Pop The Cork on New Year’s Eve Fashion!

By Paige McKirahan

As the biggest party of the year is looming towards us at a rapid rate, panic surrounding finding the perfect New Years Eve outfit is rising. With a year as fabulous as 2018 coming to a close, it is only appropriate that we look just as fabulous as we bid it goodbye and step into the last year of this decade. Though some people tend to rely on their clothing itself to provide them with their NYE glam, we here at TalkingFashion think that this year’s make or break pieces will lie in one’s accessories. Not only can you completely transform a clothing piece with jewelry and other fun additions, you can also create a complete, cohesive outfit that stuns from head to toe!

Accessories can emulate more vibes and attitudes than just clothing alone, which makes them an integral part of a party outfit for all types of fashionista! From minimalists to haute couture connoisseurs, accessorizing can elevate a look from basic to Times Square chic.

Are you a fan of the little black dress instead of the disco ball aesthetic for your impending New Years fun? Personalize that classic piece by adding everything from a head scarf to a dazzling bracelet to allow your personality to shine as bright as the Times Square Ball! You’ll be the talk of every party with your expertly curated style; if you are lost on how to create your perfect look, we are here to help! Check out our collections or enlist one of our expert stylists to assist you in making sure you’re walking into 2019 as fashionable as ever!

Calling All Columbus Readers!

By Paige McKirahan

If you have found yourself in Ohio for the holidays, you may be left wondering how to spend your last week of the year in the Buckeye State. As one of the nation’s top three fashion capitals, Columbus has seemingly crept to the top of this elite list while no one was watching. According to Columbus Monthly, Columbus employs more fashion designers than ANY other city in the United States outside of New York City and Los Angeles. Our state’s capital is chock full of small boutiques working alongside huge fashion giants like Victoria’s Secret, Lane Bryant, Express, Abercrombie & Fitch, and previously Henri Bendel. Other popular, locally-grown shops like Homage are also gaining great visibility and contributing to the area’s reputation as a vibrant, evolving capital. We hope all of our Columbus fans bought some local goods for all of those on your list this season, because we sure do love being a part of this amazing network of fashion innovators!

Now that Holiday shopping days are over, though, what else does this amazing city have to offer? Does the cold weather and the holidays have you or your family feeling a little stir crazy this Christmas season? Well, grab you jackets and get ready for a full day of fun at Columbus’ greatest attractions on December 29^th for FREE!

Thanks to The Columbus Foundation, local residents can spend their Saturday exploring central Ohio via free COTA rides all day long. The Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio History Connection, Franklin Park Conservatory, and COSI are all participating in the free general admission event. The Columbus Museum of Art is also partaking in the winter fun; our CEO and one of our favorite designers, Charles Kleibacker, have both held positions at that venue. Be sure to check out all of the beautiful art they have to offer!

Whatever you spend the rest of your 2018 doing, we here at TalkingFashion want to wish all of our readers a Happy New Year and a FABULOUS New Years Eve! When picking out that perfect outfit for your night on the town, don’t forget to end 2018 wearing what YOU love and continue doing so for all of 2019!

Sources:

We're Number Three: Columbus' flourishing fashion industry. (2016, March 30). Retrieved from http://www.columbusmonthly.com/lifestyle/20160323/were-number-three-columbus-flourishing-fashion-industry

Staff, N. (2018, December 13). Columbus Foundation celebrates 75th anniversary with free COTA rides, other freebies. Retrieved from https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus-foundation-celebrates-75th-anniversary-with-free-cota-rides-other-freebies/1657569111

History of Hobe: Vintage Figural Fun

By Paige McKirahan

When discussing vintage figural designers, it is only appropriate that we discuss Jacques Hobe, master goldsmith and the creator of Hobe et Cie. The Parisian company, which was founded in 1887, is known as a brand who had a hand in the creation of the phrase “costume jewelry”. His son William, who was also a master jeweler, began the American branch of the company out of New York and it shot the brand to the fame it holds today. His goal was to create extravagant, expertly designed costume jewelry for the upper and middle classes. The younger Hobe’s first commission in American was for Florence Ziegfeld in the 1920s for their Broadway productions. With that success, many doors to other film studios and commission opportunities flew open with ease.

In its prime, Hobe designs were sought out by everyone from movie stars, costume designers, and red carpet walkers. They could be seen in showrooms across the nation with two being in LA in addition to the flagship New York location. The jewelry produced by Hobe was like nothing anyone had ever seen before; William’s craftsmanship and brilliant use of figures and crystals captivated the public. It’s expensive aesthetic made it a staple in leading department stores and boutiques until the brands conclusion, and all pieces were designed by members of the Hobe family and guest designer Lou Vici who worked for the company from the ‘30s to the ‘70s. Looking for some vintage figural fun? Check out our Hobe selection in our collections!

Sources:

Everything About Vintage Costume Jewelry. (2014, May 1). Retrieved from http://vintagejewelry.wikidot.com/hobe

The Heady History of the Hand Fan

By Paige McKirahan 

When considering all of the accessories that are used for both utilitarian and decorative purposes, one of the first to come to mind is that of the hand fan. Though this ornamental piece was widely popular in Victorian Eras as a foreign symbol of wealth and class, their origin lies centuries prior in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. After two elaborate fans were discovered in King Tut’s tomb, their gilded appearance solidified the fan’s prominent presence in the accessory world.

