Aerosoles shoes have a reputation for being very comfortable to wear. And I notice they've been coming out with some fabulous retro looks lately. Just received their fall catalog in the mail and below are some of my favorites. You can purchase them online as well.
Slip on wedgies with leopard and zebra accent $69.00
Patent leather and suede Mary Janes $89.00
Lace up suede oxfords $89.00
Brass studded leather lace up oxfords $99.00
According to a Chicago Sun Times interview with Linda Przybyszewski , associate professor of history at Notre Dame, we have become a society of people who take no pride in our appearance.
She hates that flip flops, shorts and t-shirts have become the fashion staples of today and is writing a book about it called "Nation of Slobs-How Americans learned and forgot how to dress." She is also teaching a new course about Americans' poor dress habits.
Her extensive collection of 300 home economics books, dating back to 1918,were used as a reference. These books are guides to clothing ,sewing, design, grooming and budgeting — essentially books about the
"art of life,'' she says.
Supposedly our fashion sense has been heading in a downward spiral since the 1960's and I can't say I disagree. Although there are definitely appropriate places to wear the myriad of sportswear choices available today, these ultra casual styles are now seen almost everywhere, including weddings, funerals and job interviews. It does seem like we're becoming too lazy to put any effort into how we present ourselves, no matter what the occasion.
Like the professor, I agree we could all benefit from being a bit more conscious of our appearance. I'm really getting tired of seeing jeans that droop down so low that I have to look at undergarments (or worse yet, butt cracks), t-shirts with obscene sayings that aren't even clever or amusing, clothing so tight and cut so high or low that there is nothing left to the imagination and enough with the sweatpants already!
At the risk of sounding like some old prude, I think the sportswear of the 40s, 50s and 60s was much classier than what we see today . But, even then, it still would not have been considered appropriate attire for more formal occasions. I definitely think it's possible to dress informally without looking slovenly and it's just plain laziness to show up at someone's anniversary party looking like you just stepped out of the gym. Of course, I don't think we should be all stuffy and uptight, but I'm concerned the etiquette pendulum is definitely swinging so far the other way that we're losing our sense of decorum.
How do you feel about our trend toward extremely casual attire for any occasion? Do you agree with the professor that, as a nation, we're in need of a fashion makeover?
Here are some contemporary classic fashion choices from the FashionTribes blog to help you "stand out stylishly in a nation of slobs.
A while back I found this book called Sixties People at a flea market and I’ve just gotten around to reading it. It was written in 1990 by Jane and Michael Stern , who specialize in books about travel and pop culture. You can find it online from Powell’s Books for a mere $4.95! In a most hilarious, entertaining and informative way the Sterns cover several different subcultures of the 60s, my favorite being what they call the "young vulgarians".
In case you’ve never heard of these individuals, they were, according to the Sterns, "the street smart teenagers from hardscrabble neighborhoods such as south Philadelphia and the Bronx." You see, the 60s wasn’t just about Gidget, Twiggy, Mary Tyler Moore and peace loving hippies. These tough city kids were personally responsible for the rise in popularity of teased bouffant hairstyles, particularly the beehive, thick black eyeliner a la Elvira, and makeup that looked like it was applied with a trowel. For the guys, Brylcreem was king. The greasier and higher the pompadour, the better. And when Dick Clark put these tawdry teens on American Bandstand , it created a new ultra cool urban street style that resonated with youth across America. No doubt thoroughly horrifying many parents. But then, isn’t that a teenager’s job?
A quote from the book describes the style brilliantly. "The look was hoodlum baroque, combining a city tough attitude with formal hairdos as ornate as the chandeliers at the local catering hall. This was a look that was bigger than fashion. It expressed a turgid universe of teenage passion and despair."
No kidding. If I had to fix my hair like that everyday and pack on that much make up I’d be in depair too!
Supposedly there were all kinds of rumors about girls who had rodents and insects populating these towering masses of unwashed tresses. They also provided great hiding places for switchblades, blackjacks, brass knuckles and small flasks. Heck, who needs one of those cumbersome designer handbags when you can stash everything right in your hairdo?
But if, like me, you were just a bit too young to adopt this style the first time around, here are some tips I garnered from the book, in case you feel the urge to go out looking like the Temptress of Trashiness anytime soon. Maybe next Halloween for example!
