Take Your Holiday Dressing Up a Notch, Part 5

When I post photos of gorgeous vintage evening gowns and party dresses here on my blog or on my Facebook or Pinterest pages, one of the most common reactions I get is, "Why don't we dress up like this any more?" It is a shame that our society has become so casual that a pair of jeans and a t-shirt will suffice for most social occasions. Instead of bemoaning that fact, however, why not become part of a change back toward more formal dressing? An easy way to start is to amp up what you wear to all the holiday parties and get togethers you'll be attending in the next month. This week, I'll be looking at ways to accomplish that.  Choose one or more of these ideas, but don't do them all at once please!

1932

When is the last time you booked an appointment with your hairdresser to have a special coiffure done for a party?  It used to be when a woman received an invitation, she would immediately schedule an appointment at the beauty salon for the day of the party so she could look her best with a fancy up-do.  If the last time you did that was for your prom or wedding, why not pamper yourself and make an impression on your fellow party-goers with a fancy hair style?  Trust me, it will be fun!

1941

1952

1962

1967

1974

1982

Vintage Hairstyles for Evening - 1965

In 1965, women would spend hours at the hairdresser before a big event.  Hairstyles were BIG, the bigger the better.  It took a lot of hairspray to make a look like this stay in place all night.  And it took a lot of shampoo to get all that hairspray out the next day.  Even so, it's a lot of fun to wear a hairstyle like this.  I hope these images from 1965 inspire you to do something special with your hair for your holiday parties!

 

Yes, that's Catherine Deneuve

Don't have enough hair for a big hairstyle?  You could always use feathers.......

Consider Your Hairdo When Choosing a Vintage Hat

If you like to wear vintage hats like I do, you'll want to consider how the hat looks with your hairdo.  As hat styles changed over the years, so did coiffures.  In the 40s, when victory rolls were popular, tiny "doll" hats were worn tipped to the front or the side to accent the hairstyle.  In general, hats work best with short hair or up dos.  The photos below are all from 1951 and show how hair can be styled to complement a particular hat. 

Neat curls at the top and sleek sides in a hairdo by Dimitri.  The black wool dress with asymmetric neckline is by Jacques Fath for Joseph Halpert. 

A small shallow pillbox hat by Mr. John is worn slightly tipped to the side and covers the curls at the top of the head.  Note how the short hair allows the large mantle collar of Pauline Trigere's coat to frame the face.

Here, longer hair is worn brushed back from the face and curled at ear level.  The Hadley cashmere sweater is accented with a beaded choker necklace.

A green bonnet by Chanda fits beautifully over the hairstyle and the face veil slips right over the curls.  Gray flannel suit by Alan Graham.

Medium length hair is swept to the side in a dramatic curl.  Hairdo by Enrico Caruso.  Silk dress by Claire McCardell.

This dramatic hat by Braagaard is worn tilted to the side to show off the sideswept curls.  See how that works?  Black velvet dinner dress by Maurice Rentner.

Party Hair, 1965

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. If ever there was a night for big party hair, this is it. Here, some inspiration from 1965. Go for it!