With a glimpse of Spring in the air it is time to start planning what you are going to wear for the warmer months ahead.
The lovely thing about vintage is that you can take a single decade as your inspiration or mix it up to change with your mood and who your feel like channelling when you wake up in the morning.
I thought that I would give your some ideas on how to create a look for each era – with pieces from the high street and style tips too.
Starting with the 1930’s
Key elements –
- Bold patterns and Art Deco Style
- Bias cut gowns and dresses
- Skirts with wedge-cut pleats – fitted at the hips, giving fullness at mid calf.
- Decorative frills from the collar down at the front of a dress or blouse
- Slim fitting suits for day wear teamed with gloves and cloche style hats or berets.
Sportswear and jersey fabric, as well as rayon became popular along with women starting to wear wide leg trousers with decorative blouses and sweaters. Shorts were also worn as exercise became part of a women’s daily routine.
Modern day pieces can be given a 30’s feel by adding vintage accessories – gloves worn with dresses and suits. Berets worn at a jaunty angle in bright colours, straw boaters or cloches pop up on the high street every summer, add a thin striped scarf around the crown to make it individual.
The same scarf can be tied in a bow at the neck to create a jabot style blouse. Look for pretty summer dresses with floaty sleeves – wear it with gloves and T-bar shoes with a little heel. Skirts were mid-calf so look for styles that fit to the hip and flare out at the bottom.
Clutches were the bag of choice so pick up a few vintage ones or look on the high street, make sure that they have metal frame to stay in keeping with the era, fabric and straw ones were also popular.
Pick up vintage brooches to pin on blouses – look for animals such as panther’s, birds and spiders that were made popular by Wallis Simpson and her famous Cartier jewellery collection.
Straw clouche hat from Accesorize
Clutch from Accessorize.
