the vintage lady: cut

for the regular reader reader of The Online Edition, you would remember that in week six, i did a quick coverage of fashion history: the eras and periods. hence if that was your fashion lesson 101, consider the content of this week a step up from there. for this post, i want to take a closer look at the various silhouettes in vintage fashion. hopefully, you can find the perfect cut for your body type!

image from elusions

the past hundred years of fashion presented an array of silhouettes, from the dropped waist of the 20s to the broad shoulder of the 40s and the nipped waist of the 50s, it is an extensive list. this variety works perfectly in today's fashion world, women are no longer slaves to fashion dictates as they were in the past. fashion trends of the past were often so strict that they became virtual mandates. hem lengths were were exact, silhouettes limited. Not so today.

1) 1920s flapper

this is one of the few styles that demands the tiniest bust possible, especially if you have small shoulders. during the twenties it was common for women to actually bind their breasts. narrow hips are ideal and a defined waist line is the definitive trend.

2) 1930s bias cut

image from art deco

the bias cut dresses of the 1930s will show off every curve you own. they look gorgeous on a long slim frame but the good news is that they can be stunning on a curvy figure as well. if your curves are unruly the secret here is to wear undergarments that smooth and tame them so the bias glides over. 

3) 1940s shoulders

wide shoulders, narrow waist

during the 40s the shoulders were wide, the waist defined and the skirts modestly narrow. this is a perfect era for those with narrow or sloped shoulders. on the other hand it can be disastrous on a naturally broad shouldered woman. the broad shoulders are also good for creating the illusion of a smaller waist line. so if you have narrow shoulders and a slightly thick waist look for 40s jackets in your size to team up with modern skirts and pants. the 1940s look is also good on petite women. the obvious shoulder line draws the eye up. 

4) 1950s new look

1950s fashion

the 1950s brought in the impossibly small waist and full skirt. also most of these dresses have very full bust lines. if you do have a small waist and pronounced hips this is a great look for you. the full skirts are wonderful at hiding the hip size. hips are hidden under the skirt and usually a crinoline as well so size does not matter. a small bust will probably need to be padded.

Miranda Kerr

Emma Stone

perhaps it is true that the past is a great mentor for the present.

fash'on... BAM!

i am jennifer nicole lee

Jennifer Nicole Lee

in the part two feature of our 'jennifer mums', we turn our attention to jennifer nicole lee. she is an american fitness model, actress, motivational speaker and author. she is known for losing 70 pounds and launching a career as a fitness guru after bearing two children.

here's a look at her pictures from before:

this is her now...

on a final note, i'm not too sure about the last dress that she is wearing. great that she has a toned stomach but this dress reminds me a little of katy perry's bullet hole dress. 

Katy Perry in Viktor & Rolf

the cut-out panel just seems to be in an odd place.

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hitting the nail on the head

Nail Polish

nail polish, or nail varnish, is a lacquer applied to human fingernails or toenails to decorate and/or protect the nail plate. today’s nail polish is simply a refined version of the paint on vehicles. car paint alone would be unsuitable for human nails, as its brittle formula is designed for the rigid surface of a car. its formula has been revised repeatedly in order to prevent the cracking or flaking that occurs with the natural movement of the nail.

Katy Perry

most nail polishes are made of nitrocellulose dissolved in a solvent and either left clear or colored with various pigments. nitrocellulose is highly flammable. it is also called ‘flash paper’, or when intended to cause a flame, ‘guncotton’. nail polish ingredients often include toluene. solvents such as toluene and xylene are petroleum-based products that have been linked to cancer. formaldehyde (formalin) may cause allergic reactions and is unsafe for use by asthmatic people. it is a carcinogen.

nail polish makers are under pressure to reduce or eliminate toxic ingredients, including phthalates, toluene, and formaldehyde. in september 2006, several makers agreed to phase out dibutyl phthalate, which has been linked to testicular problems in lab animals and humans, in updated formulations. some makers eliminated formaldehyde from their products, others still use it.

Zooey Deschanel

Jessica Biel

water-based nail polish is based on an acrylic polymer emulsion and pigments similar to those used in watercolor paints. this is marketed as an environmentally-conscious product, since nail polish is considered a hazardous waste by some regulatory bodies such as the los angeles department of public works. in this application, the solvent (water) does not completely evaporate as in the case of the traditional nail polish; part of the water is absorbed through the fingernail

Shellac nails

a newer trend is called shellac, in which the manicure/color can last up to two weeks. shellac is also referred to as cnd after the creators of the product, creative nail design. the shellac method allows natural nail manicure seekers to gain some of the same benefits of their acrylic and gel nail counterparts. there are some negatives associated with the shellac process. shellac cannot be done at home, so consumers of the product have to go into to nail salons to have the service applied. The shellac manicure is often double if not triple the price of a regular manicure.

fash'on... BAM!

jean paul gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

jean paul gaultier was the creative director of hermès from 2003 to 2010. gaultier never received formal training as a designer. instead, he started sending sketches to famous couture stylists at an early age. pierre cardin was impressed by his talent and hired him as an assistant in 1970. afterwards he worked with jacques esterel in 1971 and jean patou later that year, then returning to manage the pierre cardin boutique in Manila for a year in 1974. 

his first individual collection was released in 1976 and his characteristic irreverent style dates from 1981 and he has long been known as the enfant terrible of french fashion. 

collection inspired by Amy Winehouse

many of gaultier's following collections have been based on street wear, focusing on popular culture, whereas others, particularly his haute couture collections, are very formal yet at the same time unusual and playful.

Fall 2009 Couture

although most people found his designs decadent at the time, fashion editors, notably melka tréanton of elle, claude brouet and catherine lardeur of french marie claire, were seduced by his creativity and immediately noticed his mastery of tailoring and later launched his career. in 1985 he introduced man-skirts, and produced sculptured costumes for madonna during the nineties, starting with her infamous cone bra for her 1990 blond ambition tour and designed the wardrobe for her 2006 confessions tour. he currently designs for three collections: his own couture and ready-to-wear lines, for both men and women.

Fergie in Jean Paul Gaultier

Katy Perry

what brought gaultier immense success was the advent of his haute couture line in 1997. through this collection, he was able to freely express the scope and range of his aesthetic, drawing inspiration from radically divergent cultures, from imperial india to hasidic judaism. 

here's a look at some of gaultier's couture collections.

fash'on... BAM!