Summer Capsule Wardrobe: 22+ Outfits, 10 pieces

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So, let's face it. Traveling is summer fun and looking adorably vintage is summer work. That's why I've done the work for you! With these 11 pieces, you can make 22+ outfits and still fit everything in a backpack. By the way-I did the whole shoot with one pair of strappy white wedge sandals and one camel colored belt to minimize needed accessories. 

What I've done here is put together an example of how to make a capsule wardrobe full of summer style and what it would look like in practice.  So let me talk you through how to make your own.

The steps:

1. Before you even try to pick out clothes, you need to decide two thingss:
1. Your neutral color. (I chose white and added a little tan, you could also choose tan, or a light grey, or even blue! Just stay away from black and brown, remember it's summer!)
2. Your bright color. (I chose red, because there is nothing more femme fatale than red, but pick any color that looks good on you, just keep it cheery).
2. You need high-waisted denim shorts. The one's I am wearing are from Forever 21, they are cheap, go get some.
3. You also need at least one pair of nicely breathing or linen pants. You will need them for going anywhere that is overly air-conditioned, or for going to dinner to dress up your look a bit. They are a must have especially if you are traveling. 
4. If you REALLY want to embrace the vintage look you should have a summer suit. Go thrifting for this. Once again, linen is the best fabric! And don't be afraid to try skirts and jackets that didn't come packaged together, you can piece together your own suit.
5. Also in the category of REALLY vintage is the playsuit. I went with one in a neutral because it was easy to match with my whole wardrobe, but if you went with a color that just looks fantastic on you, you could easily match it throughout your wardrobe as well. Playsuits are difficult to find unless you know how to alter 1980s versions of these. Luckily for you, soon, very soon, I will have some for sale in my Etsy shop for much more affordable prices than you can usually find online. Keep a look out! 
6.  Throw in a dress. Or two! Get crazy. I only included one, but dresses are always a good idea and can be paired with the jacket from your summer suit. Or with a light cardigan. 
7. Lastly, think about a strongly patterned shirt, preferably one that features your bright color. Mine is a Ralph Lauren shirt I thrifted. It features red flowers and green leaves in a bold pattern with a kind of Hawaiian vibe, very late 40s inspired. 

Here is the piece by piece list of my capsule wardrobe:

1. White and tan summer linen suit

2. White and tan gingham playsuit

3. Baby blue linen dress

4. Red sleeveless front tie shirt

5. Red off the shoulder fringed crop top with subtle palm tree print

6. Red and Green flower shirt

7. White off the shoulder peasant top

8. Denim high-waisted shorts

9. Tan linen pants

10. Red wide-legged trousers

Accessories: camel colored woven leather belt, white strappy wedge sandals.

Below, I'd like to show you how I combined these things to make outfits!

-Baby blue dress by itself 

-Could be paired with my summer suit's jacket!

-Playsuit by itself

-Playsuit shorts
-White Peasant top

-Playsuit shorts

-Fringed crop top

-Playsuit shorts

-Red tie front shirt

-Playsuit shorts

-Red and Green floral shirt

-Playsuit top

-Denim high-waisted shorts

-Playsuit top

-Tan linen pants

-Playsuit top

-Red trousers

-Playsuit top

-White summer suit

-Playsuit top

-Summer suit skirt

-White summer suit

-Red and Green floral shirt

-Red and Green floral shirt

-Summer suit skirt

-White summer suit

-Red tie front shirt

-Red tie front shirt

-Summer suit skirt

-Denim high-waisted shorts

-White peasant top

-Denim high-waisted shorts
-Red and Green floral shirt

-Denim high-waisted shorts

-Fringed crop top

-Fringed crop top
-Tan linen pants

-Tan linen pants
-Red tie front shirt

-Tan linen pants
-Red and Green floral shirt

-Red and Green floral shirt
-Red trousers

That's 22 outfits and so many more possibilities! Send me pictures from your own capsule wardrobes on Instagram @razzledazzledarling 

So You Want To Be A Femme Fatale

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You've made the decision to follow along with me on my path to embody the archetype of femme fatale. Those beautifully stunning women who get what they want through the embodiment of womanhood to the detriment of the doubting male characters round them. These women are most readily found in the film noir genre of old hollywood movies: most popular from the 1930s to 1950s. 

Now I've made a few modifications to this archetype for my lifestyle. I don't drag men off to their demise. Nor do I frequent speakeasys, gambling dens, or regularly carry a gun around. But I do dress the part.

I have a husband, a house, and responsibilities to think of; sometimes they keep me from gallavanting off to be a femme fatale, but they never keep me from glamour. 

That said, my drink of choice: scotch. Neat. No ice, no water, that's for sissies. I smoke cigars, the spicier the better. I dance at "dance exchange" weekends where we dance from 12 noon to 5 am three days straight. I live the femme fatale life. 

As I said on my "About Me" page, this is not just a fashion blog this is a lifestyle blog. This is a blog for adapting your life to one that lends itself to glamour and beauty, all while tackling homecare, health, and social dance. This is the blog for people who want to learn to dress like a 1940s goddess, make their own natural makeup, learn some useful crafts, try a DIY project Rosie the Riveter would be proud of, and grow their own tea health herbs in a modern victory garden. 

