Blast From the Past
Ever since the cave people started wearing loin cloths and furs, we humans have had fashion history. This week’s roundup delves into the past and how it has inspired our future. From the swinging 60’s impact on sunglasses, to a look at Eurovision’s pop music style evolution. For those of us who can’t get to the MET one blogger shares her experience and for those of us who haven’t yet seen the Great Gatsby, we have a look into Gatsby style in the mix there as well. So get your cup of tea, reflect on years gone by and check out these links!
Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup
- Attire Club: The Two Sides Of A Coin: Men’s Body Image Considerations
- Beauty and the Budget: The Evolution of Bangs
- Caught in a Tale: Shopping in Marrakesh Souks: Top 5 Tips
- DressCode:HighFashion: Colour Trend S/S 13: Ink / Royal Blue
- Fashstash: Swinging Sixties | Sunglasses for SS/13
- Folio V: Denim Deco
- From Runway to Style: Dior’s Cruise 2014 Sensual Freedom
- Jessy Dust: Photo Editing Apps for Instagram
- Jolly Caucus Race: Eurovision Style Evolution
- La Vie en Couleur: Grab Some Popcorn: 7 Must See Fashion Documentaries
- Le Simply Classy: Minimalism in Fashion
- Ms. Fabulous: PUNK: Chaos to Couture
- My Bougette: The Great Gatsby: extravagant excess
- Rising Colors: Maxi - The Classic Stunner
- Rose and Pine: My 5 Favorite MAC Shadows (and drugstore dupes of them all!)
- She’s All Smiles: Friday Finds: Rings For Cat Lovers
- Stylonylon: Hair Tutorial With ghd Candy Collection Stylers
- Tangles and Chains: Promise Ring: Why, How and When to Wear it
- Frantic But Fabulous: The Core Wardrobe: Essential blazers for every occasion
- What 2 Wear Where: What to wear to the Royal Ascot (My Fair Lady)
SPONSOR: Shopbop style Flight001, Isapera, Graf & Lantz, Ileana Makri, Nu Bra, Deux Lux, Gorjana Clutches, McQ, Vera Wang Flats, Costume National, & YFB dresses
I was looking through the Life Magazine archives and found these amazing pictures of Coco Chanel doing a fitting. It’s always interesting to see shots of her at work, especially because so many designers today aren’t as hands on as she was. A lot of people put Chanel on a pedestal without really getting to “know” her. She was a pioneer business women who listened to her instincts and not what others said which I think is more important to remember about her than just the “classy and fabulous” quote you see all over pinterest. I actually think one of the most interesting things she said (I can’t remember the exact quote) was that you have to wear something that’s expensive like it’s cheap. There are many things I admire about her, and also many things that I don’t, but she really did have an understanding of fashion that is not often found.
coat - Pologeorgis, skirt - NastyGal, tights - Chanel, shoes - Kors, bag - vintage Chanel, sunglasses - Betsey Johnson, rings - antique, bracelets - gift and Cartier
I haven’t been out and about too much this winter because I’ve seemed catch every bug that’s gone around which has also meant there hasn’t been too much for me to post about lately. I (think) I’m finally starting the feel better though and the snow is now quickly melting from Friday’s storm so it’s about time for me to think about coming out of hibernation. Anyways, we had our last big snow so I decided to bust my dearly neglected mink out from cold storage at least once this winter. The platforms probably weren’t the best idea for the snow because I took a major topple and now have a very sore ankle. Maybe it’s time to invest in more practical footwear…but that sounds very boring, so maybe not. The tights I’m wearing I bought years ago, practically forgot about, and rediscovered still in their package when I recently had my new closet done. The bag was given to me when I was 15 and I carried it to school a lot until I overstuffed it and broke the strap. It still works as a nice clutch though. I think vintage Chanel is so effortless, which is the way Coco intended Chanel pieces to be worn (and carried), but they so rarely are anymore. There’s something special about timeless bag that can be handed down, sort of like heirloom diamonds.
