Extraordinary Ladies’ Shoes Designed by Steven Arpad, 1939

Even in the times of downfall and despair, caught in the aftermath of the Great Depression, on the brink of the World War II, a creative mind can dream of beauty, long for elegance, and invent something utterly stunning. The futuristic collection of ladies’ shoes created by the French designer Steven Arpad (1904–1999) is a perfect, mind-blowing example.

Housed under the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Arpad shoes, ready to wear pairs and unfinished prototypes, look very modern. Embodying the American high style, these little delicate pieces stand strong for elegance and beauty, despite all odds of their times.

Steven Arpad, Budapest-born, moved to Paris as a young man to study fashion and applied arts. He started his career making boutique items for Jean Patou and ultimately for Balenciaga, Schiaparelli, Paquin and Molineux. He designed and made collections before World War II. And before the war also he was under contract to several U.S. shoe firms including Delman and I.Miller.

At the same time he was operating embroidery firms in both Paris and New York. When World War II started, Arpad moved to operate his embroidery firm, open a sportswear house and to do accessories for ready-to-wear designers. He made a big splash during the war years with his retail line of metal-less jewelry, made with lace, braiding, net and passamenerie.

During the years, he has jeweled everything from combs to belts to shoes. He made jeweled snoods when long bobs were popular and brought back the jeweled hatpin during the post-war years. Here are some extraordinary shoes designed by Steven Arpad in 1939.

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35 Stunning Photos of Beautiful Model Iman in the 1970s and ’80s

Born 1955 as Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid in Mogadishu, Somali-American fashion model and actress Iman was discovered by the American photographer Peter Beard while still at university, and moved to the United States to begin a modeling career. Her first modeling assignment was for Vogue a year later in 1976. She soon appeared on the cover of some of the world’s most prestigious magazines, establishing herself as a supermodel.

With her long neck, tall stature, slender figure, fine features, and copper-toned skin, Iman was an instant success in the fashion world, though she herself insists that her looks are merely typically Somali. She became a muse to many prominent designers, including Halston, Gianni Versace, Calvin Klein, Issey Miyake and Donna Karan. She was a favorite of Yves Saint-Laurent, who once described her as his “dream woman”.

Iman has worked with many notable photographers, including Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Annie Leibovitz. She is also noted for her philanthropic work, and was married to rock musician David Bowie from 1992 until his death in 2016. She is represented by TESS Management in London.

Take a look at these stunning photos to see the beauty of a young Iman as a model in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Crazy Sixties Sunglasses: Oversized and Dark Shades Were the Height of Fashion

We all know the 1960s were a bit strange; they were experimental and a time when people were pushing the boundaries and looking towards the future. That meant a lot of strange, un-wearable fashion emerged, and sunglasses and glasses didn’t escape the trend.

The 1960s were an Iconic Age dominated by strong black and white shapes and a newfound sense of futurism. High fashion became synonymous with oversized bug-eye glasses. Jackie Kennedy Onassis was a huge fan of the bug-eye look and was frequently photographed wearing the supersized black frames; as was Audrey Hepburn. Their popularity and influential styles had a major effect on women at that time and helped to solidify this look as chic and very 1960s.

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40 Charming Portrait Photos of Victorian Ladies Wearing Jewelry

Within the Victorian period, jewelry consisted of a diverse variety of styles and fashions. These periods can be categorized into three distinct timeframes: The Romantic period, the Grand period and the Aesthetic period.

The first period in Victorian jewelry is known as the Romantic period or early Victorian period (1837-1861). During this period, inspiration derived from the Renaissance, Middle Ages and the natural world. This period saw a rise in the use of gold material, which contributed to the construction of jewelry.

The second period in Victorian jewelry is known as the Grand period or the mid-Victorian period (1861- 1885). This period saw a sharp change in design from delicate to bold which paralleled the changing social roles and representation of women at the time. During this period, imitations of jewelry were prominent and costume jewelry originated. This period witnessed the emergence of women in business and politics and saw women demanding to study at university, the right to vote and to earn their own money.

The third period in Victorian jewelry is known as the Aesthetic period or the late Victorian period (1885-1901). During this period, there was a distinct change in how women wore jewelry. This period encouraged the agency of women in society, with women’s rise to power with the creation of their own political organizations. This change encouraged freedom of thought and less of a desire to be seen as feminine. Due to this, significantly less jewelry was purchased with women only choosing to wear jewelry on special occasions, and little jewelry being worn casually throughout the day.

Here below is a set of charming photos that shows portraits of Victorian ladies wearing jewelry.

