Tag Archives: retro

How to Look Like Punk Rocker Blondie

The Retro Punk Blondie look is a sweaty glossy one that hails back to the late seventies.  It should start with messy blonde hair that is streaked with black and brassy tones of gold.  The idea is to look like a bit of a skunk.  The streaks should be quite chunky with the brassy tones looking like burnt out bleaching attempt.  The hair should also be about chin length, straggly and puffed out a bit so it is as full as possible.

 

The eyebrow shape is important in this look. The eyebrows should be dark brown and plucked into a careful super-thin crescent arch. This was the classic disco look and many women wore a great deal of gleaming eyeliner and even sequins beneath their carefully designed eyebrows.

 

Very thick black eyeliner that is crusty and caked a bit is also a part of the Blondie retro look.   Eyeliner is applied on both the inside and outside of the eye in the Egyptian fashion and black shadow extends into wings up to the brow line.  The idea is to make your eyes look as sultry and cat-like as possible. The eyelashes should be coated with very thick black mascara.

 

White highlighter is used on the brow bone and on top of the cheeks, which are hollowed and sculpted with a dark cranberry brush.  The darker crimson reds, bordering a burgundy are more appropriate to the authentic Blondie look but if you have paler tones in your complexion then you might want to opt for wearing a more tomato-colored red. As this was the Disco era it is a good idea to slick your lips with as much lip-gloss as possible.  To make your lips look as full and thick as possible try using a lip plumper.  A visual trick to make your lips look thicker entails putting a dab of gold or silver powder in the center of your bottom lip to make it look fleshier.

 

Another signature part of the Blondie look was to wear a boat neck top that was cut so that it slid off your shoulder and bared the skin on one side. Also during that era it was fashionable to wear one stud earring in one ear and a long dangling earring in the other.

 

The way to top off this look is with a necklace made of cord and feathers, a short gold lame skirt, ripped black nylons and bright gold lame high heels.

 

Hot Fashion Trends for Late Summer

There are a few fashion trends in summer acccessories that are likely to stick around all through late summer and into the fall.

 

All year there has been a retro leean towards the kind of feathered and beaded earrings, necklaces and belts that Cher might have worn on her television show in the seventies.  Corded bracelets with big aqua and orange opaque beads are in fashion as are thong leather sandals with braided straps.d This is also a nod to the Idle No More movement which is generating a minor trend in fashion towards indigenou styles.  However whether or not it is politically correct to wear these stylses is another matter

 

Bib necklaces are also very hot this season. These are collars like chokers that then have reams of jewels or crochet draping about the neck like a kerchief.  The V shape usually hangs around the neck and below the breasts. The thing that makes the 2013 version different than the ones made of metal we have seen the past few years is that the bauble or beads tend to be of different sizes.

 

Multi-strand necklaces are a carryover from the last couple of seasons and they are still going to be in style. Whether they are made out of chains or multi-colored these necklaces look great on everyone.

 

There was a trend a few years ago towards wearing you belt just under the breasts to give your long flowing dresses more of an empire waist. You are going to see this revived for this fall.  Think of using a wide or shirred belt as a bodice.  The coolest ones will be made of leather with a tiered or double buckle in black and for summer white, lime or hot pink colors.

 

In terms of purses the smaller the better. The latest trend is towards little purses, the size of change purses that hang on long braided leather straps and that are molded to look like the faces of animals.  A little less childish are the large, elegant fabric bags with big wooden beads and handles that have forties and fifties styles kitch prints on it.

 

When it comes to keeping the rain off of your clear umbrellas are back in style especially if they have that big bubble shape. A true mod umbrella with a clear plastic bubble and black and white color design is not cheap!  They usually cost about thirty dollars or more.  However that is the price you pay to look as elegant as a Mary Quant model from the sixties.

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Vintage Style Inspired Bikini

There is a going to be a definite vintage influence on bikini swimwear this year. Think of the types of swimsuits worn in the movies by Grace Kelly, Marilee, Monroe or Jayne Mansfield. These are spare yet classy looks reminiscent of the 1950s and early sixties. The contemporary versions shown on the runways for Summer 2013 were not clichés but more like a subtle mix of vintage patterns and prints.

 

There are several style considerations that make a bikini more mid-century retro then others. One definitive indicator is the bikini bottom with a high waist bottom. This means that the bottoms come all the way up to belly button or even higher and are cut well below the rear cheeks.  No need to get a Brazilian wax job if you are wearing one of these bikini bottoms.

 

Another vintage touch on the bikini bottoms is shirred sides. This is meant to accentuate the waist and the hips.  Boy legged bottoms are also going to be a big part of the swimwear fashion scene this summer.

 

The necklines on the top tend to be sweet heart or halters although some strapless styles are seen paired with boy shorts as a definitive look.  Bikini cup with fuller or even stuffed cups are part of this looks as well.  One of the definitive retro looks for a bikini is the white halterneck that Grace Kelly wears in the movie High Society that is covered with a demure little ruffled skirt.

 

The fabric that the bikini set is made out of can also determine how vintage it looks. Floral patterns were very popular in mid-century America; especially big rose or peony patterns.  Suits with Hawaiian pattern such as Hibiscus florals also make a bikini seem more retro.  Gingham checks also work well to make you look more like a pin-up.

 

Another retro look for swimsuits is the Nautical look.  During the atomic age blue and white bikinis with bows, big buttons and trim were popular.  Some of the nicest of these retro style suits have a bikni bottom that looks like  a very short mini skirt with nautical stripes.

 

A way to instantly make it yourself to appear like a pin up is to wear a pair of platform shoes or sandals with your bikini set.  Putting your hair up in pin curls or wearing a bathing cap with appliqued rubber flowers can also make you look fashionably retro at the beach.

 

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