What Decade Does Your Appetite Like?

This is indeed an area in which I am very much interested in. How the ideal female form has changed over the decades. It doesn't just go back decades though. The desired female body has been a subject of importance to many for centuries. In society today, there are very few who can honestly hand on heart say they are 100% happy with their figures and it raises the question why? Why when every new turn of a century or decade a new physical form becomes the fashion? Why not pick one we are all individually happy with? Why do we feel pressure to conform to the universal idealisation?

I for one do not wish to conform. Neither do I glower at those who do not fit MY ideal of what I want MY body to look like and I certainly don't try to please men like so many arguments out there flog like a dead horse. I do however like to look nice and feel comfortable in the clothes I wear. I happen to think that all women look lovely no matter what size they are and what clothes they choose to wear. Personally for me though, I prefer to be petite and I want my clothes to fit me in a certain way. Why? Well read on.....

The Renaissance

Venus

During the 1400's in which the Renaissance period took place, the ideal Renaissance woman was larger and more voluptuous than at any other time in history. Paintings from this era depict women who are overweight, some would argue to the point that health professionals would encourage these ladies to hit the gym. But at that time, these women were the epitome of perfection. For the first time in recorded history, women were praised for their rounded bodies.
Perhaps it may be obvious why a look was so vastly popular at this time? It was believed during this period that body size determined wealth, the larger you were the richer and more successful you were, hence more attractive, the poorer - the thinner. How times have changed.

The Victorians

Corsets and Bustles

Well , one thing you can say about the Victorians is, they did it the quick way. Victorian women were of a more body conscious generation. Corsets anyone? Victorian women strived to have the smallest waistline humanly possible.  In order to achieve this,  women wore corsets. Some corsets were tied so tight that women could hardly breathe, and it was not uncommon for these ladies to have a couple of ribs removed in order to look better. There is even evidence to suggest that their organs actually moved from their original location to right up inside the rib cage. The force of having the tight cage around them day after day caused this to happen. But that's the sacrifice you give for a waist of 12 inches. Layered petticoats, hoops, and bustles became very popular, all of which magnified the behind. The idea was that the one goal in life was to get married and have children. In order to accomplish this goal, the Victorian lady felt she HAD to conform to this body type in order to attract a male.

The 1920's Flapper


The amazing Clara Bow

One of my favourite decades from last century (it still feels like this century even now) was the 1920's! Oh the glamour and liberation! The 1920s was a decade when women began to turn away from the corseted uptight Victorian fashions. It was in fact possibly the first time that the straight up and down, skinny look became fashionable, paving the way for models like Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, then later Kate Moss and Vlada. Some women of the ’20s era would bind their chests with strips of cloth to achieve a flat chested look. There is also records of women eating nothing but Cabbage Soup in order to achieve a narrower frame. The loose silhouette of the flapper dress was in stark contrast to the corseted waist of the Victorian era. Elastic webbed girdles replaced corsets and gave off the look of a flat stomach. This was the era of letting loose. Women smoked, swore, drank alcohol and GOT DRUNK! Cocaine became popular at parties and women loved to offend the old notion of femininity. Short bobbed hair replaced long but structured up-dos and dark vampish make-up covered Silent Film rolls.

The 1950's


Figure Quarterly Circa 1950's

By now you can see why the feminine ideal began to change. Women became more body conscious and started to pay attention to what they ate. Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe popluarized the newly desired hourglass shape. Like the Victorian times, as if taking a few political steps back, woman were again told that 'catching a man' was the goal in life and again this fuller figure would help them achieve this. The new padded stretch cotton bra was introduced and Designers like Chanel and Dior started designing glamorous clothing that allowed women to show off their feminine curves. Contrary to popular belief, I would like to add here that yes Marilyn was a size 16 in the 50's. This is in fact now the same measurements as a UK size 8.

The 1960's


Veruschka

The 1960's took a swing back in time to the 20's and if you look closely mimicked much of what was popular then. The straight boyish figure was back and models like Twiggy became popular due to their waif like figure. Dresses became A-line straight cuts with simplistic patterns on. Designers like Mary Quant went for the monochrome look which was very popular.You could say models from this time set the standard for the girls of today strutting down the catwalk. However, for those who fight for the plus size lady in fashion today, I would like to point out that skinny girls and models were not always considered the ideal for fashion or society. Skinny women were shunned by fashion houses in a similar way that more curvaceous women are allegedly now. David Bailey originally saw no potential in Twiggy the first time he saw her because the ideal was still the 50's hourglass. What a shame this would have been if ALL body types continued to be unacceptable.

