Flashback to the 40's

Big Band Era 1940's

Fashions:
Knee length,Padded shoulders,Peplum,Tailored jackets,gathered shoulder seams,Pleated skirts
Hips were emphasized,Princess lines, Hats decorated with feathers, veils, and sequins Eisenhower Jacket (military style), sloppy joes loose poncho like sweaters worn by teens,
DIOR introduced the New Look, feminine dresses with long, full skirts, and tight waists

Icons: Shirley Temple,Lauren bacal,Pin up girls became popular symbols of sex.Betty grable pin up girl, Designers like Dior

Mad for Mod

A MOD REVOLUTION

As we are inspired internationally when it comes to fashion, we owe the “mod” trend to the Brits. Bold colors and geometric shapes make up the look. Swirls and psychedelic patterns taking on an a-line cut defined mod girls! The fashion subculture was also known as “the London look”, and no, it didn’t have anything to do with Rimmel makeup! Skirts were short, and we owe it all to Mary Quant, you can name her responsible for turning the fashion direction into the London look. Twiggy, who we all know today, was the face of 1966, as she defined mod in fashion photography. Her look was admired by all. Another name to know is Pierre Cardin, who was responsible for the space-age look which Nova loves, oh so much!

The subculture of mod came from London around 1950, but peaked in 1970. When we refer to MOD, we're talking about the fashion of the mod culture! Mod was used as a term throughout the media in the mid to late 1960’s, in reference to anything that was considered fashionable, popular, and modern. This is how the nickname “mod” came about.

If you’re going for a classic mod look try: a-line shapes just below the knee (3" below), homemade shift dresses, herringbone or pinstriped navy, ink green, gray, or burgundy hues, straight skirts with short boxy suit jackets, plastic bangles. Just look at our Nova auctions! A revved-up mod look for you is a few clicks away!

One of Nova's previous mod stewardess dresses!
Our model, Theresa, can really rock those MOD style poses :) .

Vintage 1960's wool mod dress from novavintage.com

-Gillian
Fashion Intern
Nova Vintage Clothing

Flashback to the 20's

Have you ever wished you lived in the 20's, or just wondered what it would have been like? The 20's, or ROARING TWENTIES as they are known, began the art deco movement. If you've read "The Great Gatsby" then you know how roaring the 20's really were! Nova Vintage has a few pieces dating from this era, but nowadays it's easier to find 20's-inspired pieces from decades like the 80's, when flapper styles were lovingly rekindled!

Fashions: flapper dresses, high-waisted dresses, loose dresses, wrapover coats, cloche hats, mary jane shoes, longer sheer overskirts and semi-sheer top skirts worn over shorter linings, lines of dresses were simplified and had a more masculine feel, dropped waistlines, black & white, pearls, fur shawls

BELOW LEFT: Kate Moss inspired by the 20's!

BELOW RIGHT: Theresa modeling Nova Vintage: flapper-inspired, sheer black lace, drop-waist dress from the 1980's. Modeled with glass beads & a vintage cloche hat!

People to remember: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, and COCO Chanel (who can forget her?), Louise Brooks


-Gillian
Fashion Intern
Nova Vintage Clothing

Vintage Betsey Johnson

Nova Vintage recently offered up an ultra-rare vintage dress from the vintage Betsey Johnson 1980's punk line! We just shipped it out to the highest bidder, a lucky lady in Italy! Betsey Johnson, a name most all fashionistas know and love, has always been a fav designer of mine too. Since the 1960's, Betsey Johnson has been conquering the fashion world with her outrageously unique designs. As someone who studied dance from a young age, I was intrigued to learn Betsey Johnson draws inspiration from the world of dance and costume! Her designs from the 70's can be found with the label "Alley Cat". In 1978 she started the "Betsey Johnson" label as it is known today. She loved her 80’s styles so much that in 2008 she showcased those looks for a retrospective show!

Here is the Polyvore set I made using the Nova dress modeled by Theresa! There's a close-up of the blue label, the iconic 80's punk label!

Check out these cool video archives of Betsey Johnson fashion shows: VIDEO ARCHIVES. Based on the stripes, and sleeve design, I would guess this Nova dress dates to about 1987 :D!

“Making clothes involves what I like…color, pattern, shape and movement…I like the everyday process…the people, the pressure, the surprise of seeing the work come alive walking and dancing around on strangers. Like red lipstick on the mouth, my products wake up and brighten and bring the wearer to life…drawing attention to her beauty and specialness…her moods and movements…her dreams and fantasies.” ~Betsey Johnson


-Gillian
Fashion Intern
Nova Vintage Clothing

A Little Bit About Me...

To me, fashion is all about showcasing who you are, and what you stand for. Fashion. Art. Music. Surround me in it. I love it all. I could spend hours at a visual arts museum, or at a mall. I read fashion magazines every night, and follow trends religiously. We wear Chanel today, but how did Coco influence fashion in her time? I am interested in vintage eras, especially in how fashion trends from the past reemerge in the modern fashion world.

My internship at Nova Vintage Clothing is all-encompassing, and has involved everything from hand sewing hems and assisting with styling photo shoots, to honing my Photoshop skills and starting this blog! Experience in the fashion world is so important. I know Nova Vintage won't be my last internship, and I will remember it as my first. I am so glad I have the chance as a high school senior to learn and experience the fashion marketing industry. I've experienced first hand the process of preparing, selling, and marketing clothes to the world!

My dream is to attend Fashion Institute of Technology for Fashion Marketing (F.I.T.) in the heart of New York City! I know I will unavoidably be in the fashion world wherever I go. I would like to run my own store one day, with my own unique styles and touches.

-Gillian
Fashion Intern
Nova Vintage Clothing

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

~Coco Chanel