Musical accompaniment: Separate Lives by Diego Garcia.

 

When I lived in the Carolinas, I wore mostly skirts and dresses. Since I’ve been in California, I dress a little more casually.

But as I notice people out and about wearing very casual clothes (including pajamas), I think it would be a more beautiful world if we made some effort to dress nicely. So perhaps it’s time that I revisit my own clothing choices lest I slide further down the slippery slope!  Besides, it’s always good to change things up now and then.

But where to begin? Not all dresses are equal. There are different fabrics, styles, and colors and each one produces a different effect. Let’s have a look at some classic fashions to derive inspiration.

We begin with the divine Miss Joséphine Baker, pictured here in the 1930s, There’s a lot to be said for choosing one color for your outfit. It’s slimming, it’s elegant, it makes a statement. I’ll admit, I have some reservations about this one. It looks beautiful, but furs and a feather tiara may be slightly beyond my budget.

Moving on, we have a photograph made by the Hungarian-French photographer Brassaï. He called it Bijou, which means jewel, which is apropos. As you can see, the outfit being modeled here relies heavily on jewelry, but that’s okay: I’ve got plenty of accessories! I would need to invest in more dramatic eye makeup.

Next we have fashion icon Daisy Fellowes, who used what she called “naughty salt” (cocaine) to maintain her figure. Though she looks stunning, I don’t believe her look would suit me, even if I doused myself in naughty salt.  Check out our post on Daisy’s beautiful clothes and scandalous life here. 

This wedding dress, circa 1920, is modeled by the silent film actress Helen Lee Worthing.  I think the model’s demeanor is off, but do you know? I like this one. The layers on the skirt are lovely. I may not be able to pull off the platinum blonde pompadour but if this gown would work with a different hairstyle, it’s something to consider.

Lastly, we have a simple sheath and a magnificent flower headdress modeled by Fritzi von Derra, the Greek dancer (and photographed by Frank Eugene!). Like Daisy Fellowes, she looks lovely, but I don’t care for off-the-shoulder blouses for myself.