Flapper Chic

Morgana le Fay

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:56:00 +0000

Morgana is one of my favourite baddies. I loved the costume design for Katie McGrath as Morgana in the recent BBC series Merlin. Her dresses and cloaks start off as trad glossy medieval re-enactment, but gradually get darker/shabbier as she gets more evil.

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Lady Marion

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:14:00 +0000

My new obsession is with flowing dresses, linen and hemp tunics of all descriptions, and Pre-Raphaelite red hair inspired by my recent discovery of old TV series Robin of Sherwood.

With the weather so gloomy recently in the UK, I've been devouring the box set and dreaming of summer days in the wood.

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Blandings Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:24:00 +0000

It's been an age since I last posted on here....oops! New series of P G Woodehouse's Blandings Castle novels on the BBC starring Timothy Spall and Jennifer Saunders...not much 20's style frock candy yet but pretty funny adaptation I thought.

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Downton Abbey Season 3

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 10:27:00 +0000

It's autumn and the new series of Downton Abbey is nearly upon us...the plot has arrived in the roaring twenties and the trailer shows that there will be lots more lovely costumes...can't wait!

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My first corset!

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:55:00 +0000

After many years of admiring what katie did corsets, I finally cracked and got one in their most recent sale. It is a 'Sofia' in black silk that goes down to a 22 inch reduced waist (from my natural 25 inch waist). I've always been quite interested in tight lacing, so am intrigued to give it a try. At the moment I'm trying to 'season' the corset by wearing for an hour a day at the loosest setting, to give it a chance to shape to my body. There are lots of videos by Lucy's corsetry on Youtube that show how to break in and store new corsets that I found really helpful. Then I'll try working up to reducing further... although it takes a bit of getting used to, the shape and hold of the corset seems really high quality, immediately improving my posture and smoothing out the waist. Whilst I admire extreme body modifiers who get down to 16 inches, I don't think I'd ever have the patience or dedication to go to a really small waist size!

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Chap Olympiad

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 10:28:00 +0000

Long a bastion of the forties vintage brigade (including the vintage mafia)...I see a bit of Deco is creeping into the proceedings at the Chap Olympiad!

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Ralph Lauren Summer style on a budget

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 09:23:00 +0000

Zara is your friend here for tailored tuxedo blazers!

Ralph Lauren on the high street by hari3883 featuring silver shoes

Jack Wills cable knit sweater
jackwills.com

Zara blazer
zara.com

Zara
zara.com

Ravel silver shoes
debenhams.com

River Island cloche hat
riverisland.com

Ultimate Performance Pure Silk Textured Spot Woven Tie - Marks &...
marksandspencer.com

Ralph Lauren Autumn/Winter 2012: Edwardian Tomboy

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:53:00 +0000

The only upside to the rubbish weather we've been having in the UK recently is the opportunity to get excited about the new fashion in the autumn. I'm already day dreaming about digging out the velvet and leather and layering up tweed and wool, with a bit of vintage sparkle and gold thrown in to channel Ralph Lauren's Edwardian Tomboy meets Downton Abbey A/W 2012/13 collection...

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Modern Speakeasies in London

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:49:00 +0000

London is always looking for the newest craze in bar and restaurant world and there has definitely been a trend towards lots of cocktail places and nights with a prohibition or speakeasy theme in recent years. Here are my top 7 London speakeasies!

1. Candlelight Club

"The Candlelight Club is a clandestine pop-up cocktail bar in a secret London venue, a stunning, tucked-away den with a 1920s speakeasy flavour, completely lit by candles. Each party offers a one-off cocktail menu, with special themes, plus dancing to live 1920s jazz bands and vintage DJing."
http://www.thecandlelightclub.com/index.html

2. Evans and Peel Detective Agency

Haven't been to this one yet, but it looks amazing! Have to book. A 'cloak and dagger' speakeasy hidden behind a black door in Earls Court.
http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/bars/bar-gazer-evans--peel-detective-agency-7935648.html

3. Calloo Callay
Down the rabbit hole with Alice... Calloo Callay seems like a normal bar...until you climb through a wardrobe into another bar!
http://www.calloohcallaybar.com/

4. Experimental Cocktail Club

Hidden just off China Town! The only way to ensure entry is to e-mail in advance, Tues-Sat before 5pm (reservation@chinatownecc.com);

5. 69 Colebrook Row

Tucked away on a sidestreet in Islington with no sign...once through the door serious looking men in white coats and bowties serve fantastic cocktails (whiskey sours, elderflower sparkle) to a handfull of tables.

"Still, for all the excellence of the drinks, it's the little touches (impeccably attired staff, handwritten bills, tall glasses of water poured from a cocktail shaker) that elevate this lovely enterprise from the pack."

6. White Mink at the Bedroom Bar

A Brighton institution, the White Mink electroswing night takes on London...
http://www.whitemink.co.uk/about.html

7. J Sheekies Speakeasies

With it's plush decor and deco style Oysterbar J Sheekey is somewhat of a London seafood institution. Great for spotting actors filling up before they go on stage in the theatre's round about.

"As in the bars of prohibition America, Sheekey Speakeasies combine dinner with a great night of entertainment" featuring comedians, jazz singers and great food.

http://www.sheekeysspeakeasies.co.uk/

The Beauty of the female form

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:36:00 +0000

This was an excellent vintage bookstore find by a friend. 'The Beauty of the female form' is a book of nudes for 'artists study' (read erotica!) published in 1934. I think this quote from the introduction is a rather lovely illustration of the shift in attitudes from Edwardian to 1920's era:

"The Victorian horror of the unclothed was a sign of a repressive age but, with the advance of true education, hygeine and open air culture, athletics and sun bathing societies, every normal person can and should take a natural delight in the pure loveliness of the human body untrammelled by the ugliness of false conventionality"

Interestingly all the models seem to be completely shaven! So perhaps not completely untrammelled by false conventionality ....

