However, no matter your take on F. Scott or Luhrmann, the one thing we can definitely agree on is that the fashion of the Roaring 20s and coincidentally the film are definitely the ‘cat’s pajamas.’ So, I’ve decided to be a good ‘sport’ and clue you in on the trends that will definitely influence your summer and fall wardrobes. So take out a pen and paper and commence jotting….I’m serious.. do it now… NOW!

During the 20s, women begin to wear men’s wear and burning their corsets. So wide leg trousers, pussy bow tops, oxfords….lets just say loose fitting clothes were all the rage thanks to a few notable designers such as Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret liberating women from their ermmm..confined lives. Stacked heels, t-strap shoes, lace trim, black and white and flirty skirts were staples in every woman’s wardrobe. Check out these few fashion forward pieces inspired by the age.

And who doesn’t like being bedazzled? We women LOVE our jewelry and accessories. This was the age of true decadence. Think the 80s times 1000. The women in the 20s knew how to dazzle a man… They’d just TWINKLE.. Dangling earrings, statement necklaces and graphic prints are just a few things that this era inspired.

Stay tuned later in the week for the Beauty inspirations from this era. I am sure it will knock your socks off. Feel free to list a few things in the comment box that you ladies would like to see me cover in my fashion and beauty editorials. I am looking for some fresh ideas. Until next post. Toodles!

It would seem that you ladies are so NOT feeling the sporty trend. I can dig it. It is good to know your audience and I am happy to find that most of you are vintage souls. This will make it that much easier for me to create looks and posts for you.

Now to get right to it. White tees are every season’s staple. They never go out of style and you can dress them up or down. Throwing on a white tee with some jeans and heels just gave your outfit trend cred. But that is just one way to wear a tee. Here three ways to wear white tees this S/S 2013.

Girlie It Up with Floral

Try a tee with this fabulous floral pencil skirt and show off your curves. Add a animal print to give your own fashion forward twist and you have just refreshed your look.

White Tee and Denim

Now you all know that I wouldn’t do something so simple. Adding a faux leather moto jacket for the cooler spring months with these cute wedge sandals with hardware details is a perfect way to revamp this classic look. Say goodbye to skinny jeans and flatter your figure in these wide-leg jeans.

Nautical by Nature

Now this is definitely a fresh way to up your game. Mixing your patterns. Striped patterns go with just about every other patterns including florals. But this nautical skirt and this striped jacket is a great way to do something different for the office or  girls night. Of course I embellished by adding these Manolo’s but we both know that we can find a great pair of red pumps for much less. Mixing red, navy and white is definitely fashion forward.

1 White Tee 3 Ways–Dressed Up by lattes-n-lipstick featuring j. crew skirts

Sandra D. is an in demand hair stylist who has been breathing new life into old-fashioned wet set and pin-curl hairstyling method with her fabulous retro hair styles from the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. Wet set? Pin-curl? In the 21st century era of flat irons and quick fast and hurry hairstyles, Sandra is a delightful throwback to the way Dorothy Dandridge, Rita Hayworth and other old Hollywood icons wore and styled their hair. She was delighted to share with Beyond Black and White her passion to connect to our glamorous past and how we can add some classic looks to our repertoire this season.

BB&W: Sandra, how long have you been doing retro hairstyling and what was your inspiration?

Sandra D: I have been doing the classic retro hairstyles for over 13 years. I have always had a love and passion for the vintage way of life so when I was in school, one of my instructors who professionally styled hair during the 1940’s and 50’s took me under his wing, I took full advantage of this rare opportunity to draw from his expertise. I realized this is a dying art and I want to keep it alive.

BB&W: What is the most popular hairstyle decade your clients want to re-create?

Sandra D: My clients like the 1940’s hairstyles the best; the victory roll in particular.

BB&W: The victory roll hairstyle that you speak of is the one  Keri Hilson wore in her video, “Pretty Girl Rock.” in the 1940’s wartime segment a couple of years ago.

Sandra D: Right

BB&W: When creating new looks for your clients, where do you draw your inspiration?

Sandra D: I take full advantage of the internet to find photos of movie stars from Old Hollywood. There is so much on line to draw from; fan pages, websites set up by the estates of deceased Hollywood icons that showcase photos from their heyday, the possibilities are endless. Classic movies are another favorite venue of mine to get a feel of how particular hairstyles fit in certain situations.

BB&W: If our readers is want to start rocking some hot retro styles this season, is it difficult and will it take a lot of materials to re-create their favorite retro hairstyles?

