Mod Alice

FemmeLuxe's Black Lace Body Suits and Jeans are stunning and I hope to showcase some of those in our next collaboration, but  for today we're continuing our FemmeLuxe Week theme of Past, Present, Future.  Today's outfit theme is the Present. Perhaps present is a relative term but compared to the Victorian era it is something decidedly more modern in its styling or perhaps “Mod” is a better term. The term Mod originally comes from a subculture that emerged in London in the late 1950s. London became the fashion center of the world and Mod style became the defining style trend of the 1960s.

Noteworthy characteristics of Mod style included short skits, freer waistline in the form of baby doll dresses, high boots, and vinyl fabric cutouts. Several of these elements feature in BlackPU High Neck Mini Dress – Alice, which is probably why I was so drawn to it. The Alice dress has some of those standout style elements, with a few modern updates.

One thing I love about the Alice dress is that it doesn't follow the baby doll waistline. While I think the baby doll look is darling, I don't think it is flattering on most body types, and that's a problem. Something without a waist like a baby doll dress looks best on very curvy figures like an hourglass shape because that shape does so much of the work the clothes don't need to do much. I was not blessed with an hourglass shape, I'm more like a pear and for that reason I have to find clothes that work for me and my shape and I know that is the case for the vast majority of women out there.

This is why I love blogging so much and working with companies like FemmeLuxe to really show you not only the potential that well-fitting clothing can offer but also the potential your shape has to look dynamic without you feeling like you have to change yourself to meet some unreasonable standard.  In my opinion though, fashion that only suits a very narrow percentage of the body types out there is not good design. So, as much as I love Mod style and as much as I liked this Alice dress, there were a few reasons that made it a better than vintage dress.

When considering this Alice dress, I did take note of a few present day updates that I want to share with you so you'll know what to look for when you venture out to look for things that flatter your shape. Unlike true Mod, the Alice dress has a more defined waist which means the dress does some of the work for your body in either creating or accentuating the narrowest part of your waistline. That is what good design does, it removes the burden from the wearer

Another thing I want to mention is that this dress is surprisingly comfortable. Although I would like to note that I chose this dress in a size 8UK and could probably have sized down to a 6, I am still really pleased with the fit and feel. Vinyl doesn't seem like a comfortable fabric, but for the Alice dress, the vinyl is flexible and the inside was soft, as was the mesh for the cutout piece on the neckline. The neckline you'll notice is a mock turtle neck which is another great Mod element.

Just as the Alice dress is suggestive of a style without being a direct copy, when considering wearing something from one of the great style eras, I think it is important to have a good blend of vintage and modern style. If you go head to toe Mod you'll end up looking like you are wearing a costume instead of what you want which is to look stylish and chic in your own way. 

For example in this outfit there are many elements that are suggestive of Mod like the big hair bun and the natural makeup with emphasis on dark eyeliner. But, I scaled those things down by combining them with current trends like a bright lip color and no make up on the under eye so that it isn't that heavy make up from the 1960s. And instead of boots I chose a classic peep toe pump so everything stays in balance.

Tomorrow's post will wrap our FemmeLuxe Week theme and will feature a Futuristic style. See you there!

Shopping Info: Black PUHigh Neck Mini Dress—Alice from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk, Heels from Charlotte Russe