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Whilst the people of England overindulge in their Cadbury favourites as they find themselves taking full advantage of national chocolate week, luckily for my waistline yet not for my bank balance, I will be celebrating another innovation, as I turn my attention to national cocktail week. In true team MSL spirit, one of the reasons why this has become a cherished annual event of mine over the past three years is because I am able to combine an iconic piece of clothing with a fabulous history.
From a fashion perspective, many parallels can be seen between the drink and the dress. They are both informing of personalities, are indicative of personal tastes, catch the eye with their flamboyancy or pure elegance and when it comes to choosing which one to buy, they both have me in a flummox as I stand there longingly gazing trying to coordinate my mood with my clothing attire and my drink. However, this is why I will always have an appreciation and a love for the cocktail and the cocktail dress, because they both allow me to express myself. If I order a Pina Colada, you know that I will be dreaming of summer A-line dresses and exotic beaches, a Bellini tells me I’m feeling festive and if I decide upon a Cosmopolitan I will probably be wearing my little black dress or reading Vogue.
Whilst few people will join me in saying that the cocktail sits high and mighty with the likes of Edison and Alexander Graham Bell with their iconic inventions, unbeknown to many, the cocktail did more than just disguise the procurement of alcohol in the 1920’s; it also gave women a new found freedom. Accompanied with the secret cocktail fuelled parties, the introduction of the cocktail dress allowed women to experiment with their hemlines, embrace their femininity and become figures of glamour. This is why my excitement mounts for the anticipated release of ‘The Great Gatsby’ this summer as I await with baited to breath to see what effect the 1920’s flapper dresses, sparkles and feathers will have on the fashion industry.
Therefore, even though you may not be drinking in a speakeasy or find yourself rebelliously sipping a ‘Fluffy Ruffle’ or a ‘Bees Knees’ this weekend, please raise your fashion fuelled glass to all the achievements and hemline boundaries the iconic cocktail has overcome and to the new lease of life the cocktail dress can expect next year.
Hattie Lee
