Hollywood Glamour - The ideal female body shape

Hollywood Glamour - The ideal female body shape

Anita Page and the ' Ideal Screen Type ' 1928

Hollywood constantly measured the perfection of it's starlets beauty against ideal types.
The examples include Norma Talmadge /Pola Negri /Clara Bow / Gloria Swanson
/ Gilda gray / Aileen Pringle /Mary Pickford / and of course Garbo !

Fashion in the 1900's

1900's Fashion

I personally feel that that belle epoch period of 1890's to 1914 in fashion is unique. Those wonderful days when women wore morning dresses, afternoon dresses, evening gowns, formal dresses . of course it helped to have an army of servants running after you.
It was also the time when women began to wear suits with shirt waists and blouses !
The great artists of the period captured them so wonderfully.

Vintage Swimwear - 1940's swimsuits

These wonderful color images of 1940's swimwear really evoke the glamour of that period.
Included is the infamous new bikini' !
Vintage swimsuits in the 1940's and 1950's had far a greater variety of swimwear fabrics, like  lined cotton, stretch latex and nylon. The new bathing suit of that period was tailored to flatter a womans figure with tummy control panels,support cups for the bust and boning to create an hourglass figure.Vintage Swimwear  - Sarah Kennedys marvellous book tells a complete history of vintage bathing suits

1930's Fashion - Vintage 1930's Swimwear

1930's Swimwear Fashion

While the 1920s would proved to be a liberating decade for swimsuit designers, as they experienced with new fabrics and cuts to make swimsuits shorter, tighter, and flirtier,this prototype consisting of a short, dress-style skirt with a lower neckline and bare shoulders remained the same into the 1930's. Until the introduction of the bikini in 1946, this style of maillot would be further shortened and tightened to progressively reveal more and more skin.

Vintage 1940's Fashion Film - The Wedding Shower

Vintage 1940s Fashion Film - The Wedding Shower

Another clip from the vintage 1940s fashion film as Miss Ratherly Sterns Girls throw a wedding shower for their friend.She receives some lovely gifts.These films are lovely.They depict the glamour and style of dress, hair,and makeup of the 1940's perfectly .
Courtesy of Prelinger Archive.

Vintage Swimwear and Bathing Beauties - 1900's - 1920's

Vintage Swimwear and Bathing Beauties - 1900's -1920's

The new swimsuits post relied heavily on the form of the "fashionable" body, gradually exposing more and more skin. The beginning of the twentieth century marked a new daring era in swim wear for women. In 1909, Australian Annette Kellerman was arrested in the United States for wearing a loose, one piece suit that became the generally accepted swimsuit for women by 1910. After that swimsuits began the trend of becoming lighter and briefer. The apron disappeared by 1918, leaving a tunic covering the shorts. Even though matching stockings were still worn, bare legs were exposed from the bottom of the trunks to the top of the shorts. With the Roaring 20's following WWI, there was a large increase in appreciation of recreation and the spending of leisure time.
Courtesy of Roselyn Hsueh

My Vintage Vogue -Found Fashion

My Vintage Vogue - Found Fashion

Another cool page from My Vintage Vogue.
These are wonderfully cool photos of 'real' women and their own fashion picks.
This set is from the 1930's

How to capture that 1940's Glamour

How to capture that 1940's Glamour


Invest in the right colors: 1940's gals knew how to discriminately pick from the colors of the rainbow. Autumn and primary colors are your best bet for getting your 1940's glam on. Chocolate, navy, black, burgundy, cardinal red, royal blue, and gold are just a few great choices. Stay away from neons, brights, beiges, and other gaudy or boring palettes. If it's not luxurious, why wear it?

*Wear well-tailored clothes: Bombshells were experts at settling for a just-right fit. Don't get caught in slouchy get-ups. World War II vixens always strutted around in clothes that properly fit them---nothing too loose. Of course, the reverse is true, too. Too-tight clothes will not only come across as vampish but they'll also be uncomfortable. You want to look subtle and lady-like. Visit http://www.vintageous.com/ to look at some typical 1940's outfits.

*Buy elegant hosiery: From fishnets to wool stockings, bombshells knew how to dress their legs. Hosiery covers your gams while still managing to reveal the shape of your calves and thighs. Look for standard black fishnets and sheer pantyhose in dark colors for starters. For other examples, http://stockingirl.com/ offers a wide selection of tights, thigh highs, pantyhose, and stockings to fit your hosiery needs.

*Stick to classic make-up: The simplest advice for maintaining that 1940's look is avoiding trendy colors. Fill your make-up case with black or brown mascara and eyeliner, pink or red lipstick, face powder, and blush. Steer clear of fluorescent or tropical anything. You should also own an eyelash curler. Choose one feature to really highlight---such as the lips---and downplay everything else. If you go overboard, you'll look like a clown!

Original article courtesy of Christine Stoddard