Look What Came In: The Maddest Dress

It's made entirely of some terrifying artificial fibre and will still be looking as fresh as ever long after the apocalypse. This frock will even outlive the roaches and could generate enough static electricity to keep you sparking well into the night.

It is a shade of pastel mint green that only the most fashion-forward might dare to wear. It is moderately transparent. The sleeve length, the poorly conceived pleats, the modest length, and the COLLAR, all add up to make the maddest dress we have pulled out of the Jumble pile so far. The fatter among us will breathe a sigh of relief that this is amongst the smaller of our donations, maybe a size 18-20, and thus there will be no obligation to try it on.

Just looking at this dress makes you sweat, and not necessarily in a good way, yet it has an undeniable charm, and is clearly vintage, the genuine article. It bridges the gap between extreme frump and extreme hipster. No doubt it will make some Jumbler very happy.

Who will walk away with this treat on 14 August? It could be you.

Thanks mystery donor, sorry for being so rude about your cast-off.

By the way, we're still looking for more jumble. Here's how you can donate.

Big Bum Fashion Fan: Amy Lamé

Who are you?

I am Amy Lamé, and a huge fan of the Big Bum Jumble gang. I'm originally from New Jersey, hence my penchant for big hair, high heels and fast cars. I've been a Londoner for nearly 18 years.

Amongst other things I co-founded and host Duckie every Saturday night at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. I also co-host the afternoon show on BBC London 94.9 alongside fellow tubbster Danny Baker. I pop up occasionally on TV and write for various newspapers, but generally I prefer to spend my time listening to The Smiths and crocheting. Oh, and drinking sherry with my girlfriend.

What sort of things do you like to wear?

I'm a girly girl, so I wear mostly dresses and skirts, though if I do occasionally wear jeans on a Saturday afternoon they have to have wide turn ups.

I have an eclectic collection of clothes that cross boundaries of stage and street wear, from 18th century inspired handmade gowns, to 70s American polyester house dresses, to punky cashmere from Anna Scholz. I am most influenced by the '50s and '60s, and in the past made quite a few of my own retro style dresses - as we all know plus size vintage is rarer than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Now I have an adorable seamstress who makes lovely creations for me.

I am addicted to accessories and drive my girlfriend crazy with bracelets/earrings/hairbands/fascinators etc scattered all over our flat (but I think she secretly loves it 'cause she keeps buying me lots of gorgeous accoutrements!) I have lots of vintage specs with my own prescription put in to match different outfits. I think coordination is a much underrated style statement, and I like to think of myself as never knowingly underdressed.

Whose style do you admire?

My Nan, Ruth, has been my style inspiration since I was a teenager; I was always plundering her jewellery box and wardrobe for scarves, beads, hats, handbags... She's 92 and still the most stylish woman I know, she has an amazing collection of flat caps, fedoras and clip-on earrings.

Give us some fat fashion advice!

If you've got it, flaunt it! Stick a belt/bow/brooch on your chub rolls and claim it! Revel in your rotundity, and delight in being a chubby glamourpuss.

What would be your dream find at the Big Bum Jumble?

All the stuff my Nan has ever sent to the charity shop before I could get to it!! Other than that, a selection of glittery heels in size 8 wide would be brilliant.

What else would you like to say?

Rock on Big Bum Jumble! And in the words of fellow fattie homosexualist Luther Vandross (RIP)...NEVER TOO MUCH!!!

PS Check out AmyLamé.com

Wanna make like Amy and be featured here as a Big Bum Fashion Fan? Yes you do! Drop us a line at bigbumjumble@gmail.com

Bill Savage's Jumble Facts #1

We let Bill run loose amongst the jumble donations to unearth some incredible fashion history* to share here for your delectation.

#1: The Dress

If you’re lucky enough to snap up this dress at the Big Bum Jumble not only will you be the proud owner of a lovely summer frock, but you’ll be taking home a real piece of South Devon history. This dress has a provenance steeped in the glamorous worlds of provincial theatre and cutthroat retail. It originates from the legendary Rossiters department store - for over a century a leading light of Paignton’s fashion scene. However, in the recent economic down-turn Rossiters’ fortunes waned and the store was threatened with closure. In a last ditch attempt to save it, staff rallied round and wrote Gussets and Gabardine: The Rossiters Story, a musical based on life in the store’s womenswear department, complete with props and costumes sourced from the store. The dress you see here was worn by the womenswear manager Jean during a scene set in the mid-80s in which the staff are preparing for a visit from Princess Margaret. Gussets and Gabardine played for four consecutive nights at the Prince’s Theatre Torquay in 2008 before poor ticket sales forced it to close. Rossiters department store has since shut down.

Jean’s dress is a size 18. No certificate of authentication is provided.

By Bill Savage

* Which may or may not be completely fabricated, heehee.

Jumble Treats: this is what a jumble sale is like

Big Bum Jumbler Simon Murphy dug up this little beauty from some dusty corner of YouTube for our jumble viewing delights. Become as one with the slightly posh video guy as he interrogates the good people of St Stephen's at their jumble sale in 1986. They're the salt of the earth!

Yes, this is what a jumble sale is like and this piece of cinema-verité comes close to what we are trying to achieve with the BBJ, only in much bigger sizes, of course, and with an E15 tang, and with more diverse people, and a better venue, and fewer grumpy people, and...er, actually it'll be quite different, heheh.

Be warned, it's eight minutes and feels much longer. Take it in small bursts, eh?

St Stephen's Jumble Sale 1986