Hello Fashionistas,
How is everyone doing this lovely Monday? Well, actually almost Tuesday!
Today, we’re going to dive into some of the1920s fashion and I wanted to focus on one type of clothing. I thought dresses of this decade would be fun to look back at.
The 1920s was a memorable decade for fashion since there was more freedom in women’s fashion (especially after the war) and the clothes definitely reflected that. A notable designer of this era was the fabulous Coco Chanel. I know if you’re like me, you think of her perfume.
Sensual Elixir.
During this time, Coco Chanel also designed a two-piece dress out of stretchy jersey fabric that flowed against the body. Below is the actress Gloria Swanson, a silent movie star rocking Coco’s design.
By Bain New Service, via Wikimedia Commons.
Another popular dress in the 1920s was the signature flapper style dress. Shown below.
A traditional flapper outfit.
Below is another popular dress style, a dress with a dropped waist. This style of dress was more of an everyday dress.
In the early in the 1920s, formal wear dresses were extremely elaborate and some even had intricate beading.
Silent movie actress Norma Talmadge.
In 1926, there was the classic straight dress, one of my favorite type of dresses of this decade!
Actress Alice Joyce in a sheer beaded straight dress.
There you have it, a quick look at the history of the 1920s dresses worn during this fun decade! I hope you enjoyed it. Next Monday, there will be more fashion history. Let me know which decade you would like to see next or a particular piece of clothing you would like me to feature.
Hope everyone is enjoying their February. I’m excited that I will be rocking it this month with blogging three times a week. I’m also planning to feature small businesses that I really connect with. 🙂
Today, I’m featuring Tessa Shearer from the House of Wonderland who I found via on #TheGirlGang on Twitter. I’m so glad I found her and this group of amazing women to connect with. Below is our fashion interview. 🙂
Why is fashion important to you?
Fashion is so important to me as it’s what got me started in my job the first place! I was always inspired by designers, singers, and other famous icons. It made me work extra hard to pursue a career in fashion. My earliest memory is creating a pair of shoes made from paper! 😀 I drew around my foot, cut out a strip for the strap and scrunched up a bit of paper for the high heel! I think I looked completely daft but I was so proud of myself 😀
How does it make you feel?
One word… Freedom
Where do you go to buy your clothes or which websites do you buy from?I make some of my clothing as well as buying plain items from cheap stores (same to the latter :-D). I do however love investing in key designer pieces, but a big splurge like that only comes once or twice a year due to my poor bank funds (I hear that!) 🙂
What is the most important thing you consider when you are shopping?The thing I think about most is coordinating clothes! I hate to spend too long getting ready so I buy mostly plain black, white, and gray clothing so whatever I put on will match! *Style tip:Doing what Tessa does gives you a chance to show off your personality with your accessories whether it be a bold necklace, leggings, or other jewelry. It will help you stand out but not overdo it! 😉
If you could only wear clothing from one particular decade which one would it be and why?It has to be the 1950’s! I adore the silhouettes, styles, and class!
What are your favorite accessories to wear, i.e brands, homemade, local, Etsy etc. ?House Of Wonderland jewellery (I love her vintage-inspired pieces) of course! 😀 But I am a sucker for Tiffany & Co! I love long simple necklaces although I also love rockabilly necklaces too!
How does makeup play into how you dress? What is your favorite makeup looks and where do you buy your makeup products?I’m so boring! I wear the same stuff every day! I usually wear foundation-liquid, powder, bronzer, blusher, 2-3 eyeshadows, eyeliner, eyebrows, eyeliner, and mascara! I love 1960’s eye makeup though! I couldn’t go anywhere without my eyebrows though! Obsessed about eyebrows! I’m weird like that!
Please describe one of your favorite outfits and if possible the links to where you got the items and or descriptions.
Hmm… My favourite outfit is one I got agggggggeeeeesss ago! I think the shop actually closed down now! But it’s a 3/4 length sleeve black top and a wrap around asymmetric black wiggle skirt? I’ll try and find a picture and enclose it 😀
Well, that’s a wrap on today’s post! I can’t wait to chat with you guys in the comments, below.
I’m happy to report that fall is officially here! It always takes me a couple weeks to let the cooler weather sink in. Anyway, today we will be diving into one of my fall looks. In my next post, I will show you how I transform into my #retromodern self (I’m making this post short and sweet). As always I love showing you how to be retro with a modern twist. Without further ado, I give you my falling for the fall look.
Unique gray top by Vera Wang for Khols.
Fun floral leggings I scored at Target.
How to get my fun and simple look!
