1920s - fashion with fun, whimsy and chic

[Marc Chevalier]

DecoDahlia, I tip my cloche to you; you look like you stepped out of the 1920's! Love that the background appears to be of that era, too.

The background is the outdoor lobby of the Oviatt Building (1928) in downtown Los Angeles. The decorative iron gates were designed in 1979 by Jean Clyde Mason, in the style of Edgar Brandt and his contemporaries.


Behind the gates are 1928 elevators with molded glass panels by Rene Lalique.


Lily Powers, you can see much more of the Oviatt Building here: www.myspace.com/oviatt_2008

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[Mojito]

These are some photos of what the brown velvet dress I posted before looks like when being worn, they're not the greatest photos, and my camera shut down after they were taken, as I just have one of those faces!

Front; it's much lower in the front than the back because I'm "Flapper Flat."

You look absolutely perfect, DecoDahlia - both dress and accessories. Love the bag, and is that a gold bullion evening cloche? I'd love to see close ups of both! That uneven hem with the flared back - almost a train - is just divine.

Clubwitsend, I'd love to see photos of your sequined evening turban! I've developed a real soft spot for evening headwear of the period. Just bought another evening cloche - gold lace with pink grosgrain ribbon and gold and pink sequins and beads - very pretty.

Here's the hat I'm wearing with the Gatsby dress - it's late 1920s/very early 30s deadstock (I've seen near identical hats in illustrations from 1928-29 and in a Seeberger photo of 1930):

 

[clubwitsend]

Not a great photo, but this is the turban! Thankfully, I just got a haircut this evening.

Mojito- what a lovely day hat...the lining is actually pretty fabulous! I love that its branded in the crown. Very cool.

 

[Tomasso]

WOW!!

 

[Miss Sis]

Fab hat, Mojito.

I love those dippy brims of the late 20s/ early 30s hats, and since it's very plain, you can dress it up with whatever goes with the dress you want to wear with it.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Art Deco Weekend! I've been packing too.

 

[Paul]

Sorry to take you a little off topic I need 20 advice/ help!

I been looking for a pair of shoes with a 20's flair since I join this forum, the problem is that I take a size 9 and that limits the choose considerably
Any how I came up with these in a sale for £10 about ($8) so I snapped the up.
My question is :- a
Are they in keeping with this dress on the (right) which is black heaver beaded chiffon silk (1925/26)
The shoes are a dark maroon, imitation leather Tee bar, with rounded toe
Should I try and accessorize the dress in maroon , or dye the shoes black or maybe decorated them some way.
Your thought are very welcome.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Accessorize away! Don't dye the shoes because the color is lovely.

 

[Mojito]

I agree with Pink Dahlia. Red/maroon with black would be fine, Paul - you often see just a touch of red with black 1920s dresses. Sometimes a fan, sometimes a necklace - I see no reason why it shouldn't be shoes.

There are quite a few sautoir (lariat) style necklaces around on ebay with dark red seed beads that look about the same colour as your shoes, at least in the photos - perhaps you could get one of those as well? I'll keep an eye out for possibilities. A bag, too - the mesh bags come in a huge array of colours.

I can sympathise on the shoe situation, having large feet myself...I'd also be around the 8, 8.5 or even 9 in UK sizes - it's very annoying that even, as now, when mary janes, t'bars and even button strap shoes are in again, the heel is often wrong (although I do quite like that conical heel as in the pair you have there for contemporary styles!). Have you tried ordering dance shoes online? The quality isn't necessarily as good as regular street shoes, but I've ordered some from DSOL in China to coordinate with particular outfits - just straightforward pumps and mary janes - with a 2.2" louis heel, and they're fine. They also come in a range of colours.

The dress looks utterly gorgeous - can't wait to see close ups!

Clubwitsend, that beautiful bronze colour on the turban looks wonderful with your brunette hair and beautiful rich brown eyes! It would look amazing as part of an overall outfit.

MissSis, I'm so looking forward to catching up for cocktails in Napier!

 

[Mojito]

Uploading some outfits as worn recently in Napier:

Alison is wearing a peacock coloured tabard with a little sequin cap - I'll have to upload a seperate photo of it, as it looks gorgeous with the dress. Jill has on one of my silver and clear beaded chiffon dresses - it's amazing this one has lasted as well as it has, given the weight.

Alison doing rolled stockings - she found this a practical way of managing her hosiary. Jill is wearing her own dress in this photo.

The House of Adair dress and cape that I posted earlier in this thread, finally ironed and steamed with minor repairs made (if you think I look a bit the worse for wear in this photo, you'd be right - it was taken at a bit after 2.00 am on our last night, when a very good party had been had by all).

Some day dresses.

 

[Lily Powers]

Oh! Everyone is just breathtaking!

 

[Laura Chase]

Mojito, you are the most perfect flapper baby ever!

I hope you don't mind me posting these photos here, but I was looking at your blog and simply must know which lipstick you are wearing here?

Oh, the orange dress is stunning, especially with the brown accessories! I understand you feel it's too short, but you have great legs so it suits you nevertheless. What kind of stockings were you wearing with it?

 

[Mojito]

Thank you, Lily and Laura! I'm glad you enjoyed the pics - I'll probably post a few million more of them in my blog and in the Napier thread (including shots of cars rather than just photographs of myself and my friends!)

Laura, I'll check through my makeup bag to see which lipstick that was...most of them are MACs, but I'm not sure about that one - I was whipping through them for the orange shades, and that one worked.

The stockings are fully fashioned Elegantis - I ordered in a range of French, Cubans and Manhattan heels from Nylonz before I went to New Zealand, and they held up well. On the first day I was there I ran into a male friend who loves his vintage who commented on them - he then told me that there was an antique centre just up the road with a whole cupboard full of seamed and unseamed vintage stockings in their original boxes marked down to $10NZ a pair! I found eight of them in the end that would fit me.

 

[Lauren]

Le sigh.... all so lovely. It's what dreams are made of...

 

[Mrs. Merl]

Wow...what else is there to say...

Thank you for sharing Mojito.

 

[Lillemor]

You all look gorgeous!

 

[Mojito]

Thanks girls I'll pass your comments on to the other members of the party - a couple of them have never worn vintage before, but there is already talk of keeping it up.

Found the lipstick, Laura - it's Lens L'Orange by Max Factor from their lasting colour range.

 

[Laura Chase]

Found the lipstick, Laura - it's Lens L'Orange by Max Factor from their lasting colour range.

Thank you so much! It's not easy to come across nice orange lipsticks. It seems like it's discounted, but I'll look on the bay.

 

[Celia Crowson]

Mojito you remind me allot of the glamorous sleuth Phryne Fisher!

Mojito - I don't know if this has been asked - but where would a person who adores the 20s start to build their own collection of clothes, accessories, etc..?

Such beautiful dresses *sigh* - a pleasure to view.

~Amanda~
Australia

 

[Tomasso]

Mojito, you are the most perfect flapper baby ever!

I concur, Laura. Simply perfect.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Mojito - I don't know if this has been asked - but where would a person who adores the 20s start to build their own collection of clothes, accessories, etc..?

~Amanda~
Australia

If I can interject as a fairly new 1920s collector, my collection started with patterns. They are much cheaper and they can give that authentic 20s look without the massive cost and wear and tear. I own exactly 3 authentic 20s dresses all from eBay (one I disassembled and made a pattern out of since it was just too ruined to wear). They are very fragile and were somewhat costly. Maybe Mo can advise that 20s garb is cheaper over there! (Maybe not.) I have a bunch of stuffs in my blog but I'm no expert!