The Art Deco Society of California reached out to me to write a piece that might inspire you to attend the Art Deco Preservation Ball, which is coming up in a few weeks on March 19th at the City Club in San Francisco. The Ball is always a fabulous event and lots of fun. I’ve attended year’s past and have such lovely memories of dancing, people watching and dressing up, which is my favorite part because it helps me feel like I’m living in another era, if only for just a little while.
Below are my four tips on becoming a flawless flapper.
CHOOSING YOUR DRESS OR GOWN
There are several options when choosing a gown for the ball - True Vintage, Vintage reproduction, vintage of another era that copies the Deco period or by making your own. I almost always make my own.
Myself in a 20’s gown I based off of the “One Hour Dress”
In making the decisions around your dress or gown, you will want to consider a few things.
- Proportion is EVERYTHING - Gowns from this era were often columnar in shape or might have a dropped waist with a flared and often flippy skirt. The waistline usually hit slightly below the natural waist at the high hip, with the skirt starting to flare from there. Lengths were at the knee or below the knee or all the way to the floor. There was a Deco resurgence in the 1970's and 1980's, which makes them nice era's to purchase from if you can't find True Vintage in your size.
Source: Pinterest
A few things to avoid - Fringe, an extra low dropped waist, skirts above the knee and shoulder pads. Note: While fringe was used in the 20’s and 30’s it was done much differently than costume shop flapper dresses. If you choose fringe, go with true vintage from the 20’s or 30’s. @Halseyfixesvintage did a great video about this very thing over on Instagram. You can watch it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaA4Qw0jExA/
ACCESSORIES
Accessorize with Care - Accessories can make or break your look.
Hair accessories from this era were kind of different than they are portrayed now.. There were feathers, tiaras and headbands in this era, however they were very minimal compared to the costume shoppe image of a flapper. Hair flowers, turbans and decorative pins make a great alternative to the headband and feather. Do your research and look on Pinterest for some inspiration.
source: Pinterest
source: Les Modes on Tumblr
Shoes often coordinated with or matched your gown. They may have a Mary Jane or T-Strap upper with a Louis (or curvy heel). There are so many great reproduction shoe companies selling vintage evening shoes - American Duchess, Remix Vintage Shoes and Memery to name a few. You might even find that Naturalizer and Aerosoles have some vintage inspired designs which can be found on Poshmark.
Pinet, evening shoes, pink silk satin with polychrome silk embroidery, circa 1925, France, gift of Frank Smith Collection. The Museum at FIT
1920s vintage clothing,flapper dresses,haute couture for the discriminating collector at VintageTextile.com
Jewelry is a fun way to mix up your look. As with hair accessories, less is more. There are companies that produce vintage reproduction jewelry. I tend to use vintage pieces from other eras (less expensive) and coordinate them with my other accessories.
Bags are another fun accessory to play around with. True vintage bags from the 20’s and 30’s don’t have to be super expensive, so it’s a nice way to add authenticity to your style. Many fabulous bags can be found at the Alameda Antiques Faire, which is coming up on the first Sunday in March.
Source: Pinterest
HAIR
Hair is probably the most important way to look authentic and the hardest to get right. Hair Styling was very specific in the 20’s and 30’s. It was either cut very short or worn very tight to the head and dressed with finger waves and pincurls. Finger waves, pincurls and fake bobs, however, are not out of reach. There are amazing tutorials on YouTube and on Pinterest that show how you can achieve the look you are going for.
Practice is key, so make sure you try out a new hairstyle a few times before your event. That will give you the confidence to get it right whenever you want to do it.
@Miss.Silver.Starlight (aka - our very own Julie Ann Brown) will be giving a vintage hair class in March. Follow her on Instagram for details.
HAVE FUN
The 20’s ushered in a new freedom for women. Raised hemlines (from the floor; not above the knee), no more corsets (unless you wanted to) and voting! It was a wild and celebratory time. Enjoy life, learn to dance The Charleston and don’t take yourself (or your outfit) too seriously. And if you need a little help with your dress, we have private lessons and some drop-in classes that will help you create or alter the dress or gown of your Deco dreams.
Until next time, happy Preservation Ball!
Xo
Jennifer