Sandra D: Not it is not difficult at all, first of all get a cut that is flattering on you and find hairstyles from your favorite decade on line as your inspiration that compliment that cut. There are clips on line that can teach them how to properly set a pin or rag curl. As far as materials, all you need is bobby pins, double pronged clips, and setting lotion or gel. The most important ingredient you will need is time. Doing a wet set properly will take time, but the results will be worth it.

BB&W: How long do the styles last?

Sandra D: If you properly wrap your hair at night, for straight hair, the styles last 2-3 days, on curly hair up to a week.

BB&W: For ladies who want to learn more about retro hairstyling, you offer classes at your salon several times a month?

Sandra D: Yes I also conduct classes with Anamarie Von Firley of Revamp Fashions throughout the year in Los Angeles. The ladies can go to my website www.glamourembalmer.com for more information.

I am loving the new wedge sneak look, adding an extra chicness to our wardrobes. It is a great way to dress down with being all the way down. And then there was the advent of TOM shoes. We LOVE those. So here are four new ways to go sporty and still be chic

 TOMS Are More Fun

Classic Converse with Studded Modernity

Hi-Tops Mini

Blinging Spring in Your Step

With the advent of the fifth season of the show, I decided to bring the style to life for you ladies. I know that they aren’t black women, but we can definitely learn from the style of the women from that show. I have put together five things that we can all take away from Mad Men.

Mini Satchel Bags

Every girl has that large bag that she throws everything into and often finds herself rummaging through all the way to the bottom where she finds herself being sucked into the black hole that is her over-sized bag. Don’t lie, you know you’ve been there. Well, this late 50s – 60s take on handbags is the answer to your prayers. It is small and fashionable and big enough to hold only your bare and I do mean BARE necessities.

Kitten Heels Can Be Sexy Too

 

After centuries it seems of the hooker/stripper heel trend, kitten heels are making a comeback. And what a welcome comeback they are. The ladies of the 50s and 60s made this demure little heel look ultra sexy. Take a cue from the ladies of Mad Men and go kitten. I mean who needs to be a full fledged cat when you can get what you want by being a saucy kitten?

 

 

Mad Men Style– Kitten Heel by lattes-n-lipstick featuring kitten heels

Form Fitting Dresses

 

Who needs to show it ALL.. The sexy is in the cover up. And the women of the 50s and 60s understood this. Instead, they left everything to the imagination, yet still gave you a peak. Into their curves that is. With these curves, I am not sure why there weren’t a lot of car accidents. Be a bombshell and show off your curves. Go form fitting. P.S. great shape wear is a plus!

 

 

Mad Men Style– Form Fitting Dresses by lattes-n-lipstick featuring h & m dresses

 

A-Line Dresses

 

This style of dress is very figure flattering no matter your shape or size. A great push up bra is all that is needed and you can either dress it up or down, wear it to cocktails, work, or a picnic. It is a very feminine and frilly way to show off your style.

 

 

Mad Men Style– A-line Dresses by lattes-n-lipstick featuring a bubble dress

Va Va Voom Lipstick

 

Yes, I know. Nude lips have the IT style since the 90s but isn’t it time to mix it up? Bright lipstick is a great way to be heard. Especially, you single ladies. Studies have shown that men equate bright lipstick with intelligence and they are über attracted to it. So get over your fears and try a little color on your lips.

Mad Men Style- Va Va Voom Lipstick by lattes-n-lipstick featuring a red lip stick

InnisFree is an eco-friendly product from Jeju Island whose main component is green tea. And it is fabulous. Aren’t these colors fabulous?

Anyhoo, moving on to the reason for this post. Boyfriend jeans have been an ongoing trend for about two years now. They are a throwback to the fabulous 50s and they are just as great now as there were then. They are very slouchy, but versatile. Women of all ages can wear them.

I have put together three ways that you can wear them. Dress them up or down. However you choose to wear them, you won’t go wrong.

Denim on Denim: Canadian Tuxedo

Blazed….

Neon Lights

At least my date didn’t go this badly!

I went on a great first date last week. It was great except that I wore an outfit that showed too much cleavage. It didn’t seem like too much when I left the house, but by the time I got to our meeting place, my top had migrated downwards and my bosom was bulging to the delight of my date. We joked about it but I would have preferred to make a different first impression. I had worn a cardigan with a camisole underneath to cover my bust. Unfortunately, the camisole just didn’t stay up.

Some of you may have experienced a similar problem. Due to the size of my chest I just have to accept the reality…I have to wear large or extra large tops to accommodate it. Most men think about sex a lot and like to look at attractive women, but they do this even more when you are bulging out of your top (or when you are wearing very short or skimpy clothes). That is not the look that I am going for.

