Edited by Amanda Gabriele
In today’s 5 Steps to a Style Icon, we’re taking a look at the most famous pin-up girl of all time, Bettie Page. Nashville, TN born, Bettie’s iconic look was coveted by all in the 1950s, marked by her jet black hair, blue eyes and trademark bangs. Love her fetish photos or not, Bettie Page is a style icon. See how to get her infamous look after the jump.
Edited by Amanda Gabriele
Corset |kôrset| noun • a woman’s tightly fitting undergarment extending from below the chest to the hips, worn to shape the figure • historical a tightly fitting laced or stiffened outer bodice or dress. The everyday corset may have been lost in the women’s movement, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear them for fun, especially with Valentine’s Day approaching. Find your perfect match in our Look of the Day.
Edited by Amanda Gabriele
Designer Amanda Elle wasn’t originally the type of girl who dreamt of becoming a fashion designer. But in 2009, Amanda launched a couture-inspired clothing label and then jewelry brand in New York City. Born, a natural artist, attending a specialized high school for the arts as well as NYU Steinhardt’s studio arts program, studying drawing, photography & sculpture, she brought her creative flare to the fashion world. From experimenting with her artistic talents, she created Lolli Popitt – a tastefully provocative and fantastically girlie line which brings you the joy of childhood dress-up in the realm of high fashion — and jewelry line Crystal Knuckles which already has loyal fans like Uma Thurman and Ke$ha. I was able to stop by Lolli Land, her Chelsea design studio, and talk to Amanda about the labels & her transcendence from sculptor to designer, what inspires her and what she has in store for Lolli Poppitt and Crystal Knuckles.
Edited by The Fashion Web
Edited by Jason Chan, Señor
I…I’m speechless. The gentleman pictured –and apparently assistant to famed corset maker Mr. Pearl–made a 23-inch corset and then proceeded to try it on. Ladies (and guys too?), if you’ve been searching for the most extreme muffin top or have a historical recreation to attend, here you guys go.
Edited by Amanda Gabriele
I love how corsets look on the body. They tighten the waist, accentuate the bust and give a nice curve to the top of the hips. The modern-day corset is sexy, playful and elegant. But the fashion side of this garment wasn’t always so pleasant. Since I am a huge history of costume nerd, I thought I’d share what corsets really used to mean for stylish women.
In the early 1800s, corsets were seen as undergarments of support for women and girls as young as four. Women were considered extremely fragile and corsets were thought to keep them standing upright. Organs became so deformed by the time girls hit their teens that they could not sit or stand properly without the aid of a boned corset. This is where Hollywood got the idea that women fainted often; but it wasn’t because of frailty but rather the inability to draw deep breaths of air. The higher a woman was in society, the tighter her garments were. Servants and working women didn’t wear them every day because their constraint made it hard to do even the mildest labor. And a loose corset was usually the sign of a promiscuous woman.
So ladies, enjoy the modern-day corset with much reverence for women of fashion past. At least when you hear the phrase “pain is beauty” today, it doesn’t mean a torso full of smashed organs.
PS: Although, we did recently write about the McQueen model (above) who fainted on the runway due to her tight corset.
