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!

Goldilocks

I have kinda crazy tastes, and sometimes that leads me to style awesome, and sometimes to style horror. A little obsession that's eating away at me right now that could fall either way is the 1920's bullion wig. I just can't decide if they are crazy cool or crazy bad.

I mean I remember wearing a tinsel wig in the 80's and that was decidedly crazy bad, but for special photoshoots, shows, events etc, the bullion flapper wig unusual super hit hit or terrible terrible miss?

Not sure what I'm taking about? It's these glittery beauties/beasts....

From Timeless Vixen Vintage

From Antique Dress

V&A Museum

 Sometimes referred to as wigs sometimes as cloches these unusual and distinctly 1920's headdresses are somewhere in the middle. The great Sydney Flapper on Livejournal was able to shed some light after landing both a bullion wig and article on the article from the seller! The 1922 newspaper clipping did indeed talk of them in terms of wigs so I guess wigs thy were? Made kind of like a hat with real metallic threads for hair they could actually be made from silver or gold!

I can't help but wonder though, with their style all puffed up once again (times seems to have been hard on most examples and flattened them out considerably) could they be strikingly cool and glitteringly deco and glam? I know I love them as art objects but are they equally lovable as fashion objects?

I've got a mad desire to make one, but hesitant about spending the $$$ on something that could be doomed to be a sparkle disaster from the get go, though undoubtedly the making journey would be an interesting one!

How do you guys feel about the bullion wig!? Bring it back or let go?

Michelle Harper

Soda Streamline

Yesterday was Sodastream shopping (RIP original Sodastream, you served us well over the years buddy), and after being in a bit of a fashion funk lately a perfect excuse to get all dolled up and head to the mall like all the cool kids do.

Been in the middle of a serious 1920's-1930's kick lately, I've always loved the styles, but found my equal love of all things 50's a more natural fit for my body type, which has had me shy away from earlier vintage styles. In the middle of my usually super mid century style wardrobe (which I realize I haven't been photographing much lately), this little outfit has been my main outlet for earlier decade fashion fixes! Mostly from a new collection coming out in a few weeks with other goodies it was nice to wear something new from my little studio again. Really excited to get some earlier vintage styles into my life, Not sure a lot of 20's 30's fashions are a super natural fit for what nature gave me, but I love playing out with them so who cares!

Outfit Rundown:
Blouse & Trousers: Vivcore (coming soon)
Pearls: Vivcore Society Pearl necklace in Navy with the white bracelet as an extender
Lipstick: Besame Merlot
Hair: A bit of a quick messy attempt, but curled on hot sticks and pinned under for a faux bob look (never enough commitment for the crop!)

They Let Me Eat Cake

Last weekend I got the chance to shake off some of my frilliest drawers, stiffest corset and favorite accessories from the Vivcore vault for a shoot with my best friend and model Kitty Lynne and the talented guys and gals at Capital Bombshell. The result is a candy colored rococo retro pin up shoot that puts some oo lala into the genre Du Barry was a Lady style!

Model: Kitty Lynne
Clothing, jewelry, fans, wig: Vivcore
Photography, Sets: Luigi Crespo 
Makeup: Jennifer Butt (you should see what she does with hair if we hadn't run out of time. Seriously, she's magic!)

I loved working on this shoot, and working on decadent projects like this. Can't wait to collaborate with Capital Bombshell again!

Want to make some pin up magic of your own? They are open for bookings, and I'm still selling the fashion!

Dance of the Dressmaker

Well guys I took a not so elegant leap this week and went to my first ballet class!

Nikolay Krusser via Dust jacket

When I was a little girl I took ballet classes like just about every little girl. I wasn't very good. To be honest I wanted to throw on a tutu get in some point shoes and twirl like a swan from the get go. My 6 year old brain couldn't fathom all the up, down, plié repetition. So it felt by the side in favor of trampolining (boing!). As an adult however actually getting those boring looking things right takes a lot of effort and concentration (the missing ingredient from 6 year old me!)


I always wanted to do ballet growing up. I'd go to watch the ballet with my dad and my heart would just about burst when the orchestra struck up and the dancers came on stage. I never gave it a go though. I knew I'd never be a dancer like that, and decided I was just to old to even try. I've since learned however that that is bollocks! Ok half bollocks...I really never will be a dancer like the ones I saw at the ballet, I dedicated my life in a different direction, but you really never are too old to enjoy something for your self and get better at something just for the pleasure of learning something different, self improvement, and yeah maybe executing a perfect pirouette at age 50. Because although we might think by the time we're 50 neither we nor anyone else will care, we'd be wrong.  I remember at 18 picking up skateboarding and thinking about how I'd be like, 25 before I'd be any good, and ZOMG so old!

My new ballet shoes

So yeah, for a few years now I made a whole bouquet of excuses, too old, too fat, too unfit, too uncoordinated, but in the end like I say, you really are never too old, and all the rest, just showing up and trying will take them out of the equation. Getting over embarrassment can be hard, but once you take that leap over that one hurdle, who knows what you might be able to enjoy! Me? We'll I'm now a 32 year old beginner ballerina with a great "front attitude" struggling to figure out how to "make my knees point that way". Better than a 32 year old girl signing "I wish I'd tried that".

Falling for kanzashi

Having been unable to use a sewing machine for a while, I've been a busy kanzashi making bee! Fall gallery updates are all lined up, and what better way to kick off these updates than by finally including with the king of Fall kanzashi, Autumn tinted maple leaves.

This new pin is really getting me in the mood for cooler weather. Its also the 1st November kanzashi to hit the Kanzashi Core site, and (drum roll please)... Kanzashi Core's 100th kanzashi featured in the galleries!!!!!!
 
100 Kanzashi Party!

To celebrate the 100th Kanzashi Core kanzashi  I'm throwing a kanzashi extravaganza! Till  the end of September every full kanzashi order (this excludes barrettes) from our kanzashi shop will receive a free pair of tsumami kanzashi barrettes. Also everyone who orders a kanzashi this month will also be entered to win this rather tasty, retro kimono inspired purse to go with their new hair ornaments.

Launch it!

With the Fall updates on the zine site, I'm making a push to get new updates to the shop part too, but need the support of all you kanzashi lovers to make that happen!

Despite a flood of interest and requests when the kanzashi shop re-opening was anounced, it hasn't had the sales needed to sustain it.

If you are one of the people excited to see the kanzashi shop open again please help get the word out. Tweet us, Facebook us, Tumble us. I'd love to work with any blogs interested in the shop and the art. Most importantly, buy your favorites!

I have the seeds of a book in progress, prototypes happening for chic lucite geiko style kanzashi and even super out there courtesan sets! I hope with enough support (indie speak for sales) I can bring these things to you.

Red X Plague Style!

Our house has recently been hit by some kind of curse, my husband and I alternating with various "knock you on your ass" illnesses and medical almost impossibilities. So been quieter than usual here lately, sorry :(