Some of you may say this isn’t a problem, show your cleavage, don’t hide it, it’s men’s problem if they stare, and you don’t care if other people don’t like it. Well that’s not a battle I want to fight and it makes me uncomfortable to be so exposed. Sometimes I want to get that attention, but it’s annoying when I want to cover up by my clothes just won’t let me! If you don’t want a men starring at your chest all night or only seeing you as a sex object then this problem has to be solved! So here are some ideas I have used and will use soon to make sure that I don’t show too much cleavage anymore:

1) Buy tops that don’t reveal your cleavage: I bought some yesterday. Unfortunately I have a large chest and large arms so many of the cute tops just didn’t look right (elbow length sleeves are best for me. I think I just need to lose the weight and then the arm problem will go away). Even if a collar looks good on the hanger, I have to try it on because they often end up stretching lower than I would have imagined. Trying things on is a must! If you are a thrifter and a sewer then you can buy tops with higher collars and then cut  and hem them so that they are the perfect size for you.

2) Add lace to the bust areas of revealing tops: This is the next thing I plan to do. I will buy small pieces of lace in black, white, and the colours of tank tops and other tops I already have. I will cut the pieces to the appropriate sizes and then sew them into the tops. That way I don’t have to go searching for new tops and I like the feminine touch of lace anyway.

3) Add fasteners to gaps between button holes: I had so many cardigans that I wasn’t wearing because there were large gaps between the buttons that revealed bare skin underneath. So I bought some clasps (they were inexpensive) and sewed them on every cardigan that needed them. This took quite a while but it was worth it! You can use metal fasteners, plastic clasps, hook and eye fasteners, or velcro if you want.

4) Wear camisoles: Remember how your mom would make you wear cute little undershirts under your clothes? They came in packs (e.g., Fruit of the Loom). Unfortunately they don’t sell them like that for women so you will have to buy separate camisoles. Camisoles are good but sometimes they do slip down and reveal too much because they are stretchy. I think that I have to permanently shorten the straps on some of mine so that they stay up. You can also wear tank tops. I think that camisoles would be easy to make from t-shirts, clothes you don’t wear, and some elastic, with some lace at the top if you like.

This blogger loves camisoles and states that you can wear many more tops, even revealing ones, if you just wear a camisole underneath (she has some good fashion advice to make the best out of your wardrobe). I don’t recommend Cami Secret because they really aren’t wide enough for someone with a wide chest and the bottom part doesn’t stay in place. It seems to only work for v-necks (maybe I just need to sew a better version). The Essential Cami looks a bit better (hopefully it can be worn higher because even that shows too much cleavage for work in my opinion. I would totally sew that myself). There are camisole bras available but I would prefer something removable and changeable.

5) Sew up collars and revealing openings: You can also always hand stitch the openings of certain tops (e.g., v-neck tops) so that they are not as low. If a top can be pulled over your head then you can permanently stitch the spaces between buttons closed.

The most important thing is that you are comfortable and that you look the way you want in the clothes you bought with your hard earned money. Take control of your image! If there are items in your wardrobe you aren’t wearing because they show too much cleavage then hopefully this helps

White denim can exude power, chicness, that “yeah I am wearing white denim and I am taking names and carrying a big stick” sort of attitude. It takes mad confidence to pull it off and once you do, there is no turning back.

Don’t be fooled by its purity, there is nothing virginal about this color.  Remember The Matrix?  The toughest chic in the film wore all white. Jussayin. It is most definitely NOT for the fainthearted or wallflower. So in homage to white denim pants, here are three ways to wear it this Spring/Summer.

Graphic Stripes/Guns ‘N’ Rose

A nice clean and trendy way to do white denim is to add a graphic black and white striped blouse paired with shoes with a pop of color and fun jewelry.

White on White

White on white is a must this SS 2013 season. It is white hot, and very fashion forward. This look is perfect for casual Fridays in the office.

Futuristic Fuchsia

How could anyone go wrong with this amazing pairing? A graphic tee with a fuchsia blazer and white denim. And don’t get me started on the shoes.  Jazz it up and don’t be afraid to push the envelope.

Lilly being photographed with both of her daughters in front of her Florida home

Lilly Pulitzer, one time wife –she divorced him in 1969 and married Enrique Rousseau shortly after–to Peter Pulitzer, grandson of the famous publisher, Joseph Pulitzer of the Pulitzer Prize fame, was the fashion designer best known for her Hobo Preppy Chic style. I could give you the Cliff’s Notes of her life but I feel that it is unimportant. What is more important is her impact on the fashion world and on women during that time.

