We’re set for a big return to old Hollywood vintage glamour in 2012 with a 1920's revival.
With the recent release of Midnight in Paris and the upcoming release of The Great Gatsby and Madonna’s directorial debut of W.E, flapper glamour is making it’s way back onto the catwalk and into the pages of glossy magazines around the world.
Thanks to the popularity of shows like Boardwalk Empire, Downtown Abbey and Australia’s Underbelly: Razor a return in an interest of all things 1920’s is sweeping through designers collections and new trend looks.
The look was seen back at New York’s Fashion week last year at the Ralph Lauren collection, Dior’s Autumn 2011 collection was inspired by all things 1920’s & 30’s and Gucci's 1920s Art Deco–inspired collection wowed the audience. The spring 2012 runways heralded a 1920’s trend, and an “old Hollywood” look of retro waves is a perfect way to make the catwalk style wearable. For those not keen to cut their hair take the modern approach and gently pull back the hair and create the faux bob with the help of a couple of bobby pins and pin in a vintage styled clip or barrette.
Get the make up to match
To update a vintage make up, keep skin fresh and luminous.
Enter the vamp - Stars like Theda Bara, Clara Bow and Louise Brooks made paper-white skin, blood red lips and heavily made up eyes into the must have look back in the day. There was lots of black and charcoal and aa big trend was the Egyptian inspired, squared off cats eye.
* Apply a semi - matte foundation for a porcelain and velvety finish rather than the original heavy and pasty stark white finish of the original cake foundations. During the early 20’s women favoured an ivory or cream coloured powder. Powder (usually rice powder) was vital to the Flapper look: skin looked white to the point of near-death; one author called it, "the pallor usually associated with innate vice".
* Blend a pink blush in rose or rasberry tone onto the apples of the cheeks and sweep up towards the temples.
* Keep the eyes quite dark for a deep stained smudge. Edge the whole eye lid with a black liner and smudge into the skin to blur the edges. Apply a charcoal eye shadow close to the lash line and blend out with a fluffy brush. Keep the eye clean, not bruised looking. Green and turquoise was in fashion in the 20’s so to make eyes pop smudge in another colour or dab silver metallic into the inner corner and blend well.
* Emphasize the eyes further by lining with eyeliner close to the lash line and apply several coats of mascara.
* Eyebrows were originally extremely thin. In a fad, women plucked out the entire eyebrow and pencilled it back on higher than it had been in the first place. To keep the look modern and fresh define your natural eyebrow shape by applying colour to the underside in a straight line for a slightly curved or straighter line. This keeps natural fullness but you also get the flatter, more masculine brow that was in.
Good news for those of you with a straighter brow. The straight brow is et to be another 2012 trend so do like Louise Brooks and define your natural shape and team with the 20's trend to look right on trend.
* Apply a deep red, plum or brownish red using a lip brush for a precise application. Plum, burgundy and all the colors of wine will add glamour to the season. Originally lipstick in the 20’s was applied as a cupids bow to the upper lip and is the defining look for lip make up of this decade. that pursed shape is essential. The lower lip was slightly exaggerated and the width of the lip emphasized.
* Want to follow the trend down to your finger tips? Fingernails were painted only in the centre. The half moon and nail tip were left bare or white.
Marc Jacobs 2012
Dior 2012
The bobbed haircut made the 1920’s Flapper movement what it was. Again think Louise Brooks - The bob hairstyle was a blunt cut worn halfway between cheekbone and chin. Fringes could be worn cut straight across or swept to one side. Like the made up face, hair didn't look "natural"; it was slicked down. The most drastic version of the Flapper hairdo was the Eton crop, cut very short and close to the head, with a curl plastered tightly above either ear.