This is my lifestyle revolution. Join me as I learn to keep transforming my life into a healthy, feminine existence. Become the embodiment of womanhood with the tips and tricks I teach you along the way. Glamour is as glamour does. Be a part of the revolution, the modern, the glamourous, the femme fatale life.

A Lesson In Skirts

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Above you see a guide to many different types of skirts. As someone who has taken an interest in fashion, take a moment to familiarize yourself with those skirts.

The first think you must get through your mind now is this: modesty can be sexy. You may not think of a knee length skirt as one that will help your femme fatale image, but trust me, it will.

A knee length skirt is going to accent your curves by providing a color-block from your waist to your knee. That makes the skirt length a sort of color-by-number for the bottom half of your hourglass figure. For girls who lack definition in the waist or who have bigger thighs, welcome to your new best look. 

Now as I mentioned in passing, not only is the skirt around knee length, but it is also waist high. Your natural waist that is. You know, belly-button height. A cinched waist exposes your natural hour glass shape which was a very popular look during the 1940s. 

So now you know you're looking for an about knee length, waist-high skirt. The trouble is which style. I'm going to go through the above photos one skirt at a time to let you know what to wear, and what to get out of your closet:

Straight Skirt: This is a yes, but with strings attached. If you're wearing this skirt it should be part of a suit and just above knee length. If you choose to wear one without a jacket, you want to aim for a little longer than knee length and bear in mind that you will look more late 20s early 30s than the era I usually dress within.

Pencil Skirt: (Wardrobe Staple) Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. YES! (just remember what I said about watching your length).

A-line Skirt: (Wardrobe Staple) This is another YES! You can't go wrong with an a-line in any fabric. They are also one of the more comfortable and less fussy skirts. All the movement benefits of a lose fit without the fear of a Marilyn Monroe style blow-out!

Pegged Skirt: This is a great classic. I only own one, it is bright blue. I love it very much. It has the down side of making you look more hippy, which is bad for girls like me who are all about the base. However, if you are Dolly Parton weighted, this is a must have choice for you!

Slit Skirt: This is another yes. When we talk about fabrics I will get more into this style. For not just know that this skirt goes in the fancy/slinky category of your wardrobe.

Cowl Skirt:I happen to love this skirt. No it was not AS common, but it can be found in the past. I don't currently own any, but will be looking for one to feature in the "Thrifty Thursday Find" section of my site.

8-Panel Gore Skirt: Pass it by. I find these do not often a flattering look make.

Godet Skirt: This is kind of a maybe. As pictured above I wouldn't waste the closet space. But I do have a suit, which has a skirt, which has two godets (those little flappy pieces at the bottom) in the back and they flare out when I walk. It certainly makes a statement. When used in a tighter fitting skirt than that pictured about I believe it is worth while as a fun piece, but not a wardrobe staple.

Flounce Skirt: The way it is pictured above: NO. If the flounce is at the end of a pencil skirt and is flouncing around your knees? Buy it you flirty woman! It's to die for.

Trumpet Skirt: A more sleek version of the flounce skirt, if you can find a knee-length trumpet skirt as a part of a day suit then I envy you mightily. 

Pleat Skirt: You must own one. If it is a wool plaid, you get double point. I also recommend a second summery chiffon one as well.

Prairie Skirt: Nope.

Layered Skirt: Nope.

Tulle Skirt: This is another questionable piece. Tulle skirts were not commonly worn, BUT having one in the guise of a round or circle skirt is a good idea (especially if you are a dancer). This is a modern twist on a classic look. And in keeping with my mantra that this fashion style is a lifestyle choice, it is important to remember that we live in the future where we can benefit from all the eras of fashion and do what makes us feel happy and beautiful.

Round Skirt: (Wardrobe staple): This style of skirt is cut as a circle so that it falls in a very full manner around your lower body. If you are a dancer especially a swing dancer you should have many of these!!

Handkerchief Skirt: No way.

Wrap Skirt: Nope BUT keep this look in mind because we will revisit it when we get to dresses.

Pareo Skirt: Also nope, except as a beach wrap.

Sarong Skirt: Same as above! Unless it's a beach wrap, don't bother.

You'll notice I marked some types as "Wardrobe Staples". These are the skirts to own in multiple colors and fabric types, especially your chosen neutrals. The others you should consider as statement pieces or special occasion pieces. Buy them with a purpose in mind such as "I will wear it to the dance exchange I already bought a pass for", or "This would be perfect for my date on Saturday night. Make sure it has rewear value too. It needs to go with more than one thing in your closet so it can be seamlessly integrated into what you already own.

Skirts are fun, so have fun with them. Play with colors and fabrics and DO NOT be afraid of adding a belt. It's always better with a belt.

Happy shopping!

