How many 1920's dresses is too many?

How many 1920's dresses is too many?

Posted by Mandy on 2nd Jan 2020

Earlier today, I got a delivery.  Three beautifully beaded 1920's style dresses in a variety of styles and colours.  Of course, there's nothing wrong with that - especially since I run a costume hire service out of a little studio behind my house.  Except.....that now makes twenty eight beautifully  beaded dresses.  Yes you read that right. Twenty Eight.  In sizes from 8 up to 30 - jostling for position in a room crammed with other costumes. Seriously, how did I get here?

                                      

Well, I'm in my fifties and I can find it hard to find a flattering costume that's not too short and too tight.  1920's styles are flattering, easy to wear and (for me anyway) invoke freedom and hedonism and glamour.   I think everyone deserves to turn up at the party dripping with sequins, beads and furs, dance and drink champagne all night.  And once I started to buy 20's style dresses for the studio, I just kept on going.  I found a great supplier who sends heavily beaded costumes over from London, and every so often I trawl through their website and buy a few more.

Now if I get a call from someone looking for a 1920's costume, my first reaction is excitement!  I love the buzz when they look at themselves in the mirror after finding their ideal dress which fits them perfectly.

And it's not just the dresses of course.  Furs, feather boas, beautiful headdresses, gloves, pearls and lovely wigs in bobbed or fingerwave style.  I'm a wig stylist - and fingerwaves are hard to style, but so worth it for an authentic look.

                                            


I think it's obvious, I'm now into the obsession stage. Last year, I went to a 20'makeup class to learn how to do a perfect Clara Bow look. (I'm slightly crazed looking in this photo)

So where does it end?  Of course, I'm hiring out these costumes, but not twenty eight at a time.  But who knows... there may be a film shoot, a huge party or an event that needs multiple high quality costumes.  When that day comes - The Littlest Costume Shop will be ready with (possibly more than) twenty eight costumes!