A Voguish Valentine’s Day

By Paige McKirahan 

We all know that Valentine’s Day, the world's most beloved romantic holiday, is fast approaching as February 14^th is less than a week away! In the midst of your mad dash to find that perfect gift for your special someone in the name of St. Valentine, you may be left wondering: who is this Saint and why are we even celebrating Valentine’s Day in the first place? 

The history behind this day of love is somewhat mysterious; there are three martyred Saint Valentines that are recognized by the Catholic church and the stories surrounding them are all enigmatic, sharing the same emphasis on the saints’ empathy, heroism, and dedication to romance. The celebration of Valentine’s Day came on the heels of the saint’s popularity in England and France during the Middle Ages. This celebration first began as a festival and feast that most think was held in the middle of February in attempt to implement Christian ideals into the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Roman gods Faunus, Romulus, and Remus. This festival began with Roman priests sacrificing a goat for fertility and a dog for purification in a sacred cave where infant Romulus and Remus were thought to have been cared for by wolves. They then took the goat's hides and dipped them into sacrificial blood, which was then used to gently slap women and crop fields to increase fertility. The women then placed all of their names into an urn for each of the city’s bachelors to pick out of, resulting in a pairing for the coming year that often ended in marriage.

 

Lupercalia celebration (source)

 

Despite the fact that Lupercalia was outlawed on the account of it being “un-Christian”, Pope Gelasius wanted to continue the celebration and declared February 14^th to be St. Valentine's Day at the end of the 5^th century. The association with love didn’t come until around the 1400s when the first written valentines began to appear. By the 18^th century, it was common for those across all social classes to exchange small gifts and notes with their loved ones to commemorate their affection for one another. 1900 brought the machine printed cards that began to replace handwritten notes as the preset messages made it easier to express one's emotions in a time where that was ultimately discouraged. Today, an estimated 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged this year, with women purchasing over 85% of those pieces.

 

Early Valentine (source) 

 

While this holiday tends to be all about romance, it is also one of the year’s best opportunities to dress up and wear what you love in celebration of the day of love! From heart motifs to a color wheel of red hues, Valentine’s Day fashion may be cliché for some, but we think it’s a fun way to bring a pop of color to the otherwise gloomy February weather. One of the most popular gifts given to commemorate the day (and one that lasts longer than chocolate or flowers) is jewelry; whether it is diamonds for your significant other or a fun new accessory for yourself, this holiday is a great excuse to grab that piece you’ve been debating about buying. While simple jewels in bracelets, rings, earrings, are necklaces are common when they are given as Valentine’s day gifts, this holiday’s accessories have a lot more to offer.

 

This jewelry buying sentiment didn’t come into play until the 1930s when Hallmark, the most famous greeting card company in the world, created a line of Valentine’s Day jewelry that took consumers by storm. Diamonds weren’t a popular choice until the 1980s, which means that costume jewelry prevailed and featured images like teddy bears, flowers, hearts, cupid, or other love-centric designs. Of course, most items are red and pink in tone, but some may go for a more edgy route and celebrate Valentine’s Day in black! If you’re stuck on what to gift to your loved ones (or to yourself!), check out our collections for some great gift-giving inspo!

 

Sources:

Statement jewelry pieces is what Heidi Daus creates. Her inspiration comes from art deco and chinoiserie. Fans adore the luxurious feel her pieces give them. Due to her passion of jewelry, she hopes that each piece is cherished and worn with love and care.

Floral Patterns Bloom in Fashion

By Paige McKirahan

 

From Dia de los Muertos style to spring classics, florals have always been one of fashion's most beloved patterns. In jewelry and clothing alike, this natural motif can be traced back hundreds of years; of course, they were present in many ancient cultures dating back to the 12^th century, but we saw the true culmination of this aesthetic in the 19^th century. At this time, textile production saw a huge increase on account of the Industrial Revolution. This paired with the newfound “floral language” boosted botanic influence tenfold and echoed romantic themes from the past. This "language" essentially used specific flowers and arrangements to send messages that could not be spoken aloud in Victorian times. Victorian age society saw its peoples begin to carry floral dictionaries and exchanged “talking bouquets” that could be worn as fashion accessories.