The 1980's



Cindy Crawford

The eighties was the decade of fitness and exercise. The Aerobics exercise craze of the 80s further emphasized fitness for women. Women were expected to maintain a certain weight, but still appear toned but without being too muscular. Cindy Crawford and Elle McPherson embodied this figure together with modelling gym wear. Many would say by today's standards that these women were actually bordering plus size model, the were certainly fuller than the 60's girls, but more muscular than the 50's girls. The Power Suit was now in with the famous shoulder pads and women began to aspire to being powerful, strong and looking it. As unpopular as she was and still is, women like Margaret Thatcher in some respects paved a new road for women. The Career Woman. Not only did the Career Woman work in a high powered job, she still had time to work out. The body mirrored the times.

Heroin Chic

When the 90's hit, it was almost like a reverse back in time. The 90's was very much a time of liberation and mirrored the 1960's in many ways, particularly in Fashion, Design and Music. Models like Kate Moss broke onto the scene and a new name for skinny became popular. Heroin Chic was the title given to it. I believe in some ways "Heroin Chic" is given far more importance but also disdain by many than what it actually deserves. It was just a new name for skinny, combined with the grunge look made popular by kids in Seattle. In regards to the unhealthy image Kate Moss portrayed, she was 17 at the time and owned what could be considered as a normal skinny teenager's body. Was this look any less healthy than the voluptuous look of the Renaissance period? Probably not. One may argue that Kate Moss was not too skinny compared to models now...not to forget that "Heroin Chic" doesn't actually mean "go out and take heroin kids and you can be a model too".
It's just a name.

2012

Where to start? Are we talking about the Fashion Industry or the Streets? This could be one aspect that has changed with time. No longer do we only follow the trends the Designers and Photographers set us. This blog alone can only demonstrate that fact. We now look to the past, music, our favourite film stars and celebrities to determine the way we choose to present ourselves. Of course, without a doubt Fashion Houses still use slender models and most designers will not even entertain the idea of doing a plus sized range. However, the beauty ideal is not so clear cut. We have surgical proceedures available to help us achieve the body and face we want (or don't want more commonly) and we have mostly affordable gyms on our doorstep. We have Music and Film stars projecting different body types and the Model figure appears to have become less and less desireable by women today, why? I don't know, maybe time and effort? I believe that many people see their body like buying a new pair of jeans. You can choose what cut and shape you want and if you want that you can have it. I also believe that the reason many women no longer look to the fashion industry for the ideal body is because in the media we have such a vast choice to "choose" from, any body is acceptable.






Vlada Roslyakova - High Fashion Model - Super Skinny



Miranda Kerr - Victoria Secret Model - Slim



Gwen Stefani - Athletic

Beyonce - Curvy




Katie Price - Fake - Well not my favourite but still undeniably now a body type

O'siyo Oginalii Tsilugi (Hello Friends Welcome!)

You  may have noticed that I am an accomplished fan of The Doors and Jim Morrison. One dormant interest the Lizard King has sparked in me is my intrigue for the American Natives. The use of Buffalo for absolutely everything including fuel, clothes, weapons, shelter, the huge grand feather head dresses and the seemingly fearless way of life. I remember at the age of 14 or 15 I discovered Dream Catchers and jewellery only to be found in insense suffocated Hippie shops, of course I had seen Dream Catchers before but they had never grabbed my attention or particularly intereted me. I recall buying some earrings with feathers made from copper on them and a necklace made of leather, with a minature Dream Catcher and real feathers (most likely from a Chicken!) dangling from it. Years past and further obsessions took the place of Native American culture, namely Kate Bush, Adam Ant and anything a little off kilter.
I recently acquired a rather interesting dress, taking a risk in ordering a Vintage Job lot, a sixties tight fitting knee length wriggle dress, it has a pattern on it somewhat resembling something of Aztec design. I decided after 'trying it on' that I wasn't going to sell it and indeed kept it. I then quite soon after this came across a pair of Moccasins which in usual circumstances I would find completely unfashionable and unattractive, but these ones were so well made, they were lovely, unfortunately I did not have the funds to pay for said shoes! Regret.

