Vintage Roaring 20's Flapper Girls Cocktail Recipe ~ The Sidecar

To celebrate our one month blog birthday here's a vintage 

cocktail recipe for all you fans of the Roaring 20's...

~The Sidecar~

3/4 oz triple sec

1/2 oz cognac

3/4 oz lemon juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

Cheers to many years to come!!!

the fabulous Coco Chanel

“There have been several Duchesses of Westminster but there is only one Chanel!” ~Coco Chanel 

(said upon rejecting the Duke of Westminster's proposal...)

Coco Chanel // source

In the 1920’s Coco Chanel established herself as a fashion force by introducing the world to 

some of the most prominent ideas to change modern styling in women’s clothing.  She was a strong, confident woman who took charge of her life and the cards that were dealt her, while molding herself into a classy and elegant woman of style and taste.

1924-1926 Evening Dress

Chanel’s beginnings were humble and far from the opulence that we now associate her with.  She was born into poverty and by the time she was twelve years old had been abandoned along with her sisters, by their father, at a convent in central France.  This would be were she first picked up needle and thread and learned the craft that would make her a Fashion Icon.  

1927 Art Deco Coat

From the convent she found herself working as a seamstress by day and a café singer at night, where she would meet men of luxury and wealth that would help her elevate herself through socioeconomic boundaries.

1927-1928 Silk Evening Ensemble

As a licensed milliner she opened a shop in 1910 at 21 rue Cambon in Paris, she created the little boater, a type of trimmed hat that would remain popular for fifty years and was perfect for outdoorsy and sporty wealthy women.  

1929 Silk and Wool Ensemble

Women of means and leisure of this time period lived in very restrictive clothing, Chanel adapted clothing from her lovers to enjoy outdoor sporting activities and this would be come the inspiration for her future designs. Casual elegance meant goodbye to corsets and restrictive clothing, she would go on to adopt the use of a material that, until 1916, was only used for men’s undergarments.  Jersey became a hit with fashionably active women and the Chanel Suit became a staple in the elegant society woman’s wardrobe.

1927 Silk Evening Dress

By the 1920’s Chanel’s boyish fashions and her own personal short bobbed hairdo spawned a look for the next generation.  It was unrestrictive, unique, and appealed to the wild rebellious spirit of the liberated young women of this era.  Chanel would guide and help define the iconic flapper style.  

1926 Silk Evening Dress

In 1924 along side the Wertheimer brothers Chanel Parfums came into existence with the introduction of the classic Chanel No. 5.  1926 was the birth of the “little black dress” that is a must in any woman’s closet.  She elevated the color black from funerary wear to become the sophisticated standard in evening attire that we love to this day.  By 1929 she had introduced the world to women’s everyday trousers giving women the same unrestricted freedom of movement that until this time was a luxury only men were afforded.

1927-28 Silk Evening Dress

During the 30’s and 40’s Chanel would fall out of fashion due to her politics and personal life during a war torn Europe, but she would rise again in the 50’s and would remain at the top of the couture world until her death in 1971.  Today the house of Chanel remains a strong and desired couture line collected and coveted by women the world over.  

// all images sourced from the Met Museum

it's Friday - time to get ritzy!

This week's theme has been all about those fabulous flapper girls of the 1920's. It's amazing to think that the style we know and love them for is now almost one hundred years old. We have to say that the old adage is right - true style never does goes out of fashion! 

One of the fantastic things about pre-1950's vintage is the glam factor... and the Roaring Twenties definitely lend themselves to that! So go ahead and channel your inner Daisy Buchanan with these flapper-worthy Friday night gems:

seafoam vintage dress // here

art deco mandalain bag // here

peach chandi & lia flapper inspired dress // here

taupe flapper inspired dress // here

art deco necklace // here

modern take - the perfect canvas for flapper accessories // here

repurposed art deco necklace // here

Have a great day!

alright Dames, quit lollygagging... 
those flapper girls sure do sound like the cat's pyjamas!
so, who the devil were they?!

Born to parents of the Victorian Era, 'flapper girls' were essentially the fabulously stylish young rebels of the early 20th Century. Flappers were children during the First World War and as such, grew up during a time of austerity and sacrifice in their family life. Naturally, when they became young adults, they wanted to enjoy their independence and wealth. And boy, did they!

Louise Brooks by Preston Duncan // source

From 1920-1933, Prohibition was in effect. This meant that the government banned the production and sale of alcohol. What do young people do when they are given a rule? Break it, of course! Groups would throw exclusive drinking parties, known as a 'Speakeasy', usually in basements or private residences. 

Flapper girls were known for an energetic coyness. They retained a level of impish, girlie innocence whilst actively opposing society's norms. The girls even had their own magazine, entitled "The Flapper - Not For Old Fogies". 

