An interesting article in the current edition of Uncut is about London fashion developments and outlets in the early psychedelic sixties, featuring Granny’s, Apple Tailoring and Biba, among others.

The period focused on in the article was a little before my time in terms of experiencing first-hand: I wasn’t hitching to London [from Suffolk] on a regular basis until the early 70s, and staying then at an older friend’s place in Putney, also experiencing quite a bit by this farout time. I did go to Portobello Road and Carnaby Street sometime in 1968/69 because I got Black Sabbath’s first album at the former.

I went to Biba in the early 70s, maybe 1973. And I bought something: a pair of £1 glitter wellington boots [all I could afford, to be honest] but also because I wore these on the farm where I was working at the time. I found the following picture online so these weren’t mine. And I do think the pair I had was black with glitter. I wouldn’t have worn blue to work.