Becoming Your Vintage Fashion Icon: A How To Guide

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My lifestyle of choice is one with an aura of vintage Hollywood glam. Imagine being the sultry temptress in a 1940s Private I movie. That is what I aspired to become. There is a very famous woman who embodies that style in our modern times, and her name is Dita von Teese. The day I realized I wanted to pull off the effortless and daily glamour of Dita, I made some fashion vows. If you follow these simple rules you too can become your fashion icon. Understand this will take dedication and self discipline: you are changing clothing and beauty habits you've formed over your lifetime! Also know that this will take time and some money (not too much money since I'm giving you my secrets) so you will need to budget for both. You can expect 4 months of effort and a couple hundred dollars in spending, but it is well worth it to feel as beautiful as those icons seem to you.

Are you feeling dedicated?

Then let's get started.

Vow to feel inspired. You need inspiration. Fashion is meant to be fun! Most likely you have some inspiration because you're already aspiring to look like Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, or, like me, Dita von Teese. What you need to do with that aspiration is turn it into an idea board. If you work in theatre or movies or television you've probably seen these before; they are used to help set a mood for the look you are creating. In my case I made my board on Pinterest. (Here's mine as an example). If you're not feeling the high tech mood board, then print out pictures and paste them onto a poster board. Trust me--you need the visual reference.

On your board you should have all the pictures of outfits you like on your fashion icon (mine is covered with Dita von Teese). Then after that you need similar images from other fashionistas. When I made my own board it ended up being filled with Dita von Teese, some Christina Aguilera, and more Kate Middleton than I expected. Those primary three made up my vintage inspired taste, along with some more randomized photos which just struck my fancy or sparked my interest. Remember: this is a fun thing, follow your fancy and your interest. They have good instincts.

After you've created your board you have made the foundation for your style. Now you're going to make one of my favorite things: a list. In order to make your list you need to notice the similarities in the photos of outfits you chose. For example mine listed "around knee length skirts, a-line or pencil", "dresses which always have sleeves and are the same build as the skirts", "short fat heels in leather (patent or otherwise)", "oxford button-down shirts", "shirts with elbow length or 3/4 length sleeves", "day suits", and "summery cotton dresses".

Your list is your road map to your new closet. Good job!

If you had a hard time making your list because the fashion vocabulary seems daunting to you it never hurts to do a little research online. Try typing in "fashion of the 1940s" and see what comes up in your search engine. Being familiar with the jargon can help you to understand what you do and don't like in a wardrobe. That's why, if you'll bear with me, I will be doing a weekly fashion lesson blog post to start you on the way to your new wardrobe.

Next go get a box. You're going to need a box.

The box is for everything you're going to throw away from your current closet (and by "throw away" I mean donate to an organization such as Goodwill Industries). Now some people can just look through their closet and make these life or death decisions for their clothes. However, in order to get an accurate picture, I pulled every article of clothing from my closet and put them into organized piles on my bedroom floor. A pile of shirts, a pile of skirts, a pile of pants, a pile of day dress, a pile of evening dresses, etc.

Vow to clean out your closet. Now throw away everything you haven't worn in the last six months. I mean everything. Don't make excuses, just put it in the box. There are very few exceptions to this rule. I can think of only two. 1. If it is a fancy evening dress you wore to a major event in the last two years it probably hasn't found its re-wear value yet. You may keep it for a later event provided it still fits you. 2. The item is a winter coat or a bathing suit and you are currently on the opposite side of the calendar.

Once you've thrown all those items into the box it's time for phase two. Throw everything into the box that you wish you hadn't worn in the last six months. If you regret wearing it last time, it's unlikely that you will like it on yourself the next time. You don't need it. Throwing it into the box is doing yourself a favor (remember I said this would take dedication).

If there is anything left that doesn't match an item on your list you need to throw it in the box. Again there are very few exceptions, exceptions are only for special occasions. I have three that come to mind: 1. A speedo one piece bathing suit because I vacation in a place with very rough waves. My vintage-style bathing suits are just not cut out for boogie boarding. 2. I keep a pair of torn up and horrible looking jeans for doing yard-work and painting around the house. 3. My parents own a night club. When I go there I want to blend in for their sake, so I keep a few night-club-looking dresses that are not vintage and are shorter than I'd like to admit.

Vow to choose to wear what suits your body. Once you've thrown everything away you need new things to wear. Building your closet around a few key items is important. First of all you need to choose your neutrals. I chose predominantly black with a large number of gray articles in the mix. This works with my complexion well and it also goes well with my red hair. If you are a brunette pick brown and khaki, black will wash you out badly: especially if you are pale skinned. If you have blond hair you can wear black very well and brown works pretty well, depending on how you like your skin tone with the color you may take your pick. Women with black hair will want to stick to mostly blacks and grays as will women with darker skin. Again, I tell you to trust your instincts as those are only general rules. There are too many types of women for me to cover them all here.

Now that you have your neutrals in mind, I will fill in everything else you could possibly want to know about your wardrobe choices over the next few weeks. Bear with me and I promise to teach you about skirts, shirts, sweaters, dresses, jackets, suits, shoes, hats, lingerie, accessories, swimsuits, fabrics, and color schemes each week until you know everything you need to know to become your vintage fashion icon! Au revoir! And happy inspiration board making!