Posts Tagged ‘fifties style’
Once we have moved on from those hot summer days, it will also be time to move on from the cute and pretty floral dresses onto something a little more grown up and a lot more glamorous. This autumn and winter glamour will be be a key factor influencing all sorts of trends from show stopping evening wear to ladylike silhouettes from yesteryear. Fashion will be taking its ques from historical looks especially the mid calf length skirts of the fifties and Dior inspired nipped in waists. Think pearls and twin sets, assymetrical maxi length dresses inspired by the disco era and very flattering t dresses. These clothes are from times when ladies made a real effort with what they wore, long before the casual look of jeans and t shirts.
The beauty of these new and glamorous looks for the autumn and winter is that they look great on everyway. These styles were made to flatter an array of different body shapes and make them feel and look good. The fifties style was a result of women craving glamour, luxury and lots of fabric after the war when everything was rationed and the make do and mend attitude reined. Another key element to the seasons glamorous look is good quality winter coats in luxurious fabrics. Seventies disco glamour is also big this season with a big the resurgence of the famous Halston label being a key influence.Â
On the autumn winter catwalks there was certainly an emphasis of style over fashio. Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs led the way in grown up glamour with mid calf length skirts worn with kitten heels and ankle socks. Prada also revisited a number of shapes from the archives including the a line skirt which was worn with fitted style tops, for once a fashion that celebrates the feminine figure and makes the most of curves. Dolce and Gabbana worked the glamour in their own unique way with lace, corsets and tuxedo’s all featuring.
This Long sleeved black frill front top is quite simple but incredibly glamorous. It has a great texture and a neckline that shows off a feminine figure to perfection.
This Grey flared skirt with contrast floral flocking is a very wearable version of the winters mid calf length skirt. Try wearing with a fitted top and a belt to highlight the waist and if you are brave enough a pair of kitten heels and ankle socks.
But glamour is not just about the clothes that you where but also about how you accessorise your outfits. Glamour usually includes texture, shine and sparkle. You can achieve grown up glamour with a great black dress accessorised to perfection with a sparkling necklace, shiny shoes and a glossy clutch bag. Think also about how you do your hair. Grown up glamour is all about elaborate up do’s, which can be a little time consuming to do but then who said that being glamorous was going to be easy!
This silver necklace with bow diamond pendant is the pefect way to add some grown up glamour to any outfit.
There are plenty of different women that have been classed as style icons over the years but Grace Kelly is probably one of the most recognised for her style throughout the world. The current exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London pays homage to her evolving style from glamorous Hollywood actress to fashion royalty as Princess Grace of Monaco. Her sudden, tragic and premature death in car crash 1982, ended her life as the worlds most photographed woman admired by so many for her elegance and style.
Grace Kelly’s image in the early days was very much related to her career in the movies. Her look was the perfect combination of glamour and wholesome, a classic style that has been copied by so many and is still popular now. She was recognised for always getting the look just right no matter what the situation and was definitely one the early pioneers of understated chic. Her simple shirt waist dresses and casual shirts and trousers combined with her immaculate grooming became her signature style on and off screen during her career as a movie star.
As Grace Kelly progressed through her life and gave up her Hollywood career for a place in one of Europe’s oldest royal family when she married Prince Ranier of Monaco. A a princess she wore some of the finest clothes around including those by Balenciaga, Dior and Chanel. Highlights of the exhibition include the beautiful lace bodice and skirt that she wore for the civil ceremony of the wedding. For her wedding day she looked amazing in a Gown by Helen Rose made from 450 yards of Brussels Rose Point Lace and silk Faile. She also wore jewellery from Van Cleef and Arpels that the Prince had given her for the engagement.
Grace’s style does encompass many different looks from elaborate couture ball gowns to her elegant casual wear but probably the most memorable is the capri pants, head scarf and  sunglasses or Pringle twin sets worn with a Hermes scarf. She was also the inspiration for the Hermes Kelly handbag which still enjoys huge popularity and has been copied so many times. The prominent way that she carried her handbag over her stomach whilst she was pregnant changed the way that women carried handbags.
With such a glamorous life, it is not surprising that Grace Kelly was known for the beautiful clothes that she wore and her style. There was something about Grace Kelly though that made her such a style icon. As the old saying goes, ‘it is not what you wear, it is how you wear it. Her name was so perfect and really described her so well.
The V & A Grace Kelly Style Icon exhibition runs until 26th September and shows many of her clothes alongside photographs and film. It includes the dresses from her films including High Society and Rear Window, as well as the gown she wore to accept her Oscar in 1955. It also examines her role as a style icon, her glamorous Hollywood image and her enduring appeal.
For a modern take on Grace Kelly’s twin set combine this Ivory Sleeveless Flower Print Vest with this Ivory flower print long sleeved knitted cardigan.