I Wish I Were Marlene Dietrich

As you may have guessed, Marlene Dietrich is one of my biggest style inspirations. 

Her stunning face, sultry voice and androgynous style has stood the test of time, as she remains one of the icons of the 1930s. 

One of her most iconic outfits is the tuxedo that she wore in Morocco, which was considered rather scandalous at the time. It didn't help matters that she kissed another woman in one of the scenes.

I wanted to do a little tribute to her tux look, so I shot some quick self portraits!

Forgive the crumpled shirt - I borrowed one from Mark, as well as the bow tie. The tailcoat is an old find from River Island, tuexdo trousers from ASOS, vintage top hat and the cummerbund was a birthday present from the wonderful Janet Fischietto :)

 I wanted the makeup to be a bit more exaggerated, more like her makeup here:

And if you happen to want some musical accompaniment... 

Femme-Dandy Finds: Blazers

 I've previously put together some femme-dandy finds regarding tailored trousers - this time, blazers!

A good, fitted blazer is perfect for smartening up an outfit. If you are concerned about clashing prints, keep the bottom half to a single colour.

ASOS - £55

I'm very partial to red, and I just love this pattern! I probably wouldn't wear this with the matching trousers, as I sometimes feel that pattern can be overkill. Wear with black trousers with braces or oxblood peg trousers.

River Island - £40

There are plenty of floral blazers around, and perhaps you'd prefer to go for something with a lighter colour palette. But dark florals are very un trend, and I particularly like this strong digital print! I'd wear this with some tweed or grey trousers.

Romwe - $64

I LOVE this, although it's very verging on the edge of Del Boy territory. I thought the lining was a cravat at first, which would go amazingly well with this (either red or blue).

New Look - £29.99

The cropped style of this jacket is easy to throw on, and the folded over cuffs give a touch of colour. Go with a simple print for the trousers - these Plum Jacquard Slim Leg Trousers would be perfect.

 

SheInside - $62.40

 Another simple blazer with some nice detail. If you feel that you can go a whole day without ruining a full white suit, go for it. If not, go for black trousers, or a wild pattern like this Bird Print or these very Lynchian trousers!

Femme-Dandy Finds: Tailored Trousers

I've recently become a little obsessed with Esther Quek's style. You'd expect the fashion director of dashing menswear magazine, The Rake, to be well-versed in men's fashion. Just looking at her, you can tell she knows a thing or two about dressing dapper. 

I love seeing tailored womenswear, so I thought I'd pick out a few of my favourite tailored trousers from the high street shops.

ASOS Peg Trousers in Stripe

I'm just going to say I HATE PEG TROUSERS. Unless you happen to be a 6ft model and wear heels constantly, they aren't going to look all that flattering. However, the print (you can't really see the gold stripe in this image) on these trousers really drew me in, and I couldn't help grabbing them in the sale. Wear with a sheer blouse or shirt to balance out the masculine baggyness. 

 

New Look - Mela Navy Chain Print Trousers

This kind of print is just like marmite, love it or hate it. I keep skipping between the two, but I think if it were worn with a un-printed but well-tailored blazer, it could work in a dandy way. 

 

Boo Hoo - Loren Harlequin Panel Trousers

Love these! The only things I would say that are offputting about them is that the pattern within the panel is not straight (perhaps that's just my OCD talking!)

Boo Hoo - Tash Chiffon Tribal Print Trousers

I've been looking for this kind of print in trousers (although I definitely wouldn't call this tribal print), and these actually look like a decent length. There's nothing I hate more than above-ankle trousers. 

Carmen Amaya: Queen of the Gypsies

I've recently discovered (thanks tumblr) how amazing Carmen Amaya is. Just look at her!

But that's not all.

She was widely regarded as one of the greatest flamenco dancers of all time, shaping the way the dance has changed over the years. Amaya, of Romani origin and born in the slums of Barcelona, became known as "Queen of the Gypsies"; you can tell from the still photos and video that she had that beautiful gypsy passion.

Amaya began dancing at the age of four, and once she hit her teenage years her career kicked off as she travelled the world. Of course, she appeared in Hollywood movies during the 1930s, when interest in all things exotic was at it's peak. 

Sadly she died in 1963 at just 50 years old, after suffering kidney failure. However, her stunning dance had already shaped the flamenco world.

Amaya donned the "traje corto", a tight fitting suit, and traditional fast paced footwork, both usually reserved for men - shocking for the time. Watching her feet, it's no wonder that on several occasions she ended up putting her foot through the stage during her performance! 

Prior to this, women's flamenco had mainly featured arm and upper torso movement, however Amaya created something all her own by combining feminine grace with strong masculine moves. She did, however, begin to concentrate on a more feminine style towards the end of her career.

 She is incredibly inspiring, and now I really want my own "traje corto"!

Tweeding it up

I'd been umming and ahhing about buying a cape ever since they first came back into fashion last year. I didn't get one then because a) I wasn't sure if I could pull it off b) it didn't seem at all warm enough and c) I can't work out the arm holes.

But I bit the bullet and bought one, fairly cheap, by a small brand that sells to New Look (however I searched for it on ebay and ended up buying it for £10 less than the New Look price, directly from the manufacturer). 

The arm holes are still confusing (for me), as I usually carry two shoulder bags, it seems the ideal bag to carry with a cape is a handbag on the crook of your elbow. So it isn't as quick to get on or off as a coat. Nor is it as warm, however this isn't currently an issue, until it gets colder. The shape of the cape actually keeps in a lot more warmth than I originally assumed.

But it mainly made me think... why isn't there MORE tweed in my wardrobe? 

 Unfortunately a lot of the tweed in fashion at the moment is pretty hideous, as the "Country Girl"/"Dandy" style isn't currently trending. Plus most of the tweed womenswear seems to be worn by models/bloggers that have similar teeth to the horses daddy bought them. 

One day I'd love to go and watch the Tweed Run (note: Watch - I can't ride a bike), but for now I can just stare at photos of great tweed.

Beautiful Ms Dietrich

Vivienne Westwood Tweed Jacket

 

 Via Men Of Habit http://menofhabit.com/