Dress in black lace over champagne satin,  comes in black lace over teal blue satin as well.

Get your Gatsby on at Blue Velvet Vintage!

And to help you get into the proper frame of mind to  celebrate the era of  shieks, shebas and Gatsby style excess,  here are some 1920s slang expressions you may want to throw into your party conversation just for fun!

Bees Knees, Cat’s Meow or Cat’s Pajamas-  All mean something or someone really great, fantastic, the ultimate.  “That dress she is wearing is the Bee’s Knees.”  “That handsome guy is the Cat’s Meow”.
Copacetic-  Just fine, wonderful.  “Everything is copacetic.”
Bearcat-A hot blooded, wild girl.
Giggle Water-alcoholic beverage
Get a wiggle on- Get a move on.
Glad rags- Dressy, going out clothes.
Hootch- Bootleg liquor
Hoofer-Dancer
Juice Joint-Speakeasy
Moll- Gangster’s girlfriend
Puttin on the Ritz- Dressing very high fashion, stylishly
Corked, Jazzed, Zozzled, Primed, Tanked-  All words for being intoxicated
Hip to the Jive- Cool
Smarty- A cuter flapper girl.
Vamp-A flirt, seductress.

You may also like this “Swell” little number !

Beaded black flapper style dress

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1940s USP dance in St Petersburg Florida

If you live in Florida and want something really fun to do this weekend and support our military and their families, then hightail it on over to St. Petersburg for the  G.I. Jive, 1940s themed USO show and swing dance being held at the historic Coliseum ballroom.  The event kicks off Armed Forces Weekend with live music, swing dancing, prizes, vintage fashion contest and more.

Inside the historic Coliseum ballroom in St. Petersburg Fl

The Coliseum ballroom was built in 1924, so has lots of character,  along with  a great oak dance floor. Perfect for showing off your swing outs, spins and swivals!  Just go to USO Tampa Bay Facebook Page or Swingang Tampa for more information. And don’t forget your 1940s style outfits!

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Karla told us, “ At first I wasn’t sure I could pull it off with my long hair, and didn’t want to do a fake bob. But with the feather headband (I got it on Etsy), and curling my hair, I think I pulled it off well. The wedding was beautiful and everyone asked us about the dresses and thought we looked great! I felt lucky to have a husband who was all for dressing up with me.“    

And we couldn’t agree more. They certainly make  a stunning Jazz Age couple! Thanks for sharing, Karla!

Customer Karla and husband are the Bees Knees in 1920s themed wedding attire!

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•Truman Capote was the first screenwriter for  the film. But  his draft included making characters Nick Carraway a homosexual and Jordan Baker a lesbian.   He was fired and Coppola ended up rewriting the screenplay in three weeks.

•Ali MacGraw was originally promised the role of Daisy Buchanan by her producer husband Robert Evans. But when she left him for her co-star Steve McQueen, she lost the role.

• Other stars who were rumored to be considered for the role were Candice Bergen, Natalie Wood, Fay Dunaway and Cybil Shepard.

Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post

•When F. Scott Fitzgerald’s daughter spotted Mia Farrow on the set of the movie she was quoted as saying, “The New England summer sun was hitting her face under this lilac chiffon hat and she looked just like my father’s Daisy Buchanan should look .”

•Marlon Brando turned down the role of Jay Gatsby because producers wouldn’t meet his salary demands. And Warren Beatty lost the part to Robert Redford.

Daisy’s fabulous flapper fashions – Vogue December 1973

•Ralph Lauren assisted costume designer Theoni Aldredge with the film’s wardrobe.  Three time Tony award winner, Aldredge, produced hundreds of costumes for the film in two weeks time and also incorporated authentic 1920s dresses. She won an Academy Award for her work on the film, but failed to mention Ralph Lauren’s name during the ceremonies because she was a bit miffed over the fact that he had been trying to take credit for the designing of Robert Redford’s clothes himself.

•The popular 20s  fashions from the movie inspired a clothing line that was available at Bloomingdale’s.

•Art deco jewelry supplied by Cartier was used in the movie and it is rumored that the producers purchased over 5 million dollars worth of the baubles worn by Mia Farrow and Lois Chiles .

Mia Farrow in romantic 20s attire. Great Gatsby 1974.

Mia Farrow and her fab flapper look. Great Gatsby 1974.

•A Gastby-inspired line of sportswear, whiskey, beauty products and even cookware were introduced around the 1974 premiere. The Paramount Promotion Director at the the time said “The idea is to Gatsbyize the entire country.”

Ballantine’s Scotch Ad – 1974

…and Gatsbyized we are once again! Can’t wait to see the new version – out this Friday , May 10th.

And if you’re inspired by these fashion looks from the 1920s, then please check out the lovely beaded flapper dresses and romantic 20s inspired party dresses on the Blue Velvet Vintage website. We’ve got what you need to get your Gatsby on in style!

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To recreate the 1920s make up look you need  dark, smoky, kohl-rimmed eyes,  high thin eyebrows and heavily rouged cheeks,  along with the iconic ‘cupid’s bow’ lip inspired by the  actress,  Clara Bow. Women would accentuate the curve of their upper lip – so it resembled a bow – and fill in their bottom lip to meet the top, almost like a permanent ‘kissy’ face.  The vogue lip colors were plums and deep reds. There were even metal lip tracers to ensure women got that perfect ‘bow’ shape.

Below is a photo of the beautiful Clara Bow. Notice those adorable “cupid’s bow”  lips?  And I love how she has the head scarf wrapped!

Clara Bow in 1926. Photo by Eugene Robert Richee

This is a cute and entertaining video from the  Glamourdaze  YouTube channel of actress Colleen Moore and her flapper makeup routine in 1923.

