Fly By - Party Dress Etiquette

I'm really excited to bring you a new posting concept - The Fly Vintage Fly By. Krystle is bringing her talents to Fauxshionable in a series of posts and I couldn't be happier about it!  Without further ado...

Party Dress Etiquette
By Fly Vintage


There is a very important subject that every modern woman MUST be well versed in: The party dress. The party dress is the quintessential element to having a ball at a soiree - and to having lots of friends.


What you need: 

A show stopping cocktail length dress, preferably from the 50's or early 60's for extra flirt and uniqueness. 

I wouldn't discount a Marilyn wiggle dress, but I highly recommend the glamour and figure flattering shape of a Betty Draper full skirt. Go big or go home!

You can buy a fab party dress at a local vintage shop, online at sites like Etsy.com, or at a thrift store if you are very lucky. I personally love using Etsy for vintage. Set prices, lots of selection, and passionate sellers.

 
What goes underneath:

Don't let your dress look like a deflated balloon! Be sure to give it the volume it was designed to have. For extra fullness you must have the proper undergarments. Crinolines or petticoats work, depending on the type of dress you choose.

Garter belts and stockings give you sexy inner confidence that takes your look from a 10 to an 11. Stockings should be fully-fashioned and at least 10 denier to give you that silky sheer coloring that cannot be imitated.

A lady always keeps her back seems straight.

No matter what you do, don't forget to accessorize. Hats, gloves, and a luscious lipstick make the look much more memorable. Be the life of the party and look enviable doing it.

A thank you goes to my friend Whitney here at Fauxshionable who has lent me her ears to blab about my favorite subject in the world; vintage. Whitney, you're a doll and you know more about class than anyone I know. 

The Old College Try

On a recent trip to visit dear friends out in North Carolina, we took some time to tour the UNC campus. Keep reading, Illinois fans, I haven't forgotten about 2005. 

The energy of a college campus made me feel like an undergrad again. I have so many fond memories of life as an Illini.  The only thing I'm not so fond of was how I dressed for class. I wore my sorority hoodie, sloppy jeans and sneaks more times than I care to admit.

Fashionable casual wear is something I'm really getting into.  If only I'd had this motivation in college! You hear it all the time, but yes, you can be comfortable and well put together.

This outfit is something I could have worn to class then, and for a casual outing now.  I layered a shrunken boyfriend blazer over a tee and bright tank and paired it with dark skinny jeans, a statement necklace and Converse. It's easy to move around in and I feel pretty cool.

Next time you reach for sweats, try a short sweater dress with leggings and flats.  Throw a cardigan over a printed t-shirt and pair it with skinny jeans and flat boots.  Make blazers your best friends.  

You never know who you might run into when you're out and about so make an effort and move to the head of the class.


Jeans: William Rast, T-shirt: Gap, Neon tank: American Apparel, Blazer: thrifted, Shoes: Converse, Necklace: Forever 21

Winter Wonders

The glitter of fresh snow requires a certain opulence in ones dress to compete. It also requires practicality in order to avoid freezing. Here are a few of my favorite things this winter.

This beautiful necklace was given to me by local designer and my high school classmate Eryn Blaser of Mixed Media Works. Aside from jewelry, Eryn is skilled in painting, printmaking and paper design. For this piece she was inspired by vintage. I love the detail on the center piece. To contact Eryn about her work email eryn.blaser@gmail.com.

I have a serious obsession with retro earrings. The big button style and pearl drop designs are incredibly elegant. I got these 4 pairs at the thrift store for a grand total of $4.25. If you thrift earrings, make sure you clean the posts and backs with rubbing alcohol.

I had been on the hunt for comfortable winter boots I wasn't embarrassed by (ahem, my dirty old Uggs) but thus far hadn't had much success in finding such a product. Fly Vintage recommended Sorel boots. Sorels have a ton of color and pattern options and are both waterproof and comfortable to boot. Pun intended.

Attempting to wear hair up in frigid temperatures means you must risk messing up the style with a hat or end up with frozen ears. The genius behind 180s solved that problem. I wanted a pair but thought they were a bit lacking in style. This year, however, I found these ivory cable knit 180s online and snapped them up. They're incredibly cozy and chic.

