Tag Archives: Vintage

Trending Costume Jewel for Late Summer

Enameled jewelry is where it is at for late summer.  The idea is not to wear several charms on a wrist or necklace but to wear one single charm from an expenive gold or silver chain.  Fruit is really popular with enamaled strawberries, apples or cherries dangling from the chain being very popular. This look is also popular in dangling earring styles.

 

In terms of bracelets it is mainly the corded styles that are dominating the market. Bracelets made out of fabric cord in black or white are threaded with hematite, diamante or other types of round beads.  These items look good stacked and are like larger, more glamorous versions of the classic friendship bracelets.

 

Anything that has the Chanel logo on it is also in style for summer and fall. This is especially true of cuff bracelets which must have that big interlocking silver pair of C’s on the clasp. This too is part of that rage for anything that might have been popular in the nineties.  Vintage Chanel pieces are particulary poplar.  This look in costume jewelry is a mainstay. It just never seems to go out of style.

 

Necklaces made out of interlocking metal and interspersed with rhinestones or crystals are also a big deal.  These usually look like long collars and are made out of rows of interlocking chains that have a resemblance to watch wristbands.

 

Vintage or vintage look-alike necklaces made out of large clunky pieces of glass or rhinestones are also very hot right now but only as long as they are made out of platinum or silver colored metals.  Just like a seventies, young girls are wearing these rhinestones with black t-shirts and weathered jeans.

 

Also popular are necklaces and bracelets with large square shaped gems, bigger than your thumbnail in different smoky colors hanging on a single gold chain.  This is a very chunky eighties look for jewellry  with a deliberate nod to all things faux.

 

There is also a lot of fuss in the fashion magazines about what are known as statement necklaces.  Statement necklaces are big pieces, usually costume jewelry, that one cannot help but notice on the neck.  Often the beads or design is very kitsch or artistic.  Many of them are bib necklaces that cascade like a kerchief down the front of the peron. Once you wear this with a black top or dress then you need not wear any other piece of bling on your body!

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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