The start of a new year is always exhilarating; it’s a chance to revamp your existing wardrobe and debut looks never seen before. With these transitions, a few challenges can pose style dilemmas: Which brooch works best with which styled dress or corset perhaps? Which style millinery goes best with which ensemble? Can I really wear that? This year I’ll be providing my readers with vintage know-how, covering not only the historical implications of an era gone by, but also how the modern day woman can garnish herself with these styles of yesteryear.
The 1940’s ladylike silhouette, millinery, and handbags have always inspired me to devote my personal style aesthetic to its alluring feminine genre. While Audrey Hepburn has been declared an official style icon, perhaps it’s from her core wardrobe of staples ranging from the “LBD,” gloves of all kinds, and an envious assortment of hats, earrings, and accouterments. All of these particular sartorial pieces exist in our day-to-day wardrobes, including belts of all sizes and materials; cinched in the middle of a dress, belts easily create a lovely shape and will give any figure a slimmer shape if worn properly at your natural waist not at the hips. I find myself wearing classic, black patent belts of two sizes: skinny and wide (as seen above). I typically will wear belts with a variety of sleek sheaths or wiggle dresses and at times, with a mock neck sweater which overlaps a slim pencil skirt or tailored ankle pants, while it enhances an hour glass figure.
When it comes to vintage-inspired accessories, there is real no wrong way to garnish yourself; vintage rhinestone earrings paired with a miniature pearl and diamond encrusted brooch that’s pinned from the upper shoulder can make all the difference in creating a classic ensemble. With vintage-inspired brooches on trend, there is no simpler way to dress up your style than with Corsettery’s Old Hollywood Couture Collection. You can decorate your corsets, day coats, blouses, and lady-like winter scarfs with their line of brooches (as seen above). As you all know I adore the chance of garnishing my attire with any form of vintage history, especially brooches. 
Prada Round Baroque Sunglasses // Bitter Root Vintage ‘Through a Glass Darkly Dress‘ // c/o Corsettery Crystal Encrusted Pearl Brooch // Vintage day-wear Gloves Vintage Rhinestone Earrings (as seen in the San Francisco Chronicle) // BCBG Faux-Fur Stole (sold out, similar here, here & here) // Black Patent Handbag & Belt // Nordstrom ‘Sheer Gloss‘ Pantyhose // Kate Spade ‘Licorice too’ Pumps MAC Lipstick ‘Ruby Woo’
When I first set forth within the fashion industry, I was young, inexperienced, and in so many words, a dreamer of grand possibilities. I found such pleasure in garnishing myself with my grandmother’s prized costume jewelry, fur stoles, and red Revlon lipstick. Having been enriched by my beloved grandparents’ rich historic roots of fine arts and literature, I’ve embarked on a timeless journey of classic panache.
One of the greatest lessons taught to me was by my childhood mentor (as seen on last week’s blog post here) which today still remains true; always follow your inner passions, don’t fear the unfortunate sacrifices that may arise, and moreover, be prepared to work harder than anyone else to achieve these dreams. When I first started my quest for a fulfilling career, I found myself within the fashion industry’s retail spectrum. For a decades time I collected experiences of all kinds that today have assisted in propelling me through the last three years as a writer, model, and founding editor of Rich in Love Fashion, a style blog providing the history and classic garment choices of 1940s fashion. From this vintage journey I’ve recently taken on the role of a co-designer, where I’ve found myself partnering with world-wide corset maker, Corsettery.
A line emerging with the design concept of honoring the golden age of Hollywood couture, each corset takes the persona of it namesakes, as each style honors a woman from a past era of glamour. From the Maria, Andrade, Ramona, Teddy, Elizabeth, Theresa, Claudia, and Mildred, each name embraces a sense of history, which includes a story of inspiration and strength. With a concise eye for style, this collection wouldn’t be complete without the heart of Corsettery, Founder, Robert Montano and Co-Founder, Irina Pyilyowa; they have found a rarity that captures both masculinity and femininity within each piece produced.
I invite you to take a glimpse inside a Hollywood era of timeless elegance with today’s preview of designs, and there are more to come in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, shop our debut piece from our old Hollywood couture collection, the Maria, and find her story of strength, as co-founder Irina shares her grandmother’s story of courage and womanly strength:
“The Maria corset is named in honor of my grandmother, Maria. Surprisingly strong and at the same time a modest woman, baring such beauty. The strength and kindness she carried throughout my life, I can only wish her the very best that life has to offer in health and good fortune. I am proud to present through the language of fashion a corset in her honor – it is the embodiment of beauty, elegance and luxury. This design in many ways is the most beautiful and dear of my heart from our debut vintage-inspired corset collection.”
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View our collection of Hollywood glamour & couture at Corsettery.com
As anyone who knows me is clearly aware, I adore the vintage style and history of a grand San Francisco landmark. So it comes as no surprise that such a monument of 1915 will stand as this week’s subject and backdrop. A grand memory I cherish comes from afternoon strolls through “the city that knows how,” a phrase that has over the years represented San Francisco’s spirit. As a young girl I was introduced to the Palace of Fine Arts by a dated souvenir booklet from the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, given to me by a man who had experienced it himself as a child, my belated grandfather and mentor, Robert Alexander. With each visit I am reminded of his depiction of the fabulous exposition that housed a masterful collection of photographs, etchings, and sculptures. It was something never seen before at that time, such a display of grandeur and an opportunity for San Francisco to showcase its resurrection after the 1906 earthquake. One of my grandfather’s favorite exhibits was a 432-foot tall tower of colored glass pieces; a kaleidoscope of color, it was nicknamed the “Jewel City.” My fondest of my grandfather’s vignettes tells the story of the weeping maidens that stand high atop the colonnade. It’s been said that they were weeping, because all the art would soon be leaving the palace; as it turned out, visitors of the exposition wept at the conclusion of the 9-month fair, though it always lived on in their hearts.
To conduct a photo-shoot among the six hundred and thirty-five acres of land that my grandfather and I once strolled when I was a young child is, in many ways, priceless beyond expectation. My greatest love (besides vintage fashion, of course) is historical landmarks – but what I truly love above all is how the two can seamlessly merge together to create harmonious synergy. I forged a connection with history with the touch of a mahogany mink coat that once belonged to my grandmother, overlaying an elegant yet sleek V-neck sheath with slit. The ensemble, accompanied by the shimmer of a vintage-inspired jewel-encrusted pump, revives a vintage concept of a past era.
Today the Palace of Fine Arts is a lasting reminder of an event which welcomed the world to a city with such history, San Francisco, where it still continues to steal the hearts of those who visit and admire it. For me it’s a lasting memory of a time when exploration was seen as adventurous, the warm hand I held of my grandfather while I stared above to the weeping maidens as they cried upon me in the sky, and the picturesque landscape I photographed as a college student; the Palace is truly a landmark of lasting memories.
City of Paris, San Francisco Millinery (view history here) Mink Fur Coat, Doris Alexander (similar here) Banana Republic Vented Sheath & Gold Box Clutch (similar here & here) Antique Pink Rose Earrings (similar here) Vintage Leather Gloves (similar here) Ivanka Trump ‘Camara‘ Pumps
richinlovefashion.com 