Art Deco — The Wardrobe

It was a rather blustery day in Auckland, but the local Art Gallery in the city central made the perfect backdrop for our twinning shoot with Miss Hero Holliday. Double trouble thanks to The Gatsbylady London, we are both wearing dresses and headbands from the new collection. You can check it all out here: www.gatsbylady.com and you can read more on Miss Hero Holliday's outfit on her blog here.

In this post I am wearing Downton Abbey Vintage Inspired Flapper Dress in Black, with the Amelia Vintage headband. Earrings + Bracelet from Lovisa + Shoes from Mi Piaci.

Architecture from the Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland City.

I am in awe of the beautiful detailing within this building. It created the perfect atmosphere, with lots of interesting windows and frames. Beautiful outfits and backdrops are well paired together. Auckland has only a few heritage buildings, but this is one of my favourites.

I wear: Downton Abbey Vintage Inspired Flapper Dress in Black, with the Amelia Vintage headband. Earrings + Bracelet from Lovisa + Shoes from Mi Piaci. // Miss HH wears: Glitz Vintage Inspired Fringe Dress in Black, and the Julia Vintage headband.

I am rather particular about what sorts of 1920's styles I will wear. I like to define my waist so this dress is fantastic and sits perfectly. It has a beautiful scalloped edge on the bottom of the dress that sits a little lower than the lining so you can see the edge clearly. It comes to my knees and so is very elegant, and ladylike! I'm always happy to show my legs in many outfits, but for ladies that are more self concious particularly of their legs this is a great choice.

Downton Abbey Vintage Inspired Flapper Dress in Black, with the Amelia Vintage headband. Earrings + Bracelet from Lovisa .

There's a lot of beautiful detailing on this dress, the pattern has geometric shapes and lines throughout, with many tiny beads sewn on to the delicate chiffon outer layer. The sleeves themselves are slightly gathered from the shoulder and so flare out in a very flattering way. You don't need to wear a jacket or shawl with this dress, as the sleeves are my favourite part and definately worth showing off!

Downton Abbey Vintage Inspired Flapper Dress in Black, with the Amelia Vintage headband. Earrings + Bracelet from Lovisa .

In terms of undergarments you can wear your standard bra underneath, so nice and easy for ladies with a larger bust. The deep V in the neckline also helps to frame your figure for those of us who are well endowed! The fit may look tight on some of the images we took, but it skims over your hips with an inch or so of room, so it moves well and the beading helps weight the outer layer, keeping it sitting flush.

Downton Abbey Vintage Inspired Flapper Dress in Black, with the Amelia Vintage headband. Earrings + Bracelet from Lovisa .

In terms of styling this baby, I recommend going for one statement piece, with a matching accessory that is more subtle. I had the perfect bracelet and the earrings have shapes within them that match the patterns on this dress. This way I decided to opt for no necklace as I feel it would have been too much. Coco Channel said "“Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” and I have always taken heed of that advice.

It's funny how both Miss Hero Holliday and I both chose little black dresses, but each of us in our own style. Miss HH chose a more traditional 1920s style, with beading that extends into the tassels below the hem. I was initially drawn to this style because of the tiny patterns within the beading on my Downtown Abbey dress. I liked the soft cut, and it's elegance in it's simplicity.

In terms of pairing the Gatsbylady London pieces together, you really could put the Downtown Abbey dress with the headband that Miss Hero Holliday wears, depending on your hair colour. I like the silver and gold with my blonde hair, but for brunettes it may be a better option to pair black pieces together for continuity. If I were to match black with black, I'd probably go for all silver accessories to frame it.

Downton Abbey Vintage Inspired Flapper Dress in Black, with the Amelia Vintage headband. Earrings + Bracelet from Lovisa .

The Amelia Vintage headband has a gorgeous set of patterns throughout it, with a star in the middle, and a flower on the right side. It ties at the back with a satin black bow, and I wore it slightly on the side of my hair. You could also wear it completely centered, or even as a dress belt if you wanted to get creative. Especially though for the flapper style, wearing a headband such as this one a little on it's side is perfect to complete the look. Be warned though, when I put it on both Miss Hero Holliday and I felt they were so big! But once we turned them a little they looked wonderful. So don't be afraid of the size and just rock it. It looks especially fabulous with big curls and lots of volume.

Whether you'd style these pieces in a traditional pinup look, or for a more modern twist the Gatsbylady London has got you sorted. Every girl has to have a killer little black dress, and I think that this is it! Classy and feminine with beautiful detailing, I'll be saving this one for the perfect ocassion.

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