EXCLUSIVE FOR THE RANDOLPH STREET MARKET BY NENA IVON, nenasnotes

As we prepare for three months of special days let’s think about entertaining and being entertained! After several years of low key celebrations it’s time to pour on the GLITTER, GLITZ AND GLAM! In our food, in our decor and, most certainly, in our dress! It takes a keen eye not to over do….do just enough to make a statement but not lose the most important part of any outfit….noticing the person wearing it!!!!!

My research into this subject has taken me down the “rabbit hole” of curiosity….which theme shall I explore for this post, obviously this will need to be a series! So many choices…where do we start…historical portraits….royalty….history of beading/embroidery…Haute Couture….costuming…film…celebrities…oh my!!!!! I decided on decades….for the razzle dazzle…

Chanel LBD 1926

For the first in what now promises to be a series and since we are in 2022 what better place to start than 100 years ago and The Jazz Age! No one did the decade better than Fitzgerald with his Jay Gatsby.

And what better place to find that elusive Bob Mackie than RSM….educate your eye to know the real deal. A couple of my friends have done exactly that….they found fabulous pieces at past RSM events….worth the search…of course it is! So many treasures to behold!

I would love to suggest you find a Norman Norell Mermaid Gown….oh my….certainly not 1920’s, but to me any decade…..spectacular.

Or how about a gold sequin top with a camel wool suit…beyond brilliant and totally Norell…

A short history of sequins…..

“Throughout the centuries, garments have been known to have coins attached to keep the wearer’s wealth close and safe. This was particularly common among ancient nomadic cultures and in funerary garments. “Sequin” originated from the Arabic word sikka, meaning “coin,” later becoming the Venetian word zecchino. In the late 16th century, it morphed into the French word, sequin. Formal gowns and suits were embellished with polished disks of metal throughout history, requiring hours of hand sewing by seamstresses. However, the trend grew when a historical discovery was made.”

“In 1922, archaeologists opened the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen, revealing splendid garments embellished with tiny disks made of pure gold. Western fashion quickly reflected the dazzling artifacts in King Tut’s tomb as news of the discovery spread. Flappers’ dresses were often embellished with hundreds of metal sequins.”

“By the 1930s, manufacturers developed a process to create lightweight sequins using gelatin colored with lead paint. The spangles looked great but were impractical because they melted at temperatures as low as body heat and dissolved in water. In the same decade, scientist Herbert Lieberman developed acetate sequins when working in film production for Eastman Kodak. He went on to specialize in creating sparkling, over-the-top dance costumes and band uniforms. Modern sequins are typically made of Mylar or plastics. Textiles and trims embellished with sequins are widely available, and a close look at the specific fabrication will help determine the appropriate construction techniques. Release your inner magpie and put on some sparkle.” Source: Threads Magazine

I’ll address the Egyptian craze in clothing, jewelry and interiors in an upcoming post it’s a fascinating story in so many ways!

The effect is what we are aiming for here. That “glam” can be a fabulous piece of jewelry you are adding to your classic LBD….a beaded bag, a glittered shoe…the list goes on. Does it need to be beaded, of course not…look to a sumptuous fabric like lamé, velvet, brocade…

Lamé from a Ralph Lauren Collection…to die for!!!!!

From the Tom Ford 2019 Collection…..not only combining fabric but color….brilliant and stunning!!!

The color of the season, hot pink, with brown and gold metallic for this on trend brocade…

Or……

Lady Gaga in Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton.

The entire look is exquisite but the shoes…..oh my!!!!!!! Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

Even the gal of the moment or for that matter any moment, Taylor Swift, has abandoned her little girl cardigans to become the poster child for the glitziest of the glitz!!!!! Beyond fabulous!!!! From Oscar de la Renta…

I recently did a RSM Blog post on tuxedo dressing you can glam that look up as well. Men are adding brooches to their lapels…love this idea. Since we are talking Holidays….how about that Christmas pin collection….a perfect way to display them. They would have been as much in style in either century’s ‘20’s decade…..yet another past RSM blog post!

Or what works for the man of the moment, Harry Styles, can work for you…..perhaps!

I could see this vest over a white shirt and black pant on either sex!

I always love a jumpsuit and why not in a rainbow of sequins…….

Or the Gucci twins from their Spring 2023 Collection….amazing presentation….

I know over the top but let’s think about the jacket with black tux pants or jeans and the sequin pant with a tux jacket….chic for days!!!!

Again too much, I know, but love the skirt how gorgeous and modern with a black cashmere turtleneck sweater (my own signature that I often wear with my black sequin pants).

Again too much, I know, but love the skirt how gorgeous and modern with a black cashmere turtleneck sweater (my own signature that I often wear with my black sequin pants).

The King of glam…Ralph Lauren and his evening looks for now…the epitome of classic modernity. The clothes, the photography, the styling of the room…I, for one, want to live this life!!!!!!!!!

Let’s party….we deserve it!!!!!! And to start us off let’s jump ahead to the 1930’s and a bit of Fred and Ginger…..I can never get enough of them…

All images found on Pinterest no photo credits available.

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by Nena Ivon
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