Girls. Found a box of awesome vintage mags and after flicking through, I discovered a growing theme in my chosen scans. Girls with attitude. Girls I wanted to be when I grew up. Fearless, fun, growling, dancing, kissing, slouching girls. Wearing killer heels one day and boys clothes the next and too many accessories and plaits and messy hair. Too often I find myself changing an outfit if I think other people won't like it, or if it draws too much attention. Surely I'm old enough now to stop caring? Is 2010 the time to let it go and step it up? YES MA'AM.
First stop: shoes that actual grownups wear.
(1989 ad for Kate Durham; 1988 Vogue editorial pic on 'mudlark' fashion; 1988 Vogue editorial pic on Chanel; Stevie Nicks 1970s; 1970 Snazzi by La Gaye Parisienne dress; 1980s Cue ad)
I had the great fortune of seeing Fleetwood Mac in concert last month, and finally witnessing live miss Nicks at her dreamy, heavy-lidded finest. 61 years old and still a mysterious, sensual enigma. Her unique gypsy/bohemian style is well documented (and rightly so), and is a look I have always loved. Not that I necessarily do - or even want to - dress just like her, but I deeply admire the way she completely owns her look, and wears the $&%*# out of the clothes rather than letting them wear her. Hell, I don't even think that would be possible. The style she has molded since the 1970s (above) is now so ingrained in our cultural psyche that it is almost as much a part of the persona that is 'Stevie Nicks' as her songs and voice are.
This image always reminded me of Stevie and the dress completely enchanted me as a girl, likely due to its fairy/angel/maiden/Sparkle Barbie qualities that are guaranteed to snatch any young wannabe fairy's heart:
(1980s Jill Fitzsimon dress)
Looking at it now I am taken back to chilled hippie parties I went to as a child, playing with the other kids while the parents wafted about in a haze of.... patchouli? Jagged-hem Stevie skirts, long dangly earrings, and soft leather lace up boots for the laaadies, and... actually, I paid no attention to what the men wore. Sure, technically it was the 80s but they weren't quite ready to give up the 70s yet thank you very much. If I had experienced it I probably wouldn't have wanted to either. And (cue neat wrap up) they always played The Mac. Love this clip from '76, back when they were still a bit raw:
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