The Passionate Love Triangle

After falling head over kitten heels in love with these pink pants, I was coldly struck with the unwelcomed tragedy of the site not having them in my size. Oh woe to the perfectly petite darling me. And all in that moment I could see my entire world come crashing down on my fragile heart. All the thousands of breathtaking outfits featuring these pants that I had envisioned would all go to waste. Oh. I know what you’re thinking my darling, for I was thinking the same darkness; how could I possibly recover from such tragedy? Will I ever find love again? Alas, after many cups of tea and relentless online shopping, there they were. Pants so gorgeous that I forget all other pants in my wardrobe—which is quite voluptuous—and I can’t imagine a life without them. Sky blue and sensational. So there I was; wrapped up in a passionate love affair with these pants and ready to purchase them when all of the sudden my life was tossed upside down—yet again—with the return of none other than the pink pants.

I was speechless. Here they were. My first loves standing before my eyes behind my computer screen. Restocked in my size and finally ready for commitment. But the blue pants! I had moved on. I had finally accepted that the pink pants and I couldn’t have a future together and what do those seductive slacks do? Waltz back into my life and expect me to fall back into their snugly fitted embrace. Do I dare go back to them after our tragic past?

I turned back to the blue pants only to find it was they that had made the decision for me. Stabbing me in the heart. As it turns out, for the entirety of our romance, the blue pants had neglected to tell me that they too were no longer stocked in my size. Feeling cheated and abused, I returned to my pit of misery that the pink pants had put me in before.

As I was sat there, confused and contemplating life, I was pulled out by my first love. Begging for a second chance. So much promise in the “Add Size W2434 to Bag” button. I wiped my tear-streaked face and drew a shaky breath. This was it, my second chance at happiness.

And I took it.

Fashion Timeline

For the last post of the season, I thought I would do a timeline of all the eras discussed on this blog so far!
Regency Era - Today

Regency Era (1790-1830)
The style that best characterizes the Regency Era is the high waisted dress known as the Empire waisted dress. This dress is fitted tightly under the bust and loosely cascades down. Often the Empire dress would have a low square neckline with neatly puffed capped sleeves.

Then

 

Now

Victorian Era (1837 - 1901)
The Victorian Era is best known for the elaborated fashions with heavily draped embroidered fabrics atop each other. Scallops became a popular form of drapery during this time. By using drapery, the waist would immediately appear slim because the skirt was so full. Capped sleeves carried over from the Regency Era only with a wider neckline to expose slightly more shoulder.

Then

 Now

Aesthetic Movement (1870 - 1880)
Though the Aesthetic Movement took place during the Victorian Era, the Aesthetes found inspiration in the Regency Era along with the Medieval Period fashion. Aesthetes (poets, artists, writers, and actors) were the original "flower children" or "hippies" who opposed society and refused to conform to their standards. They would wear earth and floral hues with loose fitted clothing.

Then

Now

 




Flappers (1920 - 1929)
Flappers were the rebellious young ladies that could be found dancing the nights away in Speakeasies during the 1920s. The silhouette changed drastically from the S figure that was carried over from the Victorian Era to a more flat and straight figure. This was to create more of a boyish look along with the short hairstyles. Although the boyish look was so coveted, women still wanted to be glamorous and would wear heavy makeup and powders with deep red lips.

Then

 

Now

 


1940s Fashion
The silhouette of the 40s was influenced by the fashion of the Victorian Era. During WWII materials became very scarce and people began making their own clothing. Designers in Paris and London introduced lines that had a particular emphasis on practicality and convenience. Also, the '40s was when women started working so suits became increasingly more popular. 

Then







Now










1960s Fashion
Along with the Chanel suit, shift dresses became a popular choice for women's wear in the 1960s. Shifts were shapeless, geometric dresses that sometimes had a bit of a billow to them. The A-line style came in style in full effect during this time as well. This was carried over by the late '40s and the '50s. This style would have a full skirt with a tightly fitted waist. Another new style was the cropped pants for women. 

Then

Now

 

2013 Spring/Summer

This spring/summer designers have chosen a color palette to wear rather than specific designs. The colors chosen are the timeless black and white paired with bold and bright colors. Three expected trends are stripes, short suits, and as previously mentioned, black and white.

 

Thank you for reading my blog! I hope you've enjoyed it and come back in the fall for more posts!
 Have a fabulous summer!

Regency Era Fashion

This week I thought I'd travel much farther back in time and do a post on the fabulous Regency Era!

The Regency Era took place in Europe around 1790 and lasted until around 1830.
It was during this time that the Empire style came into play. This style consisted of the high waisted dress that characterizes the early 19th century. What started out as a simple chemise shift that was gathered high above the waist evolved into the more elegant Empire dress.

 

The Empire dress had a full skirt with a low square neckline. Because the neckline was so low, women would adorn their necks with large bejeweled necklaces.

Often the dresses would have neat puffed cap sleeves that were pulled back by the narrow cut of the bodice.

 The fabrics worn during this time were mainly silks and muslins with heavier velvets, cottons, and wools for the winter. White gowns were a sign of positive social status but were generally kept for evening wear. It was during the daytime hours pastel colored dresses were worn.

The Empire waistline does not only exist in the Regency Era, it is still a very popular design and can still be seen very commonly today.

1960s Fashion

While researching current fashion trends, I was so shocked to find out that many people are unclear on the distinction between the 1960s and the 1970s that I had to do a post to clear up any confusion!
Because many of the current fashion trends of 2013 are influenced by the 1960s, it's important to understand where the influences are coming from and to see how the current trends align or differ from the originals!

 

One of the classic 1960s looks was the Chanel suit. The women's suit was introduced by Coco Chanel in 1925 but was such a classic, timeless piece that it remained in fashion for decades after. Each decade it would be slightly altered to better suit the time. In the '60s it was worn with a cropped jacket that was often collarless with large, oversized buttons and paired with a pencil skirt.

Shift dresses became the  popular choice for women's wear in the '60s. Shifts were shapeless, geometric dresses that sometimes had a bit of a billow to them.

The A-line style came in style in full effect during this time as well. This was carried over by the late '40s and the '50s. This style would have a full skirt with a tightly fitted waist.

 

Another new style was the cropped pants for women. This was just a casual look but very important in fashion history as it was the start of women wearing pants more freely and frequently.

For shoes, kitten heels and little black flats became a staple in every wardrobe. Audrey Hepburn is well known for sporting such styles.