Regina. Whenever I look at this regal, majestic vintage piece, the name Regina comes to mind. She is a royal, bold goddess but at the same time, soft and romantic. Regina is an original 1960s, cotton Malaysian maxi dress I found at Three Sixty vintage market a couple of years ago. When I spotted a magenta fabric sticking out in between a tightly-packed rack of vintage goodies, I knew straight away she was meant for me. Magenta colour on my skin tone is a match made in heaven.
Regina with her vibrant colour, queenly cut, puffy sleeves, collar, full, long skirt and soft, light fabric is without a doubt, a one-of-a-kind piece. She is an ensemble with a life of her own that wears you, instead of the other way round. She turns heads and commands respect. This was the persona that overcame me the day I wore Regina.
This occurrence is what I call style magic. It’s the boost in confidence or the shift in energy you get from an outfit. If you wear the uniform of a queen, you start to feel like a queen, and therefore act like a queen. If you’re lucky you might even become one! This is the philosophy I use with my style clients to help them look, feel and achieve their goals. It’s style alchemy. Style can be used to evolve to the best version of yourself. Yes, I just gave you on a style personal development strategy. Try it and let me know how it works for you.
STYLING
The look: Naturally, I chose a white belt to synch in at the waist with Regina. This particular belt has an art deco buckle. As a lover of 50s fashion, I spend about 70% of my life in a petticoat so Regina was no exception. It gives the skirt a fuller look and emphasises the synched in waist. I finished this look with white ankle boot shoes.
Style tip: With its light fabric, a dress like this can be worn in summer with sandals or other summer shoes. It’s great for protecting your skin from the sun.
Try: This dress, like most dresses can double up as a top. Achieve this tip simply by wearing a skirt over it like I did in this throwback photo. I wore a 1960s vintage Sally Browne plaid skirt over the dress.
Autumn/Winter Styling: Most Winter clothes are dark and neutral, and I believe in bringing bright, vibrant colour to those cold, dreary Winter days to cheer things up. Because of its long sleeves, I wear thermals (long-sleeve t-shirt and leggings) underneath this dress in Winter to stay warm, yet stylish. And then boots to finish off the Winter look. You can try this trick with your summer maxi dresses.
Outfits sourced from:
Regina 1960s vintage dress – ThreeSixty Vintage Market
1960s Sally Browne vintage Skirt – ThreeSixty Vintage Market
White art deco belt and white shoes – Salvos Stores Op Shop
Photography by Angela Elgiva. Throwback photo by Oliver Weiler.
♥ Nina Gbor