Runway Report | Vintage Inspired Fashion - Alexander Berardi Spring 2011

I love the tiny floral prints from Alexander Berardi's Spring 2011 collection which reminds me so much of vintage Cacharel and even Liberty of London (but much more muted). The styles are very reminscent of the mid to late 1970s when fluttery shoulders and butterfly sleeves were very popular. Aren't the dresses so very David Hamilton as well?


Image Credits: Elle.com

Vintage Inspired Clothing Brands | Thom.Dolan Spring 2011

I adore that preppy, beachy, and 1950s sensibilities are all blended together for Thom.Dolan's lastest Spring 2011 collection.


The Katherine dress is probably my favorite, it's so reminiscent of a vintage 1950s day dress. I could see wearing this dress for so many occasions, from casual to semi-formal.


While I love cotton shorts, these blue "blouson" short shorts only look flattering if you have model proportions. I wish designers would stop creating shorts and skirts that look like you're wearing diapers. It's just not attractive on 99.9% of the female population.

Image Credits: NY Mag - The Cut "Thom.Dolan Debuts Bikinis and Shirtdresses for Spring"

Ellen von Unwerth | A Study in Vintage Erotic Femininity

I love that the women Ellen von Unwerth photographs embody the sex symbols of years past like Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield...


I mostly respond to her black and white photos versus her color photography, the stark black and white just pops more! Her subjects are portrayed in very sexy settings, but kind of reminds me of when Bettie Page was breaking down barriers and walls in the 1950s with fetish photography, there's still some cuteness, some cheekiness to them.

Vintage Inspired Fashion Editorial: Vogue Russia | Ranya Mordanova by KT Auleta

There were so many 1950s inspired fashion editorials shot last year (as well as many inspired by the 60s and 70s). I'm hoping 2011 is the year of the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Actually... maybe even earlier than that! I'd love to see trends from the 18th century come back, in small doses... (wearing 3 ft plumes a la Georgiana Spencer perhaps?)


I love the vintage 1950s inspired hats in this editorial and the full circle skirts. There are similar style vintage hats available at Adorevintage.

"Prohibition" Fashion + Costume Design from HBO's Boardwalk Empire

I must confess, I mostly watch Boardwalk Empire for the beautiful clothes the women wear (although the show is shot exquisitely!). Every time I see a scene in the dress shop or even the lingerie and robes worn by the ladies in their homes my heart goes all a flutter.



The costumes were designed by John A. Dunn and crafted by Martin Greenfield using the Fashion Institute of Technology's 1920s tailoring books as their main source of inspiration. (Yay for vintage inspirations!) A few pieces are rented from a vintage shop in Albany, NY (Daybreak Vintage Company).



In an interview with Esquire magazine (Sept 2010) costume designer John A. Dunn is quoted "I developed the feel for each of the characters. We all wanted it to be very, very accurate and specific to the period. So, I limited myself to the fabrics of 1920."



Credits: Costume design information from Boardwalk Empire Wiki. Read more on John A Dunn's interview with Esquire Here.

Image Credits: Behind the Scenes of Boardwalk Empire, Men's Fashion on Esquire.com, Boardwalk Empire on IMDB.com

"Blooming Garden" Vintage Inspired Fashion Editorial | Vogue Korea August 2010

With Thanksgiving fast approaching I found this gorgeous editorial from Vogue Korea to be quite fitting for the current weather and the season. I absolutely love the wardrobe from this shoot, the long plaid skirt paired with fitted knit turtleneck and fur collar, oh goodness! Doesn't this editorial just evoke all the wonderfulness that is Autumn?



Image credits: All images from Vogue Korea. For similar styled vintage skirts, check them out in the shop { Adorevintage.com Vintage Plaid Skirts }

What I Would Wear Today: A Vintage Inspired Ensemble

"I should like to change into a sunflower most of all. They're so tall and simple. What flower would you like to be?" by little parisienne featuring a vintage coat

Vintage Inspired Outfit: Wrapped in a Novel

"A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment." - Jane Austen

Any other Jane Austen novel fans out there? Or book fans in general? Something about the chilly Fall evenings makes me want to curl up in a duvet with a bit of tea on the nightstand and get wrapped up in a classic novel.

On my nightstand at the moment... "Tess of the D'ubervilles" which I have not started and really shouldn't since I haven't finished "Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire" or "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" by Charles C Mann.

What's on your reading list for Fall?

And God Created Woman | Vogue UK September 2010 with Guienevere van Seenus

I adore the styling of this editorial photographed by Javier Vallhonart . The belted sweater tops with the full skirts, the ribbon in her hair, the socks with heels. I'm so happy to see a return of more feminine shapes on the Fall runways that aren't too fussy or too dainty.



Images from: Fashion Gone Rogue