Top: I this simple chic top on clearance at Khols (one of my favorite places to shop) The top is from Vera Wang’s Simply Vera Vera Collection. Here are a couple updated options to choose from: Gray Ruched Top and her Floral Applique Tee.
Skirt: I wore a navy blue linen skirt which is a must-have! With this outfit, I kept most of my outfit neutral but added some funky leggings with a bright necklace. I found a super cute navy blue linen skirt on Etsy for $40. If you wanted a more bodycon shorter skirt, go with the one I found on Forever21!
Eco friendly navy blue skirt found on Etsy.
Leggings: There are so many fun prints to chose from when you wear neutral colors. I found some adorable floral leggings fromZulily. Need more inspo? Check out my modern style board on Pinterest.
Jacket: Okay, so I’m not wearing a jacket in my photos but I absolutely live in my denim jacket (this is a closet must-have!) in the fall. I’ve had my current one for a while now, (I think got mine at Khols) I prefer a medium wash denim one but it’s up to you.American Eagle has an awesome selection.
Necklace: I found my retro bright pink pearl necklace on Etsy. I found a similar one here on Esty. Gorgeous darling!
Bracelet: My bracelet is an heirloom from my late Aunt.You can either get one oneBay,Etsy, or NOVICA(associated with National Geographic) Below is my favorite one!
I love turquoise jewelry. I found an amazing conversation piece turquoise ring on Etsty
Well, there you have it, a fun and simple fall look! I hope you got some inspiration for your fall wardrobe. Be sure to look for my post on how I achieved my hair and makeup for this look! Remember to have fun with your outfits and not to take yourself too seriously, which I’m totally guilty of.
Happy Sunday! I have been falling behind on my blog posts since I had been fighting a nasty virus and sore throat, boo! Anyway, today’s post is going to dive into bee awareness, what we can do to support this cause and natural beauty products you can buy. As always, I like to bring fashion into my posts, I will also show you how to rock the Sandra Dee look for the modern woman #retromodern.
First off, bees are very important to our ecosystem, it basically boils down to no bees no food! Bees help make our food by distributing pollen. Technically, we could live without bees to pollinate our food but there wouldn’t be as much variety. The problems that bees face today are single crop farming, removing what we call “weeds”, and the increased use of pesticides. This, unfortunately, causes bees to get diseases and pests. The good news is, there are things we can do to help the bees. You can plant meadows instead of grass. If this doesn’t work for you, you can plant a 3′ X 3′ area with flowers that bees can pollinate spring, summer, and fall. You can download the app Bee Smartto help you choose plants that are bee friendly! Another app you can use is Grow Smart to help you limit pests safely in your garden.
The people who made me aware of this cause was my local coffee shop NPCC. I just happened to go for their yummy lavender latte and the event happened to be going on. I love supporting local as much as a can. I really enjoyed this event and I enjoyed being a part of this important cause.
While I was there I got to meet a lot of inspiring people, James a local beekeeper, Patricia Newton a local artist/photographer, and the woman (I forgot her name) who put on the event.
Patricia Newton: Local Artist/Photographer
Patrica is a local artist and photographer who loves to create paintings that incorporate nature and whimsy. She goes to local art shows to sell her paintings. Patricia also takes beautiful pictures and has won photography contests. She has a travel companion Peaches who is her rescue service dog that helps her with her disability. I love that she doesn’t let her disability get in her way.
Patricia in her element painting flowers with faces! Notice her outfit, she designed it herself.
Happy Flowers by Patricia Newton
More happy flowers. A Patricia Newton original.
Post cards by Patricia. She also makes one of a kind homemade cards.
Local Beauty Products: Bee Friendly.
There were local products from LemonBuzzz(you can buy their products online) made with local honey or beeswax. They offer homemade soaps, baths bombs, and lip balm (my favorite). Their products are made with local raw honey without artificial dyes, fragrances, or chemicals. Lemonbuzzz boasts eco-friendly packaging as well. I highly recommend them!
Peppermint lip balm with local beeswax.
They gave out free samples with each purchase. Love the packaging!
James the Beekeeper
James is a local beekeeper that is passionate about raising bees and raising awareness of the problems bees are facing. He suggested that we buy local raw honey. He graciously handed out clover honey sticks, yum! He also handed out Burpee’s Bee Garden seed packets which encourage pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds. See above for more ways to encourage pollinators.
James talking about his honey bees.
A beautiful shot of one of James’ bees.
James’ bees honey! So good. 🙂
Fashion the “Grease” Way!
Interestingly enough, I happened to wear my vintage yellow Sandy dress to the bee event that day, which was an awesome coincidence. I don’t know about you, but I love the movie Grease. It’s a classic that everyone should watch. A year ago, after watching Grease for the 20th time, I wanted to find the dress like Frenchy wore during the beauty school dropout scene. I did find it here but it wasn’t my size, oh well.