(photo credits to pinterest.com)

The fan, which was originally thought be a sacred instrument, was used in religious ceremonies and by royalty in noble settings. They were also used in China in association with ancient mythical and historical characters. At their conception, they were fixed and remained as so until Chinese culture birthed the folding fan and spread it westward towards Europe. Both Chinese and Japanese legends credit their respective countries with creating the piece; the Japanese feel that the folding style is modeled after the wings of bat, and the Chinese legend claims the idea stemmed from a woman fanning her face at a festival.

(photo credits to clickpicx.com) 

The 17^th century then saw an increase in the use of folding fan, eventually causing fixed fans to become obsolete. This style was brought to Western cultures by merchant traders and religious missionaries, and prompted the development of the printed fan, which was made available to all classes. They generally featured prints of all kinds, either painted or transferred on, and shifted from biblical tradition to contemporary pastimes. The Impressionist, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco movements highly impacted the design and construction of fans from the 19^th to the 20^th century . The 19^th century boast some of the most lavish fan designs in history and they were usually hand painted, furnishing those in royal positions. In the 20^th century, feathered fans became popularized by those in high society and ostrich plums could be see floating through the air at every Moulin Rouge show!

Even though fans are not presently part of the everyday fashionista’s accessory arsenal, they still can be seen at royal events and in haute couture shows. We here at TalkingFashion think that something so grand should never go out of style, so to get your own fashionable fan, check out our fantastic collection here!

Sources:

History of Fans. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.thefanmuseum.org.uk/fan-history

A Brief History of the Hand Fan. (2008). Retrieved from https://web.ics.purdue.edu/~salvo/@SEA/exhibit/history.asp

The Grand History of Gloves

By Paige McKirahan

In the accessory world, there are many pieces that have lifespans spanning centuries back to primitive ages. Can you guess which one we will be discussing today? As we head towards colder months, one of the most widely worn pieces conceived in ancient times is seeing an influx in use. Hats or coats may be the first things that come to mind, but it is actually the history of the glove that we are looking to dive into!

As a major piece in the fashion accessory puzzle, we first heard of the the glove when it was incriminated in the History of Herodotus (440 B.C.E.) and discussed as protective wear in The Odyssey by Homer. Ancient Egyptians typically used gloves as protective garments while working, but Pharaohs sported them to symbolize their high status. Women in this time wore the piece to protect the beauty of their hands, and they were made as a sort of small “pocket” with no holes for fingers; essentially, they were similar to today’s mittens and allowed women to maintain a feminine look.

Gloves found in King Tut's Tomb

(photo credits to pinterest.com)

Moving away from this more general use, gloves began being integrated into religious rituals. Bishops began a tradition of wearing them for Holy Sacrament, and their presence in religion can be traced all the way back to the 10^th century. Popes, cardinals, and bishops wore them to keep their hands clean for holy ceremonies, prompting Kings to adopt the same practice when conducting royal business. Royalty also took cues from ancient Egyptians and later used gloves as an ornamental accessory to exude wealth and luxury. As we move towards the 13^th century, they made their way in to royal women's fashions and common fabrics included silk or linen, featuring lengths reaching the elbow. By the 16^th century, Queen Elizabeth brought bejeweled gloves to the forefront as a sought after trend, taking the normally simple accessory to previously uncharted territories. 

Glove from the Holy Roman Empire

(photo credits to inesgloves.com)

In the 1700s, short sleeves came into circulation, prompting gloves that reached halfway up the forearm to become popularized. This style was on trend well into the next century, when gloves were more popular than ever before. Buttoned silk, kid (soft leather), or velvet gloves paired with evening dresses were customary, and longer suede gloves could be seen during the day during tea. At this point, the accessory was still being made mostly by hand, as most manufacturers opted out of using the complicated sewing and pressing machines available at that time. At the conclusion of the 1800s, we saw innovations in the industry that caused the first sterilized medical gloves to be created in 1894; the first disposable latex gloves were later manufactured in 1964 by Ansell.

The 1900s saw the use of gloves transform entirely. At the beginning of this century, one of the first references towards criminals using gloves to hide fingerprints was made in 1905 and this mysterious affiliation has been highly present in the media ever since (think O.J. Simpson). The industry began seeing dramatic changes on account of the societal shifts in the first half of the century; the birth of old Hollywood and the popularity of starlet’s style in the ‘20s through the ‘50s made simple gloves a staple in any modern woman’s closet. Gloves were still seen as a symbol of elegance well into the 1960s, where they truly came into being a symbol of riches, hypocrisy, and official relations. After that decade, the popularity of gloves for purposes other than cold weather wear declined; the introduction and overall popularity of more simple clothes and jeans didn’t require the upscale accessory. We saw a brief popularity boost in the ‘80s, with fingerless, netted, leather, and neon gloves returning to storefronts as the grunge and hairband movements favored accessory laden outfits.

Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn

(photo credits to pinterest.com)

Today, gloves have continued moving away from their royal roots and have headed towards adopting a more casual position in the fashion world. In addition to their wintertime popularity, they have also become important parts of sport uniforms used in baseball, golf, football, racing, and a multitude of others. In fashion, there are three prominent lengths: wrist (matinee), elbow, and full length (opera). The most popular material is satin and stretch satin, and are commonly seen at formal events such as proms, weddings, quinceanera, cotillions, or confirmations. If you have any of these events coming up or you are just trying to prepare for the December snow, we here at TalkingFashion have you covered! Head over to our collection to get a set of gloves wonderful enough to make you feel like royalty!