On a recent shopping trip I became uncomfortably aware of the current trend, I was in the jewellery section of H&M, when I suddenly noticed that I was surrounded by beaded necklaces with feathers and skulls hanging from them, beaded Mayan design bracelets, leather belts with tassles, bags with further tassles and Native embroidery, high heels with Mocassin style stitching. I even saw two feather head dresses. Every shop I went into had gone nomad mad! I won't deny that much of it was authentic looking and I did actually buy myself a pair of brown feather earrings in Topshop, but if it's the real thing you're after, would you feel a phony buying from such retailers? The Arcadia Group for example, stock some amazing clothes and are always top at the retail fashion shops, I am fan of Topshop (not always its pricing) and you can pretty much guaruntee if you're after something special, they'll have it. But does it actually mean anything? Although all the tribes were very different in life style and ideolgy, the few things many of them did have in common was their religious beliefs in spirits and reicarnation and their non wasteful approach to life. You could argue that the Fashion Industry is capitalising on something that is really at the opposite end of the spectrum as far as commercialism is concerned.

I saw a bag yesterday in Urban Outfitters that I absolutely loved. It was printed and woven, large enough to fit EVERYTHING in it and I very nearly bought it.

The reason I didn't buy it was a) it was £28 which on its own is ok but I really, really wanted to get a book and the two would have been too much and b) I recalled a Native  American girl last week I saw in another nearby shopping centre, selling bags and jewellery. The bags were amazing and at the time I didn't really have the money for one (especially after buying a triple Joan Baez album, Poems by Allen Ginsberg and 'Beyond Good & Evil' Nietzsche). I stood there holding the faux Native bag and thought "do I really want this? Or would I rather wait a bit and get a real one with some meaning, time and talent behind it? I opted to put the bag back on the shelf.

Ironically, whilst we were out yesterday, we came across two Musicians/performers busking outside with Pan Pipes dressed in their full costume. They were also selling Dream Catchers and bracelets. I'm not going to pretend I knew where they were from, they may well have been from South America. But there it was, the dimensions right there in front of us. I had just walked out of Topshop and bought a pair of feather earrings for £7.50, straight back into Phillip Green's pocket (no offense, a businessman has to make money), walked outside and there were these two playing their Music and selling their own traditional, hand made items to earn money for themselves.

I did wonder why this style has hit the Fashion world, I have a sneaking suspicion it may be down to this End of the World theory everyone's questioning. Some bright spark in an office somewhere has come up with this idea as somesort of theme and now people are going out and buying it. Buying necklaces with Symbols on that they don't understand or have the interest in finding out about. Why?

I bought a Hamsa Hand recently, because I looked at the meaning of it and the reason behind why people wear it. I will never understand why so many people have no sense of personal interest in their style and how their own style is dictated by what the shops stock. But, it's only Fashion isn't it?

Hau.

Style Inspirations

I thought as some of my latest articles have been reviews or me venting my somewhat negative opinion on chosen subjects, I would write about the people who inspire my own style and influence me on a daily basis. Over the years like many people my age, my fashion and interests have changed and developed into how I am today and there are a (large-ish) handful of characters (somewhat eccentric) who have stolen my curiosity and affixed themselves to my mind.

Stevie Nicks

Stevie is one whose personal style has remained almost the same since the year she broke into the music world with Fleetwood Mac.
Her costume consists of floaty layers, shawls, long dresses, velvet, lace and silk, giving her an air of mystery. In her early days, she would often wear a Top hat and her clothes reflected the time, wearing bat wing sleeve tops, maxi dresses and flares. Later as her fame and stage presence grew, more long, floaty dresses made of crushed velvet, lace and silk were worn, with large baggy hats, with Elizabethan style plumes eminating from the top of them.
I've always loved Stevies footwear, huge platform boots made of suede to lend a hand to her 5ft 1inch frame on stage. Her hair, always blonde, in the earlier days straight with a fringe, later permed and layered.