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32 Cool Photos Defined Fashion Styles For Men in the 1970s

Fashion in the 1970s was about individuality. In the early 1970s, Vogue proclaimed “There are no rules in the fashion game now” due to overproduction flooding the market with cheap synthetic clothing. Common items included mini skirts, bell-bottoms popularized by hippies, vintage clothing from the 1950s and earlier, and the androgynous glam rock and disco styles that introduced platform shoes, bright colors, glitter, and satin.

Most men simply wore jeans, sweaters, and T-shirts, which by then were being made with more elaborate designs. Men continued to wear flannel, and the leisure suit became increasingly popular from 1975 onwards, often worn with gold medallions and oxford shoes. Vintage clothing, khaki chinos, workmen’s clothes, sweatshirts, leather coats, and all-denim outfits were also desired among young men. Other trends include printed shirts, zip-up cardigans, western shirts marketed to capitalize on the nostalgia for 1950s fashion, Birkenstocks, mood rings, and raincoats.

Generally the most famous silhouette of the mid and late 1970s for both genders was that of tight on top and loose on bottom. The 1970s also saw the birth of the indifferent, anti-conformist casual chic approach to fashion.

Take a look at these cool photos from Flickr members to see what fashion styles for men looked like in the 1970s.

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24 Vintage Photographs of Cher in the 1980s

It is without a doubt that Cher is in a league of her own, with a decades-spanning musical and acting career. 

With decreasing album sales and a lack of commercially successful singles at the beginning of the eighties, Cher decided to further develop her acting career. In 1982, Cher made her Broadway debut in the play Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and later starred in its film adaptation. 

Cher earned her first Oscar nomination for her performance as a plant co-worker and Meryl Streep's lesbian roommate in Silkwood (1983). Her next film, Mask (1985), was Cher's first critical and commercial success as a leading actress. Her role in the film also won Cher the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. In 1987 she subsequently starred in three films: Suspect, The Witches of Eastwick and Moonstruck, the last of which won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Cher revived her musical career in 1987 by recording her eighteenth studio album Cher. Despite facing strong retail and radio airplay resistance upon its release, the album proved to be a commercial success, certified platinum by the RIAA. Her next album, Heart of Stone (1989), was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.

Take a look back at the icon in the eighties through these stunning pictures:

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Studio Portrait Photos Defined Fashion Styles of ’20s Young Ladies

Western fashion in the 1920s underwent a modernization. For women, fashion had continued to change away from the extravagant and restrictive styles of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, and towards looser clothing which revealed more of the arms and legs, that had begun at least a decade prior with the rising of hemlines to the ankle and the movement from the S-bend corset to the columnar silhouette of the 1910s.

The 1920s are characterized by two distinct periods of fashion: in the early part of the decade, change was slower, and there was more reluctance to wear the new, revealing popular styles. From 1925, the public more passionately embraced the styles now typically associated with the Roaring Twenties.

These styles continued to characterize fashion until the worldwide depression worsened in 1931. These amazing photos from EastMarple1 were possibly taken in the studio of William Smale Cater of Launceston, Cornwall that show portraits of young ladies in the 1920s.

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Happy Holidays From Darlene!

Darlene wants to wish you a very merry Christmas, and who am I to say no?

(Photos via The Square America Archive)

Beautiful Photos of Ladies in Hula Dance Outfits in the Mid-20th Century

Hula is a Polynesian dance form accompanied by chant (Oli) or song (Mele, which is a cognate of “meke” from the Fijian language). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form.

There are many sub-styles of hula, with the main two categories being Hula ʻAuana and Hula Kahiko. Ancient hula, as performed before Western encounters with Hawaiʻi, is called kahiko. It is accompanied by chant and traditional instruments. Hula, as it evolved under Western influence in the 19th and 20th centuries, is called ʻauana (a word that means “to wander” or “drift”). It is accompanied by song and Western-influenced musical instruments such as the guitar, the ʻukulele, and the double bass.

Terminology for two main additional categories is beginning to enter the hula lexicon: “Monarchy” includes any hula which were composed and choreographed during the 19th century. During that time the influx of Western culture created significant changes in the formal Hawaiian arts, including hula. “Ai Kahiko”, meaning “in the ancient style” are those hula written in the 20th and 21st centuries that follow the stylistic protocols of the ancient hula kahiko.

There are also two main positions of a hula dance: either sitting (noho dance) or standing (luna dance). Some dances utilize both forms. These beautiful color photos captured portraits of ladies in hula dance outfits in the 1940s and 1950s.

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