Get ready to go behind the seams of Hollywood’s hottest vintage outfit. Don’t miss the all-new Smithsonian Channel series LA Frock Stars featuring Doris Raymond and her team of vintage virtuosos as they give fine vintage frocks a second chance to shine at today’s biggest red-carpet events. LA Frock Stars premieres this Thursday at 8pm ET & PT / 7pm CT on Smithsonian Channel. Go to smithsonianchannel.com to find the channel on your TV.
I watched the first episode and am already hooked! We see the goings on of the LA vintage boutique The Way We Wore, and as a vintage collector I’m in awe of the collection amassed by Doris, the show’s star. I was really excited and surprised when I instantly recognized a gown she comes across as one I was contacted about and passed up over a year ago (at the time I had no plans of visiting the West Coast and don’t feel comfortable purchasing vintage clothing without first seeing the condition close up) and can now stop beating myself up over not buying. But even if you don’t know a lot about vintage fashion LA Frock Stars is a show you can enjoy as they do go into some of the history of the pieces and their designers, plus it has a really fun cast.
To celebrate the premier of LA Frock Stars I have 10 copies of Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style to giveaway to my readers!
Click here for the entry form and good luck!
“Porto-Riche” by Dior from his 1952 spring/summer collection shown by model France at a presentation in Germany.
Model Simone in “Jean Giraudoux” and “Colette” by Dior from his 1952 spring/summer collection at a presentation in Germany.
Marilyn Monroe by Carl Perutz, 1958
A model wearing the famous Junon by Christian Dior at a fashion show at Seattle’s I. Magnin, 1949
Yesterday I attended the preview of Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations. After viewing the accompanying short film directed by Baz Luhmann and featuring Miuccia Prada and Judy Davis you enter the exhibit and are imediatly greeted by the Apollo of Versailles evening cape created by Schiaparelli for Lady Mendl (the first interior designer). You continue through three rooms of pairings of works by the two designers. I was most interested in the Schiaparelli, which was so amazing to finally see in person I almost got tears in my eyes at the sight of some of my favorite pieces. I was disappointed that much of the Prada was very recent from the past year or so. There were shoes on display that I have in my own closet and others that you could pick up a pair of at Bloomingdales right now. I was also upset to see so many aspects of Schiaparelli’s work and several important pieces (that I know are in the Met’s collection) left out. Nathan Crowley, the designer of the installation, should probably stick to production design in films because he also failed to properly highlight things that are in the display. Even with these complaints I do recommend seeing this exhibit since it does give a somewhat interesting interpretation between two iconic designers and allows a closeup look at the work of Elsa Schiaparelli who’s surrealist designs must be seen in person!
Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations opens tomorrow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and runs until August 19th
For months I’ve been anxiously awaiting the opening of this years Costume Institute exhibit Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations and so I’m super excited for the preview I’ll be going to tomorrow. Above I’ve pictured one of my own hats by Schiaparelli, whose work I’ve stated my love for on here many times before. I’m interested to see how they intertwine the pieces of two very different designers whose work are decades apart.
The exhibit opens this Thursday and will continue until August 11.
Some of my more fun and unique pieces include copies of a pair of earrings owned and worn often by the eternal icon Edie Sedgwick, a carved Buddha necklace I picked up at a street fair in Woodstock, and one of the beaded bracelet I often make to layer and give to friends. I love chandelier earrings, but I almost never wear them because I feel like my long hair covers them up.
For my part-two I wanted to highlight my love vintage costume jewelry. I have a lot of great signed pieces by the likes of Joseff of Hollywood, Schiaparelli, and Miriam Haskell given to me by both of my grandmothers and collected on my own, but my favorites have always been the rhinestone necklaces that I grew up using to play dress-up as Marie Antoinette and Marilyn Monroe. I love their old Hollywood look and sort of shabby chic feel and I like to wear them with casual clothes or pair them with real jewels.
Grace Coddington
Vogue Italia, July 1967
Dior atelier, 1947
Chanel gloves circa early 1920’s
By tomorrow these will be in my collection. It was a very exciting find considering the age and that I’ve only ever seen two pairs of Chanel gloves from this time period before.
