Inspired by the French Riviera
Ripe from the French Riviera in the 1930s
Summer vacation, riviera, beach, summer and sun. Every year we look forward to the summer and the holidays.
As we have got the absolutely amazing ones 1930s peaks from The House of Foxy, we introduce them with a story about how holidays, fashion, sunbathing and the French Riviera are connected.
The place that became a landmark for swimwear and beach fashion was the French Riviera in the 1920s and 1930s. During the (alcohol) ban period in the USA, rich Americans flocked to Europe, and especially to the Riviera where they could both party and drink! But to understand how the French Côte d'Azure became so attractive at all, we have to go a little further back, originally the coast was nothing more than a series of small fishing villages.
The generous explorer Côte d'Azure
It probably started with the fact that it was good for those with respiratory diseases, such as tuberculosis, to get to the south coast of France. This paved the way for the construction of a railway line in the middle of the 19th century, connecting the French Côte d'Azure with the rest of Europe. With it, large hotels and casinos were also established. It happened as the rich and royal began to flow in from all over the continent.
In the early days of the French Riviera, names such as Queen Victoria, Tsar Alexander II, Napoleon III, Leopold II and the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII) were among the many majestic tourists on the Côte d'Azur.
In the interwar years, artists, writers, creative and cultural personalities followed, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Cole Porter, Rudolph Valentino, Harpo Marx, Pablo Picasso and Coco Chanel.
Coco Chanel on the Riviera
Sunbathing as a fashion arose when celebrities such as Coco Chanel returned to Paris with a tan complexion after a summer in her Riviera villa. Sunbathing became so popular that they created the two-piece bathing suits to be able to get more sun on the body, the precursor to the bikini. But not only that, people started using sun oil to get even more sun. The sun oils also had a special scent that you also took home, and made so popular that you also wanted these as a scent. Sunbathing was simply the big craze.
Beach pants - for women! And light beach peaks.
Ripe on the Riviera.
Many things coincided, women's suffrage, liberation from the corset, and sports as fashion, meant new and more free garments. It also paved the way for the new beach sets. Life had to be lived easier than before, and here was the place to do it.
The style was loose bathrobe-like jackets / dresses, wide-legged so-called 'pajamas' trousers and small sun tops, belonging to a straw hat to provide shade. In fact, the outfit was simply called Beach Pajamas 'Beach pajamas', maybe you could not yet imagine that you could wear that kind of clothes elsewhere than on holiday? Also shorter dresses, and dress pants to play tennis in, for example, became popular.
Holidays by law
At the same time, something revolutionary happened that involved the working class. In 1936, for the first time, a paid holiday was introduced in France. Paid holiday was a newfound luxury as in the first few years before the war was often spent on the French coasts, here the new Riviera style was happily adopted. It suddenly also became 'in' to sunbathe, and they also adopted the new beach fashion, such as trousers!
All the great designers agreed on the fashion; from Coco Chanel, over Schiaparelli, Lanvin, Vionnet, Poiret and Jean Patou all created these sets for their rich clientele who strolled on the French sunny coast. At home, they did the less fortunate art after them, on the sewing machine they sewed the new daring sets, which you could now get patterns for in the many sewing and needlework magazines.
New vintage Riviera tops from The House of Foxy
The beautiful new tops from The House of Foxy is just inspired by the time and style of the Riviera in the 30s. The tops are suitable for hot days as well as festive evenings, and the cut makes them perfect for casual leisure. In the best 30s style, both tops are tied at the neck with a halter neck. One with a wider band which even gives it a little waterfall effect in front, the other with a string, and a small keyhole detail. One top also has a nice tie to adjust the waist. Both are made in the most beautiful linen / viscose mix, and have the so-called chevron pattern, stripes that form an arrow, a very popular art deco pattern, and something you see a lot in the 1930s fashion image.
The beautiful stripes also create a maritime feel and the slightly dusty colors fit beautifully in any vintage style wardrobe.
Vintage style Riviera pants - Beach Pajamas
For the perfect vintage look, you can choose to wear the beautiful new tops with one of the latest bestsellers from The House of Foxy: riviera pants! The beautiful trousers, like our other vintage style trousers, have wide legs, but they differ by a wide waist piece that forms a V at the front. It creates the perfect 30s look, so it's just super flattering.
You can also choose to wear the tops with the beautiful shorts, for an even more sporty look.
Scarves in the hair and turbans on the head are also just the style.
Of course, you can style your new riveria top in a myriad of ways. Whether you go the line with the 30s look and the wide riviera pants, or choose to mix and match, with for example a pair of nice high-waisted jeans, or a pencil skirt is entirely up to you.
Otherwise come down to the store where we will gladly guide you to just the right fit riviera look.
Summer greetings
Team Mondo Kaos
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