Lilly Pulitzer Store Miami

Lilly was born to an elite family in Rosalyn, NY in 1931. She eloped with Peter Pulitzer in 1950 which was unheard of at that time. She was already breaking the rules. She moved with her husband to Florida where he owned orange groves and Lilly Pulitzer Inc, was born in 1959.

Wendy Vanderbilt and friend being photographed in Lilly Pulitzer, 1964

Through her breeding and schooling, she was able to become friends with such notables as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Caroline Kennedy, members of the Vanderbilt, Whitney, and Rockefeller families. In fact, it was her friendship with the then First Lady Jackie Kennedy that put her fledgling company on the map.

Jackie Kennedy on an Italian holiday wearing Lilly Pulitzer on the cover of Life, 1961

It was a photo on the cover of Life of First Lady Jackie Kennedy wearing a Lilly Pulitzer top while vacationing with her brother in Italy that brought attention to the brand and the rest, as they say, is history.

Lilly Pulitzer’s fabric were printed in Miami and all her items were American made. Her designs were known for their preppy style, bright colors and mostly floral prints. In fact, she is known as the “queen of prep,” since mostly socialites and the elite were her clothes. I personally believe that her bright prints were the inspiration behind brand Liberty of London.

She showed America and women that women could blaze their own trail with a bit of breeding, tenacity and hard work. Her brand saw a decline in the mid 80s and she shut down the entire clothing operation in 1984. The brand was revived in 1993 when Sugartown Worldwide Inc, bought the brand because they loved Lilly.

Lilly Pulitzer brand latest designs

Vintage Pulitzer, Summer/Fall 1982

Lilly passed on at the age of 81 Monday morning and she will always be known as the “queen of prep.” She will be missed and she deserves a place in fashion history.

But my lack of diligence did not keep me from catching wind of a recent bit of “WTFery” that happened on the show.

A model named Devyn Abdullah was being interviewed by none other than Wendy Williams when the following dialogue took place:

Wendy: Is it hard to be a black girl model?

Devyn: I don’t really consider myself to be a black girl model. I mean, I know what my ethnicity is, but I’m fair-skinned and I feel like I have an international look.

…..

As for the fallout, let’s just say Miss Campbell has a new wig to add to her collection.

Now here are some images of the model in question: (1) (2) (3)

Ms. Abdullah is a single mother from the Bronx who prior to her shot at modeling stardom was working three jobs to care for her family. She is a very lovely young African American woman.

However, her comment was simply unacceptable and if she has a brain in her head, she will apologize for it. And I don’t mean because a cellphone might go flying at her head from some random direction at any minute.

She should apologize for helping to justify the othering of black women everywhere on national freaking television.

I don’t care what this woman calls or considers herself. I don’t know her. And despite this brain fart, I wish Devyn all the best. But I am so TIRED of African American women acting like there is something wrong with black skin. Or even worse, avoiding identifying with black skin for reasons that are CLEARLY colorist in nature.

When I initially read about a controversial statement where she denied thinking of herself as a black model, I was full-on expecting something like, “I am just a model like everyone else, and I’m tired of people putting black women in a box. I’m just me.” I would understand something like that, but no. She went and said, “I’m fair-skinned….I’m international.”

It’s no secret that the fashion industry can get pretty stupid when it comes to black women or any woman of color. And I can understand wanting to avoid the pitfalls that come with fighting for a single spot in the show because a designer honestly feels they only need ONE black girl.

But how freaking DARE YOU sit there, with a dark-skinned model sitting next to you, and Naomi Campbell in the room (a woman who is a walking talking modeling legend, dark skin and all) and fix your mouth to say black skin is not international.

F-Y-freaking-I, there are black women all over the damn globe being fabulous. There have been black women of various shades breaking down all sorts of barriers so a a black girl could even dream about pursuing roles and jobs that decades ago they would have been laughed at for.

Black skin is international because a black woman can go anywhere she pleases. We do not need a passport to carry blackness from one place to another.

And to whom it may concern, this is why posts about recognizing the importance and feminine beauty of DARK SKINNED women is so freaking necessary. Because some light-skinned women apparently are not afraid to get on national damn TV and act a fool, and help further the stigma against being perceived as black, and especially, as dark-skinned. 

If you are a WOC and you don’t self-identify as black, that is your right and that is your business. I don’t hate or shade you. But if you fix your mouth to put down existing as a black, notably dark-skinned woman, you have issues you need to sort out. And in reality, the fashion industry is not the best place to do so. Because like it or not, they will take one look at you and say, “Sorry, we don’t want any black girls. Next!”

These barriers get broken down not by cooperation, but by acknowledgement and pushing back.