What would you love to wear but have not?

[Vintage Betty]

I would love to wear red lipstick. It just feels so conspicuous on me and I don't think I'm that kind of beautiful that is suitable with red lips! I don't know...I just can't do it!

Lola - I look like a vampire when I wear red lipstick, so I know what you mean. Here's what I do: Apply a shade of dark or very dark red lipstick. On TOP of that shade, put a nice neutral shade that's light or normal for you to wear. It really tones down the red, but keeps the shade more normal subtle red for you. Try it a few times before deciding. It's amazing, I don't really like the look, but BOY have I gotten attention from men since trying this technique! lol

 

[Lauren]

I've always wanted one of those filmy, lacy edwardian gowns but I have no idea where you'd wear one nowadays outside of a film set.

Or this suit from the fashion show section of The Women (love the hat too)

Or a really fantastic Lilli Ann suit from the 40's. Someday I may actually have a shot at the last one.

Ooooohhhh!
Maybe there's a costume guild in Boston... or a tea guild?
And I just found the Victorian Society has a New England chapter... maybe you can go to one of their events or they can point you to similar societies for costumes?

And that's one of my favorites from that sequence in The Women, too

 

[Lola Getz]

Vintage Betty, thanks for the tip! I'll try that some weekend when I have my husband around to protect me from the potential side effects. lol

 

[imoldfashioned]

Ooooohhhh!
Maybe there's a costume guild in Boston... or a tea guild?
And I just found the Victorian Society has a New England chapter... maybe you can go to one of their events or they can point you to similar societies for costumes?

And that's one of my favorites from that sequence in The Women, too

Oh, thanks for telling me about the Victorian Society--how did they escape my notice all these years? I hope they update thier events section soon. There's nothing like an event to force you to finish sewing projects.

 

[Miss 1929]

There's a shade for everyone!

I would love to wear red lipstick. It just feels so conspicuous on me and I don't think I'm that kind of beautiful that is suitable with red lips! I don't know...I just can't do it!

I like VBs suggestion of toning it down - plus, there is a world of difference in bright, dark, transparent, opaque, shiny, matte etc to choose from.
I personally feel that if you are doing a look from anywhere between the 20s and the 50s, if you are not wearing the red lipstick, you will look like you forgot to put it on - it is the iconographic icing on the cake!
You might need to do stronger eyemakeup to not feel washed out. I know that for the past 20 or so years fashion magazines have been saying, either accent the lips or the eyes but not both, and that's fine if you want to look modern! But if you want to look vintage, war paint is needed.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

What a fun thread!
I want to wear a toreador outfit. I already have the hat!

 

[imoldfashioned]

What a fun thread!
I want to wear a toreador outfit. I already have the hat!

Okay, now that's cool!

 

[Miss 1929]

Suit of lights!

I think there is a movie in which Garbo wears estilo de luz?

fftopic: As long as you don't go killing those poor bulls... I have made a bit of a fuss with my Mexican in-laws by adamantly refusing to go to a bullfight. Yes, I wear fur and eat meat, but I can't see torturing an animal to death for fun.

Ok, I will stop the rant now...

 

[Mojito]

If I were a teenage bean-pole...I'd love to wear one of Jeanne Lanvin's 1920s Robe de Style.

I have seen some photos of "older" (read twenty-something) ladies who could carry them off, but I think it's primarily a very youthful style, for the very lithe.

Many examples are too OTT, but there are some truly lovely examples.

 

[Miss 1929]

Love the robe de style!

It's so purty!

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I love bulls. And horses, who are first killed by the bulls.

Okay, now that's cool!

Thanks! Now I'm trying to remember how i acquired the hat. ??
The other thing I want to wear is the dress designed by The Three Stooges, made of wood like a chest of drawers. There's a huge tree that blew over in my back yard but I don't know any cabinet makers, darn.

 

[Lauren]

Oooh... Robe De Style....
Have you seen the pic in the Kyoto Institute's Fashion book of the blue one? So pretty.

 

[Mojito]

Glad to see that there are other Robe de Style fans! I know some fashion researchers who can't stand them - they look at them as...I don't know...the flares of their era. One of the great fashion follies.

I don't have that book, Lauren - you realise I'm going to have to look for it now! Here's a lovely one from Antique Dress:

http://antiquedress.com/item4377.htm

Ditto all the negative comments on bull fighting. Another reason why elements of cultural relativism do not appeal to me (and I have distant Spanish ancestory). I do have a copy of Valentino's Blood and Sand, though! I can understand why Beginthebeguine would like to try on that hat and lovely embroidered bolero jacket.

 

[Lauren]

Oh, you must get it! It's fabulous! I just saw it at my Barnes and Noble on discount for $20- (the version out now on Amazon in $40).. you may want to go take a peek at yours and see if there are some!

And that dress is AMAZING. I never thought I'd see a real one- I believe I saw a fashion sketch in a book I have (not the version on the site, but Lanvin's original)

 

[Mojito]

Thanks Lauren - I've had a recent book buying binge (Art Deco and fashion), and am on the lookout for more to buy. I'll put this on the wish list!

 

[imoldfashioned]

Seconding Lauren's endorsement of the Kyoto book--I think that book is one of the best deals around when you weigh the picture quality and number of good, clear, usable images against the price. They have a version where the original book is split into two volumes now and I've toyed with getting that version as the original is so thick it can be hard to have it lie open.

I was going to post that Antiquedress link, glad to see it's here already. Isn't it amazing to see the real thing? On that topic, I think it's the Met that has the same style Lanvin dress made up for 2 different customers--you can see the subtle differences in cut, length, placement of the decorative motifs to suit the individual woman. If I were home I'd scan the picture.

 

[Snookie]

Glad to hear this! It's something I've been worrying about lately...I like darker eye makeup, but I feel I need red lips for the vintage look. But I've grown up reading all the fashion mag tips that say not to do both, so I've been worrying it's too much all together!

I've always wanted a set of 1930's lounging pyjamas, but that wish always gets put on the back burner, because I end up focusing on clothes to wear in public. The ReVamp ones aren't very well color coordinated, unfortunately.

 

[kamikat]

I also would like silk pajamas. I just can't justify the cost, too impractical for dailywear, not sexy enough for special occasion wear. I also have a couple stunning evening gown patterns from the 50's that I would LOVE to make and wear. I feel like I can get away with nice cocktail dresses to things like midnight mass or New Year's Eve parties, but floor length, big crinoline type dresses just don't fly anymore.

 

[melbournian]

I would absolutely love to find a waist high pencil skirt, but as I have a 27 inch waist and 40 inch hips, I cannot for the life of me find one that fits. My mum just gave me one of her old ones today, a beautifully cut cream knee length waist high pencil skirt, but while it fits at the waist, it's too small across the hips.

 

[Joie DeVive]

I would absolutely love to find a waist high pencil skirt, but as I have a 27 inch waist and 40 inch hips, I cannot for the life of me find one that fits. My mum just gave me one of her old ones today, a beautifully cut cream knee length waist high pencil skirt, but while it fits at the waist, it's too small across the hips.

You have the same problem I do. I think I'm going to have to make one if I ever want to have one that really fits.