This could go a bit fancy dress, but the victorian vamp look was brought up to date in the 80s with long velvet dresses and the nineties with mini velvet vamp dresses.
I love this look as I used to be a goth, used to buy truckloads of these looks from antique stalls and jumble sales etc.
Talking of jumble sales, remember how I used to think H and M was like a giant jumble sale, but everything was new and it fitted without having to be altered.
This got me thinking about using clothes in our own wardrobes more or getting cheap well made basic items from the shops to give a handmade flourish to the past.
Now I’m getting into online parties, and am really pondering the idea of making simple clothes myself; I don’t like fancy clothes anyway, so a lot of fashion I used to buy was fairly simply constructed. The biggest problem at the moment is trousers and coats and so forth. They are obviously skilled and really hard to make; not something easy to achieve for an amateur.
Valeria Carry on Screaming
As with Barbara Windsor I haven’t got her figure
To modernise this look you just need a red velvet vamp dress and heels. You also need a half cup, slightly padded plunge bra, if they ever come back. I’d just do simple makeup and straight hair without a fringe, (my hair isn’t thick enough so I get a parting which doesn’t work).
I think I’d do an 80’s long version and a nineties mini version.
I love the fact it is red and not black, which gets rid of the goth fancy dress problem.
I think I might just wear this look in the house unless I found a club where everyone dressed like this. Probably somewhere a bit Beatnik/alternative.
Think it would be really fun.
I’d style it more like the 90’s vamp dress in Preying Mantis. I’d want to aim more for stylish and sophisticated.
Hope you like this idea. If the dress is like the one in Preying Mantis you could go out in it even to a family party. Not being rude, but you would get more wear out of it then, my problem at the minute is getting one for small hips and thighs.
I had a long antique velvet 80s dress from Miss Selfridge, had loads actually, wouldn’t mind some of those again. They fitted if you didn’t have a small waist and held an apple shape in. They were fairly simply designed but would look like Valeria. Wondering if they were cut on the bias?
They just looked elegant and you could wear them anywhere and not look like a goth.
When proper retail comes back you just choose the shop that stocks your body type. Mine was Miss Selfridge, New Look, and H and M. Oasis was pear-shaped, can’t remember the rest. Zara was tall.
If Miss Selfridge comes back wonder if they would sell an up-to-date version of this look? Obviously bias cut is really popular so possibly will be easy to do this look. At the moment it will just be for pear shape. It is almost like all the shops are just one woman’s wardrobe at the moment.
Found this ~ I’m size 10, but this says I’m size 8 and it is still too big? There is no way I would wear this dress as it is basically non-existent ~ great for teenagers ~ with the craft part of the Victorian Party I realize you could alter this dress. I like the roses.
Now £92.50
Is a lot of money for 2 roses.
The sleeves are quite good but not long enough.
asos.com/bardot/bardot-off-shoulder-velour-mini-dress-in-red/prd/205004481#colourWayId
Will finish this blog if the fashion for slim-built women ever comes back.
Wouldn’t buy a dress with a split up to the waist as I’m not a teenager so would feel stupid.
In fact, unless I found something trendy probably wouldn’t do this.
Would wear the Miss Selfridge ones as they were long without splits, seen women older than me wearing others like that.
My dresses wore out so I threw them away.
Conclusion
There is an idea here. Red velvet seems to be in fashion around winter and party season, (erm it is a party every season in Saphire world lol), will have to try and source this in winter maybe. Then have it ready for April next year.
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