What the 1920s did for womenswear generally, the 1930s did for hats. The Jazz Age restructured traditional silhouettes into more liberated form, setting the stage for hatters like Schiaparelli and co. to experiment with ever-madder designs. For all its scandal...

The year of 1938 was a transition year between the Great Depression and the coming World War 2. In fashion, life was looking cheerful with richer colors, slightly bigger floral prints, smaller hats and charming footwear. Hemlines were rising from ankle hig...

Today we have a special guest post by vintage makeup expert Gabriela Hernandez, Founder of Besame Cosmetics. I asked her to give us a simple guide to creating 1930s makeup for both day and evening looks. This is not a sponsored article although I may recei...

This past weekend was my 8th year attending the Lake Tahoe Great Gatsby Festival. It is always my favorite event of the year and the one place we all dress up in 1920s summer outfits. Usually, we wear 1920s summer dresses and suits, coordinated head to toe...

  Women of all decades love shoes, and the budget-conscious women of the 1930s were no exception.  Smart pairs of stylish 1930s shoes came in a wide array of styles, but certain details made them specific to the “thirties.” Small perforations (hole...

Although I haven't been able to sew for a few year now I have been dreaming of making a 1930s day dress. 1930s formal dresses and gowns are easy to find but day wear is less common. If I want the most historically accurate dress I know I will need to get o...

At the moment 1930s reproduction clothing is limited in choices. I expect a 1930s revival to happen in the next few years, but for now it is a forgotten decade. If you want to create a 1930s outfit, you will either need to buy vintage (ouch$$) or sew your own....

  1930s purses, handbags and evening bags were essential fashion accessories for women. Practical in purpose and unique in design, they were plain in embellishment but novel in shape and sculpture. Designing on a dime was the way of the 1930s, and ...

The stock market crashed, and with it prices of clothing and accessories dropped dramatically. A dress that cost $24 in 1928 cost only $4 in 1931. Budgets were being stretched very thin, and clothing designers had to make cutbacks in design and material qu...

While the 1920s started the trend for leisure activities like swimming, it was economic changes in the 1930s that made swimming a past time for everyone, not just those lucky enough to live near a beach. The New Deal funded community pools to open up aroun...

Continuing with our ‘Recreate the Look’ series, here I show you how to recreate the looks and styles of the 1930s, with modern reproduction clothing. Original 1930s pieces can be difficult to acquire, but with a few hints and tips of the popular styles to look...

In previous decades, women would change clothes for every activity and for different times of day. As pockets were pinched by the economic decline in the 1930s, clothes that could be worn for multiple activities began to emerge. While one would not wea...

A thirties housewife spent the majority of her time in 1930s house dresses. They were usually handmade with re-purposed or leftover scraps from other garments. Because only family would ever see her in her house dresses, the styles had more color, trim...

 “What did women wear in the 1930s?” The fashion of the thirties is usually overshadowed by the great depression, but the 1930s were full of glamour and style.   Here you will learn about all the clothing and accessories women wore for day and evening, speci...

Today I thought I would round up a few of my favorite 1930's dresses from catalogs and pattern scans I have in my collection. Perhaps one of these will inspire you to buy or make your next 1930s dress? Even more 1930s pictures are on my 1930s fashion pin board...

A new vintage jazz club is opening up in my town soon. I'm really excited about it, and I want to wear a fun 1930s dress to the opening night. I own a few formal vintage 1930s dresses, but I need something informal enough to dance in. I might even consider som...

  The other day I was out and about at the mall (Really. I'm not shopaholic. I just have a toddler that likes to play in the fountains) and I walked through Forever 21 when I was hit with an overwhelming visual shock to my eyes. Black and white str...

This past weekend my family, friends, and I had the pleasure of attending the Living History Day at Sugar Pine Point State Park on the beautiful Lake Tahoe. The park is home to the Erhman mansion, a grand 1930's house  situated on acres and acres of rollings h...

I have the perfect hair for styles prior to 1910- long, thick, curly and with enough bobby pins it can hold a a ten pound Edwardian picture hat (I haven't tried it but I think it could be done). But when it comes to the 20th century- just forget it. Long hair ...

Unlike previous decades where shoes were barley seen hidden underneath layers of petticoats and floor length dresses, women's shoes and stockings of the 1920’s and 1930’s were all about showing off legs! Shoes were taller, colorful, and festive with their ...