Beyonce Rocks It Audrey Hepburn Style In Her Latest Video

Seems these days, celebrities abound are into the vintage Audrey Hepburn style when it comes to creating a buzz.  For instance, last week I blogged about how Anna Faris and Lady Gaga were seen out on the town last weekend, both wearing the same Hepburn inspired little black dress and now this week, we've seen a little sneak peek of pop singer Beyonce's new single titled "Countdown".

In one segment, the music video features her duping the vintage style of Hepburn to a tee.  She's a complete doppelganger replicating the dance moves, the classic black turtleneck & slacks and even the up-do that she sported in the 1954 film classic, "Funny Face" that Audrey co-starred in, along side Fred Astaire.

This particular style and dance was even incorporated into a GAP commercial promoting skinny black pants back in 2007, with music by the rock band ACDC's 'Back In Black' as the backdrop.  This advertising stint was brilliant!

   
pics: blog.postcardgallery.com, dotfranny.blogspot.com, urbanlook.org, fashionbombdaily.com, swayreport.blogspot.com

Gaga & Faris Go Hepburn...Who Wore It Best?

Both comedic movie star Anna Faris & pop singer Lady Gaga were seen wearing the same Audrey Hepburn inspired dress this past weekend. Gaga was in Vegas at the 'iHeartRadio Music Festival' & Faris was out and about in New York making a guest appearance on Letterman. The vintage knock off was designed by Moschino, for the Italian fashion houses Fall 2011 collection. Of course Gaga glammed up her version with some Fendi black sunglasses, pearl'esque necklace & Ferragamo black leather evening gloves.  Lady Gaga also went as far as to have her hair coiffed in the signature Hepburn chignon.  Faris on the other hand went more demure, accentuating her dress on a more simpler note with her only accessory being a pair of strappy Louboutins.  

Who do you think captured the 'true' essence of the legendary icon in full swag? 


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Spotlight Saturday - Eternal Sparkles!

When I'm not busy with my day job, or busy here working at Etsy to bring you awesome vintage fashion finds, I'm always always busy keeping abreast in regards to what's going on in our big vast wonderful world of style.  A couple of days ago, I landed on this website, www.eternalsparkles.com and was absolutely amazed at just how cool this online shop is that specializes in celebrity jewelry knock offs at ridiculously low prices.  Besides the fact that these dupes are affordable, they are quality made which is a complete bonus!  Now we can all rock out some celebrity style bling without busting our bank accounts! From modern current day jewelry designs to what's now considered vintage: rings, earrings, bracelets, necklace & everything in between, they pretty much have it all!  *Pictured below are a pair of delicate pearl earrings inspired by the ones worn by Hollywood starlett Audrey Hepburn.

There are so many different styles to choose from, for instance here is a radiant 14 carat CZ stone set atop a classic sterling silver band worn by Kate Hudson to the Los Angeles premiere of 'Something Borrowed'.  Or how about the stunning square shaped ring worn by Khloe Kardashian to her sister Kim's 30th b-day that's encrusted with hundreds of clear grade AAA CZ stones sitting atop a rhodium plated band.

This week at Retro Threadz, we've added a rare vintage jewelry find as we're bringing to you this gorgeous heirloom amethyst & hematite ring, circa 1930's set in sterling silver...Stop by the shop and check it out! 

   
  
pics: eternalsparkles.com, www.etsy.com/shop/retrothreadz?ref=seller_info

Designer Dish on Salvatore Ferragamo

Although he's been gone for over a half a century, Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo will always be known for his outrageous shoe designs, as pictured here with this pair of 1938, stacked, multi color platform sandals that were actually about forty years ahead of their time being that they could have easily be mistaken for styles we've seen worn circa 1970.

At the height of his career, his shoe designs were worn by Hollywood royalty such as Audrey Hepburn and he was considered to be the 'shoemaker to the stars'.  What set him apart from the many other up and coming designer competitors was his ability to custom make a shoe that felt just as good as it looked on the wearer.  He could fashion a shoe to fit any foot, just as well as a tailor could custom a suit.

Ferragamo or rather, the design house of the late Ferragamo has always been considered a family ran business being that it has been handed down from generation to generation and although shoes, belts and bags have always been at the forefront of the store front, around 1980 they began incorporating clothing into their mix of merchandise with their reputable designer label however, shoes will always be their mainstay.  Recently they showcased their 'Women's Resort 2012 Collection' featuring new designs of shoes and bags with a 'geared toward going on a vay kay' vibe & it was said that some notable ladies of Tinseltown made an appearance at the event such as Eva Mendez & Minka Kelly to stake dibs on their select fave pieces...