Frenchy’s look alike Beauty School Dropout Dress.
Love her bubblegum pink hair!
Frenchy’s beauty school dropout scene.
Luckily, I did find a beautiful yellow cotton dress like the one Olivia Newton-John famously wore. I found both dresses on Esty from an awesome seller Karen. Below is my mini fashion shoot, enjoy. 🙂
My vintage cat pin from my childhood.
Get the look. To update “sweet” Sandy’s 1950s look, I found two yellow dresses. The first dress is a higher end vintage dress on Etsy, or for $35 a golden yellow dress on Modcloth, so cute!
Sweet Sandy : Yellow vintage dress on Etsy. $294.
Sweet Sandy: Golden yellow dress by Modcloth. $35.
Sunglasses: I found some cute navy cat eye sunglasses on sale on Topshop for $12. I love a good bargain.
Leggings: I wore black leggings with a lace pattern to modernized the look. You can wear different patterns and colors. Here are my top choices!
Jewelry: Again I couldn’t find my exact jewelry, but I did find a beautiful silver cameo locket on Etsy to recreate my sweet Sandy look. I also found a similar wooden bangle in a pack via Newlook.
Silver Cameo Necklace. $22.
Wooden Bangle Pack-$11.
Pinup Hair Style: I decided not to follow Sandy’s ponytail hairstyle but opted for a quick pinup hairstyle via Vintagious on Youtube. I don’t know about you but I’m always pressed for time when I’m getting ready.
Hope you enjoyed this post! I love being able to find cute #retromodern outfits. Remember to tag me on Instagram, and Twitter your favorite outfits. Don’t forget to like me on Facebook or join my professional network on Linkedin.
Keep smiling, 🙂
~Ruth
P.S. Stay in the fashion know on my Bloglovin’ page.
I’m feeling like I needed to make up for lost time since I made a promise to myself that I would post on Sundays and a few times during the week…So I decided to post another special feature. Hopefully, you read my previous post: my fashion friendly interviewwith Megan from Megan’s Beaded Designs. I love supporting small businesses that have a passion for creating one of a kind items whether that be jewelry, handmade cards, paintings, and clothing that are one of a kind. Please let me know if you would like to be featured on my blog! I do prefer to feature businesses that have at least some throwback or vintage feel to their products.
Me: Why did you get into making jewelry?
Megan: My grandfather introduced me to Native American style bead weaving at a young age, when I was about 5, and it’s stuck with me since. As I have developed my technique and design skills, I gradually began to form a style and brand that was all my own. I find that jewelry can be a powerful source of self-expression. We can’t always wear clothes or makeup that show off the person we feel we are inside, but our jewelry and accessories can almost always provide such an outlet. I strive to create pieces whose wearers can confidently don as a symbol of who they truly are.
Me: How does it make you feel when somebody is interested in buying your stuff?
Megan: It doesn’t matter how many jewelry pieces I sell, it is always such an honor and remarkable feeling that someone would choose my work to adorn themselves with. I feel that jewelry is very personal – and that my creations can resonate with others is extraordinarily touching to me. I strive to honor their choice by creating the best experience and highest quality I can in return. It is very special that something I craft becomes the thing that someone uses to express themselves to the world with.
Me: Where do you draw your inspiration?
Megan: Ideas are never-ending, and I draw my inspiration from everywhere. Fashion, fine art, pop culture, music, suggestions and requests from my customers, and more. There will never be enough time in the 24/7 cycle for me to create everything that pops into my brain, but I embrace the overall abundance of the ideas that come to me. My favorite thing is when I get a custom order request from a customer, and I am able to create exactly what she wanted from me (or even better!) I love the give and take of ideas and creativity that happens during the custom order process.
Below are her stunning one of a kind vintage creations.
Hand beaded Black & White Vintage drop necklace.
Gorgeous vintage gold and white crystal necklace.
Goregous beaded pearl earrings.
Vintage hand beaded cameo hair pins.
I also found some of my personal favorites as well. I can’t help adore owls and unique rings!
Unique Brass Owl Earrings. I am obsessed with owls! You can buy them here.
Black twinkle earrings and choker set I’m in love this black tie earring and choker set.
This “evil eye” ring is so cool. You can find ithere!
Well, there you have it! Don’t forget to tag me with your #retromodern ensembles on Instagram or Twitter.
Keep smiling, 🙂
~Ruth
P.S. Stay in the fashion “know” on my BlogLovin’ page.
That Retro Ruth 