Retro style belongs to a special category of fashion that is always relevant. Each period of the past left its mark on history, therefore, through things related to it, a connection with the present day is expressed. Of the large number of fashion trends, Chicago style looks especially bright and attractive. This is typical women's fashion from the 1930s. If you want to shine at an exciting party or become the center of attention at a festive event, then a Chicago style dress is the perfect choice.
Let's go back in time
Fashionable style was first noted in Chicago, recognized as the criminal capital of America. In the 20s, gangsters dominated here, luxury and free morals reigned in society.
The 30s of the 20th century in world history are associated with a global economic crisis. Industrial enterprises closed, banks went bankrupt, people lost their jobs. Thus came the time of the Great Depression. Luxury was no longer accessible to most people, and this immediately affected the women's wardrobe. The basic style of clothing has become laconic, strict and rational. Fashion trends were built on an organic combination of restraint and elegance. Instead of precious stones and an abundance of furs, they began to use bright, intricate jewelry.
What do Chicago style dresses look like? Photo
The fashion trend is divided into two periods. The appearance of the style dates back to the very beginning of the 20s. After the First World War, fashion was characterized by modesty and restraint. The clothing covered the knees and sometimes reached the ankle. Long sleeves and a small neckline were mandatory. The main feature of the early period of the style is the original cylindrical cut with a low waist. The straight silhouette does not highlight the chest and waist area, but it does highlight the hip line well.
The second stage of the development of the style took place under the harsh conditions of Prohibition. This time is vividly represented in the film “The Great Gatsby”. It reflects the rapid onset of an era of decaying morality, loss of moral values and enchanting jazz.
Fashion accessories in Chicago style
Retro models, created in the spirit of gangster times, are distinguished by a simple and laconic cut. The restraint of the dresses was more than compensated for by the bright, varied decor. In the 1920s, women wore luxurious fur capes, feather boas and cascades of sparkling jewelry.
During the Great Depression, expensive products became unaffordable for most women. Therefore, they were replaced with artificial pearls, rhinestones and gold-plated jewelry. Long beads were twisted into a knot under the chest or thrown over the back, drawing men's attention to the deep neckline.
In the 1930s, dresses became shorter, boldly exposing women's legs. Black fishnet stockings have become especially popular. A mandatory attribute of the Chicago look were long gloves made of delicate silk or velvet. Models with wide bells were considered especially popular. The shoes featured a characteristic round toe and low, shaped heel.
Women's clothing in the style of “Chicago 30s”
It should be noted that men's fashion of those times did not undergo significant changes. A classic three-piece suit with straight-cut trousers, made of expensive material, and a hat - this is the wardrobe of a wealthy man. But we can talk about women's outfits for a long time. At all times, women's fashion reflected the situation of society, and the 30s. last century were no exception. To replace the shocking 20s. femininity, sophistication, frankness, self-confidence and dazzling luxury came into fashion - inherent features of the wardrobe of ladies of this period. For the first time, the length of women's dresses rose above the knees, and thin straps began to be used instead of the usual sleeves. The bare back and tight-fitting silhouette of the dresses were the “calling card” of the ladies of gangster Chicago. Characteristic features of women's clothing in the Chicago 30s style :
- Dresses are knee-length for casual wear and ankle-length for evening wear.
- The low waist of the outfits, after a while rising to the middle of the thigh.
- An expressive cut of the dress along an oblique line, which outlines an attractive female figure.
- A huge amount of decor: beads, sparkles, sequins, as well as rhinestones and fringe.
- Emphasis on the wasp waist and broad shoulders. For visual enhancement, the latter were emphasized by ruffles on the wings of the sleeves and scarves.
- The use of natural and expensive materials of that time: chiffon, silk, satin, velvet.
Of course, shoes should have been matched to such a dress with bare legs. A small heel, allowing the foot to be firmly fixed, gave comfort, practicality and confidence to the gait.
An original hat (or headband) with a feather was used as stylish accessories. There certainly had to be a boa made of natural fur around the neck, as well as long pearl beads. But perhaps the most distinctive feature of the female image was the cigarette holder. It must be said that smoking during these years was a continuation of the fashionable image.
Who suits Chicago style dresses?
