My Fashion Haus: Style Imitating Art, Theda Bara’s Cleopatra

 

Artistas and fashionistas, hello!

Taking full advantage of having recently tidied my fashion haus of all cobwebs and dust bunnies for last week’s capsule wardrobe post.  Opening it up again today for another SIA, Style Imitating Art post.  The inspiration art work for today is a poster advertisement for “Cleopatra” starring Theda Bara.  Jen at Librarian for Life and Style selected this piece for the fierce, intense stare of Theda Bara’s Cleopatra.

Style Imitating Art, Theda Bara’s Cleopatra

A few weeks ago, I came across this tee shirt at Loft Outlet.

I loved it so much but PC said I have plenty of tee shirts.  Which is true.  But I don’t have this one!!  And still don’t.  Went back to buy it this past week and found a blouse in the same print.  Ha!  More than one way to skin a cat.

And apparently, I was intended to have something in this medallion print.  When I saw the poster for this week’s SIA, I knew this blouse would become the focal point of my interpretation.  It was meant to be, girls.  Gotta love when the stars align like that.

So, here are a couple of ways I styled my blouse.

Option 1

Loft Outlet blouse, Dress Barn gray boyfriend cardi, Loft Outlet burnt orange denim jeans, Payless gray booties, NEW black bag courtesy of my sweet Princey-poo, gold ladder necklace from Amazon, a popular piece on one of the former Get Your Pretty On capsule wardrobe challenges.

Decided to try the blouse in additional combinations, channeling my inner Cleo.  Don’t you ‘spose she had lots of different outfits?  Or at least different ways of wearing the same gown?

Opción Dos

For this combo, paired the blouse with Loft skinny gray jeans, a Banana Republic boyfriend cardi with cow-friendly, vegan leather pockets (like that?) and a silver version of the ladder necklace, same Payless Brogue booties from above.

Option Trois

Wanted to swap in my Loft Outlet burnt orange cardi to see how it worked with this blouse.  What do you think?

Option Vier

And then with a nod to Cleo and Theda’s sultry, seductive strength…I subbed in BCBGeneration leopard heels for the Brogue booties, and Loft navy ankle dress pants for the denim.

The Inspiration Behind My Blouse

Both Cleopatra and Theda Bara invented themselves.  Cleopatra was born into a royal family but it was her own ways and wiles (and legendary beauty) that made her a fierce military leader and strong ruler in a male-dominated society.

Theodosia Goodman was born into a humble beginnings to Jewish parents in Cincinnati, Ohio.  After graduating high school, Theda followed the bright lights to New York and reinvented herself there.  With died black hair, and heavy, dark “panda-like eye makeup” [source] and the fabricated story that “Theda Bara (anagram of “Arab Death”) was born in the Sahara to a French artiste and his Egyptian concubine and possessed supernatural powers” [source], the actress made a place for herself on the big screen.  She was known as the Vamp and was often photographed with snakes and skulls.

The pattern in my blouse reminds me of a shield or family crest.  I imagine these tiny shapes as mini-shields protecting me, giving me strength or as crests representing my strong family foundation.  The blouse is simple but has fluttery bell shaped 3/4 length sleeves that make it more feminine.  Something about the design aesthetic of the ladder necklace reminds me of chain mail, also symbolizing strength and protection.   The Brogue booties are a feminine take on a traditionally male look.  The leopard heels are all girl!

Your Turn

Which of these looks do you prefer?  Please let me know in a comment below.  Then I think I will share a photo on Instagram and Facebook of me in the outfit with the most votes later this week.  So please pick your favorite!

Lots of posts planned for this week before we head up to Albuquerque and then over to Phoenix.  Hope you will pop back by for another visit.  Thank you, dear ones!  And be sure to visit the curators of Style Imitating Art, Jen, Salazar, and Daenel, for their interpretations.

Hugs and kisses,