Historical fashion eras which have inspired my wardrobe

Girl standing in front of a historical building wearing a olive green dress, Hollywood Glamour, Minimalist style inspiration, historical fashion, Regency Core
Girl standing in front of a historical building wearing a olive green dress, Hollywood Glamour, Minimalist style inspiration, historical fashion, Regency Core
Girl standing in front of a historical building wearing a olive green dress, Hollywood Glamour, Minimalist style inspiration, historical fashion, Regency Core
Girl standing in front of a historical building wearing a olive green dress, Hollywood Glamour, Minimalist style inspiration, historical fashion, Regency Core
Girl standing in front of a historical building wearing a olive green dress, Hollywood Glamour, Minimalist style inspiration, historical fashion, Regency Core
Girl standing in front of a historical building wearing a olive green dress, Hollywood Glamour, Minimalist style inspiration, historical fashion, Regency Core
Girl standing in front of a historical building wearing a olive green dress, Hollywood Glamour, Minimalist style inspiration, historical fashion, Regency Core
Girl standing in front of a historical building wearing a olive green dress, Hollywood Glamour, Minimalist style inspiration, historical fashion, Regency Core

My mother often told me I was born in the wrong era. While I very much enjoy the creature comforts of this one, historical fashion has always inspired me.

I spent more of my childhood running wild in dress ups than regular clothes  – evidenced by my mother’s photograph of my sister and me adorned in velvet princess dresses while wading knee deep, fishing for tadpoles in the creek. In an age before blogs I spent lunch times in the library pouring over books of fashion through the ages and my teenage style inspiration came books on designers of the 20th century.

While I may have eventually swapped fuchsia pink princess dresses for more modern designs, I still find myself drawing inspiration from past designers and icons (Dior, Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Birkin, Grace Kelley, to name a few). .

In fact, one of the reasons I think I am drawn to more classic silhouettes and designs is how designs like this can transcend time. Audrey Hepburn’s black dress in Breakfast with Tiffany is as wearable today as it was back then and I love clothes which make subtle references to the past with their designs, while still being relevant and wearable today. The way this olive green dress referenced a 1940s silhouette without being archaic was one of the things which drew me to it in the first place. Here are a few of my favourite fashion eras. 

Old Hollywood Glamour

I love the refined elegance of this era and how many of the outfits worn by icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn and Lauren Bacall are classics referenced by current trends today.

The Regency Period

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Regencycore” brought into fashion vernacular by Bridgerton and I’d be lying to say I don’t have a soft spot for the ethereal, windswept designs that have appearing all over my Instagram feed. Also, what’s not to like about the light weight cotton dresses that look like they’ve come straight out of a Jane Austen novel? 

Renaissance Europe

While I’ll admit such designs don’t feature heavily in my day to day wardrobe, I will always have a soft sport for the show stopping intricacies and beautiful rich fabrics of medieval and renaissance dresses.  I love seeing how designers have referenced this era in their designs while incorporating a modern twist – for example the exquisite Elizabethan and Venetian-pagan Romanticism inspired designs of Valentino’s 2016 Spring and Fall collections.

I’d love to know what your favourite historical fashion era is? 

Outfit: Dress thrifted (similar here, here or here), Shoes Country Road neutral heels (similar, here)

Photos: Sara Eshu

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