Absolutely all women can wear spectacular clothes in a retro spirit. For those with non-ideal shapes, models from the early period of the style are well suited. A loose fit, a slight slack at the hips and long sleeves successfully hide the fullness of the body and broken proportions.
Slender, thin girls can safely choose a dress for a party in the style of Chicago, dating back to the 30s. Candid models show off slender legs and all the charms of a graceful silhouette. And if you have broad shoulders and a figure that resembles an inverted triangle, then in a dress from the Chicago era you will look simply perfect.
The length of the outfits is chosen based on the individual characteristics of the build. Mini or short models that slightly reveal the knee are suitable for young slender women. For overweight ladies, the best option is from mid-calf to ankle.
Modern options
The most suitable haircuts for recreating a gangster hairstyle are bob, long bob or pageboy. In all these cases, the hair does not completely cover the neck and is relatively easy to style into graceful curls. Naturally curly curls can simply be treated with gel and styled, adding a bandage. If you want to make smooth waves out of curly hair, straighten your hair first.
Voluminous curls
This Chicago style hairstyle is perfect for girls with short hair. Step-by-step instruction:
- Wash your hair, dry it slightly with a towel, part it (in the modern interpretation of the hairstyle, straight hair is allowed).
- Take medium diameter curlers and wrap the bottom of the strands around them. Separate thin sections of hair.
- Dry your hair without using a hair dryer. The hairstyle will be more neat.
- Remove the curlers, being careful not to twist your hair too much.
- Spray each curl with varnish.
- Place curled hair around the bottom of your head to form a wide band. Secure the result with varnish.
- Comb the hair from the top of your hair smoothly. Lay it on top of the bottom of the hairstyle, first wrapping each strand around your finger and spraying it with hairspray in this position.
- Complete the look with a beautiful headband or headband.
You can read more about how to make large curls for different hair lengths and styling ideas on our website.
“Cold” waves for short strands
This hairstyle goes well with the gangster style and is suitable for a theme party or other similar occasion.
How to do it:
- Part your hair to the side. If you have bangs, comb them to one side.
- Treat the strands with a styling product. For this hairstyle you will need foam or mousse.
- On the side where you have more hair, form waves near your forehead. Lay the strands from the parting in the shape of the letter S, secure the bends with hairdresser's clips. If your hair length allows, do similar steps to the end of the curl.
- Do the same on the other side of your forehead.
- Leave your hair to dry and move on to the next part of your hairstyle. Curl all loose strands using an iron or curling iron. The curls should come out vertical.
- Straighten the resulting curls with your fingers and spray your hair with hairspray.
- If necessary, dry your hair with a hairdryer.
- After the hair has dried, remove the clips.
- Accessorize your hair with a Chicago-style headband.
This video will help you understand the details:
Retro evening option for long hair
To remove the main length of the hair, you can make an elegant bun and imitate the famous waves in the front part of the hairstyle.
If you want to perform one of the many installation options, follow these instructions:
- Separate your hair with a side parting.
- On the side where you have more hair, select a wide strand near your forehead. From it you will form the “highlight” of the hairstyle - the wave.
- Temporarily pick up this part of the hair and begin to form the bun.
- Comb the entire free part of your hair back and gather it into a ponytail.
- Take a thin strand from it and wrap it around an elastic band. For reliability, secure with two bobby pins fastened crosswise.
- Curl the ponytail with a curling iron, separating the wide sections of hair.
- Comb the resulting curls and twist them to create a wavy ponytail with bends in the same places.
- Lightly comb your hair along the entire length, bottom and top. Spray the base of your future hairstyle with hairspray.
- Gently comb the strands again, if necessary, apply varnish again.
- Place the ponytail in a circle around your ponytail. Secure the bun with hairpins.
- Start forming waves. To do this, divide the front part of your hair into several strands and curl each one using a curling iron parallel to the parting. Remove the curls carefully, do not untwist them, and immediately fix them with hairdresser clips.
- After the hair has cooled, remove the fasteners. Lightly comb each curl at the base and spray with hairspray at the root zone.
- Lightly comb the curls and use a thin comb to form waves. The hairstyle will turn out neat if you take your time and pay enough attention and patience to this stage. Form curves with a comb and secure them with clamps.
- Spray your hair with hairspray.
