one-off, you'll have to be quick because when it's gone, it's gone!

Have a great day! Enjoy your discount codes!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: We Are Family (Sure Is Pure Remix Edit) - Sister Sledge

They're creepy and they're kooky...

Morning,

Well, we have our Stargazer hair colour offer going in store (not available online, this offer, sorry, but we will sort you out with something equally brilliant very soon!). This week only, get your hair colours for only £4.00 (reduced from £5.50)! It is while stocks last, and some colours have already sold out, but at this price it's a great chance to try something new! But if you're not feeling adventurous, don't worry, we'll be reordering all the sold out colours next week, so hang on in there. :)


Pick Of The Day today is this D'n'J Reversible Bag in Halloween Print/Black, £14.00. It may seem a little unseasonal, but it's perfect if you want to buck the floral trend this summer. Handmade, one side has a Halloween print featuring witches, ghosts, spiderwebs and pumpkins, or turn it inside out for a plain black bag. It's the perfect size for lunches, books, or just carrying your bits and bobs around, and light enough to be perfect for summer. So get in touch with your inner Wednesday Addams and make every day Halloween.

Have a good day!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Detroit Style - A1 People

Lovecats

Morning,

Big thank you to @funkyninjadoo for sharing her Dazzle Dust tips with us on the comments section of Saturday's blog post!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We're launching a special offer (in store only, I'm afraid, on this one) on our Stargazer Semi-Permanent Conditioning Hair Colours later today. Keep your eyes open on our Facebook page or our Twitter feed for more information on that.

Did you see us in the Good Taste supplement in Saturday's Northamptonshire papers? I gave my words of wisdom (hmm!) on what looks to go for this Spring/Summer and they featured our gorgeous Yumi Ormanda Floral Lace Skirt.

Pick Of The Day today is this punky Death Kitty Red Tartan Skirt, £15.00. We showed off the Purple Tartan version a few weeks ago. We only have 1 left in the red, so if you're a size Small, this is your lucky day so get in quick and make this yours! It has a black net underskirt, and the Death Kitty logo safety pinned to the front. Cute, tough and perfectly punky.

Have a great day.

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Isolation - Joy Division

In-Vest

Morning,

It's the weekend! Let the excitement commence. We'll most likely be heading down the road to The Horseshoe tonight to check out Unorthodox Boy, Pete, DJing for Retro-Beat, with The Lucky 27's and The Tea Rooms playing live. Got any exciting plans?

Still not got around to re-dying my hair. Procrastination, it's my biggest fault! But it will be back to all of it's Stargazer Violet glory very soon!

Pick Of The Day today is this Max C Lace Bow Vest Top, now on sale at £17.00 (reduced from £25.00). Sizes and stock are now very limited, so get in quick for a Summer bargain. This cream vest is decorated with black lace detail, and a small pearl-effect charm in the gathered centre of the bow. As it's a long vest top, it can be worn any number of ways, and monochrome is very big this season. In this photo we have teamed it with Death Kitty Skull Rose Leggings, but it also looks fantastic just worn with jeans and maybe a Yumi Malin Blazer to follow the monochrome theme.

Have a great Saturday. If you're popping in the shop, we look forward to seeing you, or just place your order online via our online shop and we'll get them out to you ASAP.

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Innocence Maintained - Jewel

How To Train Your Dragonfly

Morning,

Sun is shining, we've got the door open, the iPod is on shuffle as usual but it seems to be choosing to reflect the sunny Friday vibe, all is good in the world! So get shopping!

Sorry to report but we have currently sold out of the Barry M Instant Nail Effects, however panic not, we will try to get some more in as soon as possible, including the gorgeous new colours they've just released!

Think it's time to dye my hair again. Got some of the Stargazer dye in Violet left so going to use that up, but any suggestions what colour I should go for next? On the same thread of personal favourites from the shop, I'm wearing my Iska Layers Dress today. So flattering and yet so comfortable, it's one of my favourites.

Did you see the love of all things bird-print in this week's Heat magazine? If so, can't believe they overlooked the gorgeous Yumi Kenna Swallow Maxi Dress. It's so pretty! However, if you're more on the side of the fruit prints, check out our handmade, one-off Maddie Ladies Who Lunch Bag in Tropical Fruit.

Pick Of The Day today is perfect for getting you in the Summer mood and in touch with nature. This handmade, one-off JP Jewellery Dragonfly Necklace, £20.00, features a pink and white diamante dragonfly, with extra chains decorated with leaves and hearts. Delicate but eye-catching. Made locally, we are the exclusive stockists of JP Jewellery, and JP herself has said there will never be another one of these, so it's unique as well as beautiful.

Have a fantastic Friday, and if you don't, just remember, it's almost the weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Hello Earth - Kate Bush

Nelly The Elephant

Morning,

It's the weekend! Those in the Northamptonshire area, we strongly recommend checking out Retro-Beat at The Horseshoe Inn in Wellingborough, where The Aviation Society are playing live tonight. We're heading down. I think I'm going to be digging out the Monsalina Chic Black Lace Dress to wear, and adding the purple Stargazer False Eyelashes, so look out for me if you pop down!

