Thursday 10 April 2008

Bring It Back: Old school glamour

Fashion at it's best. Celebrities have been trying their hardest to try and re-create classic hollywood, but as we can tell from this, they cannot be trusted. Unfortunately, some celebrities today are giving a bad name to old school glamour, by making it look trashy and contrived. What ever happened to the good old days (ok so it was quite a few years before I was born) when makeup looked smooth, sexy and effortless? Why have we said goodbye to timeless Oscar style dresses and a smouldering smile, and replaced them with mismatching bags, trashy-red lipstick and impossibly high platform shoes? Why are the high-waisted jeans making a comeback when an even better era of fashion is calling our names, just waiting to be pulled out of the history books and back onto Page Six?
Designers are doing their bit to recreate old hollywood looks at their fashion shows, featuring cherry stained lips, Veronica Lake-esque hair do's and even the clothes being designed bear striking resemblance to those of yesteryear.
Bring these back:
Big Hats
Such a classic style. Sure, we get to see these kinds of hats a few times year at the races, but this would also be perfect for a Sunday brunch, no?

Classic LBD
The LBD (first invented by Coco Chanel herself in the 1920s) is, and always will be, the epitome of class. The trouble is, LBD's are becoming just too complicated. Yes it's great to mix it up once in a while, but every woman should have at least one simple, black cocktail dress at the back of her closet.

Empire Waistline Jackets
I love this look. If I could, I would wear this every day (but that's just tacky, lol). An essential for winter, and an essential for self confidence. Empire waistlines flatter everyone, so it's good to know they don't just come in evening gown form.

Voluminous Evening Gowns
I wish for this more than all of the others. It's so feminine, fun and spectacularly intricate. Honestly wouldn't you rather see the stars wearing something like this at the Oscar's, rather than, say, this:

I like Jessica Biel a lot, and the dress itself is very pretty, but come on...this is the Oscar's we're talking about! The one day a year when one can dress completely majestically and blame it on the spirit of the occasion, so why not take advantage of it, and wear something more interesting to look at (e.g. Vivien Leigh, above)?

The wheels are in motion. Somewhere, a designer has just been struck by the incredible idea of re-creating old hollywood style for his/her new collection, and dreaming that soon Jennifer Aniston will be walking down the street wearing a big hat or an empire waistline jacket (not together though, that's just common sense) that he/she designed. You can thank me later. Lol.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of hayazg.com, alabasterbrow.blogsome.com, worth1000.com and thedollpalace.com]

22 comments:

Alya said...

I agree with you all the way!! Why is it that people are dressing like that (Jessica Biel) for Oscars?? Its the Oscars dammit!

My mom always says that during the 60's and 70's, women always wore belts to define and accentuate the waist, always dressed to impress and they never mixed and matched like we do today..

Marilyn Hayward said...

I love old Hollywood. Every time I go to California I just wish that I could be transported to place it was in the 1940's or 50's...I think I get that from my mom...she named me Marilyn for a reason, after all haha

Anonymous said...

thanks for the advice..:) it really did help...really!
[[be back eventually!]]

geri hirsch said...

totally agree. love old hollywood!

Addison said...

fantastic post!!!!!! i agree 100% with everything! bring back hats and gloves and of course stockings and suspenders!!!
hollywood used to be sooo glamourous and beautiful and now its all just trash. such a shame really. i think its partly with the media rise too- in the 30's & 40's there was no trashy mags, gossip blogs etc. siiigh

emsydo said...

oh the lbd...thats always going to be in isnt it?
i agree with addison, i've had enough of trashy celeb mags...celeb overload!

SKYLA said...

It's true. I love Old school glamour. As much as I love Christina she takes the whole look to the extreme.

Deanna said...

love this post! i also am a huge fan of the big hollywood glamour, and i must say, it is lacking nowadays. the last real red carpet glamour look that stands out to me is halle berry when she won her oscar.

and i'm not a fan of jessica biel at all...but i won't even open that can of worms! haha :)

Style On Track said...

I love hollywood glamor, I wish people nowadays had more of it, especially the celebrities that we always have to look at tin the mags :)

Jen (MahaloFashion) said...

You are right, some of them can definitely not pull off the look but I love when I see a modern version of it, a cross between now and then.

Sarah Mendelsohn said...

oh i love old hollywood. this is a great post, i love it.

riz said...

Smart and observant. I also agree that when today's celebrities try to pull off this look, it seems contrived (case in point C Aguilera). I cannot tell you how much I love Veronica Lake!!

Secretista said...

What Alya^^ said is very interesting and I agree!

Danity Kane is a girl group Diddy created.

the assistant said...

I am so sorry i must not have hit save link im sorry thanks for letting me know

Adele said...

your quite right... i think charlize theron does a good job actually.x

bronwyn said...

I completely agree. The voluminous evening dress...mmmm...so dreamy...wouldn't it be fun to be able to dress up like that, and have somewhere to go:)

AsianCajuns said...

We agree too! The gowns at the Oscars have been pretty, but nothing majestic nor particularly inspiring.
Great post!

Elizabeth said...

I love Old Hollywood Style. I sometimes wonder how much of that was created by the stars' individuality and taste, and how much of it was created by the Svengalis behind the scenes at the studios.

J said...

i couldn't agree more! classic is always the BEST~

:)

Anonymous said...

Very good post since I am a huge fan of anything old hollywood. I wish we all dressed more like they did in those days, so classic not trashy kinda thing.
However, highwaisted jeans are very old hollywood. They were one of the first kinds of styles to wear. In fact, Katherine Hepburn (one of the most famous actresses from old hollywood), was one of the FIRST women to wear PANTS in the movies and publically. And they were high-waisted pants. Its a classic look from early hollywood.

Charlotte

Romany said...

Alya: oh I know what you mean - the women back then were always immaculately dressed. Sure it would have taken ages, but at least no one ever looked bad. ;)

Marylin: I love your name! Never change it. :)

Addison: so true! Hollywood used to be where regular Joes like us (haha) would turn to for some glamour, but now it's just trash (well not all of it I suppose)... It definitely has been brought on by the media rise, good point.

A dreamer: let's hope it is. But these days, they're almost TOO accessible. It's like they're not special anymore...but I could just be making a big deal over it, when I needn't lol.

SKYLA: yes Christina was who I had in my mind while writing this (e.g. "celebs can't be trusted" lol). I love her too, but the look needs to be subtle and understated and she neither of those things...

riz: Veronica Lake epitomizes glamour (as well as Marylin M, and all those), no doubt. That hair...

Adele: you're so right! I forgot about Charlize - she's one of the only ones who is elegant, subtle and understated enough to pull the look off.

bronwyn: it's one of my fantasies! ;)

enc: oh yes, good point...I hadn't even thought of that. I guess when it comes to celebrities we're so surrounded by the actual celebrities themselves, we forgot about the people behind the scenes making it all happen...

Anon/Charlotte: oh yes I forgot about that! Excellent point! I get so wrapped up in florals, and lace and pink etc being feminine that I forgot about how it all began (e.g. Katherine Hepburn and the like, developing her own style and way to be sexy)...I guess I just angry about high-waisted jeans because I can't wear them. Lol.

Thank you everyone for all your comments - they brighten my day, you are all so sweet.
Romany
xx

Anonymous said...

R - that picture of Viv Leigh in the scarlet dress with the tulle wrap is my MOST FAVORITE dress EVER! I've loved the drama that dress represents for since i was 6 and first saw Gone with the Wind.