Style Icon- Ziegfeld girls of the Ziegfeld follies

Doris Eaton Travis

The Zeigfeld Follies were the creation of Florenz Ziegfeld, self proclaimed 'glorifier of the American girl'. It was a theatrical extravaganza that graced the stages of Broadway, New York from 1907 to 1931, eventually succumbing to effects of the Great Depression.

It was an American spectacle to rival the Parisian Folies Bergère. Now if your anything like me you should have Dame Judy Dench's feather strewn number from 'Nine' firmly stuck in your head by the mention of Folies Bergère. I am a true movie AND musical nuttter.

The Zeigfeld girls were beautiful, scantily clad and plentiful, sometimes with up to 50 performing on stage. They defined the standards of American beauty for this era and were generally adored far and wide for their elegance and glamour. Many of the girls went on to become the Hollywood stars of the following decades. 

Dolores Costello

Myrna Darby

Virgina Biddle

Style Icon - Bang Bang

''As far as con men stories go,

I think I've heard them all:

Grifters, ropers, faro-fixers,

Tales drawn long and tall.

But if one bears a bookmark,

In the confidence man's tome,

It would be that of Penelope,

And of the Brothers Bloom.''

'The Brothers Bloom' is a favourite flick of mine for so many reasons (Adrien Brody being the main reason...whew that man is too much). Its smart, funny and wonderfully stylised. Not surprising seeing as it's writer/director Rian Johnson's next project following the incredible neo-noir detective tale 'Brick'.

However,this post isnt about the Brothers Bloom or Penelope, but their silent and enigmatic co conspirator; Bang Bang, played by the amazing Rinko Kikuchi. Her style, thanks to costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor, is a liberal jumble of quirky yet sophisticated fabrics and textures, and I am loving it.

Mens DIY with Andres Espinosa

So good to see a guy exploring his thrifty yet creative side with an inspiring range of DIY outfits.

Stylist Love: Edward K Gibbon of Skins

With the next SATC epic looming (oh its just not going to be that great but you have to watch it don't you? such a pickle) I gots to thinking about stylists. Now along with the rest of the world I adore the kooky Patricia Fields and her fearless styling, but who else can I rely on for my television fashion fix - Edward K Gibbon that's who!

Cassie: without a doubt my favourite Skins styler.


Stylist extraordinaire for the UK drama series Skins, Mr Gibbons consistently comes through with the style goods. The show may be on the way out with its increasingly far fetched and overly melodramatic plots, yet I will continue to watch for the clothing alone. He carefully considers each characters background and personality and presents a fabulously skewed yet finely tuned version of typical UK style. Mish-mashed prints and fabrics, bold colours and no fear of experimentation.

Now for an added bonus; in the process of researching this post I uncovered a fantastic little find on the Skins website. Gibbons has an entire section devoted to Skins style where he explains the thought process that went into the season 4 cast costumes. Fantastic stylist insight! Get it here :)

Ginger's Style Icons: Bettie Page

Bettie Page - vivacious vixen and perhaps the most iconic pin-up of all time. In the 50's, Page's red lips, raven hair and divine curves graced the pages of just about every American men's magazine there was to be found. Her shots are a wicked combination of sex and smiles.

"I've never seen the impish glee in Bettie's eyes in any other model," Elizabeth Snead, fashion editor USA Today.

Page's style and trademark bangs have had tremendous influence on fashion and pop-culture. You only have to look at the rockabilly indie girls of today to see the original pin-up girl's spirit shine through. A stroll through Wheels & Dollbaby must be somewhat akin to what it'd be like to peruse Bettie's wardrobe. She has even reached the runways of Milan; inspiring the likes of Dolce & Gabbana in collections laced with corsets, fishnet stockings and lingerie.

"I never kept up with the fashions. I believed in wearing what I thought looked good on me." - Bettie Page

In her handmade bikinis (yes she made them herself), leopard print and leather, she laid the foundation for the cult and fetish scenes we see today; from burlesque to bondage.

Southbound bums identified: Perth gal Autilia

Autilia's and Brittany's bums from my 2010 Southbound Post.

I love the internet! I had no idea that when I snapped these denim clad derrieres at Southbound this year, that the owners would ever see the picture. Now I find out that one of these bums actually belongs to a 19 year old pint-sized Perth style queen. Better still, she has her own blog!

I am so happy to have found Autilia who flies the flag for inspirational, stand-out Perth fashion. Her style is delicate and darling as she flits about in lace and florals. The sun drenched style snaps could easily be confused with a fashion blogging Parisian,and her out-on-the-town outfits and shenanigans are akin to the New York hipster scene. Who knew Perth was this fabulous! Keep up the good work Autilia.

Ginger's Style Icons: Katharine Hepburn

Katherine Hepburn was the unwitting style icon of her time. During the 30s, at the height of her fame, when all of Hollywood could be seen in figure hugging, bias cut, satin numbers that flowed gracefully to the floor, Katherine opted for trousers. Such a simple statement, yet this choice would be seen as a defining moment in fashion history. It is widely recognised that her non-conformist style lead to a drastic and permanent change in women’s dress code. So when you head out for the day rocking your casual, androgynous jeans and a blazer combo, you know who to thank.

She would be seen in a stunning dress from time to time

In 1986 Hepburn was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Council of Fashion Designers. Calvin Klein, at the time, was quoted to have said “In 1930, she wore pants and suits considered scandalous; today, they are sensational"

She was fearless and one stubborn stick in the mud; when studio personnel attempted to force Hepburn into a skirt by removing her pants from the set, she merely paraded around in her underwear until they were returned. My hero.