This post is from our archive. Many of the vintage items shown may therefore be sold out, but you can still find current vintage-inspired dresses, shoes, and accessories in our shop.
Inspired by the French Riviera
Fashion 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 received the absolutely fantastic 1930s tops 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 bathing and beach fashion was the French Riviera in the 1920s and 1930s. During the (alcohol) prohibition era 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 in the first place, we have to go back a little further, because originally the coast was nothing more than a series of small fishing villages.
The royals discover the Côte d'Azure
It probably started with the fact that it was good for those with respiratory ailments, such as tuberculosis, to come to the French south coast. It then paved the way for a railway line to be built 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 flock 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 Côte d'Azur's many majestic tourists.
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 tanned complexion after a summer at her Riviera villa. Sunbathing became so popular that two-piece bathing suits were created to get more sun on the body, the forerunner of the bikini. But not only that, they started using solar oil to get even more sun. The Sololis also had a special scent that you also took home with you, and made it so popular that you also wanted these as a scent. Sunbathing was simply all the rage.
Beach pants – for women! And light beach tops.
Fashion on the Riviera.
Many things coincided, women's suffrage, liberation from the corset, and sports as fashion, meant new and freer clothing. It also paved the way for the new beach sets. Life had to be lived easier than before, and this was the place to do it.
The style was loose bathrobe-like jackets/dresses, wide-legged so-called 'pajama' pants and small sun tops, accompanied by a straw hat to provide shade. In fact, the outfit was actually called Beach Pajamas 'Beach pyjamas', perhaps you couldn't yet imagine that you could use this kind of clothing anywhere other than on holiday? Shorter dresses, and dress pants for playing tennis in, for example, became popular.
Holiday by law
At the same time, something revolutionary happened involving the working class. In fact, in 1936 in France, they were introduced for the first time on paid holidays. Paid holidays were a newfound luxury which, in these first few years before the war, were enjoyed on the French coasts, where people happily embraced the new Riviera style. It suddenly became 'in' to sunbathe, and people also adopted the new beach fashion, such as trousers!
All the great designers agreed with the fashion; from Coco Chanel, to Schiaparelli, Lanvin, Vionnet, Poiret and Jean Patou all created these sets for their wealthy clientele who strolled the sunny French coast. At home, the less wealthy imitated them, on the sewing machine they sewed the new daring sets, for which you could now get patterns 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 are precisely inspired by the time and style of the riviera in the 30s. The tops are suitable for warm 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 at the front, the other with a string and a small keyhole detail. One top also has a beautiful tie to adjust the waist. Both are made in the most beautiful linen/viscose blend, 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 scene.
The beautiful stripes also create a maritime feel and the slightly dusty colors fit beautifully into any vintage style wardrobe.
Vintage Style Riviera Pants - Beach Pajamas
For the right vintage look, you can choose to wear the beautiful new tops with one of the latest bestsellers from The House of Foxy : the riviera pants! The beautiful trousers, like our other vintage-style trousers, have wide legs, but they are distinguished by a wide waist piece that forms a V at the front. It creates the perfect 30s look, and it's also 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.
You can of course style your new riveria top in countless ways. Whether you go the extra mile with the 30s look and the wide riviera trousers, or choose to mix and match, for example with 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 be happy to guide you to just the right fit riviera look.
Summer greetings
Team Mondo Chaos
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