- After this, remove the clamps.
For those who like to visually follow the process of creating a hairstyle, the following video will help:
How to create a stylish look?
Dress
The first sign of Chicago images is femininity and beauty. Therefore, you will need a simple, fitted dress with a slightly lower waist and multiple decorations. First of all, it is a thick fringe, which is used to trim the hem of a skirt or décolleté area. Other design options: stones, beads, sparkles, lace, fur.
For sewing Chicago dresses, fabrics made from natural silk, delicate velvet, shiny satin or airy chiffon are best suited. Products in black, wine, blue, lilac and other noble colors look organic and stylish.
A long dress in the Chicago style is well suited for significant events and holiday celebrations. In short models it is convenient to dance and have fun at fiery youth parties, stylized in a retro spirit.
Chicago style wedding dresses are far from the usual classics. The bride has the opportunity to improvise in creating her outfit. A fitted dress, just below the knee length and tapering downward, looks stylish. The low-waisted model made of shiny flowing fabric looks especially impressive. White or flesh-colored fishnet stockings and tall, narrow gloves made of silk or lace go well with the wedding attire. A fluffy boa and a string of pearls will complete the bride's look.
Women's costume for a gangster party
A women's dress for a costume party in the style of America of the 30s should combine femininity and elegance along with the restraint of last century fashion, which will highlight the special spirit of that time. Straight evening dresses of medium length with a slightly low waist or without a pronounced waist at all, which favorably emphasize the hip line, which was considered very attractive in the figure in those days, would look very appropriate. However, along with discreet forms, the beauty of each woman’s outfit was emphasized by a lot of jewelry and expensive fabrics, so it is best to choose a party dress from velvet, satin, silk or brocade. It is also recommended to actively decorate a Chicago-style outfit with a variety of rhinestones and sparkles, sequins, fringe, lace, beads or iridescent stones to add your own personality.
Evening dresses in strict dark and non-flashy colors, such as burgundy or wine, dark green, chocolate and other shades of brown, dark purple, black and others will look very appropriate. Also, for girls’ gangster style, white and milky clothes, as well as gold and silver iridescent options, are suitable. Bright colors such as pink, yellow, green and others were not in fashion in those years, and their use is not recommended.
To complete the look of a Chicago-style gangster party, one dress typical of those times is not enough. Fashionistas of the last century also paid great attention to a huge amount of jewelry, which made it possible to emphasize the status corresponding to the fashion of that time. Therefore, in order to fully match the theme of the evening, you need to add a variety of jewelry to the dress.
These can be beads and bracelets made of natural or artificial stone, as well as pearl products, various necklaces, pendants, rings and earrings. The main condition is that everything fits well together and looks harmonious. Chic fur capes and small sheepskin coats draped over the shoulders, or feather boas in bright colors or, conversely, to match the main shade of the dress are perfect for the look.
As additional accessories, you can add such a part of the image as a cigarette in a thin long cigarette holder, a small hat or a beautiful fan. A small, neat handbag in the same style as the entire outfit would also work well. It can be decorated with fringe, stones or sequins just like the dress.
Particular attention should be paid to makeup and hairstyle. The gangster style is characterized by dark eye makeup, which will be in contact with the overall pallor of the skin and bright red lipstick on the lips. Hair should be curled and neatly styled into a beautiful hairstyle. A variety of headbands, abundantly decorated with feathers, stones, sequins and other decorative elements, will successfully fit into the theme of the party.
Like men, women can also complement their appearance with such an interesting accessory as a weapon for a gangster-style party. Small models of pistols or parts thereof, peeking out a little from a purse, or a small revolver attached to a garter on the leg will look very good. This has become a real hallmark of the gangster theme.
Makeup and hairstyle
In the 30s, short haircuts were popular. Therefore, the hair is carefully arranged in a smooth hairstyle and securely fixed with hairspray. For convenience, you can use a wig. If you don't want to hide your long hair, put your curls in a beautiful hairstyle and varnish.
Chicago makeup is characterized by sharp lines and bright colors. Thin penciled eyebrows, dark shades of shadows, long black eyelashes - all this makes the look deep and soulful. The sensuality of the lips is emphasized by a clear contour and bright, rich lipstick.
