Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Don't Fear the Flapper (dress)

Queen of curves Marilyn Monroe as Clara Bow
 I decided to face a bit of a vintage fashion fear and obsession head on these past few weeks. That love/fear for me has been the 1920's. I love that period for style and decorative arts. One of my all time favorite designers is Jeanne Lanvin, and even as a period of history, it's fascinating!

As a fashion though it be daunting to wear. It's so counter my usual way of thinking. These were women throwing off the corset and the tyranny of the tiny waist. hemlines rollercoastered, and it really was the decade that set the pace for modern clothing. But me, I'm not all that into modern clothing. I love my corsets because for us they are a choice not a mandate, and my waist is one of the few things about my body I actually feel comfortable with. I know how to handle it and use it to my advantage when dressing. To wear the 20's I'd have to be willing to let my waist go (become invisible not actually physically go), and that scared the heck out of me, but still I recently set said on a voyage of flapper self discovery!

20's dames weren't all ultra skinny, and not necessarily ultra tall, something I always felt a person would need to be to pull the look off. Keeping that in mind I decided to pull my first 1920's dress into my closet and challenge myself to try wearing this decade to see how it felt.

My 1st dress is this one. A dropped waist (scary!) Nile green Charmeuse straight style dress with lace and ribbon roses for accents. When worn I was kind of shocked at first to see a straight figured person looking back at me, but found that the waist kind of reveals itself in movement, and all the motion in the dress has a surprisingly playful feel as a garment in action. The freedom of movement was the nicest part of wearing the 1920's. Though I did still pull on my long girdle to keep my line as smooth as possible it was very freeing to poddle about in.

I'm a pretty full figured gal, and really very short (just 5'0") but the style was more forgiving than I had anticipated, and I'm now largely over my fear of the roaring 20's as a look!



I'm loving my first 20's style flapper dress.  I don't think I'll be hanging up my waist cinchers and petticoats for good (I learned to love my 1920's lips but can't give up on my 1950's hips!), but I do think I'll be bringing more 1920's outfits and looks into rotation from time to time. I hope this helps a few more of you feel confident to give this look we love a try too!


17 comments:

  1. I really love how you have the gathering around the hips so there's still a bit of shapeliness in the front. It also helps define the waist in back and shows off your figure a bit more. I think that's a really fun surprise. It's all fun and dancing from the front, but just a little silver screen siren from behind.

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    1. That's one thing i think I liked most about the fabric, because it's so drapey the dress was able to keep the straight lines,even in the back, but with certain movements and gestures that shape of the back comes through which was nice :)

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  2. While a dropped waist doesn't scare me obliterating my waistline puts me off, too! I turn my nose up at empire tops that can't be belted and all the billowing-from-bust-to-hip peasant tops that have been popular for the last few summers. I don't look like me in them!
    Still, I like your flapper dress with the pretty lace hem. It's good to be willing to experiment. =)

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    1. I have crazy short legs which is where my drop waist phobia comes from! But I'm always like you about obliterating the waist, it doesn't feel like "me" without a waist. I think that was a big part of why this dress was so much to wear, it's like putting on a different person as much as a dress which is kind of fun.

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  3. I think it looks great! I'm also short with an hourglass figure, so I've always been scared of 20s silhouettes, but over the last year or so I've been toying with it, and it really can work. The key, as you demonstrate, is to avoid doing a straight, smooth rectangle -- having details to break up the block, provide subtle contour, and make sure the hem balances out the bust. I mean, if you have an hourglass figure, just making it loose in the waist -- instead of making a literal rectangle, where the waist is the same diameter as the hips or bust -- will give an appropriate rectangular appearance without making you look 10 inches wider. I love the gathering on the waist in your dress. It's a good way of drawing attention to the waistline without actually nipping it. :)

    Funny how the ideal 1928 proportions are actually basically the modern body type! I wonder what the actual average figure was in those days.

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    1. I thought that was remarkable about the 20's figure too, I found another blog the other day comparing modern pattern size charts to the 20's and they were near identical, even down to the very small sizes being considered more for teens. I guess we're not as different as we think for that decade!

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  4. It's Fantastic! Love the colors too! I thought you had to be pencil build to pull of the 20's look, thank you for posting this! i too am short and full figured! Cheers!

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    1. It's nice to find there's hope for us yet! (and yay a fellow short lass)

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  5. Wow. Just wow. I always didn't like the look of the flapper dresses, but you've made me believe they can be pretty too. You look very nice in it; your hair complements the dress look/color too. Love your posts and can't wait to see more!

    --
    http://ladylavendersexpressions.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thanks so much! I'm working on a more period accurate bra as the next stage to really pull the dresses of so there will certainly be more to come! I'm glad i was able to sell you more on the flapper dresses too. They were something I was never too fond of either in the past, but they started to grow on me the last couple of years.

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  6. Oh my... you look drop dead gorgeous ! your flapper dress is outstanding !!! I love the color & the roses accent ! wonderful ! looks so comfortable & glamourous <3

    Viola

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    1. Thanks so much! That color was a surprise find a little bit back but it has so much potential!

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  7. Gorgeous dress! I love this lovely style of the flapper dress! You look so pretty!

    Rebecca
    www.winnipegstyle.ca

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  8. I've just discovered your blog, it's really inspiring! I love love love that flapper dress, what a subtle and beautiful colour it is, you look amazing. You have your newest follower...

    I've recently started my own blog, mostly set in the english countryside with my vintage clothes as the stars of the show, but the latest post is of a trip to paris, red cloche hat and vintage coat, do come take a peek and let me know what you think!

    Emalina
    www.kikiandthegypsy.blogspot.co.uk

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  9. Hello honey! Just wanted to mention I gave you the Leibster Blog Award on my blog today! Follow the link to see what rules comes with the award! :) xox

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    1. Oh my gosh what a thrill! I loved reading your answers, I'll have to sit down and see if I can come with some answers now to do the award justice :)

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  10. Uhm...yes, here comes the link too... :)

    http://missmeadowsvintagepearls.blogspot.se/

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