Glitz, glamour and Gatsby

Glitz, glamour and glam. Pearls, drop waists and beading. Gatsby, jazz and flappers. Darling, welcome to the 20’s!

It was a time of bobs and higher hemlines (and by higher, I mean just under the knee), not to mention class with few drops of sex appeal thrown in.  Gatsby and I both agree that for winter formal this year, go big or go home. This is your one chance to let out your inner flapper! There are plenty of other occasions where you can sort of take a cue from the theme, but the 1920’s is one of the best themes of all time because you can go all out with the fashions. Instead of having to choose whether to fingerwave your hair or wear a beaded dress, why not do both, and add a string of knotted pearls, classy T strap shoes, red lipstick and a feathered headband to round out the look. There are plenty of designers this year who are turning to the 20’s this season.

One of my personal favorites is Sue Wong. Normally, I shy away from her designs because they can feel a touch costume-y to me, and all of her detailing makes me feel like a walking tapestry. But, for her collection this season, she is my go-to designer. Think beads, feathers and delicious color palates. For those of you lovely fashionistas who adore the flapper look, here are some wonderful options that will have you looking like something out of 1926 Vogue! My top picks for her dresses are:

The Scallop Sheath Dress, $565 at Neiman Marcus. This platinum dazzler delivers just the right amount of metallic sparkle to turn any eye toward the wearer (the deep V in the back doesn’t hurt either.)

The Mesh-Back Beaded Shift Dress, $430 at Neiman Marcus. This elusive black lace and mesh over cream colored satin delivers a surprisingly boudoir feeling that is reminiscent of the 20’s in sort of a dark, allusive yet totally appropriate way. It’s sort of like you don’t know whether this dress is a little bit sexy, or just really classy with some deep colors. I guess it’s up to you to determine the vibe of this dress.

The Black Feather and Sequin Dress, $355 at Bloomingdales. This dress is basically perfect. Sequins, art deco design, slimming lines and coloring, why, this could be the perfect little black dress! It has a flattering neckline, a beautiful backline and hits mid thigh with an explosion of feathers. It’s basically a 2012 flapper. Gatsby and I both agree that if there is any dress to snap up, it’s this one.

For those of you who do not have sufficient funds (or Gatsby) to shell out $350 minimum for a dress, you’re in luck! I recently discovered a wonderful site for a fabulous fashionista with a limited budget. http://renttherunway.com is by far the best site to get extravagant couture without the extravagant cost. You literally rent dresses. Before I found my fabulous formal dress (on sale), I stalked this website. It has everything you could want: dresses, shoes, necklaces, earrings, the works! And the dresses are not something you would find at a garage sale; these are designer dresses at up to 90% off the retail cost. Gatsby doesn’t approve, but shhhhhh! It can be our little secret. The best part is, they send you 2 sizes in case the size you thought would fit you doesn’t.

My top pick from Rent the Runway for formal this year are:

                NouveauShift Dress, by Anna Sui for $150. Yes, it is a little pricey to rent, but one look at this nude, sparkly art deco inspired dress is sure to make up for the cost. This dress is cut a little higher on the chest (probably three inches below the collarbone) to make up for the shortness of the skirt (a little above mid-thigh length) however, since the rest of the dress is not overly sexy, it works. In fact, at first blush, the dress is very pretty. Once you get closer and start noticing the detailing and the sequins, it becomes stunning. If you’ve got $150 for a dress, I would hope you would pick this one. It’s gorgeous.

Now, I understand there are a select few of you who don’t want to completely fly away with the flapper look. Just because we’re jetting and jazzing back to the 20’s for winter formal this year doesn’t mean you need to look like you got stuck in a time machine. There are plenty of ways to allude to the flapper fashions of the time without going overboard. One idea is to take a little black dress and jazz it up with some accessories from the roaring 20’s. I’m talking knotted pearls, t strap shoes, feather headbands, fingerwaved hair, basically everything besides your dress. What fun is having the best theme ever if you don’t take advantage of it?

Once again, since wearing the aforementioned accessories probably doesn’t fall into your regular wardrobe, what about renting it? Rent the Runway also offers great deals on bracelets (like Badgley Mischka Art Deco Bling Cuff, $60) or some fabulous pearl necklaces (Kenneth Jay Lake Pearl Rope Necklace, $25.) Just a few accessories can take your contemporary LBD to flirty, fashionable nod-to-the-twenties LBD. And, if you’re still having doubts about this whole flapper business, maybe just search “1920’s fashion.” You might surprise yourself.

Well fashionistas, it’s time for this flapper to fly. I’m off with Gatsby to check out the venue. See you in the 1920’s!