Winter Wearable Art Deco: Historical Art on Your Sleeves

From À LA MODEST :: Conservative Indie Fashion Style Blogger

If you haven’t read my previous post on Erté, a famous Art Deco artist and fashion designer, feel free to poke around! Art Deco is a style of art originally from France from after World War I in the 1920s up until before the outbreak of the second World War in the 1940s. If you only think of flapper dresses when thinking about the 20s, think again! Art Deco is characterized by lots of ornamentation, vivid colors, and machine inspired geometric patterns. People at the time took great pride and faith in their technological progress.

Below, you’ll find fashion illustrations from the time period in that style drawn by other notable artists.

Source: CTG Publishing

Source: The Dandelion Chronicles

Some modern fashion renditions of Art Deco are below. I love these all, don’t you? Now all you need for these dresses from Holly Hunton below to make them wearable winter art deco is some faux fur or mink coat, shawl, hat, gloves, or collar—put them all on or just a few! Pick patterns and jewelry that are bold, with gold, and geometrical.

Source: Holly Fulton Spring 2011

If you’re not into wearing fur at all, you may opt to complete your Art Deco look by wearing outerwear with bat wing sleeves like below from Battise Fashions‘ winter collection:

Source: Battise Fashions – Black Ragan Sleeve Knit Jacket | Black Knit & Leather Cocoon Jacket

Source: Batisse Fashions- Long Cocoon Animal Jacket | Short Cocoon Animal Jacket

Here are just a few vintage items from various decades on my Etsy that could work in that style:

Top (L-R): Diane Freis top | Naeem Khan Riazee Nights beaded dress | Alex Ku Indian tribal top
Bottom (L-R): Andrew Geller pumps | Gwen Pennington faux fur / velvet/ suede hat