Monday, September 6

knowing what works



When it comes to looking nice, I feel like much of the battle is won by knowing what silhouettes suit your body. You can eliminate a lot of time and grief choosing garments that you know are going to work out. While I love some of the 1960s cute shift dresses out there, I also know that those and my body are vastly at odds. However,  I do know that a late 1930s dress is going to do all the right things for me. So, when vintage shopping I usually gravitate to those shapes I know make me look nice and though I do veer from that path, I find that when I need to get dressed quickly, it's these garments that will serve me best. That's another great thing about shopping for vintage, you can sort of choose an era or style and then hunt just for that particular thing and be fairly certain of it's fit every time you buy, this makes buying online a lot easier too. If the measurements of a 1930s/40s dress are given I can be pretty dang sure how that dress is going to look on me, and so I can snap it up! Anyway, wow, this was a long-winded way of saying that the day I wore this dress I had whittled away my morning and run out of time for getting dressed. I didn't have time to experiment and so I grabbed this dress and barely even had to look in the mirror before leaving the house. And once again, the dress is doing all the work and I don't have to worry about accessories at all. Sweet deal.

1930s/40s brown & white polka dot crepe dress ◊ antique mall
1940s tan leather shoes ◊ the basement of my mom's variety shop

6 comments:

BaronessVonVintage said...

I think this is very wise advice. More and more I find that when I experiment, I end up re-learning things I had learned the hard way years earlier. This style just suits you SO perfectly!! BEAUTIFUL colour, too!

Wild Tea Party said...

Those shoes! Just perfect with that dress! You look lovely.

I wish I was as clever at getting dressed as you, but I'm still learning what styles are right for me. It's a fun learning process though to experiment with different eras and styles.

Melissa Righero said...

I hear ya! My bust is a DD, waist is 27, and hips 42. Wide, slime, wide. Similar to Hendricks shape. Although I'm 5'2 with small frame (shoulders). So, always a garment that shows off the waist, full skirts (unless I'm feeling brave for wiggle dresses), and some how alwasy showing off the collar bone givers a slimmer look. I find 70's romantic dresses work best on me.

30's and 40's are sooo your style Lauren. Your petite frame can do so well with extra tailored garments. Love it.

The Vintage Mistress said...

Agreed... tailoring does it all and then some!

Unknown said...

can't agree more. i'm v into the silhouette.

Aanna Greer said...

Fit is something that I'm just now learning about and trying to put into practice. I like your idea of finding a decade that works for your body.

Great post!

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