I love
vintage fashion. I love box sets. And nothing is more glorious than when the
two shall meet! Here are a few of my favourite shows that not only have
incredible, absorbing storylines but showcase some of the most gorgeous and
inspiring retro fashions. Today we focus on the boys!
A show (and
central character) that I just cannot get enough of is Peaky Blinders, with
Cillian Murphy as the captivating Tommy Shelby. This BBC drama is now 3 series
in. It follows the Shelby family and their less than legit efforts to be the
top family in Birmingham (and London, and increasingly, the world!) and despite
their rather brutal approach to seize power, you can't help but root for them.
Cillian
Murphy's powerful portrayal of the head of the Shelby family is mesmerizing - every single moment is acted
with such intensity. Series one is set just after the first World War, and the
male members of the Shelby family dress in close-cut tweed suits, flat caps and
long overcoats.
The business
of these men may be brutal, but you can't say they don't conduct it in style! The
series has enough twists and turns to keep you interested and the beautiful
cinematography alone is enough to hold your attention. The characters are well
rounded; believable - likeable and worthy
of distain
in equal measure.
Series 2 saw
the introduction of the irrefutably brilliant Tom Hardy as a rival gang member
who Tommy tries to woo in a bid to expand his empire to London. His portrayal
of the plain speaking Alfie Solomons is both terrifying and gorgeously funny.
Ripper
Street, set in Victorian England and loosely based on the detective in charge
of the Jack the Ripper Case, is a BBC series which aired for two seasons, then,
when it was not commissioned for a third, was picked up by Amazon Prime - praise be! Matthew Macfadden, who plays DI
Edmund Reid, is joined by fellow officer Bennet Drake, played by Jerome Flynn, (who you may know as Bronn in Game of Thrones)
and the gorgeous Adam Rothernberg, as the loveable America rogue Captain Homer
Jackson.
I love this show! The character development and attention to detail is perhaps not quite as on point as Peaky Blinders, but I would happily watch each episode again and again! The relationships between the three central characters is played out in an amusing and sometimes touching way, and, like Peaky Blinders, there are plenty of waistcoats and pocket watches to keep my vintage fashion soul sated!
When Sherlock
hit our screens in 2010 I was enthralled, and not simply because it brought the
gentleman who goes by the name of Cumberbatch into my life! The show's witty
and intelligent script and phenomenal performances by Benedict as Holmes and
Marin Freeman as Watson are simply a joy to behold! It is of course set in modern day, but in one episode called 'The Abominable Bride', which takes place in Holmes' imagination, the team find themselves back in the 1890s meaning Holmes is reunited with the famous deerstalker hat and pipe! But even in the modern day episodes, a vintage feel is still maintained particularly though the décor and styling of Holmes' apartment. And really, what ever era Cumberbatch is in, is fine by me...I mean, I still get to see his face...and sometimes a little more...!
