Gracious Living

ROMANTIC FASHIONS: Timeless Elegance in Vintage Styles

Dressing gracefully begins with developing inner beauty, a gentle and quiet spirit. A woman of character exudes beauty, and externally she is dressed modestly and elegantly. I am personally partial to fashions and styles reminiscent of a gentler age. Historic fashions offer modern women a sense of romance and elegance.

Ladies of the past wore lace-trimmed petticoats, fine fabrics, proper gloves and hats. While we are not dressing up for a costume party (nor do we want to break the bank), we can borrow some vintage elements for our wardrobes. The Regency, Victorian and Edwardian periods provide some beautiful ideas for making our own clothes, or choosing clothing that has timeless appeal.

Gowns from the Regency era were characterized by high empire waistlines and fanciful adornments. Some of the fine fabrics they used for their dresses included georgette, silk dupioni, and chiffon. Here is a beautiful gown from Hollywood's version of Jane Austen's Emma. If you can sew, you can make your own gown and by shopping wisely, you should be able to find some comparable fabrics at reasonable prices. I often wait for sales or coupons and rarely ever pay full price!

Of course your look for an evening on the town must be completed with the perfect hairstyle and accessories. For an alternative to spending lots of money on replica jewelry, consider shopping normal department stores or costume jewelry shops. Sometimes you can find some vintage-looking items for a percentage of what you would pay elsewhere! You just need an eye for style and the patience to venture out and hunt for the perfect set!

The above lace blouse is a modern reproduction of a Victorian high-collar blouse. It has a lovely peplum that goes all the way around the waist of the blouse and beautiful pearl buttons down the front. This would be very pretty under a fitted jacket and pinned with a cameo.

This beautiful lace dress from Victorian Trading Co. is exquisitely unique and finely made. Stunning, indeed!

This bridal gown from Petit Points showcases beautiful antique lace. While many skilled seamstresses have been able to preserve vintage laces, you can use this idea to adorn your existing dresses with lace trim, silk roses or buttons.

Victorian undergarments were both proper and lovely. This lace-trimmed camisole featured in Victoria Magazine reflects the modest beauty of Victorian clothing.

This dress from the movie Titanic is an example of an Edwardian dinner gown. The lace overlay is especially pretty.

The hat above is from Briar Rose. A hat offers the possibility of transforming an outfit into a tasteful statement of personal style. An inexpensive alternative to purchasing a new hat would be to pin a silk rose or ribbon onto one that you already own.

Ladies of the past used to always wear gloves with their proper outfits. While we do not generally do so anymore today, we can still wear a pair of lace gloves for formal occasionsand ladies' teas.

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