Queen of the Damned

Boardwalk Empire was my gateway drug to the 1920s but it was Underbelly Razor; an Australian television series, that really made me fall in love with the styles of the twenties. Although both of these shows are set in the same period, there is a stark contrast in the fashion the characters wear despite the fact that both shows center around underworld figures. I admit that I turn my nose up at Australian television so when I first watched Razor I scoffed at the costumes and wrote the show off for a few years. Critics have panned the wardrobe department of the series as cheap and tacky, but as I later realized - of course the clothing worn by Australians in this period was going to be far less lavish than that or their contemporaries in America.

Whereas America was enjoying an economic boom and period of prosperity during the twenties, Australia was a young country that had lost a massive percentage of it's countrymen to the Great War and times were tough. This was reflected in the fashion worn by every day people and there was a far lesser degree of decadence in the styles worn and what was available. Therefore of course the wardrobes of the characters in Razor were going to be less luxurious and more grungy with a lived in look. Looking at the historical context made me realize that my snobbery towards the show had been uncalled for.

One of my favorite characters in Razor is brothel entrepreneur Tilly Devine and this outfit is a sort of homage to the stylish underworld queen. Tilly's wardrobe is the most lavish of the characters in the series as she is one of the few who can afford to drape herself in velvet and silk, with the trademarks of her style being various shades of purple worn with single strand beaded necklaces. I believe this beaded dress would definitely not look out of place hanging in Tilly's wardrobe, especially as it is quite a luxurious piece covered all over in beading.

As a result of all of the beading it actually is quite a heavy dress to wear and my first impression on trying it on was that it was almost akin to putting on chain mail! So it will amuse you to know that the first time I wore this dress I got caught in a downpour on my way to dinner and was thoroughly drenched to the bone, you can imagine how much heavier that made the dress feel! The main thing about this story though is that I remembered to wrap my head in a scarf so although I was soaked from the neck down, my hair remained unscathed - thank goodness. It was but a small consolation prize as I drank my cocktails while sitting in a puddle of rain water.

Wearing:

Unique Vintage dress
Modcloth slip worn under the dress

Bait Footwear shoes

Lovisa necklace

earrings courtesy of reverefolie

The Fountain at Twilight

When I first saw this dress it brought to mind the outfit worn by Kiera Knightley in Atonement in the famous scene with Cecilia and Robbie by the fountain. Although Cecilia's outfit is actually a two piece blouse and skirt set, the colour scheme and the floral print on this chiffon dress is slightly of reminiscent of the outfit in the film. As a sort of tribute to this scene, I did nearly fall into the fountain several times, and in the second last photo you can even see the sash dragging in the water...good thing I didn't fall in as that would have upset the rather plump goldfish that was the single resident of this beautiful lily covered pond.

Wearing:

Iconic by Unique Vintage dress

Wittner Shoes

The Perfect 1920s Beach Dress

At the risk of disappointing a number of you, it is my sad duty to inform you that this wonderful reproduction of a 1920s sailor dress was discontinued back in 2010 when Collectif had some marvelous 1920s pieces. As such, this particular dress is hard to come by at this point in time, so last year when I got my hands on the same dress in navy I was pretty ecstatic. However despite it being my regular size, back when the dress was in production the sizing was slightly different and this particular dress ran a few sizes too small. So with a heavy heart, I sold the navy version of the dress on and gave up hope - only when a week before Christmas, this dress turned up in an op shop, in a larger size -  brand new with tags and for an absolute steal of a price. I admit, I did freak out a little.

It was hot, windy - the sun was burning my retinas - but I couldn't care less because I was so happy to finally get an opportunity to wear this dress! Even the wind trying so hard to mess up my hair could not possibly ruin my mood!

As my search for 20s reproduction continues it is always exciting to find a piece that looks like it could of come from a 1920s catalog and has the same charm reminiscent of true vintage 1920s pieces. If you are lucky enough to come across this dress in your search, I would suggest sizing up two sizes - or even four if your figure is an hour glass rather than the lithe athletic build favored during the 1920s. There has been a lot of discussion about who can and can't wear twenties styles, and I for one think it is absolutely rubbish. Women of all sizes existed in the 1920s, however although many of them did take to binding their chest in favor of imitating the garcon style, today we know that doing this can cause tissue damage and I for one, strongly advise against it. Instead, go for a size up and you will find that you can easily pull off the same look, not to mention think of the freedom of movement that this will allow - which was the whole point of the flapper look to begin with!

Wearing:

Collectif Dress - op shop

Parasol - ebay

Sunglasses - ebay

Shoes - Funtasma