1930s autumn fashion inspiration

✯ Day 317 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

November's palette is dark, but not foreboding. It may not be quite as majestically vibrant as that of earlier autumn days, but it retains some of the same burnt umbers, inky maroons, and greys that call to mind cold, wind whipped skies.

At the same time, just as November has one foot planted in the fall, another stretches out to start embracing the colour spectrum of winter, with it's evergreen tree hues, barren tawny-brown landscapes, and pale, snowy ski hills.

Far from being dull and dreary, I find that there is a lot of subtle, beautiful inspiration to be found in the shades that the world around is presently decked out in. Mother Earth is starting to sport her neutral wardrobe as we inch closer to December and this can translate marvellously into vintage pieces for our own sartorial looks, too.

Take for example the richly lovely selection of French 1930s looks in the fashion illustration below. Here we see an array of dresses and coats in the very colours mentioned above - even the quaint (almost loafer looking) shoes are matched to the November inspired outfits.

{A timelessly pretty selection of vintage French fashions are on display in this wonderful illustration from 1936. Image via Le Petit Poulailler on Flickr.}

 

By the mid-thirties we start to see some of the looser lines of the 20s and early years of the decade give away the more structured styles would appear as time rolled on into the forties. The silhouettes are still long and lean here though, as they'd so often been during the Depression years, though in this image one picks up on a subtly feminine figure being carved out thanks to belted and nipped in waists.

Regardless of if you enjoy sporting fashions from the thirties yourself, there's much inspiration on the colour front to be gleaned from this palette of autumnal shades, which you can easily apply to your own favourite decades (just think how striking a 40s inspired pencil skirt and sweater set combo in earthy green and brown would be, or why not an 1950s evening dress pale grey or teal-kissed pine green?).

In a few short weeks nature will even more devoid of colour, but that doesn't mean you wardrobe has to be, so long as you keep November's elegant palette in mind all through the snowy months that will upon as in a flash.

Delightful 1930s worthy Peter Pan collar top

✯ Day 234 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

The fashions of the 1920s and 30s enchant me. They encapsulate of a curious mix of casualness and elegance, channel a current of freedom, and speak of an age when prêt-à-porter wear was really starting to take off.

Luxurious fabrics mingled with work-a-day materials, lengthy strings of pearls sat beneath bobbed hair, cloche hats and newsboy caps topped heads everywhere, and skirt lengths rose and fell like the tide.

Though not the decades that my own vintage wardrobe hails from (alas, my petite, hour glass frame just doesn't work well in a gamine-worthy flapper dress), I admire the artistry and tailoring of the period of immensely.

Perhaps no one amongst our ranks captures the spirit of this era - and translates into the most wearable, appealing version your could imagine - better than the Vintage Baroness, whose blog I've fawned over and admired greatly since its inception.

And so it was of our lovely Baroness that I first thought when I spotted the delightful shirt below. At first glance one might perceive a Mod era element, and while I'll grant this this top could have passed muster in the swinging sixties, I sense a much more powerful 1930s vibe.

 

From the darling Peter Pan collar to the timeless colour palette, the lovely bow to the three-quarter length sleeves, this cute top radiates classic thirties charm.

Just as I could see it as a piece the Baroness might gravitate towards, so too I can envision it working in decades beyond the 1930s. Partner it with a crisp skirt suit and it takes on a non-nonsense WW2 years sensibility. Skin right capri pants or a full skirt and you're suddenly telegraphing a delightful 1950s Audrey Hepburn feel.

Made from soft, stretchy jersey, this lovely vintage inspired top (which would be perfect for the change in temps as we transition into autumn in the coming weeks) looks so comfortable, but also timelessly pretty. It's available for $39.00 from Plasticland in ladies sizes small to 2XL (and measures 23" inches long, which means that unless you have a very lengthy torso, it should hit you nicely around the hips).

So, while I might not be able to slip into a 1930s ensemble and look the part, I think that I could pull off a versatile, playful Peter Pan collar top like this, weaving it into a 50s outfit, but thinking - the whole time I'd be sporting it - of those daring style mavens of the roaring 20s and wild 30s.

Cool, sheer and colorful 1930s spring fashions

✯ Day 123 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

From the pages of the spring/summer 1938 Sear & Roebuck catalog comes a selection of the most delightfully pretty late 1930s women's fashions I've encountered in a long time. These cheerful, terrifically elegant dresses - airy as spun sugar - are paired with equally chic, wonderfully sprightly hats that help set the whole mood of these highly feminine outfits.

{Vintage 1930s Sears catalog page via juffrouwig on Flickr.}

 

I look at these three beautiful young women and I'm suddenly struck with the intense desire to transport back in time seventy three years. While 1920s and early 30s styles can be hard for me to pull off (thanks to my petite, hourglass figure that definitely does not jive well with most flapper era fashions), as the thirties rolled onward women's fashions began to change and return to more structured, tailored styles, some of which, do work for me.

These three styles seem to bridge the gap between the early 30s and war years of the 40s perfectly. They're streamlined, but still somewhat billowy and carefree; ripe with wonderfully lovely details such as ruffled collars, ribbon sash belts, and sheer fabric overlays. Two sport polka dots (which on the darling red dress are in the shape of little hearts, to boot!), and the third is a timelessly beautiful floral print that looks as though a stunning May garden has come to life on a short-sleeved springtime frock.

I would wear anyone of these looks, but am perhaps most in love with floral dress that boasts a jolly corsage-like detail in the centre of the neckline. I go weak in the knee for vintage dresses with flowers on them and would adore the chance to wear this thoroughly wonderful 1930s number.

