Don't Tell Mama! We're having a vaudeville party!

Mama
Thinks I’m living in a convent,
A secluded little convent
In the southern part of France.

Mama
Doesn’t even have an inkling
That I’m working in a Nightclub
In a pair of Lacy pants.

So please, sir.
If you run into my Mama,
Don’t reveal my indiscretion,
Give a working girl a chance.

I love cabaret, burlesque and vaudeville music – the naughty risque and boisterously celebratory music that has mostly faded away though resuscitated from time to time with revival CD’s like Ute Lemper’s Berlin Cabaret Songs where you can hear Don’t Tell Mama in all its glory.  Authorities like to pretend that culture marches in a straight line directly from nostalgic purity to modern hedonism on its way to hellfire and damnation. It’s much more complicated than that – and really goes through eras of social liberality and repression, openness and prudery, swinging back and forth like a pendulum and while one or the other might be in ascendent, the other cultural mores are there waiting their turn again.  The prudes tsk-tsking away during liberal eras and the flamboyant maintaining an underground cultural freedom during repressive eras.

The 1890’s through the early 1930’s were an era of liberality that sparked great music, new fashions and new roles for women. Certainly the raunchiest song I have ever heard is from that era, raunchier by far than anything by Nine Inch Nails or Soulja Boy.  Beware, it’s Not Safe For Work!  There were also songs about the drug culture such as Wacky Dust and Reefer Man.  Remember that when someone’s granddad or great granddad is going off complaining about “kids today” that really, everything old is new again, including raunchy music.

So, to celebrate the fabulous fashions of the Designers United Vaudeville exhibition and the joyous music of that time period, I thought a Vaudeville/Burlesque Dance Party might be in order – and Sasy Scarborough graciously offered The Deck as a venue….so please, mark your calendars for 8 p.m. Saturday January 2nd at the Deck for a crazy set of music from the past – and some from the present, too.

Today’s outfit begins with an adorable little number from Dada. I paired it with some harlequin inspired tights from Shop Seu and shoes from The Closet. I added some lilac gloves from LeeZu just for fun.

The extravagant ostrich plume hat is from Wilhemena Whitford. It came in blue, but I tinted it gold. The necklace – well, there’s a trick there. With the Dada outfit, all my normal attachment points are used up. However, Emerald, that dear, sweet wonderful Emerald viewer has some bonus attachment points including Chest 2 – making me happily able to wear the Swallowtail necklace. Of course, anyone not using a viewer will see the necklace suspended about 3 feet in front of my torso – so it’s not the perfect solution and not recommended for parties where you want everyone to appreciate your style. If half the people think you suspend necklaces in a three foot perimeter around your body, they might decided you’re crazy. For a photo, though, thank you Emerald.

The luscious turn of the last century skin is from Hiccup – also a DU creation. The hair is from Detour. The hair style Storm comes in three versions and this one has a flatter top of the hair making it work well with hats.

****STYLE NOTES******
Promotional Copies are denoted by a Bold R

  • Poses: Reel Expression Burlesque
  • Skin: Tres Blah Hiccup Light Skin Swoon (DU3)
  • Eyes: PXL Creations Glow Yellow Green R
  • Lashes: MiaMai NoAlpha No4
  • Hair: Detour Storm B
  • Dress: Dada Sandow Rust (DU3)
  • Tights: Shop Seu Taitsu tights
  • Shoes: the closet Big Flower Pumps
  • Gloves: LeeZu NifNif gloves
  • Jewelry: LaGyo Chained Earrings, Swallowtail Gold Long Necklace
  • Hat: Feathered Bowler by Wilhelmena Whitfield

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