Seductress Style

Designer Micheline Pitt models Deadly Dames Capsule Collection
from Pinup Girl Clothing. Faux leather dress and bolero

Seductress style is inspired by classic icons, movies and fashion from 30's, 40's and 50's; harking back to a time when glamour was at it's height. Form fitting suits, dresses, minimal accessories acting as the perfect accent to complete the look. Minimal patterns, textures and colours - black, white, red, beige, leopard print, tweed and leather are my favourites for this look you, it's about keeping it simple yet seductive.

Seductress style is about confidence and classic style; embracing your femininity and most importantly enjoying fashion! Any of the women that capture seductress style, to me, appear effortlessly beautifully yet perfectly groomed which is no mean feat! The key is not to look as though you've tried too hard to create any look! Don't to go too over-the-top with accessories, let the clothes do the talking! Hair and make-up should be kept classic with red lips and cateye for the final touches to create the look.

Von 50's Vintage Vintage Inspired 'Vogue Suit'

Key pieces are essential to create and maintain ultra chic seductress style. If you don't have already you should considering investing in the following pieces for the perfect look; a form fitting black dress, pencil skirt, trench coat, vintage or retro inspired suit or dress. leather or pleather (faux leather) skirt or dress, black stiletto heels. 

I've found some incredible items at some of my favourite brands visit Pinup Girl Clothing, Von 50's, YakuboWitch, The House of Foxy, Lindy Bop, Revival Retro, The Seamstress of Bloomsbury, Trashy Diva, Deadly is the Female, Dorothea's Closet Vintage, Rusty Zipper, Posh Girl Vintage. For accessories it's worth investing in some vintage scarves, cat eye glasses, brooch, long gloves or black hat. Check out Ruby Lane, Etsy, La Palais Vintage, eBay, Just One Eye, Gaspar Gloves, Mod Cloth, Collectif, The Vintage Optical Shop, Retro Peepers and Rock My Vintage.

YakuboWitch Trench Coat

For the final touches for hair and make you can find wonderful tutorials on YouTube for creating vintage hair and make-up if you're not already confident in how to create your own look to compliment vintage inspired seductress style. I recommend checking out the following ladies whom I regularly watch for styling ideas and inspiration. Visit: The Cherry Dollface, A Vintage Vanity, Classic Retro Glamour, Lisa Freemont Street, Miss Victory Violet, Hollywood Nior Make-up and these are just a couple that I'm follow...their a thousands more wonderful tutorials to get tips and tricks! I'll be doing a separate post on film noir inspired make-up and hair coming soon and where to buy all the products to create the look.

Check out any of the stores I mentioned earlier for lots of style inspiration and many fabulous vintage and vintage inspired clothing and accessories. It's always worth having a look in your local charity shops or thrift stores as well as you don't need to spend a lot of money to create any look, rather it's how you wear it. It's worth having key pieces in our wardrobe and from that you can create any look with the right accessories but you can do it on a very small budget. I've found some amazing vintage clothes and accessories for next to nothing in charity shop and high street stores so I'd encourage you to take a look if you don't want to spend a lot or love a bargain find! Hope you enjoyed this post and don't forget to like, follow and subscribe! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Google + ; have a great week and thanks for stopping by ♥

The Seductress

Ava Gardner

Lauren Bacall

A seductress, femme fatal, temptress, vamp, siren, enchantress... whichever name you prefer, they all evoke one thing, an image of a dark, mysterious and dangerous lady with killer style. High heels, lingerie, leather, trench coats, red lips and form fitting dresses have always been a passion of mine since as long as I can remember. Film noir movies, the fashion, hair, make-up and the glamour of that period will forever be a love affair of mine. It has inspired how I like to dress and my love of vintage. For me, the style of that era is my absolute favourite, there is nothing I dislike about it, truly! 

Joan Crawford

Marlene Dietrich

Nothing makes me feel more empowered that wearing a good trench, some high heels and dark red lips but it's about attitude as well; having the confidence to wear whatever makes you feel good, that's what the seductress embodies for me. I always reference the style ofDita Von Teese the modern reigning queen when it comes to perfecting the seductress look but long before Dita arrived, there were stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Veronica Lake, Lauren Bacall, Vivien Leigh and Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford, all of whom have influenced most of the contemporary adaptations of the femme fatal. What I love most about the stars from that era is the chicness, sophistication, allure, the glamour.  

Dita Von Teese

Her style of course has been deeply influenced by her adoration of the all things vintage, old movies, showgirls and pin-up models  from the 1920's, 30's, 40's and 50's such as Betty Grable, Mae West, Bettie Page; her talent and innate sense of style have propelled her to one of the exemplars of seductress style. Her love of Louboutins, trench coats, red lips, leather, gothic and fetish style all create a look that is nothing short of spectacular! Her influence on the fashion world and fashion lovers around the world is amazing; she has brought vintage, fetish and gothic style into the main stream, making seductive style accessible for the everyday women. 

Dita Von Teese

Dita's fearless approach to fashion makes her such an icon and the leading lady when it comes to seductress style. With her vintage, a pin-up, fetish and gothic influence, Dita always pushes the boundaries of style.  Long leather gloves, Louboutins and red lips are her signature, all of which I adore and has made me more daring when it comes to style. From Marlene Dietrich to Dita Von Teese, they all encompass classic chic style, intrigue and glamour, the very essence of the seductress. 

