LA Confidential Halloween Inspiration: 1940’s Glamour at Blogger Prom

Several weeks ago, the social media glitterati of Los Angeles gathered for one spectacular night at Yamashiro in the Hollywood Hills for our very own evening of glamour, thoughtfully entitled  “Blogger Prom.”  We all took the night off from blogging, got out of our typical work attire (for me that is blogging pajamas or sweats) and stepped out on the town.  I was so proud to see some of LA’s Bloggers out on the loose and all dolled up in vintage style. With Halloween  and assorted costume parties on the horizon, it’s a great time to talk about the event.  There maybe readers who want to use the Halloween dress up opportunity to get their vintage vogue on, instead of getting scary. I’ll always prefer a vintage look to a scary look.  After looking around alot of vintage stores in Los Angeles for a great 1940s hat, I finally found one at Granny Takes a Trip in Hermosa Beach (this is named for the store that was in London in the 1960s.)  I highly recommend this collection of vintage odds and ends from many different eras.  I looked everywhere for a vintage hat, and finally found it at Granny Takes a Trip.  I also scored a vintage I.Magnin Silk Swing coat for $50.00 US that is literally “to die for.”  I’ll be wearing this coat for special events, and maybe just some fashion fun, long after the sounds of the prom have faded.   No matter where you are in the world, I guarantee there is a great second-hand store, Goodwill, vintage shop or even Salvation Army near you that may have treasures you can use for a Halloween costume. I found Granny Takes a Trip using the power of Google, simply running a search for vintage stores in my area.

Below are a few pictures from the prom of some of the great styles I saw to use for your own Halloween inspiration.

Blogger Tara from When Tara Met Blog looked like Carole Lombard at a Hollywood premiere in a fur wrap, and silk purple dress. Her full length purple silk gown had a a low cut back and was from La Femme. La Femme is what you might call designer prom wear. La Femme even sells a line inspired by the TV show Dancing with the Stars.  For an authentic touch, Tara added some of her grandmother’s jewelry. The overall look was a fantastic!

Check out the picture below of Tara wondering through the Yamashiro courtyard pre-party with blogger LA OC Foodie in their vintage best.

Another look I loved was Esther of  EstarLA. She looked amazing in a a dark blue 40’s vintage taffeta dress (just past knee-length) with a small crinoline underskirt for extra puff and white gloves.  She wore her hair up which really accented her great triple strand of pearls and drop earrings.

I didn’t get a picture of  food blogger Caroline on Crack in her black vintage dress with lace bodice and full chiffon skirt, but you can see her in the black and white photo above.  She’s the one down front blowing a kiss at the camera.  She looked so old school Hollywood glamorous.  Click here to read her post on how to the prom came together.

Frugal Wine Blogger Arianna of “Grape Smart” took an old photo of a 1940s updo to a local hairdresser and got a replica of the style. Her hair was lifted up and swept up in hair combs. Her updo looked right out of an old Hollywood Confidential magazine.  She complimented it with bright red lipstick and red nails.  Her look reminded me of classic Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce, sans shoulder pads.  Her dress was a simple silk green cocktail dress with a tie bow at the neck, which accented her hair and makeup.

And finally yours truly, Mary from The Recessionista,  in my vintage 1940s hat with feathers from Granny Takes a Trip.  I love this hat, and it’s such a great find.  Best of all…you don’t have to fuss too much with hair when you have a great hat.  I wanted something to remind me of the 1940s styles designed by the amazing Irene Lentz-Gibbons, and this authentic chapeau fit the bill.   I topped it off with my 1940’s style I. Magnin silk swing coat, authentic handbag, and long white gloves.  Underneath the coat, I am wearing 1940s style anyone can emulate.  I paired a screen siren type draped top from the Gap with a slim DKNY black pencil skirt that I’ve had in my closet for about 6 years!  For shoes, I wore a simple pair of black pumps I picked up at H&M.

If you’re looking to repeat the LA Confidential look for Halloween, click here to watch a video with some great hair and make-up tips for both men and women from Los Angeles salon, Studio DNA.

Blogger Prom was a great time as well as great fashion homage to vintage style. If you’re in Los Angeles, stop by Yamashiro restaurant in the Hollywood Hills to see the spectacular views of the City of the Angels. The view has changed since the 1940s, but you can still have a great martini just like they did back in the day.  The view from Yamashiro is enough to make you want to stop looking at Twitter, at least for the night 🙂