Stay warm (and fabulous) out there, everyone.

The Chicago Outfit

Chicago is well known for its organized crime. Al Capone is the most recognizable gangster, but the Outfit did have its share of ladies. Virginia Hill was a known courier and Swiss bank account "bag lady" for the mob right here in the Chi.

The menswear trend combined with the return to vintage glamor simply screams, "I'm a strong woman, possibly with mob connections!"  A mobstette? 

My friend Amanda did a fabulous job creating the attitude, in fact, it was her comment about resembling a female gangster that made it all click. Not afraid to take on the boss, yet still gorgeously well put together. We added a current twist by shooting at the ultra modern Apple store on North and Clyborne.

Coat, fur wrap, hat and blouse: thrifted, Earrings: super extra old vintage, Pants, bracelets and shoes: Amanda's own

Styling, photography, hair & makeup by Fauxshionable

Modeling by Amanda Ball

Michigan Avenue Magazine

Back in September, my friends Dana, Angela, and I attended the Fashion's Night Out festivities here in Chicago. We were photographed at the event and 2 months later, there we were in Michigan Avenue Magazine!  

We also made the website feature photos.  

I promise I'm not trying to sound too braggy (well, maybe a little), but it's just so exciting to be in a magazine all about the city I love.

Some might say it was random that our photo ran. We say it had to be our style that stood out ;)

Here's what I wore.

Pants: Gap, Shirt: thrifted, Shrug: Betsey Johnson, Boots: Christian Louboutin, Purse: Mulberry for Target, Watch: Fossil, Earrings: Forever 21

A New Year for Fashion

What a wonderful holiday season.  Unplugging and spending time with loved ones was the best way to begin 2011!

Last year I gave you the 2010 Commandments - but this year I'm going to focus specifically on fashion in the new year.  Now is a good time to look over your current wardrobe and reassess what you have.  Oprah (yes Oprah) says to turn all of your hangers to face one way, and when you wear the item of clothing, put it back in the closet facing the other way.  Anything left to face the original way the entire season should be something you consider getting rid of.  It's sometimes hard to remember what you wore, so this is a great visual strategy.

Aside from editing your closet, push yourself to elevate your current look.  Reference the fall and spring fashion shows to pick up trend pieces you could add into your wardrobe.  For example, if you normally choose dresses and skirts, try out the new high waisted pants instead.  Play with textures and shapes you don't normally look to.  I suggest visiting the thrift store to look for vintage pieces at low price points before investing in anything new and more pricey if you're not completely sure how the item will work on you.

Hair and make-up: do you dread it, or do you love it?  Put some thought into your beauty style next time you go out and see how easily it can transform your look.  Try a new color on the eyes or lips or put in some hot rollers for a quick change.

And now, some photos of how I've been trying to take my own advice!  The first set is from the lovely Fly Vintage's birthday party here in Chicago, and the second is from New Years Eve 2011.

Obviously, the fashion bar was set high at Fly's party.  I used some hot rollers and a big barrel curling iron to get my hair full of volume. I wanted to wear some new pants I thrifted that were very 70's. They remind me of these from the Oscar De La Renta Spring '11 RTW line.

Pants: Thrifted, Top; Mossimo, Shoes: Nine West, Purse: Thrifted, Jewelry: Vintage, The Limited, and gifts

For New Years Eve I tried a whole different look.  I had picked up a body con faux-distressed leather mini dress from H&M earlier in the season that would end up being perfect for the evening.  I wore it with my much adored and appropriate Balenciaga mirror toe shoes and edgy hair and make-up. 

To get the hair style, tease some volume at the crown of your head, then brush back smooth into a pony.  I like to spray the brush with hairspray to tame fly-aways. Take a ribbon and tie it around the base of the pony tail.  Wrap around the hair about 1/3 of the length of your pony and wrap back up to the base and secure with a bobby pin.

My shoes were once featured on the feet of Anna Dello Russo on the Jak & Jil Blog. No big deal.

Photo from Jak & Jil Blog.

Dress: H&M, Shoes: Balenciaga, Purse, Thrifted, Cuff: 2 Sisters

Cheers to starting the new year in style!