All three looks are works of art unto themselves though, each so agelessly appealing and, I think, also rather easy to wear. While it might be quite tricky to track down these exact dresses today, similar styles can still be found online (etsy shop, Adeline’s Attic, which features an expertly curated array of vintage pieces, is one of my absolute favourite sources of great 1930s fashions) and at second hand stores that stock clothing from the thirties.

This May, why not draw inspiration, as I certainly am, from this vintage Sears catalog page to help ensure that you look every bit as lovely - and springtime worthy - today as these ladies did seven decades ago.

Lovely, very rare colour film clip of 1930s fashions

✯ Day 67 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

While there is undeniable much to be said for photos (and illustrations) of vintage fashions (and indeed, I love such things with an immeasurable passion!), it's also fantastic when you get a chance to see video of clips of yesteryear clothing, too.

Fashion show film clips provide a tantalizing look back at how vintage clothes appeared from all angles, how they draped on the wearer's figure, and (often, assuming the model walked around) how they looked when someone was moving about.

I find vintage fashion show clips to such a stellar glimpse at the past. The models in such films usually sported very au courant hair and make-up styles, in addition to the latest garments, hats, shoes and accessories - which means that they can be the perfect source of inspiration if you want to very accurately recreate a vintage look from a certain decade or even, in some instances a specific year.

Today's clip is definitely a winner for many reasons. Not only does it show an array of beautiful 1930s fashions, it features commentary by each model on the respective outfit she's wearing, and perhaps most delightfully, it's in colour. Colour (Hollywood) movies were fairly rare in the 30s, and film clips of fashion shows from that era (especially the early part of the decade) true are an uncommon site to behold.

This engaging two and a half minute 1930s fashion show film is sure to appeal to fans of the decade, as well as to vintage clothing lovers in general, as it really does feel like you're right there with the models as they describe their pretty (and may I add, entirely wearable) outfits (many of which would be perfect for the spring and summer season we're heading into now).

Vintage Fashionista Friday: April 23, 2010

{In the days before each of us kept cabinets full of hair care products (for most modern things like mousse, gel, shine serum, and hair spray had yet to be invented), hair nets (usually in the same colour as a woman’s hair) were often employed to help hairstyles keep their shape and stay in place. While a hair net itself is a bit utilitarian looking, the packages they once came wrapped up in are anything but boring! Many abound with beautiful artwork and colours that instantly invoke thoughts of a bygone era. This particular hair net was made by Wearwell (isn’t that name delightful?) and is constructed of real human hair (as many were before elastic nets came into use); it can be had for $8.00 US (which the enchanting artwork on the package alone is worth, in my opinion) from etsy seller Coming Up Roses.}



{Timeless beauty exudes from this dainty pair of earrings, which are made up shades that call to mind the sea on a cloudy day a spring meadow during the rain. Comprised of glass and metal to form a shape that seems at once both like a star and a flower, these tiny earrings measure 1/4 of an inch in diameter, yet would lend a sizable amount of elegance to any outfit. They can be yours for $28.00 US from Anthropologie.com.}



{Though this delicate white cardigan is not that terribly old (it has a tag attached that I’d peg to be from the 70s), something about the feminine details (such as the ruffle adorned neckline) and peplum at the waist instantly made me of certain suits and blouses I’ve seen from the 1930s. I love the idea of pairing this cardigan with the dress below and letting the fern leaf pattern poke through the oven-weave design of the sweater. This 100% acrylic cardigan fits up to a 36” bust/30” waist, and can be yours for $22.00 US from etsy seller Raleigh Vintage.}



{Hues that seem to invoke the very essence of a stormy spring sky dance across this immensely lovely 1930s silk dress that the seller found in Prague. Ferns in black and white are set atop a deep, almost inky teal hue in this understatedly elegant, yet still wonderfully fun, dress with its gently curving neckline, long sweep and short sleeves. In very good condition (save for a tad bit of fading under the arms), this classically styled vintage frock fits up to a 37” bust/29” waist, and is available for $238.00 US from etsy seller BabaVintage.}



{Soak away the day’s worries in a tub scented softly of lotus flowers, mandarin leaves and jasmine, delivered via Dead Sea salt that is enriched with an extra dose of althea, all the while gazing dreamily at a sublimely pretty, floral patterned package that’s redolent of something from an old time apothecary. Available online from Amazon for $9.00 US, this enchantingly lovely package of Claus Porto Madrigal Water Lilly Bath Salts is one of those products that almost seem too lovely to use (almost!).}



{A grand sort of refined elegance swirls through this incredible antique handbag which hails from the period between 1910 and 1920. Bedecked with turquoise beads and featuring a coppery-gold hued metal chain handle, as well as an exquisitely pretty, artfully ornate clasp (latch), this black purse would be a spectacular treasure to take with you on your most special of evenings events – or perhaps even to use for a wedding. Priced at $95.00 US, this charming purse is available from etsy seller Frocksmith.}



{Recreated to mirror a genuine 1930s pair Oxford swing dance shoes, these modern day heels could easily pass for the original deal. Made by Aris Allen, whose entire line of vintage reproduction dance shoes – for both men and women – is enough to make any old school footwear lover swoon! These black lace-up swing dance shoes (which sport a 3 inch high heel) would look gorgeous with a wide array of vintage outfits, and are available in ladies sizes 5 to 11 (including half sizes), for $64.95 from Dancestore.com.}

♥ ♥ ♥


This Friday has been one of the loveliest in recent memory. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, what made this day so glorious was the wealth of sunshine the poured through every window, recharging my internal batteries in a way I really haven’t felt since last summer. It’s simply amazing how much more energy I have when the sun is out! Do you feel the same way too?

My sweet dears, I wish you each a majestically lovely weekend, teaming with joy and oodles of fun!