Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby (1974)
Swoon…
Tagged: 1920s, 1970s, film, great gatsby, robert redford, seventies, twenties, white suit
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1920s
Tagged: 1920s, 1970s, film, great gatsby, robert redford, seventies, twenties, white suit
The real King George VI & Queen Elizabeth
As promised, here are some images of the real King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (yes, that is the Queen Mother who passed away in 2002, mother of our current Queen Elizabeth II). There are some photos of them in the 1920s, before Edward abdicated and George was forced to take the throne (at that time they were called the Duke & Duchess of York), through to photos of them in war-ravaged London in the early 1940s. I believe the latest photo is 1951 (she is wearing a ballgown, crown and white furs).
The LIFE photograph is of a very young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, before she married George (she was Scottish nobility). In another photo you might notice Eleanor Roosevelt standing between King George VI and Queen Elizabeth – this was during an inspection of English war conditions in 1942. The photo of the King & Queen, with two young princesses, waving on the balustrade, is VE Day (8 May 1945), announcing and celebrating the end of the war. On the left that is Princess Elizabeth (now our Queen), in military uniform.
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, forties, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, The King's Speech, thirties, twenties
The King’s Speech
Well, The King’s Speech is the Golden Globe favourite (which makes it an Academy Award favourite too, of course), with seven nominations. I can’t wait to see it – I adore Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush, how could it not be wonderful? And the story! All us Swing Fashionistas know about Edward VIII, who abdicated to marry the American divorce, Wallis Simpson (since he was such a style icon for the 1920s and 30s, and besides, oh what a love tale!). But I certainly never knew this side of George VI and the Queen Mother’s story. When my mum explained it to me the other day I was very touched. This should be wonderful!
Anyway, plenty of fashion to admire. I’ll post some images of the real King and Queen, who Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter are depicting, since I can see the film is aiming to be historically accurate.
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, Colin Firth, forties, Geoffrey Rush, Golden Globe, Helena Boham Carter, King George VI, Queen Mother, The King's Speech, thirties, twenties, wwii
My sudden panic…
So I was procrastinating a few days ago, browsing vintage dresses on eBay with no intention of buying (no seriously, I went on a November shopping spree, so no more this year!). And I got to thinking about the photographs of vintage clothing for sale online. What a resource! When somebody sells a vintage dress online, they photograph the dress from all angles, with closeups of details and embellishments – they show more detail in those photos than most costume museum archives! It’s an amazing historic record. Plus, so many of these dresses are one of a kind, or at least, the last of their kind.
But the photos are online only as long as the item is for sale, and given that it’s changing hands to a new owner, it may never be seen again! Once the listing is deleted, that photographic record is lost to us! Sitting there, I had a terrible panic that we were losing a valuable resource, oh my word! And proceeded to nab as many photos of the 1920-1940s dresses listed as I could. So yeah, an hour later…
Anyway, what do you think? I’ve always liked to post the lovely vintage things I see on eBay and Etsy, here on SwingFashionista. That way, even if none of us get to buy them, we can still enjoy the pictures, get inspired by the style, and maybe even use them as a reference for making our own. And well after the original listing is gone and the item has headed on to its new owner. But now I feel like I’m on a mission!
What are your thoughts? Want to join my mission? Do you have that same photo-saving habit I do? Do you have a folder on your desktop, filled with photos of pretty things from the glorious internet? So why not start your own blog? Or send them to me and I’ll always post any gathered photos of original 1920s – 1950s fashions here on SwingFashionista. Drop a comment if you have a thought!
Oh yeah, and to satisfy, here are some of those photos 
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, antique, costume, dresses, fashion, fifties, forties, historical, photographs, record, swing, thirties, twenties, vintage
Flashback: Christian Dior Fall 2003 Couture
High-glam flappers, showgirls and cabaret singers, revamped in technicolor…
Tagged: 1920s, Christian Dior, flapper, twenties
Flapper Dress
Straight from the J. Peterman Company:
It was the 20′s in America.
The Great War had just ended.
The image of women, with hair piled on heads, standing immobile on the tennis court, waving a racket, just didn’t cut it any more.
Exit the Gibson Girl.
Enter the new woman: rebellious, out there, living life on her own terms.
And if you had Zelda Sayre’s money (flush with the success of Scott’s This Side of Paradise, and impending marriage to him) you might have found this beauty.
If you knew where to look.
Flapper Dress (No. 2610). Feels like a whisper in silky crinkly georgette. Which could be the only thing about it that whispers. A remarkable confection of sheer silk, clear and black beads and rhinestones that catch the light and never lets it go.
Hem dips in the back. Picot edging gives it an airy feel with no visible stitched edges. Everything is made for easy movement. A rare combination of let it all hang out fun with sophistication that you’ll wear through the holiday season.
Or anytime anyone thinks they have you pegged.
Women’s sizes: 2 through 16. Imported. On Sale. Was $698, NOW: $268.
Color: Black.
Categories: ClothingTagged: 1920s, flapper dress, J Peterman Company
Stockings
J’adore!!! Unfortunately I don’t know who is the maker of these fabulous tights otherwise I’d own them. Let’s not forget to mention how stunning this photo is. Ah….maybe one day the Killer Diller girls will do a photo shoot like this….
image via Sang Bleu magazine
Categories: In MagazinesTagged: 1920s, lingerie, Sang Bleu, stockings, tights, vintage inspired
Jo’s Picks: Chanel Resort 2010
The 350 guests reclining on sun beds in the famous white tented cabanas certainly felt privileged to be witnessing the extreme glamour of the designer’s learned-but-light invocation of an important part of Coco Chanel’s biography, one that was overlaid with passing allusions to Visconti, Fellini, the Venice carnival, and the city’s art treasures.