Got a photoshoot this afternoon for the last couple of Yumi pieces (they are a gorgeous summer dress called Xaviera and a beautiful tunic dress with a leopard cub on the front called Yaura). It's going to be our fantastic photographer Brian Chapman taking the piccies, and we've got local artist Rebecca Sturdgess modelling for us again. Very excited!

Pick Of The Day today is another of our ethically traded products. This is the Ethically Traded Elephant Border Shoulder Bag, only £10.00! It's available in red or black. Handmade in Thailand in fair conditions and for fair pay, the main section of the bag has a paisley pattern and little shiny gems, and the borders are embroidered in gold thread with images of elephants. It also has wooden bead detailing on the straps. The sparkly bits and gold thread add a bit of glamour to your boho!

Have a great weekend, and if we don't hear from you today, we'll be back on Tuesday.

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Love Guaranteed - Damage

Everything In It's Lace

Morning,

It's Saturday! Ok, so it's raining, but still feeling the weekend joy. We have our photographer Brian Chapman coming in later to photograph the new Yumi pieces, which should be fun. Also, finally sorted my hair out which is now black with Stargazer Violet Hair Colour through the fringe and front. Big thank you to our model Tahnee for sorting that out! Also, it's my birthday tomorrow, so looking forward to comedy night at The Horseshoe down the road.

Have also started reading Edward Hogan's The Hunger Trace so will report back if it's any good.

Pick Of The Day is this gorgeous Max C London Bow Lace Dress in cream. It has ribbon trim around the arms and neckline, the bow detail, and a crocheted floral top layer. It also has the distinctive bubble hem that Max C love so much. All in all, it's a gorgeous piece, and it's now in our sale, reduced from £45 to only £30!

View and order the Max C Bow Lace Dress on our online shop.

Have a great weekend, and come check out our new Spring/Summer range if you're in town!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: First Day Of My Life - Bright Eyes

The Eyes Have It

Morning,

New in the shop today is a fantastic canvas painted by Dorne Boddington, the talented artist behind the Smashing Glass pieces we stock. Taking inspiration from early comic book art, it's a fantastic painted of Thor (movie coming out soon!). It is now on display in the shop, and available to buy. I'll try to get it photographed and onto the online shop soon.

I'm told our fantastic new ethically traded products will be in towards the end of next week, so looking forward to showing those off to all of you!

Pick Of The Day today are these Stargazer False Eyelashes. Great for adding a little glamour to any look, they are easy to use and the glue is included. Take care of them, and they can be reused multiple times. Available in a variety of styles and colours, we can also order in the Stargazer feather eyelashes specially if that's what you're after (much loved by the burlesque community!). Top tips for application that we've been told include putting eyeshadow on after the lashes (using tissue to stop it falling on the lashes) to help them stick, and putting black eyeliner on the upper lids first so any small gaps between the false lashes and your real ones aren't noticable. Finish with a bit of clear mascara on your natural lashes to bring them into line, and voila, the windows to your soul are all spruced up!

View the range of Stargazer False Eyelashes on our online shop.

Have a great weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Saturday Night - Suede

Violet

Morning,

Wow, another big rush for the Karl Phillips & The Midnight Ramblers album yesterday! For those readers who are London-based, they're playing Babalou in Brixton on Friday so if you get chance, go check them out.


Pick Of The Day today are our range of Stargazer hair dyes. The Stargazer dyes are semi-permanent, which means you can change your mind as often as you like. Personally, I'm a big fan of Violet at the moment, having just switched from Rouge. The best sellers are constantly changing, but Rouge, Tropical Green, Coral Blue and Hot Red are always popular, and as I mentioned before, there's been a surge in the more ginger/auburn colours like Dawn, Copper and Coral Gold. Below are our top tips for using the Stargazer dyes, garnered from years of personal experience and chatting with our model, Tahnee (also the official Unorthodox colourist and a trained hairdresser).:

1. The colours shown on the display stand demonstrate what the dyes come out as on bleached white hair. If you're not bleaching your hair, or it tends to bleach only to orange or yellow, take that into consideration. As the Stargazer dyes don't contain bleach, you might want to consider pre-lightening for best results.

2. Don't see the exact colour you want? Stargazer dyes can be mixed to make your perfect shade.

3. Noone can really predict how long the colour will last. It depends on a lot of factors such as the base colour of your hair, how often you wash it, products you use, the condition it's in when you dye it. To help it last longer, try using dry shampoo when you can, don't use conditioner just before you dye your hair (it prevents the dye from getting a good hold) and use a leave-in spray one when you hair is coloured rather than a wash-out one, don't spend ages rinsing your hair (you're not aiming for the water to run clear like with some permanent dyes).

4. If you have pre-lightened your hair and want to put off fading, think about choosing a shade darker than you normally would. Lighter shades fade faster.