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth always had a sense of grandeur about her, even in her later years. Dripping in jewellery, expensive clothes and majestic furs. She was the ultimate Hollywood icon.
Her make-up was always perfect and her eyebrows deserve a websitie of their own.
Although I have nowhere near the same diamond and gold budget Elizabeth had, I do on occassion wear a disgusting amount of Jewellery, an amount so much that Coco Chanel would be turning in her grave.

Edie Sedgwick

As I have already written an in-depth blog of how Edie has impacted me, there is little left to say.
However, Edies make-up alone is something that I have adapted for myself. Once sporting a pair of inch thick eyebrows, I scaled down the look for something more suitable for everyday use. I still have the line above my eyelid and admittedly I still own eyebrows that are slightly thicker than my own. Unfortunately I now have to limit my use of shoulder dusters as the holes in my ears have stretched to a dangerous point.

Brigitte Bardot

As well as the simple classic French dress sense, Bardot also had "THE" hair. I confess, I have used Brigittes hair as a mould for my own (not literally). Her hair however, always looked ever so slightly more effortless. Brigitte Bardot, like Edie has iconic make-up. The smokey feline eye has been used timelessley by women in the limelight over the years. Sadly, I cannot pull this look off, it makes my eyes look small and tired.

 

Marianne Faithfull

Marianne Faithfull held a Dandy-esque, 60's, psych sensation to her wardrobe. She was often seen wearingt smart jackets or crombie style coats with flared or tight trousers and smart shirts. She also wore more feminine items like baby-doll dresses with large collars. Her hair, like Bardots had an air of effortless elegance, though less volumous than Bardot.

 

Jim Morrison

Not so much Jims early (more attractivge) days of leather trousers and blousey shirt, interestingly, Jim Morrisons few later years after he had gained weight and a beard. No, it is not the extra padding and facial hair I crave, but Jims revolutionized style. Jim Morrison adopted a more relaxed, casual look, with riding boots, military jackets and slacks. I'm sure I am just one in millions of people who have been influenced by Morrisons political, radical dress.

Amy Winehouse

Whenever I'm feeling daring or bored of vintage or ethereal dress, I reach for my gold hoop earrings, chunky bracelets and may accompany the jewellery with bigger hair than usual and a change in make-up. I do not however imitate - this would only result in "Oi Amy" as it did five years ago when I had black hair and definately avoided looking like Amy!

Grace Slick

Grace Slick as I mentioned briefly in a previous post is the Queen of psychedelic West Coast Acid Rock. She was hippie exemplified, vegan, LSD user, activist, rock star and her image embodied it. Grace would often wear long maxi dresses, Indian style suits, military jackets, flared suits, or plain beatnik turtle necks and black boots. Her hair, natural brown with a heavy fringe cut in. Her psychedelic print clothes mirrored her psychedelic lyrics.

 

Katie-Jane Garside

Katie-Jane, the lead singer of Daisy Chainsaw and Queen Adreena (most famously) has a design all of her own. Like her voice, her clothes have a child-like sometimes kinderwhore vibe, often ripped, exposing skin. Her hair however, once dread locked, is tousled, long and a dirty blonde tone. Katie-Jane habitually wears real flowers in her hair and with this combination, projects an otherworldly aura.

Marlene Dietrich

Many People would regard Dietrich as a style icon because of her ostentacious mink coats and diamonds. I deem her a style icon because quite frankly, she used to wear mens clothes. Marlene was one of the first women to start wearing masculine cuts in shirts and military style mens hats, without looking neither like a man nor a woman in mens clothing. She has influenced people like Madonna who also played with gender identity and left the door open for the rest of us to toy with androgyny.

Aunty Kim

Unless you watch the mind-numbingly simple soap-opera, Eastenders, it is unlikely you'll know who I'm talking about. Kim or 'Aunty Kim' is the comical, confident, often brazen sister of Denise. Kim adorns herself in faux-fur coats, tight fitted dresses and shoes suitable for the Jewish Princess. Kims hair is asymmetric, coloured and modern. She too wears a little too much inexpensive jewellery. Much like myself, Kim seldom dresses appropriately for occasion. I love her!

There we have it, the top eleven people who have encouraged the final outcome of how I dress now. I would love to know if anyone else has a list like this and who's on it?!