Port Out Starboard Home (P-O-S-H)

Isn't it funny how a certain phrase, sight or smell can transport you back years? Port Out Starboard Home is one of those phrases for me. One of my fondest memories from my childhood is of sailing at the Arun Yacht Club in Littlehampton. I was paired with a very good sailor called Trevor and together we won countless dinghy sea races, although the local newspaper could never quite get my name right! The  banks of the river where we went in and out were very close to the river mouth and beaches, but rather than being nice and sandy were rather oily black mud - not exactly glamorous on any scale! Still, it was great fun, but I suspect I'm wearing rose coloured specs to view my rather hazy memories as I kind of recall chattering teeth as well as frozen fingers and feet in the cold weather, not to mention the rather hefty crack on the head I received from the boom as I didn't have a clue what "Jibe'O" meant - a phrase once hit with, never forgotten! Oh, and I never did manage to remember which was port and which was starboard so I would probably have roasted on an upmarket cruise ;-) 

I am now far from the grubby nailed teenager who loved boats and horses (still love horses but always regret helping my son out with his when I see the state of my hands afterwards!) - my nails are long and filed even if I forgo the nail polish because it marks paper and card. The company I am very pleased to introduce you to this week are as far from the less glam side of sailing and cruising as you can get! 

 

We were delighted to be asked to feature in Kim’s blog. As our Business is newly formed and we are relatively unknown, we hope you will enjoy finding out about us and how we came up with our name!  

We are Jill and Georgie: a mother and daughter team who appreciate the importance of having everything just right and of the highest quality. We handcraft glamorous and unique hair accessories for weddings and special occasions using components from a bygone era. The rhinestone, paste and pearls used in these pieces have an amazing lustre, sparkle and luxurious feel.  We offer a bespoke service and enjoy making to order, perhaps using an article with family sentimental value.  

We are constantly searching for special items we feel will make a beautiful and unique headband or comb. We often incorporate raw silk, brocade, satin, lace and feathers in our designs. We love all things vintage! We gain our inspiration from the pieces we find and from studying historical hair accessories, jewellery and fashion. We have family connections in France, Germany and Austria and like nothing more than searching in markets and shops for that extra special jewellery item when we are visiting.

We were inspired to launch Port Out Starboard Home (P-O-S-H) after Georgie’s wedding. We had an idea of the special hair accessories we wanted for that occasion, but found that the choice was very limited.  Georgie decided to design and make her own headband from items in granny’s jewellery box.

Georgie's Headband

 The headband was a huge success and the business idea was born! We started in a very small way as we both had full time jobs, but when Jill took early retirement in July 2011, it seemed an ideal opportunity to launch our business. P-O-S-H has blossomed from there and we have been busy making special items for weddings, balls, proms and other occasions since our official launch in September 2011. 

Life has been very hectic since September and we love every minute! We have met some amazing people and have had some interesting commissions. Our favourite moments have been, designing a bespoke headband for a film premiere, a wedding in Las Vegas and experiencing the thrill when one of our headbands was used in a TV show which will be aired in the spring (details top secret at the moment!). We are currently planning our spring/summer collection when we will be expanding our fabric head dress range, using 1940s and 1950s as inspiration for our designs.  

People often ask how we got our name! We thought long and hard about our name and wanted something unique to convey times gone by when well-to-do people would dress beautifully in hats and gloves and spend their time cruising on luxury liners and visiting ports of the world! We believe our unique and glamorous accessories are perfectly suited to this wonderful lifestyle and era.   

P-O-S-H (Port Out Starboard Home) was coined in the days before air-conditioning. On the outward voyage to India, the cabins on the Port side got the early morning sun and had the rest of the day to cool off. Conversely, the Starboard cabins were intensely hot in the afternoon and were like ovens at bed time. On the homeward journey the situation was reversed and it was the unfortunate passengers on the Port side who roasted.  VIPs travelling were given preference of the cooler side of the ship in each direction and were given cabins which were Port-Out-Starboard-Home. Their tickets and baggage were marked POSH! We felt this name conveyed the First Class VIP image we would like to portray with our collections! 

We hope you have enjoyed finding out a little about us. Please visit our website to view our collection. If you would like to chat about any of the pieces or discuss your ideas for a unique hair accessory, please contact us by telephone or email to arrange a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Contact Jill & Georgie on their email, via their website, support them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. You can also call them on 07703544345

Photos by Martin Wise Studio Wise Photography - http://www.studiowise.co.uk