What's your era?

One of the best things about vintage clothing is that you can dress in your best era...when you would be the It Girl. You might have an emotional connection, or a physical connection, or both. 

I can see myself being a 60s mod emotionally, but physically and emotionally both I feel very connected to the mid 1940s.

Here are some Facebook readers in clothing from eras that suit them well. (This was the theme of last week’s denisebrain vintage fashion show.) This doesn’t mean they’re stuck with just that era, but they look connected to it. They wear it well.

I love many past eras, but if I had to pick one favorite it would be mid 40s. Physically, the cut is good for me because it fits me rather naturally. I love peplums so much that I swear my pulse goes up just hearing the word! I love whimsy, and details that echo throughout an outfit. The length is one that practically always works for me. 

My emotional connection to the mid 40s starts with the sense of social solidarity brought on by years of economic depression and war. The war ended, and new ideas would soon take hold, but for 1945, women still held positions of power and responsibility that they wouldn’t have before or for quite awhile after the war. 

The clothing women wore was often practical but pretty in every creative way it could be. Women wore masculine-inspired suits that looked strong yet feminine. Bakelite was a whimsical alternative to more precious materials, and rationing didn’t stop the milliners from creating some of the most interesting hats of the 20th century. Peplums and draping helped make up for any lack of extravagance in cut, and the skirt lengths and gentle flares were good for walking and biking. Women wore trousers that couldn’t have been more flattering. There were witty details such as victory Vs in necklines, jewelry, and hair. In 1945 my mother was 25, and when I see her picture from that time I feel she was at home. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to have lived then, but those are the emotional connections I feel. 

What’s your era and why? 

Denisebrain featured in magazine

A big thanks to Cheryl-Anne Millsap for asking me these questions for a feature in Spokane CDA Woman magazine. Nothing quite like seeing one’s name in very large print!

Our first style icons

For the denisebrain vintage fashion show last week I had the pleasure of seeing some of my Facebook readers’ beautiful mothers. The bonus was the story that came with some of these photos. 

For instance, Gloria (bottom row, center) said “my mom with a little me, November 1953. We had just come here from England, this photo was taken for a newspaper article. My dad, an American serviceman, stationed in England, was sent back to the states before I was born. She and I traveled, alone, 17 hours, in a prop jet. We settled in New Haven, CT, and into my dad’s large, Italian-American, family”

My own first style icon and mother:

This week in the denisebrain vintage fashion parade I’m looking for you in your favorite era. Is it Mod? New Look? Belle Époque? Show us your era!

Real women carry vintage handbags

Whether you go for full-out vintage looks or mix-and-match with modern, handbags are a very accessible way to get into vintage style. 

Just look at how these vintage bags enhance the looks these women have chosen for themselves! 

The vintage selfie

Ever think how different the world was before phone pics? Just try taking your own photo with a film camera! 

My May theme is a mash-up of selfie mania (vintage-style) and a favorite song from West Side Story:

{click to view, sound up}