Get the Look: Carmen Miranda This week we celebrate the lady in a tutti-frutti hat, Carmen Miranda. Although labeled by Hollywood studios as the “Brazilian Bombshell,” the singer/actress expressed herself through a number of Latin musical styles. Beginning in 1939, her signature look was most of all a glamorized version of a poor black Brazilian girl from Bahia. As the War years went on her image became ever more stylized and glamorous in the Hollywood films that made her famous. Criticized from various fronts for being “too Latin,” “too black,” and “too American,” what she really was can now be seen as uniquely Carmen Miranda. Elements of her look, to be used singularly or (if you’re ready to rumba!) full-on, are a turban or other headdress, towering platforms, bold jewelry, sequins, cropped tops, golden flourishes and bright and colorful Latin-centric clothing. Oh, and fruit, whether piled onto your head, made into jewelry or in a print. Let bananas be your business this week, for the sake of the iconic Carmen Miranda.
1960's Plastic Fringe Mod Necklace - Very Colorful French Avant Garde 1920's Hat With Bird & Paris Label 1970's Two Piece Crop-Top Jersey Dress With Sarong Skirt Vintage Lucite And Rhinestone Couture Collar Necklace 1930's Black Crepe And Lace Evening Gown With Sequins
1960s Jack McConnell Boutique Tropical Flower Halo Beret---Carmen Style! Available at My Vintage Clothes Line on Ruby Lane http://www.rubylane.com/item/659654-575/1960s-Jack-McConnell-Boutique-Tropical-Flower
1940s Glass Fruit Necklace 1950s Lurex Turban Hat Vintage 1960s Organdy Blouse with Ruffled Sleeves Found this photo above of Carmen from 1935 and could not help but see the influence of the ribbed stitching in the 1980s dress below. 1980s Claude Montana Pink Cotton Dress - Avant Garde styling and although this item has been recently sold, I simply had to include it in this hommage to Carmen Miranda! Vintage 1950s Taffeta Costume - Carmen Miranda
Authentic 1940s chenille turban snood 1940s yellow feather tilt band hat Chunky bauble dangle bead 50s earrings Stack of bright colored Moonglow bangles bracelets 1940s vintage beauty salon hairstyle posters. Because you need an elaborate upswept hair do From Another Time Vintage Apparel
What festive (or should I say "fiestive" ?) eye candy! Late 40s/Early 50s Chocolate Circle Skirt w/Rick Rack & Painted "Print" Early 50s Vera Maxwell Wrap Blouse & Tiered Circle Skirt NOS 50s Carvil Leather Ballet Flats w/Multicolor Lattice Detail Early 40s Painted Plastic & Rhinestone Cockatoo Brooch
Wow, cool!! Great stuff everyone! I'm working on my Carmen Miranda-ble items and these two for sure will have links tomorrow. 70s Glentex stretch sequined tube top 50s bananas pin Maybe the lady in the tutti-frutti hat would like my tutti-frutti bag?
80's Fruit print yellow blazer jacket: 80's John Charles ruffled party dress: 70's bamboo style platform sandals:
Vintage 50s Calypso Souvenir Tablecloth Embroidered Vintage 70s Hawaiian Print Wrap Skirt Hiphugger or High Waist Vintage 50s Rockabilly Earrings Red Plastic Rhinestone Vintage 30s Celluloid Grapes Pin with Goblet Vintage 30s Brass Leaf Glass Bead Drops Pin
Tutti Frutti Fruit Earrings w/ Bananas 40's Plastic Rumba Dancer Brooch Bakelite Tangerine Orange Bracelets - Set of 4 Schreiner Pink Rhinestone Pineapple Brooch Red & Yellow Two Toned Sunburst Bakelite Bangle Bracelet
Kind of getting into this Carmen persona thing! Here are three large plastic flower pins. Gold, dark green and cream: