Pan Am

The TV series Pan Am started tonight and I'm quite excited about this season. It centers around the iconic Pan American airline during the 1960s. A stewardess was something to be aspired to because they were "a new brand of woman." It's official: I'm definitely going to be a flight attendant next year. I still just think that 21 is too young to settle down at a job where I have to sit at a desk all day. As much as I love writing, I need to see the world and until I get that out of my system, I'll be continuously restless.

Anyway, these outfits are based off of what stewardesses wore in the 60s. Outfits now aren't nearly as cute (but I still totally want to be a flight attendant).

Skirt - Topshop, Blouse - Vivienne Westwood, Pumps - DSquared, Bracelet - Monet

Skirt - Topshop, Blouse - Dorothy Perkins, Shoes - Christian Louboutin, Necklace - Kenneth Jay Lane, Ring - House of Harlow

Dress - L. K. Bennett, Pumps - Versace, Clutch - Heidi Mottram, Earrings - Worthington

100 Years of Style

I realize it's been an incredibly long time since I've posted, but I just started my senior year of college a year early. To make up for my complete lack of posts during all of August, I've come up with a long and detailed post with outfits spanning inspiration over 100 years. Most of these outfits could still be worn today, but I probably wouldn't suggest wearing anything from the 90s (that decade had awesome kids shows - and a big shout out to TeenNick for putting the 90s shows back on the air late at night - but the fashion was horrendous). I personally am a big fan of the 1920s and the outfit I put together for that decade is one that I would definitely wear myself.

The whole inspiration for this post was a video about 100 years of style in East London:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7JxfgId3XTs

I'm a huge fan of that video and really, I think we could all afford to dress a little more like women did in the earlier half of the 1900s; it seems much more classy than the way some people dress today (see my last post on leggings for how I feel about clothing in 2011).

1911

The fashion in the 1910s was soft and feminine; waists were more defined. Skirt lengths rose to actually show some skin, so many women began wearing stockings. While Kate Middleton is now bringing back the trend of wearing pantyhose, we're in 2011 and I think a little bare skin on your legs is perfectly acceptable.

Skirt - H&M, Blouse - James Perse, Shoes - Moschino, Necklace - Guinevere, Bag - Mulberry

1921

Fashion in the 1920s entered the modern era. Women began wearing more comfortable clothing (i.e. shorter skirts and pants). Womenswear was extremely influenced by the "Roaring Twenties" and the Jazz Age. If I could go back and live in a different era, it would be this one simply because of the flapper outfits.

Dress - Alice + Olivia, Pumps - Sam Edelman, Hat - Jessica Simpson, Pearls - American Eagle








1931

Fashion in the 1930s was much more conservative than the 20s because of the Great Depression. Clothing was less extravagant and there was an increase of use in man-made fabrics (including rayon, which is my favorite fabric - seriously, if you've worn rayon, you'll understand why it's my favorite). Waistlines moved away from the drop waist and back to a natural waist in order to give women a more "womanly" hourglass figure.

Dress - Vivienne Westwood, Shoes - Alexander Wang, Earrings - Irit Design, Clutch - Topshop

1941

The 1940s continued the use of clothing that gave women the hourglass figure. Tweed and wool were the most popular fabrics, leading to the new fashion trend: the two-piece skirt suit. Skirts were A-line and hit around the knees. (Fun fact, the bikini was invented in 1946.)

Skirt suit - ASL, Shoes - Christian Louboutin, Ring - The Stones, Earrings - Jennifer Meyer, Clutch - Chanel






1951

Pencil skirts (an article of clothing every woman should have in her closet, handy for interviews, dates, or a girls' night out) were introduced in the 1950s. This was the decade of pin-up fashion, which is cute, but can look trashy if not done well. Poodle skirts were popular for a while in the 50s, but they weren't very practical, especially since they had to be worn with petticoats, which just seem like they'd get in the way.

Skirt - Alexander Wang, Top - Full Tilt, Shoes - Gianvito Rossi, Bracelet - Miss Selfridge, Bag- Valentino








1961

Mod (short for Modernists) was a British style adopted by most people in the 1960s. There were bright colors, big buttons, boxy shapes and geometric patterns. Also in style were go-go boots and the pillbox hat (inspired by Jackie O.), but I'm not really a big fan of the 60s look, so this is kind of a variation of what it could have been if people then could have dressed a little better.

Jeans - Goldsign, Oversized cardigan - American Apparel, Cami - Full Tilt, Shoes - Jimmy Choo, Sunglasses - Barton Perreira, Scarf - L'Inde






1971

The early 1970s continued the hippie look from the 60s with short skirts, bell bottoms and a generally androgynous style. Platform shoes were the norm until the late 70s when they were replaced by mules and ankle-strap shoes, reminiscent of 1940s fashion.

Dress - Sandro, Boots - Wet Seal, Headband - Tano Jewelry, Bracelet - Mixit, Bag - mstylelab

1981

In the 1980s, shirts were loose and pants were tight. The early 80s saw a rise in punk style: leather jackets, ripped skinny jeans and multi-colored mohawks. There were also those who wore jean jackets with patches, buttons and safety pins, which, if they could be found, could probably teach a history lesson on all of the social, political and cultural experiences of the decade.

Jeans - J Brand, Shoes - Converse, Top - Check & Stripe, Jacket - Jades 24, Belt - Helix

1991

Ok, here is where I start to lose a bit of faith in fashion. I was born in 1991, which apparently is when "anti-fashion" started. So I was born when no one cared what the heck they wore; I really should have been born in the 20s. Seriously, people wore anything in the 90s and it was just a bad decade for fashion. Don't dress like you live in the 90s; it's a terrible idea. Even though I tried to make it cute, there's no way to fix the way people dressed back then, and I can attest to that if you go back and look through my pictures growing up. Not cute.

Pants - Alexander McQueen, Blouse - Windsor, Boots - Dorothy Perkins, Earrings - All Saints

2001

At the turn of the century, people were still in the idea of "anything goes." Feminine styles were reintroduced later in the decade, but I can remember wearing something pretty much exactly like the below outfit when I was in middle school in the early 2000s (actually, I had this t-shirt). Then women went to Daisy Dukes, lots of flip flops and pastel colors. Vintage clothing came into style in this decade, reflecting style from a better time period. Hint for everyone who loves fashion: dress like you weren't born anytime recently.

Jeans - Ralph Lauren, Shirt - Crazy Dog, Shoes - Vans, Hat (or toboggan as it's called in the South) - Oasis

2011

And now we're at today. This is an outfit I would wear (you know, if I could afford a Harry Winston bracelet and Swarovski crystal earrings, but I'm in college, so I can't). Vintage style is still very "in," especially styles from the 50s, 70s and 80s (good choices people). Really all I can say about fashion today is don't wear leggings as pants. It's a huge pet peeve of mine.

Jeans - All Saints, Blouse - Wet Seal, Blazer - Rag & Bone, Shoes - Chinese Laundry, Bracelet - Harry Winston, Earrings - Swarovski, Clutch - Jessica McClintock