With a renowned love of vintage fashion, it’s no surprise you’ll find me radiating elegance from the 1940s, preferably the year 1947, where I exude a modern day example, which in return showcases an era of timeless grace.
Having developed a strong style that is heavily influenced from a childhood of admiring the influential women in my life, their names and personas live on through my debut corset designs with Corsettery. The couture styles from screen sirens Rita Hayworth, Grace Kelly, and Lucille Ball slowly became a part of my creative process of producing a personal style, which in return would enhance my European heritage. I find it rather effortless to create these personas of Old Hollywood Couture that insatiably grasp the appetite from the simplest pieces, if you have the right approach.
Having shopped in thrift shops for countless years, particularly through my college years, I acquired a collection of well-curated dresses all dating from the late 1950s, with a few remaining today in my wardrobe. Vintage dresses from such an era are typically bespoke, which leads to some maintenance and care. However garments back then were much more glamorous. From an era that carried such an array of articular fabrics like grosgrain satin and silk, these materials in my opinion are higher in quality than today’s. With a current obsession for purchasing these forms of dresses, I always adore the fact that many of them are label-less, displaying such craftsmanship of structure and love.
Having created a signature look early on with bold red lips and nails and not to mention my natural ginger hair provided the stepping stones to building such an authentic vintage style. For those acquiring a style that drives a vintage under-tone, I don’t recommend you go head-to-toe at first; with a few subtle touches such as red lipstick, which is still seen as very relevant and chic, you’ll find a perfect place to start. Then of course, start playing with your existing wardrobe, adding vintage pieces such as your grandmother’s handbag or perhaps a pair of rhinestone earrings. This will do two things: it will build your confidence and be your gateway to adding additional pieces. This is exactly where I started many years ago with my transformation and now I’ve found a style that enriches my daily life.
Authentic 1950s Double-Breasted Wool Dress with Satin Trim (Annie Sandoval) // Vintage Accessories, Fuchsia Earrings & Brown Leather Gloves // Mink Stole Fur (Roberta Alexander) // Banana Republic Gold Box Clutch // Ivanka Trump Camara Pumps // MAC Lipstick
Hidden in plain sight with today’s feature is my unbinding love for vintage millinery. Debuting within the pages of UK’s HATalk Magazine, I offer Editor Becky Weaver my personal insight on a journey highlighting a woman I had never met before. I tell the story of how her hat has changed my life in more than one way.
In a current era where hats are not regularly applied to one’s overall ensemble, I find a hat adorned in feathers or a veil or garnished in exquisite materials to add a subtle touch of much needed style and grace. From the afternoon of May 12, 2014, my life changed, not only fashionably speaking, but in an instant, I became consumed with the overall ensembles of the 1940s and 50s. 
An excerpt from “HATalk Magazine, The HAT that changed my life” – March 2016
There’s a sentimental spot in my heart for the timeless style of the 1940s. Perhaps it’s due to growing up in a family enriched with a vintage lifestyle, film noirs, or the countless Sunday afternoons exploring my grandmother’s well-curated collection of costume jewelry. From these memorable experiences I knew one thing to be true; I’d transform one day and possess such glamour too…….[view the entire article online 2/17 at HATalk Magazine]
Lace Pencil Dress c/o Pinup by Cindy Lee // Vintage Millinery (Justina Andrade) // Vintage Fur Shawl (similar here) // Vintage Rhinestone Tear Drop Earrings (similar here) // Black Patent Belt (similar here) // Kate Spade ‘Licorice too’ Pumps
When investing in lingerie, you should always determine if a piece is either risqué or risky. The right pieces will, without a doubt, make you feel empowered, creating a sense of sex appeal like Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour. With the anticipated release of my pinup modeling debut within the pages of Vintage Boudoir Magazine, a desire for luxury satin lounge-wear comes to mind with a UK collection of retro-inspired lingerie designed by founder Heidi Cannon of Glitter and the Moon.
The collection of bespoke garments is made exclusively in England in a fifty year old factory that originally produced lingerie and nightwear. Each order is embroidered and beaded by hand, in-house with a hint of sass. From a range of moons, roses, cocktails glasses, and bridal -inspired designs, I found Heidi’s Moonlight Bed Jacket to exude a retro sense of glamour. Elegant metallic moon and star accents and a gold “D” are added at the right of the sweet necktie and accompanied by gorgeous 3/4 sleeves that were widely popular in the 1920s and 30s.
When dressing for pleasure, you should always find comfort in creating an ensemble that represents the bedroom aspect of such a graceful era. Finding French knickers that suit your style or body type is rather easier than you may think. With an assortment ranging from slim to wide leg, high-rise to low-rise, many styles include mesh or lace accents, which in return gives an appearance of retro glam. Find instant glamour behind closed doors with an array of satin robes, bed jackets, French knickers, and bridal bliss by Glitter and the Moon, and celebrate luxury lounge-wear all night long.
Glitter and the Moon c/o Personalized Moonlight Bed Jacket & French Knicker // Donna Karen Lace Top Thigh-High Stockings, Nordstrom // Vintage Crystal Tennis Bracelet (similar here) // Art Deco Inspired Earrings (similar here) // Kate Spade ‘Licorice too’ Pumps // MAC Lipstick
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