By Patrick Michael Hughes
Special to DNAinfo.com
GOVERNORS ISLAND — Street Chic spent the weekend looking for true vintage style, spotting wonderful New York hybrids of early 20th century fashion at the 6th biannual Jazz Age Lawn Party.
Against the background of the pitch-perfect sounds of Michael Arenella’s Dreamland Orchestra, the crowd of more than 1000 were transported to another era.
The Jazz Age was a time of optimism following the end of WWI, and a reaction to the end of Edwardian strict codes of conduct. The roaring 20s also signaled the arrival of the modern woman. She was no longer corseted, dresses were shorter and fashioned with dropped waists. Brightly striped club jackets, plus-fours and Baker Boy hats were popular in men's attire.
The weekend's sultry Jazz Age Lawn Party saw a mixture of Brooklyn hipster, East Village ink and Ivy League style. Of course there were fashion victims — a press person from a very powerful fashion industry paper stated she was "amused by the number stereotypically 'Halloween costume' flappers there were.