Given the past rich history of the Ferragamo line of extraordinary shoe designs, I am personally not very hooked on the Resort Collection.  I feel it's a bit muted/tame in comparison to what I've seen from decades ago which is now considered 'Vintage Ferragamo'....

Check back often as Retro Threadz has been known to find Ferragamo's every now and then! 


: anonymitynews.com , tumblr.com , cosmicallychic.wordpress.com , reuters.com , secondcitystyle.com , sewmanstore.com  blog.lulusvintage.com , shoesense.com , pennydreadfulvintage.com 

MOD Monday

There have been some very popular designers & fashion houses that have been around since forever and you'd be surprised to know just who has been creating styles since the days when 'MOD' was all the rage...

Pierre Cardin, the Italian born, French designer founded himself in 1950.  He made the mini shift dresses in bright colors his trademark piece in the 60's.  His patterns were all about geometric shapes and that moved the decade into a 'hipp'er' place. 

Givnechy, founded by Hubert de Givenchy in 1952, went on to be the creator of the most famous little black 'mod' dress ever in 1961.  It was worn by Audrey Hepburn in the vintage classic 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.   

Yves Saint Laurent, was a Paris born, French designer who began his career in 1962 making the Mod Mondrian shift dress that was totally reflective of his love for pop art.

Pucci, or by his sir name, Emilio Pucci was a Florentine Italian fashion designer who's received recognition for his work by the 1950's.  His signature style was always associated with geometric prints in a kaliedoscope of colors.

These fashion moguls style houses continue on to this day creating new pieces with the flair of an era gone by still mingled in amongst their modern day designs...

pics: blog.nj.com , celebdelecream.com , retrokimmer.com , fashonshanty.com , doctormacro.com , onthisdayinfashion.com , tumblr.com , harpersbazaar.com

MOD Monday

It's almost time...Summer 2011 is right around the corner depending on what part of the United States you live, so with that being said, today's topic is 'sunglasses' but not just any shades of course, we're gonna be talking MOD!  There have been so many variations of shapes and styles throughout the years but the one that's making a loud revival is the return of the big white chunky mod frame of the 1960's.  Screen stars of the vintage era gone by, Audrey Hepburn & Grace Kelly were the first to make white mod shades scene savvy.

    

The round shape was popular in the 60's early 70's and evolved into an oversized oval.  Although there hasn't been too much variation over time, this frame will never go out of style!

In the 90's, the late grunge rocker Kurt Cobain of the then popular band Nirvana, made these shades rock and and shortly thereafter, everyone was else was too! 

White is a universal color for all seasons these days so you can throw away the notions of the past that you're not supposed to wear this bare hue beyond Labor Day and after all, if the 'It Girl's' Nicole, Drew & Paris give these pale shades a thumbs up then you know you're all good to go!

     
    
pics: people.com, jkhgroup.com, thisnext.com, s4.hugimg.com, bemod.com

The Lure of The Little Black Dress

For decades, women everywhere have been in pursuit of the perfect 'little black dress'.  Why you ask? ... Because the 'right' LBD has the ability to create a slimming illusion on the most curviest of frames, so make no mistake...the color black is a girl's best friend!

Prior to the 1920's the color black was reserved for periods of mourning and considered appalling to be worn for anything but however, in 1926, 'Coco' Chanel published a photo of a short, simple black dress in 'Vogue' and the concept took off and became a fashion staple for women of taste.  The LBD has evolved since the beginning of its vintage roots in regards to cuts and fabrics but remains as popular as it ever was.


In 1961, the now vintage fashion icon & once Hollywood starlet Audrey Hepburn wore a little black dress by designer Hubert de' Givenchy in the cult classic 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' and this gave rise to this simple, yet absolutely glamorous look.

I have recently done some research on how to acquire a unique yet affordable 'LBD' and here's what I found...  You can get your own 'little black dress' for under $100.00 at Forever 21, Victoria's Secret, Express and Charlotte Russe.

: fashionwithethics.files . wordpress.com , farm3.static.flickrcom , taheena.blogspot.com , storage.koinup.com , thegloss.com , harpersbazaar.com , thegloss.com , splendora.com