One way to ease into retro fashion is via accessories. You don’t have to commit to a vintage Dior dress (or even a vintage look-alike) to get the look. Don’t worry about making the perfect pin curl or finding the right shade of red lipstick either. If you want a little bit of retro style in your everyday wardrobe, Le Colonel, an accessory design company created by Julia Gonnet, brings accessories inspired by the burlesque, rockabilly and even military clothing styles to fashionistas around the globe.

Le Colonel’s gorgeous accessories are handmade, one of a kind pieces by Miss Gonnet and inspired by fashions from the "La Belle Epoque to the ‘50” and feature and feature hair clips, hats, bands and ribbons for all kinds of personal style. Whether you fancy a feather clip in your hair or a red, white, and blue nautical ribbon/cocarde on your blouse, Le Colonel has something for you. Julia Gonnet has even designed special Le Colonel accessories for the famous burlesque icon Gentry de Paris and dancer Julietta La Doll.

Gonnet’s company designed a gorgeous costume for La Doll, which involved pasties, a hair fascinator and a corset that showed Le Colonel’s creative diversity and skill. If you would like to see more of these great designs for yourself, click here to visit Le Colonel’s English-language site. This French company may have drawn inspiration from the golden age of fashion, but Le Colonel lets you experience retro style in the 21st century.

For some people, the term Burlesque is something that is associated with a exciting, stylish and perhaps also a little more innocent time. But as many things from the past it is being revived and has for the past years made a grand return with lush sets, glamorous costumes, swinging music, cool lighting and of course luscious women moving in rhythm to the crooners' finger snaps. Meet Gentry de Paris, Burlesque performer, fashionista, entrepreneur and director of the Gentry de Paris Revue in... yes you guessed it, Paris, France. Ultra Swank sits down to talk with her to find out more about how she is bringing back the style of times gone by.

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It's the start of another week and to inspire you here is some more fashion from Paris set to the theme of the famous jet set Riviera TV-series The Persuaders starring Roger More and Tony Curtis. The theme was originally composed by John Barry but this is the moog version from the 1974 album The Many Moogs of Killer Watts. What do you daydream about today? (Via)

Although based in London, pianist and composer Ian Williams and singer Claudia Barton outputs music that instantly transports you to a smoky, noir jazz club in 1960's Paris. One of those clubs with a sole spotlight focusing on the elegant and voluptuous female singer. Gamine's music is not something you would listen to on a sunny and warm day - if you would, everything that is Gamine would be out of context.

The music rather craves for a moody, rainy day with a cocktail or two, starch contrasts and film noir shadows to be fully appreciated. Ian's floating dramatic piano chords and arpeggios with Claudia's incredibly sensual voice makes even the most hard heartened and unromantic person to melt into a mixed puddle of french perfume and wine. I feel like I am in a movie where I have just met the femme fatale.

I am in love.

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Yet again the fabulous collaboration with British lifestyle magazine Chic Today continues. Yesterday the third article from me was published in their magazine. It is called Rendezvous in Paris and highlights two chic and design worthy hotels in Paris. I suggest that you head on over to the Chic Today website straight away and read on (links attached at the bottom). The magazine is free and features over 70 pages of interesting articles about fashion, design and lifestyle elements. Comments are as always much appreciated.

Chic Today Issue 20 - Lost in Translation (Online version)
Chic Today Issue 20 - Lost in Translation (PDF version)