Deco Darling...Boots No 7 Autumn/Winter collection

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 09:49:00 +0000

Via British Beauty Blogger
New makeup collection from Boots inspired by the Great Gatsby.

Vintage Treasures

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:08:00 +0000

Messing about with the 'vintage' setting on my phone- using Snapseed. This is a bed jacket that belonged to my Granny in the forties- silk and french lace handmade for her (luckily I have become the same size as she was in her twenties)

la fée verte moodboard

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:18:00 +0000

La Fee Verte by hari3883 featuring belts

Belt, $165
Absinthe Collar, $148
ViCToRiAN BUTToN UP ANKLE BooTS iN BLACK by ShastaBrookVintage, $49
Absinthe and laudanum in the afternoon Leather lace by Mascherina, $505
Glass Vial Necklace Absinthe by spacepearls on Etsy, $12

Whatever next?...Bordelle does Bondage Bridal

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 14:00:00 +0000

http://www.bordelle.co.uk/collections/full-collection

A Dirty Martini with Evelyn Waugh

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:59:00 +0000

Hendricks Gin have jumped on the Vintage bandwagon with their Library of Delightfully peculiar writings- a sort of literary Victoriana sideshow travelling around the summer Arts and Literature festivals.

I went to see a Trailblaze theatre's loose adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel Vile Bodies. It happens to be one of my favourite novels..so I was curious to see what they would do. It was a semi improv play with the audience getting to make choices at key points in the story. Overall I'd say good fun, if a bit unpolished and I'd generally agree with this review on the Fringe website...

Walking into Trailblaze Theatre Company’s soirée was a riot ─ a song and dance routine in full Twenties swing. The conceit of having Waugh-the-author on stage commenting and typing at the same time his characters performed all around him and the Hendrick’s Library itself, was invigorating if a touch disconcerting for the audience – or maybe that was just the free gin, well it was Waugh after all.

Gin bathtub..yummy

The inside of the Hendricks tent/performance area

Danielle De Niese as Cleopatra

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:56:00 +0000

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Just perfection.....so beautiful

Great Gatsby Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 19:11:00 +0000

This trailer for the new Baz Lurhmann version of the Great Gatsby seems to be dividing opinion somewhat on the net. Personally I'm a big fan of Lurhmann in general and I don't think it's such an issue that he hasn't produced a period drama, but rather more of a hyper-stylised version with modern music but jazz age costumes and sets...to me it seems a little bit steam punk maybe? Which is all to the good IMHO.

Powder her back....

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:13:00 +0000

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I like the idea of this new powder perfume from Laggridore- it is a perfume in powder form rather than a talc. Just the things for powdering ones's back before a summer evening on the town.

Zoe Jakes and Rachel Brice for Five and Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:49:00 +0000

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This store does an excellent line in the way of piratical bloomers and steam punk accessories...

Faux fox stole

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:46:00 +0000

I love the kitsch look of those old fox furs, but don't think I could actually bring myself to buy or wear one. See Annie Pancake for an excellent discussion of the whys and wherefores on this issue, but personally, aside from the dubious ethicality of owning something made from lots of electrocuted furry creatures, it's too weird to think about wearing something that feels exactly like my cats fur. Happily for the vintage lover with such qualms, Candy Apple have made this awesomely bonkers faux fox fur stole complete with a little fox head and tassles for paws....

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Outfit Musings- Weimar Republic

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:41:00 +0000

Planning what to wear to White Mink next week. It's an electroswing night so all about the mashup of modern and 1920's fashions. My preferred style is not to look like I'm in a period drama (!) but to incorporate elements of 20's and 30's style into my look. So that means no to head to toe flapper outfits and yes to referencing the look with key pieces like and artfully draped beaded cloak, flapper head dress or bits of luxurious beading/fringing/velvet or silk...

I'm feeling the Weirmar republic style at the moment (otherwise known as Sailor-Zombie chic) as modelled by the Liza Minelli and the lovely ladies/lady boys of the Kit Kat club in the musical Cabaret:

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Weimar Republic by hari3883 featuring embroidery shirts

Ruffle dress
$1,480 - net-a-porter.com

Boutique by Jaeger sailor top
£80 - houseoffraser.co.uk

Emilio Pucci embroidery shirt
$7,490 - net-a-porter.com

Black silk pants
$65 - etsy.com

Christys hat
€69 - jades24.com

50's inspired Spring Frocks

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:06:00 +0000

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Silent Era Swim wear from ShabbyApple

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:11:00 +0000

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1920's inspired swim wear from Shabby Apple. Reminds me a bit of Queen Sophie-Anne Le Clerq in True Blood

Itty Bitty Tease Cabaret Deco act...

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:31:00 +0000

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These stunnng pictures are Via the Freelancers Fashion Blog. Burlesque artist Ulrika Bachér and her troop the Itty Bitty Tease Cabaret doing the silent movie star thing...I really live the use of colour here- many people make the mistake of thinking just because the movies were black and white they actually wore black and white clothes! check out her blog for the full lot of photos.

Upstairs Downstairs new season

noreply@blogger.com (Hari) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:59:00 +0000

I've been meaning to post about the new series of Upstairs Downstairs. I'm enjoying the new series, although Ed Stoppard's monobrow is freaking me out a bit..it seems to take over every scene it's in. Anyways, the fashions have moved on a bit from the first series and we are deep into thirties going into forties style, which means many excellent hats (one of the best thus far below) and frocks. The men don't seem to have much discernible change in fashion...tweeds in the day, dinner jackets at night...but then that is true for some parts of middle England still in 2012!

(monobrow **shudders**)

Are you watching Upstairs Downstairs?