I love cupid’s bow lips but I’m not sure I could pull off those eyebrows – what about you? Would you wear this look out on the town?

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Though the mermaid gown was very popular with starlets in the 1950s, it was actually  originally introduced to the fashion world in the 1930s by French designer  Marcel Rochas , whose trademark hourglass styles were  his tribute to the female form.  He also invented the “waspie”, which was a waist cinching corset, perfect for accentuating a woman’s curves.

This  timeless look is  perfect for a vintage themed wedding or prom because it really captures that classic glamour vibe that will make you stand out from the crowd.  And don’t forget the opera length gloves and red lipstick!

Marcel Rochas mermaid gown, Iving Penn photographer

The gorgeous Jayne Mansfield’s signature look. She could really rock a mermaid dress!

Jayne Mansfield rocking a mermaid gown

 And here’s a selection of classic style  mermaid dresses available at Blue Velvet Vintage!

Mermaid gowns at Blue Velvet Vintage

1. Champagne tulle silver sequin dress $215.00  2. Black sequined tulle dress   $229.00   3. Silver tulle gown   $165.00 4. Gold tulle gown  $165.00

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In this era of  muffin tops, G-strings sticking out the top of  low rise jeans and miniskirts and dresses that cover less than what they  give you to put on in the exam room at your doctor’s office, it would be refreshing to see a little more modesty.   In my humble opinion, when it comes to flesh exposure, less is definitely more!   A  little mystery is so much more interesting and enticing  than throwing it all out there at once.

Which brings me back to this whole  turn of the century style resurgence. Now it may not catch on in a big enough way for these looks  to show up in all the cheesy fast fashion chain stores. But I’m hoping we do see more alternatives for  ladies and girls looking for something different and classic.  And  these types of silhouettes would be flattering on a variety of figures.

Here are a couple of photos of the ladies from Downton Abbey. Lovely!  Now of course, these are photos of more formal type dresses. But you can find more casual  fashions that are in the spirit of these feminine fashions. Over at the New Noblewoman blog, she has a post with some nice suggestions for everyday wear!

Downtown Abbey fashion

But since my business specializes in dressing women for vintage themed special events and weddings,  I put together a dressier look that would be perfect for a Downton Abbey inspired garden party or informal wedding.

Downton Abbey inspired party dress

 Dress $175.00. Also available in ivory and sage green.  Lace gloves $10.99, T strap heels  $59.95, crystal drop earrings  $24.99, beaded purse  $49.00, hat 54.00.

What do you  think of this  more modest ladylike look?

Thanks for vistiing:)

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Going by our own 50′s wedding dress sales, the 1950s is definitely one of the more popular eras for a wedding theme. Whether it’s rock and roll, rockabilly, Las Vegas or vintage Hollywood theme there is a perfect 50s wedding dress or 50s inspired dress that will complement your vintage dream wedding!  Because the fashions from that decade are so classy and timeless, this look also works well for second weddings, garden weddings, town hall ceremonies and destination weddings.

The 50s look is a great option for brides looking for something more informal, but still very elegant and glamorous.  The fit and flared silhouette is flattering on pretty much all figures.   Even though finding a one of a kind, authentic vintage 50′s wedding dress can be very exciting, they are pretty scarce. So you need to allow lots of extra time to find the perfect one, as many are in very tiny sizes or not in pristine condition. Luckily there are new reproductions that will give you that same fabulous 50s look!

Check out these photos of Liz Taylor and Audrey Hepburn for some vintage wedding fashion inspiration!

Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face

Elizabeth Taylor in 50s tea length halter dress.

And here’s a little collage I put together featuring “The Sweetheart”, our  50s style wedding dress from our Classic Dame line,along with pretty blue purse, shoes and hair flower that I think would look lovely with it!

Classic Dame 50s style wedding dress

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Vera Neumann was a designer and artist whose charming prints graced everything from wallpaper to pants and most popular – her signature ‘Vera’ scarf.  Her scarves all include her signature, just  like a painting,  and most also have her trademark ladybug.   Many of  her authentic vintage scarves are very collectible, so keep your eyes open for an original – popular with Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe.

Or you can just pick up a reproduction at Target at the end of this month . The scarves will be 19.99 and available as long as supplies last .   So don’t wait,  because I’ll bet these classic beauties are sure to fly off the shelf!

Vera Neumann scarves for Target

 
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“Style isn’t just about what you wear, it’s about how you live.” -Lilly Pulitzer

Lilly Pulitizer (November 10, 1931 – April 7, 2013) passed away yesterday at her home in Palm Beach, Florida at 81 years young. Her bright and bold prints of sunshine yellow, poppy pinks, and citrus greens always made me smile and were enough to transport anyone to a tropical island!

“I designed collections around whatever struck my fancy – fruits, vegetables, politics or peacocks!” -Lilly Pulitzer.  The wealthy socialite begin her sassy chic empire with… a fruit juice stand! She opened a juice stand on her husband’s orchard land and was tired of ruining her dresses with juice stains so she designed a bright, printed shift dress that would hide any spills and splatters. Palm Beach’s elite women took notice and the cheerful little dresses began to sell better than the juice!

But it was when Jacqueline Kennedy was photographed for Life Magazine wearing a “Lilly” dress made from kitchen curtain material that the brand really took off. Today, the company named  “Lilly Pulitizer” still brings us colorful floral, flamingo and sailboat prints.  Let hope they continue to bring us clothing and textiles inspired by this talented lady!

Jacquelin Kennedy wearing a “Lilly” on vacation.

Lilly at her first shop in Palm Beach, Florida.  Photo via Lilly Pulitzer website.

Lilly in her first shop in West Palm Beach. (1962)

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