Later in this century, we saw Impressionists and Art Nouveau enthusiasts alike take interest in East Asian art styles that featured exotic floral patterns. They can be credited with starting a trend surrounding Orientalism that spanned until World War II. This 20^th century interest was transformative; floral motifs became popular in the accessory world and we saw a burst in the use of florals as a whole. Tropical aesthetics seen in the ‘50s and ‘80s along with hippie style in the ‘60s and ‘70s were huge trends and true indicators of their time.

Presently, flower patterns have established themselves as part of “eternal fashion”: their longstanding popularity has never faltered and there are a wide variety of patterns appealing to all styles. Read on to see five of the most prominent floral patterns in fashion to review for this upcoming spring! 

 

Abstract:

These florals tend to be lively scenes that use shapes, lines, and colors to create abstract patterns. 

 

 

Art Nouveau:

This floral style was birthed from the Art Nouveau movement that was characterized by its feminine and liberated aesthetic.

 

 

Retro:

Retro florals tend to be in muted tones with a more geometric style. They feature strong bursts of color, and are reminiscent of the fashion in the 1960s.

 

Geometric:

This style of botanical pattern uses different shapes and colors to create bright designs that hint at floral motifs. 

 

 

Ditsy: 

Ditsy motifs include small flowers in an all-over design, creating a simple but fun pattern. 

 

For all of these styles and more, check out our floral collection and let your style bloom!

Creeping Into the World of Jewelry: The History of Insect Motifs

By Paige McKirahan

 

Over time, we have observed designers and innovators create pieces of art and fashion that reflect the interests of society. Given our long standing fascination with nature, it was only natural that insect motifs would crawl their way into the wild world of accessories. From using real insects to creating them out of diamonds and pearls, this aesthetic choice has been popular for centuries and it seems that it is here to stay.

 

As many common themes in jewelry do, the practice of incorporating insects in accessories has roots in ancient Egypt. Scarabs in amulets were widely popularized and most of the time, real scarabs would be used in the creation of these pieces. Butterflies, which are the most popular insects depicted in fashion, were incorporated into Egyptian bracelets as early as 2600 B.C. It has been said that wearing insect motifs has long been associated with the symbolism surrounding each of these arthropods. The cicada along with some variations of beetles and butterflies have positive attributes relating to immortality, rebirth, rejuvenation, longevity, and courage.

 

Why do we form these types of associations you ask? It could be attributed to the fact that we have been able to naturally or historically observe the lives of insects. Many go undergo the process of metamorphosis, where they grow and completely alter their appearance in different growth stages. Though ancient wearers of these designs may not have known about the science behind these transformations, they would have still noticed these obvious changes, influencing them to form the positive associations we are familiar with today.

 

 

As time soldered on, insects were incorporated into designs sporadically until they burst in popularity in the Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau eras. Throughout these periods, natural themes were popular in all forms of art, from fashion to architecture. The emerging industrial era and romantic associations surrounding nature prompted the widespread use of insect motifs. Many featured depictions of moths, butterflies, and dragonflies, and were created from a variety of gems, pearls, and colored glasses.

Insects in fashion are still prominent themes in collections from Jeffrey Campbell to Betsey Johnson. Whether it be in ancient Egypt or the New York runways, we love the wild look of arthropods in jewelry here at TalkingFashion! Head over to our collection and search for your favorite bug-inspired pieces to accessorize any season!

Pioneering the Scarf Industry 

By Paige McKirahan

Seeing as how we have already learned the history behind the magnificent accessory, we begun to wonder about the designers who paved the way for scarves to become the classic piece that they are today. Hermes, of course, burst onto the scene with their wonderful silk designs that exuded luxury and wealth, capturing the attention of everyone from starlets to the everyday person. But what about the other popular designers that took the piece and molded it into something of their own? Read on to hear of our favorite scarf designers and brands throughout time (and to find some of their pieces in our shop!)

