What a fun invitation to receive! I must admit, I'm a little jealous, as I've never been invited to a themed wedding. Sigh. Fortunately for 1930s-inspired wedding attendees, this decade offers up a variety of fun styles that are pretty easily replicated with what you see in fashion magazines today.
The playful, somewhat cutesy styles of the 1960s have combined forces with the lean, bohemian styles of the 1970s, parading themselves through racks at Forever 21 and in the store windows of department stores. Conveniently for you, these styles were actually influenced by a lot of what was en vogue in the 1930s. Let's look at a variety of 1930s inspiration straight from our time machine, shall we?
For a more casual affair, it would be appropriate to wear a maxi length dress in a fun pattern, like vertical stripes, polka dots, or bright florals. If the wedding is outdoors or at a beach, it would be really fun to flaunt a dramatic wide brim hat to keep in style and in the shade.
C A S U A L T R E N D S F R O M T H E E A R L Y 1 9 3 0 s I N C L U D E :
- subtle nautical themes
- bow-tied or knotted fabric
- slim silhouettes from shoulder to toes
- breezy, but somewhat tailored skirts or wide-leg trousers
- rayon or thin cotton help achieve the desired drape
The garden-party look is much more typical for Spring-Fall weddings, and might be the easiest 1930s style to replicate. Long, floral dresses are on sale everywhere right now, so the getting is good! If you're handy with a sewing machine and have some DIY skills, you might be able to slightly alter a dress to implement some of the 1930s characteristics below.
P A R T Y D R E S S T R E N D S F R O M T H E M I D 1930 s I N C L U D E :
- fitted skirts that begin to flare below the knee
- bigger bows and ruffles
- different levels of layers in the skirt
- skirt lengths hit mid shin or just at the ankle
- shoulders and busts are adorned with loose, drapey fabric or ruffled shoulders
If the wedding you are attending is a bit fancier than anything you have in your closet, then you might want to invest in a long, bias cut dress that somewhat fits the criteria below or matches the styles above. If in doubt, simpler is always better. You can always accessorize!
F O R M A L D R E S S T R E N D S F R O M T H E 1930s I N C L U D E :
- bias-cut skirts hug the waist and hips, then drape loosely below the knee
- tiered ruffles or diagonal-tiered layers in the skirt
- fabrics such as velvet, silk, fine rayon, or sheer cotton would be acceptable
- sleeker, more elegent styles with finer attention to detail than casual dresses
Oh gosh! I want to go to a 1930s theme wedding! Too much fun ...
PS congrats on being Modcloth's blogger of the moment. Very well deserved!
Kelly @
Elegantly Academic
Posted by: Kelly | August 25, 2011 at 09:07 AM
i love the illustrations. great job!
Posted by: zelina | August 25, 2011 at 09:25 AM
Did you draw these yourself? Gorgeous! I just went to a Jazz Age-themed event in New York and wore a more '30s-style dress rather than '20s (that era is very unflattering on me). Love this post.
Posted by: Anna | August 25, 2011 at 09:25 AM
Great post with excellent details and inspiration. I love the drawings too (did you draw them?)
Posted by: Jennifer | August 25, 2011 at 10:26 AM
The design for this post in killer! I love it!
Posted by: brittany | August 25, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Great advice and illustrations. This so so helpful!
Perhaps I should theme my future wedding?
xx.
Posted by: Julia | August 25, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Great post!
Posted by: Chandra | August 25, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Ooop! I forgot to link to the original source at the end of the post! You will find links to the original vintage magazine pages (where these illustrations come from) at the bottom of the post now. Thanks for the compliments, friends, but alas, I did not illustrate these myself. I wish! :) I just extracted the background and lightened them a bit.
Posted by: Mandi | August 25, 2011 at 11:30 AM
really great post! the 1930s are my absolute favorite. xo
Posted by: jac | August 25, 2011 at 01:09 PM
Lovely post!
Posted by: Katie | August 25, 2011 at 04:46 PM
Love the illustrations, such great 30's inspiration. xx Fran
Posted by: Fran | August 25, 2011 at 06:31 PM
What a fun wedding! I love how you answered the question. Very inspiring.
xo, rv
http://aneclecticheap.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Rae Veda | August 25, 2011 at 09:03 PM
so good! love the outfit illustrations too!
Posted by: elsie | August 25, 2011 at 09:46 PM
this post is perfect!!!!
Posted by: kelsie | August 25, 2011 at 10:08 PM
woww it's nice.. :)
http://lovesimplegreen.blogspot.com/
Irene Wibowo
Posted by: irene wibowo | August 26, 2011 at 12:35 AM
Just so honored you used my little tweet to make and entire BEAUTIFUL blogpost. I ended up finding a really interesting handmade dress in a thrift shop. It's not exactly 30 per say, but it's old, pretty, and handmade so everyone I've consulted with says it's perfect. I'll send pictures once the big day arrives!
Posted by: Brittany Bailey | August 26, 2011 at 02:46 PM
ah. this is an amazing entry. I loved it and really want all those dresses too.
Posted by: Victoria / Justice Pirate | August 26, 2011 at 03:36 PM