Photography by Diane Dulgerian
1920s style is hot for summer 2013.
Period films like The Great Gatsby caused a resurgence in the ’20s flapper look, but the shimmering sequins on slinky, high-cut dresses aren’t practical for everyday wear in the modern world. And while Daisy Buchanan is quite the fashion catch, her meticulously matched looks are better for the pages of Vogue than for walking the streets of a town near you.
What the 1920s style trend failed to inspire is how to wear ’20s style in a casual way. There’s no need to dress for the club in strands of pearls and dresses of fringe to channel the roaring 1920s. Don’t worry about learning the Charleston, putting on a flapper lip or kicking up your legs with a whiskey sour in your hand.
<< Shop 1920s vintage clothing on eBay now!
Dressing in ’20s clothing can be conservatively chic and ready-to-wear for the most sophisticated of business meetings or mundane as dropping by the grocery store for a gallon of soy milk.
Great Lake Outfitters Vintage and I teamed up to show how any woman can wear ’20s style in a dropwaist knit dress from the 1960s. No Charleston needed!
Featured in my e-book, The 100 Best Vintage Shops Online, Great Lake Outfitters is the midwest’s go-to source for quality, affordable vintage clothing on eBay. Founder Kelly scours Ohio for the garments that every girl can go ga-ga over — without having to save for that “special” one-off occassion.
Why is ’20s fashion so hot right now? How are you wearing the trend?
Let me know in the comments below, or say hello on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or get a free excerpt of my e-book here!
#vintagelove, Sammy
Wearing 1920s Style
Shot on location at The Belvedere Castle in New York City’s Central Park, the Victorian style castle (designed in 1865) provided a vintage backdrop circa 60 years older than the 1920s itself.
Found mid-park near 79th street, the castle offers panoramic views of the parks other sights worth tourist-spotting, including Delacorte Theater, Turtle Pond and the Great Lawn.
Learn more about the Belvedere Castle (meaning “beautiful view” in Italian) via Central Park’s website.
>> Grey-wool shoes by Michael Kors
>> Vintage ’80s-does’20s style felt hat, from my personal collection
>> Vintage 1960s leather briefcase compliments of My Darling Vintage, the #1 online store for vintage bags in my e-book
’20s Style Dropwaist Dress
The 1960s-does-1920s style dropwaist captures the look and liberated lifestyle of the flapper era without needing to dress up for the night.
First popular in the ’20s and again in the 1960s (when this dress was made), a dropwaist is quite literal in its name: The waistline is dropped to at or slightly below the hips and because of this design creates a straight, waistless silhouette.
The dropwaist dress was a nod to the adrodynous feel of the era, when girls began cutting their hair short into short bobs, removing constricting corsets and loosening their clothing to more shapeless silhouettes than the “fitted” fashions of their mothers’ and grandmothers’ past.
The #lipstickaffirmations Message
#lipstick affirmations is my social media campaign for more self-love.
We apply makeup to feel our best for the day ahead, and after applying our “outer” beauty, we can also apply our “inner” beauty, too. Writing a #lipstickaffirmation is like applying makeup to our souls.
Everyday I write one of these positive affirmations and share it via social media to “spread love daily” and then, using my favorite shade of Revlon lipstick, I seal it with a kiss.
Want more #lipstickaffirmations? Follow me on Instagram for my daily morning affirmation sealed with a kiss using lipstick by Revlon.
Buy the Dress!
This vintage 1960s dropwaist dress by vintage label “Dalton” is available on Great Lake Outfitters now.
Or, check out Great Lake Outfitter’s other vintage dresses for inspired vintage style you’ll want to wear all summer long.
Great Lake Outfitters
Great Lake Outfitters is a Cleveland, Ohio based eBay power seller with a rich history of offering vintage trends to men and women around the world at budget-friendly prices. Founder Kelly scours the midwest for garments from estate sales, auctions and the personal collections of American family dynasty members.
GLO also sells locally at vintage pop-up events, shows and open-air markets in the Ohio area. Interested in checking out Great Lake for yourself?
Drop Kelly a line to see when she’s setting up in Ohio near you.
Visit Great Lake Outfitters
Photography by Diane Dulgerian Photography
Diane Dulgerian is a New York City based photographer with an eye for style.
She specializes in portrait photography of children, high school seniors, engagement/couples/love, families, events, maternity and pets.
Visit Diane Dulgerian Photography
MORE 1920s STYLE TRENDS
DEFINITIVE: Everything You Wanted to Know About 1920s Clothing
TRENDS: 1920s Fashion Trends as Seen on Boardwalk Empire, The Artist & The Great Gatsby
RALPH LAUREN: How He Channeled ’20s Style for Spring 2012
TURBANS: A Quintessential ’20s Accessory Styled 4 Ways
FROM OUR PARTNERS
FASHION: How to Make Your Own 1920s Dress (Book!)
VINTAGE FASHION CLUB: More on ’20s Fashion History from UK Vintage Lovers
FILM: The ’20s Style of The Great Gatsby Movie by Baz Luhrmann
PLUS: Where to Buy 1920s Clothing on Etsy
What a great look for you, Sammy! It looks especially good on you. I do remember wearing drop waist dresses and chunky shoes as a child in elementary school back in the 60s.
Beautiful photos and a lovely post! You’re awesome! :)
Great look! Personally I don’t wear the drop waist because it don’t flatter my body type but that dress makes me want to try it out anyway. :)
I love your skin colour and lip shade in these photos! You seem so refined and yet so fresh (I hope you take that as a compliment!) The second photo is divine.
What do you think of drop waist dresses on a bottom heavy figure?