“I wanted to reinvent the mystique,” said Karl Lagerfeld, talking about locating the collection in one of Coco Chanel’s favorite summer haunts—she visited Venice for almost ten years beginning in 1919 and met Diaghilev here.
“Coco on the Lido,” as Lagerfeld called it, started with a tableau of figures in tricorne hats and cloaks—cover-ups for a play on girdles and bras as bathing suits. Next came Tatjana Patitz promenading in creamy lace as the picture-hatted Edwardian mother in Death in Venice, her sailor-suited son Tadzio and his two sisters in ingenue fan-pleated dresses trailing behind. From there, the sequence took off into matelot- and gondolier-inspired stripes, interpreted in long-line fine-knit cardigans and playful beachwear with funny red and white striped wedge booties. The references kept streaming out—a halterneck dress fashioned in plissé knit to suggest Fortuny, the deep Doge red and the golden lion motif of the city flag, shimmery sequins and glass embroidery made to imitate the light of Venice glancing off water.
Pictures and Blurb from Style.
Categories: Clothing, On CatwalksTagged: 1910, 1920s, 2010, chanel, lace, nautical, navy, resort, sailor
Vogue Italia March 2010
Yet another editorial I adore, photographed by my beloved Steven Meisel. This one, entitled “In Grand Style” for Vogue Italia, an opulent 1920s tale of romance, excess, passion… as well as hats, slicked hair, cigarettes, furs, oh my!
Tagged: 1920s, bright young things, Steven Meisel, twenties
Top Picks: Bibhu Mohapatra Fall 2010
Classic elegance in the Bibhu Mohapatra Fall 2010 collection. Real art deco feel with the bold lines and shapes, and I’m a sucker for a mixture of textures – furs, tweeds, chiffon, satin, velvet, leather. Beautifully shot as well…
Tagged: 1920s, art deco, bibhu mohapatra, Fall 2010, twenties
George Hoyningen-Huene
Baron George Hoyningen-Huene (1900 – 1968) was a seminal fashion photographer of the 1920s and 1930s. He was born in Russian to Baltic German and American parents and spent his working life in France, England and the United States.
George Hoyningen-Huene, Lee Miller, originally uploaded by Gatochy.
During the Russian Revolution the Hoyningen-Huenes fled to first London and later Paris. By 1925 George had already worked his way up to chief of photography of the French Vogue. In 1931 he met Horst, the future photographer, who became his lover and frequent mode and traveled to England with him that winter. While there, they visited photographer Cecil Beaton, who was working for the British edition of Vogue. In 1931, Horst began his association with Vogue, publishing his first photograph in the French edition of Vogue in November of that year.
In 1935 Hoyningen-Huene moved to New York where he did most of his work for Harpar’s Bazaar. He published two art books on Greece and Egypt before relocating to Hollywood, where he earned his wedge by shooting glamorous portraits for the film industry. Beyond fashion, he was a master portraitist as well from Hollywood stars to other celebrities.
Biography from Wikipedia.
Categories: Celebrities, Vintage PhotosTagged: 1920s, 1930s, dress, fur coat, Gatochy, George Hoyningen-Huene, photographer, pictures, vogue
Kirsten Dunst for V Magazine
I’ve never been a huge fan of Kristen’s, but I did like her in Bring It On and Spiderman. However, after seeing this editorial, I might have to change my mind. What a starlet! Mario Testino did a marvelous job of shooting her and stylist Nicola Formichetti did an outstanding job of making Kristen look like a vintage movie star.
Images from Radar Online
For a review of the clothing, check out Tom & Lorenzo blog!
Categories: Celebrities, In MagazinesTagged: 1920s, Kirsten Dunst, Mario Testino, Nicola Formichetti, photos, siren, V Magazine
Three steps of the ‘Five-Step’
7th June 1924.
Here Santos Casani makes an appearance in Popular Music and Dancing Weekly magazine, demonstrating the first three steps of the ‘Five-Step’ – steps four and five were published the following week.
Trevira wrote a post about Mr Casani here. You might not realize it, but you’ve probably seen him before!
Tagged: 1920s, dance, How To, magazine, music, Santos Casani
1920s Valentine
It’s coming. Are you ready for an embrace?
![[4256913449_e09b0c3219_o.jpg]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YuMU-gWrxdQ/S2ocuFi-eBI/AAAAAAAAA-I/utE33FRmvrg/s1600/4256913449_e09b0c3219_o.jpg)
Photo from here.
Categories: Vintage PhotosTagged: 1920s, holiday, love, Valentine's Day
Taking Fashion Inspiration from Dolls
I wasted a whole lot of time on this doll blog, so that you don’t have to! Check out these retro doll fashions, can you believe it? The downside is, you can’t buy any of these outfits… you know, unless you’re 6″ tall. I’d wear all of these outfits! If anyone out there is a wizz with a sewing machine and wants to recreate one of these for me, just let me know!!
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, barbie, doll, fashion, fifties, forties, retro, sixties, thirties, twenties, vintage