Welcome to “She Can Do It”! The all-new vintage fashion blog!
To start off this first blog post, I have put together three looks styled around the all-iconic snood.
Some background on the snood, first. This is essentially a thickly knitted hair net, often with a ribbon woven into it. Worn by women in the Renaissance, the snood made a comeback in the 1940s as a stylish way for women on the factory floor to keep their hair out of their face. Just because the snood was seen on the factory floor does not mean it could not transition from day to night.
You can now purchase snoods from a variety of stores and in a variety of colors. I think it’s best to start with a basic black one. I currently only own a black one, but I plan on purchasing a red one soon, as red is a standard color in my wardrobe. I keep my snood stored in the bag it came in so it does not get snagged.
The first look I have put together is a basic black outfit. I did this to really let the snood stand out. I also had wet hair that day, so the snood was a great way to disguise my pin curls. I paired my black dress with nude sandals and minimal jewelry. I did winged eyeliner (as always) and a red lip to hint at the 1940’s origin of my hairpiece. (And yes, I am wearing sunglasses indoors. Just for the photo—I’m not that vain.)
Dress: H&M
Shoes: Lauren by Ralph Lauren
Sunglasses: Moschino
Snood: Gift
For this second look, I decided to create a more authentic look for the snood. I wore a pinafore-style dress with a button down. I then added sandals and hair flowers in colors that matched the flowers in my dress. Again, I went with minimal jewelry. I also used this outfit as an opportunity to see how I could style the front part of my hair in a way that wasn’t victory rolls. I used this as a chance to embrace the soft curls and rolls that formed naturally from my pin curls. Again, I did winged eyeliner, but I kept my lipstick and eyeliner softer for a more “sweet” look that would better complement the flowers.
Dress: Forever 21
Shirt: Forever 21
Shoes: French Connection
Hair flowers: Handmade by me
For the third look, I decided to put together a more formal look. I will be honest and say that I did not wear this look out to class like I did the other two. The heels just weren’t practical. My reasoning in creating this formal look was, again, to use black as a base, but this time did a slightly longer, but sexier dress. I also went for statement high heels. A snood was simply a final accessory to my outfit that helped make it look more vintage. It’s a great way to change up a little black dress. The only other tip I would recommend for a formal snood look to add some more “formal” flowers in the form of dahlias, orchids, or calla lilies. A snood is a great base for dramatic flowers! Unfortunately, I didn’t have any formal flowers with me.
Dress: Zara
Shoes: Topshop
Thanks for reading!
DISCLAIMER: I list what brand items are from. This does not mean that items are still available or that items did not come from a discount store such as TJ Maxx. I am only listing brands as a reference for “vintage” modern brands.