Stay Golden
After the treacherous year we had in 2020 and the rough start to 2021, how ready are you for the good part of history to repeat itself? Fashion history, that is. The Roaring Twenty Twenties are coming and I AM HERE FOR IT. After a year of hibernating in our most comfortable athleisure, I think it’s safe to say most of us are ready to get dressed. Read on to learn about my look and my flapper-inspired gold fringe dress picks.
The parties were bigger. The pace was faster. The shows were broader. The buildings were higher, the morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper.
– F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘Great Gatsby’
I’ve always loved the Roaring Twenties – an era full of drop-waist party dresses, extravagant accessories and lots of hope. When I visited The Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina during the Downton Abbey costume exhibition, the dreamy Vanderbilt lifestyle and beautiful costume collection intensified my love of the Jazz Age. When I received an invite for a 2020 New Year’s Eve wedding at the The Venue in downtown Asheville, I just had to have a Gatsby-inspired dress.
Herve Leger vs. Reality
I was craving a flapper-like gold fringe dress, so naturally I searched ‘gold fringe dress’ on Google. The most fabulous Hervé Léger dresses appeared. Big Hervé Léger fan over here, but sadly my wallet wasn’t too thrilled. Even the trustworthy sale prices at Bloomingdale’s were a bit out of my budget. I discovered a few other options, but they were still more than I wanted to spend or were out of my size (check out my favorite gold fringe dress finds below). Suddenly, I remembered that I had a gold fringe dress from H&M, that I had never worn, buried somewhere in my closet. I had bought it years ago, simply because when you find something good at H&M, you buy it. I felt very proud of dress hoarding habits in this moment.
Never get rid of a timeless dress – no matter what sort of Marie Kondo spree you’re on.
– Samantha Wood, @thedressdesigner
Yes I just quoted myself lol. Anyhow, I proceeded to borrow the fabulous black BCBG ostrich feather jacket from a friend – a bit out of my comfort zone, but I didn’t care very much after a year of not getting dressed. I discovered the gorgeous Deepa Gurnani earrings for only $60 at ShopBop. I waited until the last minute for shoes, so had to mask up and search SouthPark Mall high and low to find the only legitimate pair of dressy shoes in my size (thank you Michael Kors at Belk).
- Hervé Léger Fringe Open Back Dress from Bloomingdale’s
- Get in the Groove Champagne Sequin Fringe Bodycon Dress from Lulu’s
- Aiden Maddox V Neck Beaded Cocktail Dress from Bloomingdale’s
- Hervé Léger Deep V Neck Fringe Dress from Bloomingdale’s
- Hervé Léger Tiered Fringe Dress from Bloomingdale’s
- Used Small Hervé Léger from Poshmark
Gatsby Costume Dress
If you are looking for a more costume-like Gatsby dress, I discovered two solid options. Gatsby Lady, also known as Rojda Hoda, has options on her website, along with her Etsy shop. The Flapper Boutique seems to have a decent selection as well.
Cheers, my friends!
Beautiful!