1.Don’t wash your hair for several days. Set with jumbo pink rollers. Generous use of Aqua Net hairspray is very important, as is excessive teasing, backcombing then shaping, until the matted tangle resembles a halo of spun sugar. Finish with more hairspray. Sleep sitting up.
2. With a sponge, apply several thick layers of makeup, preferably using Max Factor Pancake Number 2. Erase any evidence of lips by first covering with concealer, then apply a coat of dead-white lipstick. Shave off eyebrows. Then draw in a brow about an inch higher than natural brow with black eyebrow pencil. Use chalk white shadow on eyelids to match the lips. Black liquid liner applied along lash line and black eyebrow pencil along inner rim of bottom lid completes this ghoulishly sexy look. Oh yeah, don’t forget the white pearlescent polish on the nails.
3. Don a sheer white nylon "pussycat" blouse over a black bullet bra. Tuck it into a tight black pencil skirt cinched at the waist with a wide black belt. Dress the legs with black nylon stockings, preferably with a run in them, and wear pointy toed cuban heeled shoes. Don’t forget to wear an ankle bracelet, under the stockings of course!
4. Other essential pieces of jewelry are necklaces with crosses or lockets with pictures of singers such as Dion or Fabian, boyfriends ID bracelets and dime store bangle bracelets.
5. Top the whole ensemble with a fuzzy mohair cardigan in peach or turquoise blue. Carry a large leatherette bag filled with extra cans of hairspray, an emergency makeup kit, 45 records to trade with your friends, latest copies of Tiger Beat magazine, dozen pieces of Bazooka bubble gum, tube of Clearasil, and a lucky rabbit’s foot.
6. Last, but not least, the ultimate symbol of coolness is to display a hickey on your neck to show the world just what a desirable vulgarian babe your really are!
These tough, streetwise chicks loved the music of the Shirelles, Shangri-las, Chiffons and Ronettes. Their dramatic songs about unrequited love and eternal tragedy struck a cord deep in their hardcore little hearts.
Their idol was, Jackie the K, wife of famed disc jockey Murray the K . With her jet black teased hair and eyeliner to match, she was the ultimate tough girl role model.
In another post I’ll cover style tips for vulgarian tough guys!
Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday season and are ready for some fabulous new vintage oufits for the new year. I’m sooo excited that dresses are still going to be a big trend in 2008, especially lacey and ruffled feminine looks, bright floral prints and maxi styles. Of course, all of us vintage loving gals never tire of dresses and looking like a lady, no matter what the current fashion! We’ll just have more choices this year, as beautiful vintage inspired dresses for spring/summer 08 were all over the runways.
So now that all of the holiday madness is behind us, I’ve been working fast and furiously photographing tons of pretty vintage dresses that will be perfect for next season. Here’s a sneak preview of a small sampling of the ladylike lovelies that will be going up on the site shortly.
1. 80′S white tiered lace gown with sequinned bodice
2. 50’s black and white print dress with surplice wrap bodice and cummerbund waistband
3. Early 60’s pouffy pink chiffon party/prom dress with cummerbund waistband
4. 50’s full skirt day dress in a fabulous atomic print with pink piping trim
5. Pale blue tulle over lavender taffeta strapless 50s gown with lace bodice and satin waistband
6. 70s slinky ribbed knit halter dress with assymetrical Missoni like stripes
7. 70’s spectacular Hanae Mori silk print column dress with sheer printed chiffon kaftan overlay
8. 70’s Ursula of Switzerland print chiffon dress with ruffled neckline
9. 50’s ivory lace full skirted dress with white satin piping trim and cummerbund waistband
This season designers have been showcasing gloves as the perfect complement to their 50s and 60s inspired polished ladylike silhouettes. Not those bulky,
fleece lined things, mind you, but sleek kidskin leather,
velvet or cashmere ones, that will add instant classic glamour to any outfit. They look especially smart when worn with cropped, bracelet length sleeves.
Here’s a great example from Anne Klein’s fall/winter collection.
And here are some images I scanned from a 1959 issue of L’Officiel. Ladies, we are talking some serious chic-ness here, with the gloves being an integral part of the overall sophistication of the outfits. Of course, I can’t even begin to delve into the fabulous hat styles. That’s a subject for another post!
Dior
Lanvin-Castillo
Jean Patou
So if want to rock this ladylike look, then you’ll find plenty of great glove choices online this year. Present a pair of gloves to a favorite female this holiday season. What used to be a safe, although somewhat boring choice for gift giving, is now considered the ultra chic must have accessory of the year. Also, authentic gloves from the 50s and 60s can usually be found at vintage clothing boutiques for very reasonable prices.
