style decade obsessions

While the phrase capsule wardrobe is enough to give me hives, I do sometimes like the idea of uniform dressing to save time and effort (my closest is yanking a dress off the hanger and adding a cardigan) If it's not a dress, it's usually an A-line skirt and a tee or sweater of some sort. Nevertheless, I still like a lot of variation in style within those parameters.  Since I switch things out in my under-the-bed bins by season,  I try to keep a well-curated wardrobe, sloughing off the unwearables and making sure I wear most of my at least once or twice in any given season I've found this approach actually saves money in the long run, mostly because I don't wear things out quite so fast as regular wear and tear had me going through my favorites previously. I also have pretty good stash built up, so my buying is entirely elective and not necessary on the regular once things started to stretch or wear or pill.

There are decades that never work on my body type (I'm too curvy for drop waisted Gatsby 20's lines) , and decades where I find the fashions pretty horrible (hello 1980's),  but my wardrobe and style hits a few key inspirational periods.  There's some mixing and crossover peices, and some trends that hit multiple points, but things tend to fall into certain inspirational categories.

Girl Band Grunge

This is the period I came mostly of age in, so it's natural I love certain style aspects of the decade.  While 90's Kristy mostly wore oversized shirts and leggings, a smattering of long hippy skirts, and a few well-placed flannels, I've since learned a new appreciation of the decade's ditsy florals, leather or denim jackets, lots of black and grey, clunky shoes or boots.  Plaid kilts and a-line above the knee skirts. Also touches of velvet and leather.  Think Courtney Love and Drew Barrymore in the 90's. The Delia's catalog.  Sally in AHS Hotel.  I hate ribbon chokers now, but this style loves them. Somehow it always feels like a more cold weather style for me since I tend to wear a lot of tights through the winter.

70's Boho

I've always thought the 90's were greatly informed by the 70's (boot cut jeans & bell bottoms, for example).  But this particular style conjures paisleys and romantic florals.  Suede and corduroy.  Shear, lacy, film things. More velvet.  Embroidery and macrame. Indian or asian inspired prints. Shawls and ponchos. A little bit of fringe. Warp Dresses.  Conversely, this always feels more summery somehow.  

Mid-Century Secretary

The first thing this conjures is all the plaid midi skirts in my closet.  Tweeds and tie-neck blouses.  Pencil skirts aren't my jam, but they'd be here along with Christina Hendriks inspired sweater dresses.  Lots of subdued neutrals and black turtlenecks. Of course, cardigans, either buttoned or not. Peter pan collars. I could imagine it leans toward librarian or school girl chic, and I'd lump my weird obsessions with Mary Janes here (but the chunkier could also stem from the 90's)

Pinup Inspired 

I tread carefully here since sometimes it can get too costumey, but I love an occasional circle skirt and some tulle.  Sleeker variations and slimmer skirt work if you can pull them off. Polkadots (oh the polkadots).  More leopard. Sailor-inspired details.  Reds and navy blues.  Some baby pinks. Plaids and ginghans. Black and white French Girls stripes. Some more tropical florals. I have a Torrid sundress I wear in the summer that nails this --red, black poladots, tiny anchors. Obviously, Modcloth excels here, as does the maddenly small-sized Stop Staring.

WWII Dance Hall Girl

This straddles the 30's and 40's and is embodies floral and polkadot days dresses, shirt dresses, things with slimmer lines through the waist and less pouf and vavoom than pinup. It's probably the sibling to the above pinup style, but with a different cut in most of the pieces  I probably tend toward more 30s than the square shouldered more structures 40s/I have some gorgeous dresses from Eshakti and Modcloth, find but NOLA find Trashy Diva also has some great options. Think Bonnie Parker and capelet sleeve, tienecks and things cut on the bias.