I have two, really . . .
Edwardian. I love the elegance of the early Edwardian period, with the Gibson Girl hairdos, sweeping skirts, Gainsborough hats. And the late Edwardian period, with the slim Irene Castle look: corset-heeled shoes, ankle-length skirts. Very chic.
Kennedy era. Probably because that’s what Grown-Up Ladies looked like when I was a kid: bouffant hair, straight, knee-length skirts, spike heels. Marilyn Monroe in her last film is a good example.
Yours?
Twenties, especially anything by Madeleine Vionnet. Bias-cut sheer layered silk- it’s perfect. And the beadwork and rhinestone decoration on flapper dresses is fantastic.
1730-1765 Georgian stuff. Full-skirted coats for men, and knee-breeches and embroidered waistcoats. And tricorn hats. And women get to wear stomachers and wigs and big shawls and lots of petticoats, yay. And this
I like the fashions of the 40’s and 50’s. Hats. Hats on men and women is a good thing. I look good in a fedora, a little silly perhaps but good. I also like the large full skirts on women with the tight fitting bodice.
Cotehardies. Men and women, but I could only find pictures online of women. Go figure.
http://www.accesswave.ca/~safeire/pictures/red_wool_cote.htm
http://www.accesswave.ca/~safeire/pictures/green_silk_cote.htm
I think whatever Glynish Johns was wearing in The Court Jester was a cotehardie, too…
Tudor. I just like the lines of it, and the big sleeves, and the excessive amount of fabric.
'40s for sure. The purty hairdos, swirly skirts and dresses, ankle-strap shoes, and cloche hats!
That’s Twenties, not Forties. No one looked good in a cloche hat—unless you were Clara Bow, they made you look like Mr. Ed in drag. Forties hats were adorable, though.
Where’s Guin? She can go all Edwardian with me . . .
I’ve always loved Edwardian fashion, too. In fact, as soon as I saw this thread, that’s what I thought of.
I love the 40s. Give me ankle straps, padded shoulders, and tiny waistlines! I adore seamed stockings, but they’re hard to wear these days. I also love the 60s. I’m a sucker for miniskirts and pale lipstick. And feather boas coupled with velvet and brocade. Way fun!
I hate to chime in with “me-toos” but the Edwardian era has me all excited. Men and women. Ever since I fell in love with Bertie Wooster.
1950’s - Dior and all that. Probably has to do with the fact that I was an adolescent then and trying to learn to be a young woman. Big full skirts with stiff crinolines underneath, or a sheath to show the curves. Women actually had curves back then. Breasts, waists, and hips - and we flaunted them all! Think The Loretta Young show.
Earlier eras were to restrictive - too many layers. I can’t imagine July or August in anything before the 1930’s. They do look nice in period movies, though.
1940’s.
1140s.
(Heh, I mean women’s clothes from the entire medieval period in general. Those gowns in Ethilrist’s links are smashing.)
The Julian era. You can’t get a good toga made these days.
I’ve got to go with the 1940s, too.
The 1940’s, definitely. Just so damn classy.
One decade’s fashion that I will never, ever, for the life of me, understand was the 1970’s. I mean, I can look at the fashions of practically any other time period, and even if I don’t find it particularly appealing myself, at least I can understand how it was part of that era and how those living then found it fashionable in the time and place. But not so with the 70’s. What the hell were we thinking!? (And when I say ‘we’, I mean ‘not me’; I was alive but in my single digits, so I wasn’t really making my own fashion choices!)
Anamorphic, how awful do you think it was to be in my 20s in the Seventies? Nothing decent to choose from, no matter where you shopped. That’s why I mostly bought from thrift shops back then.
Ugh. Thank the gods for thrift shops, eh? Lemmee ask you though, Eve… In your opinion, were the fashions of the 70s hideous on purpose? Like, was it part of some sort of ‘counter-culture’ thing? Or did they really not know?
Well, somebody had to do it…
Being an old Renaissance Faire geek, my personal favorite style is the Italian Early Renaissance (c. 1490’s). All of the nobility gowns I made for myself are from that period.
I’ve always been fond of the Late Edwardian period, also. IIRC, the movie Wings of The Dove was set around 1912–I loved all the costumes.