Glentex

When the brand first stepped onto the scene in 1939, it emerged under the umbrella of the Glendser Textile Co. that received its first registered trademark for lady’s scarves and handkerchiefs. In the following decades up into the 1970s, Glentex became increasingly popular and was widely known for their beaded collars and vibrant patterns. Many pieces were made in Japan out of a wide variety of fabrics, including silk and rayon. At the height of their popularity, they even partnered with our beloved Schiaparelli and Gloria Vanderbilt to create high fashion pieces!

Totes

This brand, which was popularized by their easy-to-carry rainboots, hails from our home state of Ohio! Specializing in rainwear and waterproof accessories, Totes truly began in 1942 and shot to fame after they introduced the first collapsible umbrella in 1970. From there on out, they began creating other popular rainwear, including the coveted water resistant scarf. This supermarket and drugstore brand is still operating today and boasts a large collection of colorful, waterproof accessories that even high fashion lovers love to sport!

Echo 

After its conception in the ‘20s, Echo began building an impressive arsenal of patterns that would build rapport until the late ‘70s when the scarf business began to see a decline. When the creators' daughter, Dorothy, took over the company after her husband’s death, she was determined to beat the dwindling sales and did just that in 1983 when the brand made its way into the European market. After a slew of licensing agreements with fashion and home goods giants like Ralph Lauren and Laura Ashley, the company began releasing more accessories and home furnishings that expanded their profits and popularity exponentially. Today, it is still privately owned by the family and this emerging lifestyle brand still celebrates their humble roots with their 95 anniversary just having passed in September. In their blog commemorating the event, they even go as far as saying that they feel responsible for bringing the scarf to the world of fashion (Bold statement! Do you agree?) 

 

Vera

Though there seems to be many famous Vera’s in the fashion industry (think Bradley and Wang), Vera Neumann is one of the most iconic of them all; her namesake brand made beautiful art affordable and not just a thing to be admired on the wall. With all of her scarf designs being based upon original paintings, it is evident that Vera had creative roots in textiles and illustration. When she began a silkscreen printing company with her husband George and their friend Frederick, it saw almost immediate success. In the midst of World War II, the growing company was looking for ways to continue manufacturing product despite heavy rations; she stumbled upon some parachute silk at an army surplus store and voila! Her scarf business was born. She created the first signature scarf in history with her name transferred to every product, making her a household favorite with recognition all around the country. Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, and even the First Lady Bess Truman loved her designs as she requested the "Vera" fabric be used in White House Decor. Her iconic presence in both the art and fashion worlds landed her work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of History and Technology, and the Museum of Modern Art. She was even commissioned to paint the Foucault Pendulum in the Smithsonian, which can still be seen hanging in their offices today.

Elaine Gold

As one of the industry’s most knowledgeable scarf entrepreneurs, Elaine Gold got her start as Vera’s assistant where she was the studio business manager tasked with helping develop and market the scarf business. 19 years later, she joined another budding scarf business, Robinsons & Colluber, where she was one of the first to make waves in brand marketing for the scarf industry. She then joined another one of our designer favorites, Totes, and ran their XIIX Karats brand that she eventually bought in 1983. Changing its name to Collection XIIX, she built it into a powerhouse with licenses from Anne Klein and Jones New York. When Drew Pizzo bought her company in the ‘90s, she went on to create Elaine Gold Enterprises, which found its first license with the US Postal Service! She worked with the Met, Vera Bradley, and essentially anyone in the industry looking to promote their scarves as she was the “go to” expert in the field.

Though there are a wide variety of other scarf designers that paved the way for today’s successors, these are some of our favorites. In addition, Avon, Paoli, and Burmel created high quality designs that were affordable and can be seen in vintage shops all over the world. On the higher end, Valentino, Missoni, and Givenchy all have been creating luxury scarves adored by the industry for decades. To purchase any of these brands, check out our links throughout this post or search our collection to find some hidden gems of your own!