Our Sponsor:
Swing music and DVDs, free shipping worldwide, at OhSoSwing.com
twenties
Flashback: Christian Dior Fall 2003 Couture
High-glam flappers, showgirls and cabaret singers, revamped in technicolor…
Tagged: 1920s, Christian Dior, flapper, twenties
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
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
Vintage Costumers, Seattle
Another great reason to live in Seattle! Costume shop Vintage Costumers specialising in authentic vintage styles to hire. Here’s a sampler, I think I’ll post some more later, there’s so many great things to hire!
7011 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
Monday to Friday 11am – 7pm
Saturdays & Sundays 11am – 6pm
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, beaded gown, Clothing, costume, fashion, flapper, forties, hire, men, seattle, suit, thirties, twenties, women, wwii
When Paris was a Flapper
She may usually be a disaster, but Paris Hilton certainly does have her moments…
Tagged: 1920s, dress, flapper, fringe, Paris Hilton, twenties
1920s Shoes
Tagged: 1920s, art deco, cuban heel, embellished, footwear, heels, pumps, Shoes, twenties
2nd Annual Seattle Vintage Fashion Runway Show
Well, the 2nd Annual Seattle Vintage Fashion Runway Show and Lecture just happened on December 4th as part of the Killer Diller Weekend, and here are some snaps of the gorgeous vintage clothes, circa 1920-1950, that were on display. If you’re a swing dancer, you’ll recognize some familiar faces strutting their stuff on the runway, and some of you may also know the mastermind behind the event, Lorraine O’Neal. Photos are by Jared Luxenberg. Click on the photo to see it larger. Enjoy!
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, fashion, forties, Jared Luxenberg, Killer Diller, Lorraine O'Neal, runway, seattle, show, thirties, twenties, vintage, weekend
Marcel of Paris Hair Salon in Washington DC, 1926
Via Shorpy.com; the caption reads “Washington, DC circa 1926. Marcel Beauty Shop, Connecticut Avenue.”
Click on the image to see a larger version, and all the glorious detail of those mannequins and their perfect Marcel waves.
Tagged: 1920s, 20s, bob, curl, do, fingerwave, Hair, marcel, style, twenties, wave
The book every swing girl should own
A lot of SwingFashionista.com readers have written in mentioning this book, so I thought I’d post it up, just in case any of you lovely ladies hadn’t heard about it. It’s called Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques, and it’s by Lauren Rennells. I wish I’d had this when I first started out! Here’s the blurb:
There was something very special and beautiful about women in the early- to mid-20th century. The way they dressed was elegant and the way they wore their hair was feminine. This book shows how to create so many of those hairstyles by taking hairstyles from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s and breaking them down into simple, easy-to-follow instructions. It uses brand new photographs and detailed directions. Not only a manual, it is also fun to read. The Finished Styles chapter of the book contains coffee table book quality images of models with their finished hairstyles. Sprinkled in introductions and throughout the book are interesting facts about the history of hairstyling, origins of styles, and information about starlets and performers who made the styles popular. This 200-page full-color book has 6 main chapters. The book begins with the basics of styling and works its way back to advanced techniques. It also provides information on makeup, nails, and accessories for a finished look.
You can pick it up for $36.95 on Amazon.com:
Click here to buy ‘Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques’ on Amazon.com
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, bang, bob, fingerwave, flapper, forties, Hair, hairdo, marcel, pincurls, retro, style, thirties, twenties, updo, victory rolls, vintage, wave
Vintage Hair Styling
Click here to buy ‘Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques’ on Amazon.com
Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step by Step Techniques is a guide showing how to create hairstyles from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s using simple, easy-to-follow instructions. I have revised and revamped the book of worldwide popularity to be even more informative and fun. This 2nd Edition takes hairstyles and breaks them down so that the directions are clear. It uses over 750 brand new photographs and illustrations and detailed directions in a 200-page full-color book.
The book begins with the basic elements and works its way back to advanced techniques. It concludes with information on makeup, nails, and accessories to finish the look. No matter your skill level or hair type, Vintage Hairstyling has something for everyone.
A Review of the book from Debutante Clothing:
From cover to cover, the book is full of beautiful photography of vintage hair styling tools such as pink dryers and jars of Lustre-Creme. But this book is not a fluffy, pretty art book full of hair related pictures. The book is more instructional without being boring.
The beginning of the book walks you step by step through the necessary tools you will need and basic curl techniques in order to create a true vintage hairstyle. Then, Rennells leads you into the techniques for combing out the curls. Finally, you get into the actual styling.
I’m a very visual person. I have to see someone do something in order to determine if I am doing it correctly. The step by step directions with accompanying images are the next best thing to having Lauren right next to you. The steps are clear and concise.
I myself am thinking about getting the book. Perhaps it could be a Christmas or Birthday present?!!
Categories: Books, Hair, How ToTagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, bang, beauty, bob, fingerwave, flapper, forties, Hair, hairdo, marcel, pincurls, retro, style, thirties, twenties, updo, victory rolls, vintage, vintage hairstyles, vintage hairstyling book, wave
Top Picks: Peter Som Spring 2010 RTW
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, Peter Som, Ready to Wear, round sunglasses, RTW, Spring 2010, thirties, turban, twenties
Dorothea’s Closet Vintage: Top Picks
A few top picks from one of my favorite vintage clothing stores, Dorothea’s Closet. Everything below is in the range of US$50 to $250.
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, closet, Clothing, dorothea, dress, fashion, fifties, forties, online, retro, shop, store, thirties, twenties, vintage
Lilyan Tashman
Look at these perfect water waves and tiny, tiny pincurls!
Lilyan Tashman was a Ziegfeld girl, silent film actress and a model, from the late 1910s until the early 1930s. She appeared onstage in the Ziegfeld Follies, and in films including Head Over Heels, The Garden of Weeds, Ports of Call, Pretty Ladies, Seven Days, Texas Steer, Camille, So This is Paris, Craig’s Wife, The Trial of Mary Dugan, The Marriage Playground, and The Gold Diggers of Broadway. She died in 1931 of cancer, at the age of 38.
Via Art Deco Blog
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, actress, film, fingerwaves, follies, girl, Hair, hollywood, Lilyan Tashman, marcel, pincurls, silent, thirties, twenties, wave, ziegfeld
David Beckham Emporio Armani underwear campaign
Apologies for not posting much this week, I’ve been working on a little side project that y’all are going to love! Stay tuned, but in the meantime, a little retro eye candy, David Beckham’s most recent Emporio Armani underwear campaign. With the slicked hair and his tattoos, it reminds me of the retro sailor campaign for Jean Paul Gaultier parfum. Maybe I’ll try to dig some of those images up as well…
Tagged: 1920s, 1930s, ad, advertisement, Armani, David Beckham, Emporio Armani, sailor, slicked hair, tattoo, thirties, twenties, underwear, undies