Rockabilly Style at the J & B Manhattan Party in Madrid

Last night I was a guest at the J&B Whisky party to promote their new version of the Manhattan cocktail (which I'll write more about next post) but couldn't help but take some photos and I was struck by these two women and their distinct and distinctly similar styles that is Rockabilly with a little darker edge. (note the skull with the flowers in the hair and the sparkly claws at her neck) This is a look I have always personally associated with Southern California: a pin-up girl influenced by urban hispanic culture.
And walking around Madrid today in the hip Malasana area I saw other women similarly attired as well as 3 shops where you might go to get a vintage look. One of them I'm not mentioning by name because they were rude in the store. However the other two are: Le Swing and Ioli. Le Swing looks like a re-interpretation of the '40s and '50s by a New York club kid. There was a glittery dress with gun appliques that made me laugh and lots of shine and spikes throughout, yet in many of the cuts and styles the reference to the past is evident. Ioli was another thing altogether. When I walked in the woman working there was with a customer trying on various small black hats with netting and feathers. This was a very small boutique that seems to sell custom made shoes and hats for men and women as well as some small and rather charming handbags. It really felt like I walked back in time in this store. Less glitzy and glam it seemed closer to authentically replicating the styles of another time. And in all the stores there was American music playing along the lines of the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. I found it both bizarre and charming and I'm sorry I don't know Spanish well enough to ask the owners some questions: like what is their fascination with these time periods? And is it with American culture specifically or do they have their own mirror version of it?

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