Jazz-Age Lawn Party Style

Love flapper fashion? Gatsby? Downton Abbey? Boardwalk Empire?  You saw all of these style influences at last weekend's Jazz-Age Lawn Party over at NYC's Governor's Island.  The fashionable summer event is in it eighth year, anchored by the festive Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra.

With all of the vintage fashion inspiration in movies and film, the music-inspired event brings out bigger and bigger crowds of garb-enthusiastic fashionistas.  I love that men and children are as lavishly attired as the ladies.  The fans are so brilliantly detailed that the aesthetic is followed through to even the picnic settings and vehicles.

You would think that everyone would have shown up in beaded flapper dresses after this summer's Great Gatsby movie premiered (especially with director Baz Luhrman in attendance).  However, the crowd was beautifully creative taking looks from all sorts of themes, from musicians, charleston dancers, retro swimwear, tea dresses, domestic servants or co-opting the vintage look with contemporary punk.

If you missed the party in June, rouge your knees for the next party on August 17th and 18th of 2013. More information here.

photos Patrick Michael Hughes,Faran Krentcil for Elle.com, Katie Sokoler

Read more >>

How to Dress for the Gatsby Era

No doubt, every fashion magazine and blog will tell you how to dress in flapper style with today's styles.  Prada produced some drool-worthy fashion for the film The Great Gatsby, but what designers did the Daisy Buchanans wear IN the 1920's?

Roaring 20's fashion was the decade of Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Jeanne Lanvin.  Erte's theater costume illustrations set the tone of sleek art deco patterns.  Flapper dresses were embroidered in Asian florals or Art Deco patterns reflecting the trends in architecture at the time.  Chanel pioneered the concept of comfortable sportswear, opposite the whimsical embellishments of her Italian rival, Schiaparelli. As a parent, Lanvin's intricate work was coveted by other mothers, leading to coordinated outfits for their children as well.

Fashionable ladies were just as enamored with shoes as we are today.  T-strap shoes and embellished heels were the coveted styles of the era.  The prestige designers then were Salvatore Ferragamo and Andre Perugia. 

The 1920's was radical in that fashionable women cut their hair short en masse for the first time in history...ever! It was quite the milestone for a socialite to march into a salon and ask for the chic bob. I love this vintage advertisement that you could bring to your stylist:

Ok, now rouge your knees, roll your stockings down and see the damn movie already!

photos from oldrags.tumblr.com/, jildorshoes.com,

Read more >>