5. If you're not sure, just ask! Whether you're buying in store or online, just get in touch. We want you to be happy with your results so if we can be of any help, we're more than happy to waffle on about these dyes given the chance!

6. Not ready to take the plunge on the wilder colours? Why not try one of the Stargazer Neon Gel Colours? They wash out but might give you an idea of what you want.

Please let us know if you have any other hints or tips!

View the Stargazer Semi-Permanent Conditioning Hair Colour on our online shop.

Have a great Thursday. So close to the weekend now!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: My Last Request - Grim

Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam

Morning,

Our Worn Free t-shirts seem to be especially popular in the sale! Not surprising really when you realise they're now all only £25! Have a look around, that's very cheap for these beauties!

On my ongoing quest to work my way through all the Stargazer hair dyes, I have now forsaken my beloved Rouge for their Violet one, and I'm loving it! Might stick with this one for a little while. Plus, I have just about finally washed out all of the glitter from their Glitter Shakers from NYE (thanks to Deb at The Horseshoe for that one!).

Anyway, back to Worn Free for our Pick Of The Day. As I mentioned, all of the Worn Free t-shirts are now in our sale, but be quick as sizes and numbers are limited so when they're gone, they're gone! This is the Jesus Saves one in blue (also available in white) and is a fully licensed reproduction of the one worn by Keith Moon of The Who. It comes with the distinctive WF swingtag showing Mr Moon in the original, with all the info of when and where he wore it back in the day. The best bit of bargain band merch you'll see in a long time!

Worn Free Keith Moon Jesus Saves t-shirt in blue on our online shop.

Have a great Thursday!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Runaway - Bon Jovi

Neon Glow

Morning,

Our new Monsalina Chic dresses are going on the online shop today. They're already selling really well, so if you love one, get in quick! We'll get the new RedRock Fashion pieces up as well as soon as possible.

All you last minute shoppers, remember we're open until 6.30pm on Christmas Eve!


Pick Of The Day today are a great stocking filler. These Stargazer Neon Gel Colours add some colour to your hair but can be washed out with shampoo so they're perfect when you don't want to commit. They also glow under UV lights so they're perfect for gigs, clubbing and nights out. The applicator makes them easy and clean to use, so well worth grabbing one for the party season!

Stargazer Neon Gel Colour on www.unorthodoxshop.com.

All ready for the festivities?

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Halo - Soil

Daydream Believer

Morning,

Hoping to have our lovely new Monsalina Chic and RedRock Fashion pieces in for you this weekend, but we will keep you posted. We've also got a little Stargazer Neon Glitter Shaker stand that's going into the Horseshoe Inn (the world's smallest pop up shop, if you will), so if you're out in Wellingborough over the festive season, pop in and buy some and add a little sparkle to your night.


Pick Of The Day is this signed, limited edition print of Daydream by Richard Stones. This colourful, unique, surreal print is a great example of Richard's work, and exclusively available from Unorthodox. If this one doesn't take your fancy, check out the art section of the website for more of Richard and our other artists' work.

Daydream by Richard Stones Signed Limited Edition Print on www.unorthodoxshop.com.

Edging closer to the weekend...

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Push It All Aside - Alisha's Attic

It Takes A Village

Morning,

We've restocked our Stargazer Glitter Shakers down the road at The Horseshoe Inn so this weekends revellers can cover themselves in sparkliness. They're available behind the bar for the usual £3.00. There are also some Stargazer Neon Gel Colours available there too, as well as in the shop and online.


Pick Of The Day today is one of our beautiful pieces of signed original artwork by Pippa Alice. This one is called The Village and shows that whilst she's an amazing artist, I'm not sure what Pippa would be like as an architect! An original one-off, this little piece is on handmade recycled cotton rag paper, and is small enough to brighten any little space. Great as a gift that's easily mailed, or as a treat for yourself.

The Village by Pippa Alice on www.unorthodoxshop.com.

Have a great weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Swimming Through Nails - Alec Empire

Okey Dokey

Morning

There was a documentary on the shooting of John Lennon on last night, ahead of the anniversary tomorrow. They showed the classic picture of him in his New York City t-shirt. We still have a few of Worn Free's fully licensed version of this classic left in stock, if you're quick!

A few new things in store and going onto the online shop later. First, will be adding the pictures for the Stargazer Glitter Shakers and Neon Gel Colour to the online shop. Also, the new Max C handbags will be going on there with pictures following soon (I know some of you are eager to order!). Our final new piece is Karl Phillips & The Midnight Ramblers new album, released yesterday on Medical Records. Very excited about this one! Now available in store and going on the online shop later today.

Pick Of The Day is one of our Maddie 60s Shoppers. They're all handmade and available in a variety of retro patterns and colours. Exclusive to Unorthodox, we think they're perfect for carrying around your essentials.

Madde 60s Shopper - Orange Band on www.unorthodoxshop.com.

Have a great week!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Poetry And Prose - Primus