Colleen Moore // source

Flapper girls caused somewhat of an outrage to their Victorian parents, who had highly contrasting views about sexuality. Petting parties became popular - groups of young people gathering together for the main purpose of 'necking', or as we might say now, 'making out' - something which was socially reserved for engaged or married couples in previous decades.

As well as a liberal attitude towards drinking and dating, flappers often indulged in smoking; much to the disapproval of the older generation. Young girls in the 1920's wanted equality for women now that they had the right to vote. Men could smoke, drive, work and date more freely - flapper girls wanted to make the most of the same opportunities.

Clara Bow // source

They were very interested in fashion and were heavily influenced by Parisian trends. Coco Chanel made a huge impact during the 1920's, with her creation of the boyish 'garconne' look. During the Victorian times, heavy fabrics and corsets were desirable - Chanel proclaimed that she wanted to "let go of the waistline" and promote lighter, easier, more flimsy garments that women could enjoy life wearing.

The iconic flapper dresscode consisted of drop-waist dresses, just-above-the-knee hemlines, stockings that were often rolled down, absence of corsets, long necklaces, cloche hats and feathered headbands, revealed skin and modern Art Deco jewelry. Sequins and tassels were popular - it was a time of indulgent fashion. High heels were starting to become in Vogue.

a Flapper and a Ford // source

Cars were being produced more copiously and instead of being open-topped, more and more had a roof... we shan't spell out what this meant for young, rebellious women and their boyfriends... we are sure you can use your imagination as to why this aided somewhat of a sexual revolution!

   
a classic example of flapper mischievousness // source

Because their attire was far lighter than the heavy dresses their mothers wore, flapper girls were able to dance more freely. The increase of skin on show, particularly bare arms and powdered knees, meant that young men everywhere were suddenly captivated and wanting to get closer! Energetic dances such as The Charleston meant that men and women would have far more interaction, with much call for fun and little call for the social graces of their parents. 

Sadly, the decadence and indulgence of the 20's could not last forever. The Wall Street stock market crash of 1929 led to a decade of The Great Depression, with WWII following in the late 30's. The fun times were coming to an end. The flapper girls of the 20's had grown up, Prohibition was on its way out and both America and England were about to become serious once more.

the dolly sisters // source

So there's our overview of those fabulous young girls who loved life, seized opportunity, lived for the moment, embraced fashion and ultimately changed the face of gender equality and sexual liberation forever. They sure were ritzy, those flappers!

the great gatsby movie

"I've been drunk for about a week now

and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library."

~ Owl Eyes, The Great Gatsby

This was the line that made Em burst into repeated hysterics on a very quiet bus journey, the first time she read what went on to become one of her absolute favourite books of all time. 

Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925 and set three years earlier in New York and Long Island; The Great Gatsby has long been considered as one of the most insightful windows into the fascinating Jazz Era of the 1920's. 

It was a highly celebratory and hedonistic time, due to the end of WWI. Prohibition (the ban on producing and selling alcohol) was starting to come into effect, which led to lively, raucous and sometimes incredibly debonair underground drinking gatherings (Speakeasies). 

The book tells the story from the viewpoint of Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate and war veteran who has just moved to an area of 'new money'. Jay Gatsby is Nick's mysterious, extremely wealthy neighbour and the fabulous protagonist of the story. Gatsby is a captivating character whose lavish rabbit hole you can't help but find yourself falling willfully into. Then there's our quintessential flapper girl, Dasiy Buchanan - attractive, wild, fun, shallow, effervescent - the epitome of a young, free-spiritied 20's girl. 

Warner Bros. courtesy of IMDB

If you can  already imagine the imagery in your mind... it's about to get much clearer! The movie version is being released during December this year.
When we heard that the book was going to be remade in movie form by Baz Lurhmann, we couldn't contain our excitement. Love it or loathe it, his adaptation of Romeo and Juliet was unarguably visually rich.
The first taster of things to come is the stunning official movie poster image, which has now been released:

Warner Bros. courtesy of IMDB

Whether you are a vintage fan, a 20's fan, or a Fitzgerald fan, we hope that news of this film gives you something to look forward to. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for any updates.

Finally, the official trailer has now been released - here it is for you to enjoy!

1920s music

this week's theme:
flapper girls of the roaring 20's

After last week's rockin' and rollin' 50's theme, we thought we'd take a step back a little further in time to one of our favourite vintage subjects - the fabulous flapper girls of the roaring 20's!

First we'll be looking out for updates on this years Great Gatsby movie... something we're hugely excited about! We'll give you some history on the all-important Coco Chanel, who is widely credited as being the driving force behind the androgynous styling of the flappers. We'll look into how you can replicate flapper style in the modern world - with vintage dresses and jewelry as well as current takes on 20's fashion!

And as usual, here's a little Monday music to get you in the mood! Enjoy!