Ingrid Bergman

How capture and create ‘The Seductress’ style, hair and make-up is coming really soon. I'll be sharing all the best places to shop on-line and in-store for hats, trenches, leather gloves, gorgeous form fitting dresses, the best red lipsticks and the hottest heels to create the perfect chic seductress look. You'll have everything you need to recreate the style of the film noir darlings! For all the latest updates from The Chic Guide or to follow my other pages visit Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Bloglovin' all under the same name! Thanks for stopping by! 

Pin-up Art and the Golden Age of Illustration (Part I 1890's Gibson Girls - 1930's Advertising)

Ted Whiter

For as long as I can remember, I've had fascination with pin-up...the glamour, beauty, fashion of bygone era has always completely captivated me. The whole aesthetic of pin-up has inspired me and had profound influence my personal style and creative interests. Charmed and entranced by Bettie Page's style, I wanted to learn more about 'pin-up', where the it came from and how it began - integral to pin-up of course is art. At that time I was unaware of the rich history of of pin-up culture and the impact of the creative visions of artists and illustrators that have spawned since the early 19th century which makes it all the more fascinating. I wanted to share my a brief snapshot of the history of pin-up and golden age of illustration and celebrate the rich cultural history.

Olivia De Berardinis

Art has played a massive role in the popularisation of 'pin-up', known as the of the 'golden age of illustration'. Artists such as Charles Gibson, Alberto Vargas, Rolf Armstrong, Enoch Bolles, Gil Elvgren, Art Frahm, Edward Runci, and these are just a few of my favourites that I can think off! There is vast information available on-line where you can view any of the artist I mention and also find many more. I'm hoping this series will inspire your appreciation of pin-up art and it's history. Art, illustration and advertising has shaped and stylised societal notions of fashion and beauty since the 1800's and continues to do so. Olivia De Berardinis is one of my favourite modern pin-up artists and it's such a delight to see pin-up art continues to grow and become ever more popular. With modern subjects such as Dita Von Teese, Masuimi Max and Bernie Dexter featuring heavily featured within her works; painting the popular 'pin-ups' of our time and cementing their status as some of the most beautiful women in the world just like those before. De Berardinis work has ensured pin-up art stays relevant within modern culture and I adore her work.  

Gibson Girl Look

To appreciate the rich history of pin-up art, social and cultural references we see today within modern pin-up culture we need to journey back to 1890's to the "Gibson Girl" era. The artist Charles Gibson's, "Gibson Girl" fashioned some of the earliest pin-up images created as we have become familiar with. That's not to say that there was other painting and images adorning women but the 'pin-up' women Gibson created in his drawings were "tall and slender, yet with ample bosom, hips and buttocks. With an "exaggerated S-curve torso shape achieved by wearing a swan-bill corset. The images "epitomized the late 19th and early 20th century Western preoccupation with youthful features and ephemeral beauty." Women wanted to emulate their style while men admired the glamour of 'Gibson Girl' look. 

Raphael Kirchner's Pinup

By WWI (1914-1918) artist Raphael Kirchner beautiful postcard images became massively popular especially with American and English troops during the war. I guess in such horrific circumstances (WWI being one of the most horrific wars the world has experienced) the images would have offered some comfort and sense of beauty in the world amongst all the deprivation and destruction in front of them.  Inspired by his wife his art typically depicted his subjects mainly women in beautifully soft and elegant manner in lingerie or various different scenes. Often referred to as the founding father of pin-up art with his work inspiring some of the my favourite pin-up artists such as Alberto Vargas. Remaining popular until the early 20th century, women sought a new role model as as style and society began to move away from more Victorian 'Gibson Girl' look into the more. was fast becoming synonymous with glamour, beauty, a sign of modernity and increasing liberalism and freedoms. 

George Petty

Alberto Vargas 

Celebrated artist Alberto Vargas, inspired by Kirchner's work, was commissioned to paint the some of the leading stars of Ziegfeld Follies by 1919; later working with Paramount pictures working with major Hollywood stars at the time whilst also being commissioned for Vogue, Tatler and Harpers Bazaar illustrating some of the most iconic images ever to grace such covers. The distinctive style of the 1920's brought about a whole new era of pin-up. Reflecting the change in attitude and the new vogue, fingers waves, shortened hemlines and less constrictive style meant that women were freer in fashion and ideals. Pin up art reflected this freedom and we begin to see pin-up reach new heights of popularity.  Advertising agencies and corporations recruited the best illustrators of the day with Alberto Vargas being hired to replace George Petty's at Esquire magazine. His predecessor Petty, was the hugely successful illustrator in his own right, finding fame with his cartoon series appearing in Esquire which were dubbed the "Petty Girls" with the magazine creating centrefold issue of Petty's pin-up for the Christmas edition in 1939. 

Alberto Vargas

Part 2 coming next week... featuring some of my favourite artist from my the era that captured my the 1940's going right up to the present day! Hope you enjoy Part 1 and please look-up these wonderful artists if you're interested in vintage fashion, art or culture. Don't forget you can visit The Chic Guide on Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+ for even more fashion, art and vintage. Don't forget to subscribe, like and share! Have a great week/ weekend and keep chic! Thanks for stopping by...