Here’s a gorgeous pair from Coach in orange trimmed hot pink leather, with a cool zippered pocket. $298.00
Sleek, black leather zippered gloves from Urban Outfitters $48.00
Turquoise cashmere beauties from Nordstrom’s. Also comes in a bunch of other yummy colors. $42.00
Vintage navy kidskin leather gloves from Blue Velvet Vintage $22.99
Received the annoucement below in response to a previous post of mine about Classic Style Magazine. I decided it needed its own post, as it’s about the fifth annual Fedora Lounge Queen Mary Event in Long Beach, California on November 16th and 17th.
From Kelly Wilbanks of Key Publishing Group,
"Come, join the rest of the loungers bedecked in the fashion of the 1930s and 40s for a weekend aboard the historic Queen Mary. Friday will be a casual dinner in the Promenade Café as people arrive from the far corners of the globe (or the states). Michael Key’s infamous tour will take place bright and early the following morning and a banquet dinner and dancing will round out the day Saturday evening. "
There’s also supposed to be a vintage fashion show and the prices they’ve arranged for cabins aboard this beautiful classic ocean liner are quite reasonable.
For more information, click here.
Got an email recently recommending a website selling a fabulous retro swimwear line, Poppi Swim and Sport . Since I love 40s and 50s bathing suits, I was anxious to check them out! I was not disappointed. Company owner, Pamela Levenson, has designed an adorable line of swimwear in flattering silhouettes with a vintage flair. I love the fact that she makes tops and bottoms that you can mix and match and her tropical prints, of course, are my favorites.
Here’s a sampling from her collection.
Love these boy cut bottoms with drawstring ties to make them higher or lower.
Cute Hawaiian print tops
Flattering one piece, boy cut suits
You’re sure to make a big splash at the beach or poolside in one of these pinup style pretties!
Now this is the kind of news that thrills me to no end! According to a recent Newsday article that I discovered while reading A Dress A Day , one of my favorite blogs, dress sales have been skyrocketing. It seems women of all age groups now prefer the more ladylike look of dresses as opposed to the sportswear separates they usually choose for their casual attire. Sales of dresses in the last year have increased 58 percent among 13-
to 17-year-olds, and 54 percent among 18- to
34-year-olds, meaning even younger women are becoming more willing to forgo jeans as a fashion mainstay.
Dresses definitely are a fun, yet classy, alternative to jeans and they’re easy to wear. Just slip one on and go. Unlike pants, there are a myriad of dress style choices to flatter just about any figure. One reason why I’m particularly happy that younger women have finally discovered this "trend with benefits" is perhaps we won’t be seeing so much of the "muffin top" syndrome anymore. In case you’ve been living in a cave the last ten years, it’s the visually disturbing side effect of too tight hip hugger jeans worn with tops that are too short, causing the flesh of the hips and lower abdomen to ooze up over the top of the waistband. A dress is the perfect antidote for this horrible affliction.
Of course, those of us into vintage fashion or sewing have always appreciated the versatility of the dress. Since moving to Florida, I’ve adopted the vintage sundress as my outfit of choice and I never fail to get compliments when wearing one. You can go throw one on with some flip flops and you’ll look casually chic for a day of running erands. Add high heeled sandals, a dressier purse and jewelry and the same dress will take you out to dinner in style.
Women have become accustomed to the option of dressing more like men, ever since they had to work in factories during WW1 and 2. Society’s acceptance of ladies wearing pants was the beginning of designers blurring the line between traditional masculine and feminine clothing styles. The dress, on the other hand, will always be considered the exclusive fashion statement of the female of our species. Though there are certain gentlemen who enjoy wearing frocks as much as us ladies do, I don’t forsee any imminent threat of husbands sashaying out of bedrooms across America, sporting their latest Marc Jacobs babydoll dress or, heaven forbid, showing up at parties wearing the same cocktail dress as their wives!
So ladies, bask in the glory of your own unique girliness and wear a dress today!
Hair flowers are such a perfect way to complete a vintage look, adding that glamorous finishing touch to aloha attire or 40s and 50s pinup and rockabilly style clothing. The The Diva Pinup offers a beautiful selection and they’ll even do custom designs.
Sure wish I knew how to do my hair like that!
