The Time I Was a Flapper

Last weekend, I went to Winkel and Balktick’s “Flappers and Philosphers” party at the Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx. Attendees were encouraged to dress in period attire, and since I heard of the party over a month prior, I had time to get some good outfits.

My first stop was eBay, which is always awesome for costumes if you have the time and don’t mind paying shipping. Each day, I did a search for “dress (flapper, 1920s, jazz, beaded, drop waist, dropwaist)” until I had a lot of likely dresses picked out. I ended up bidding on two that ended around the same time, so that I could hopefully win one if I lost the other at the last minute. Many people “snipe” on eBay (including myself), which means that you put in your bid in the last 30 seconds or less of an auction, which doesn’t give others time to outbid you.

The first item I picked out was a Laurence Kazar dress from the 1980s, but had some Art Nouveau-style beading. It also had some serious shoulder pads that would need removing.

The measurements on the auction seemed about right, but I was worried it might be a touch too small, so I bid on this second dress. This was also from the 1980s, but had more geometric Art Deco-style beading.

I inadvertently ended up winning both dresses for very reasonable prices (under $30 each), and so lent the second one to a friend who was also planning on coming to the party. Now it was time to accessorize!

I bought long white gloves and a telescoping cigarette holder from Halloween Adventure on 4th Avenue, and strands of white and pearl-colored beads at 2 Dollar Jewelry on 14th Street. Yes, that’s really the name of the store, and I’m pretty sure most everything there is made of lead and the tears of Chinese children.

I also got a white beaded bag on eBay for around $10, and snagged some flapper-esque shoes at Goodwill for $7.99. They were real leather and the Aerosoles brand, but it must be a style they sold ages ago.

Together with a white feathered and rhinestoned hairpiece from my black/white swan costume, some Deco-ish earrings I already owned from ModCloth, and loads of makeup, I was finally ready! I even bummed a cigarette off a co-worker for my holder, though it was crushed within the first hour of the party.

And yes, my legs/arms really are that pale. I am a majestic snow beast.

Click on the images for larger photos.