Songful Style Link Party #26 | “Venus” by Bananarama

About Songful Style

Songful Style is an ageless style challenge series hosted by Suzy of Suzy Turner, The Grey Brunette, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Marsha of Marsha in the Middle. For this series, each month we will share a song with the lyrics and video and we invite you to use whatever aspect of the song that inspires you to create an outfit. 

It is similar to Style Imitating Art where we use artwork to inspire our outfit creations. Except Songful Style gives you lyrics, music, video, and album artwork to inspire your fashion creativity. You may even find inspiration in a memory triggered by the selected song. It is all open to your own personal interpretation and just a fun way to discover new music and get a little bit more creative with your wardrobe.

Anyone is welcome to join us on a permanent basis or you can just play along without any obligation to do anything other than feel inspired. We are flexible and fun and just want to find more ways to play dress up because it’s what we enjoy doing! 

We will be posting on the last Monday of each month and will announce our song choice for the following month at the end of each post. 

Suzy chose this month’s song, Bananarama’s 1986 cover of Shocking Blue’s 1969 hit “Venus”. You can find details about the group and the song in my post here.

For my sartorial representation of the song, I took my initial inspiration from the 1980s street style outfit that Sara Dallin is wearing in the music video. The black cropped top and high waisted baggy jeans is just as cute a combination now as it was 38 years ago.

And yes, I definitely wore all sorts of 1980s and early 1990s iterations of this outfit combination. The only difference would have been an oversized flannel shirt as a topper instead of a robe or a kimono.

Once I had established my 1980s street style base, I started adding pieces that represent Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, and victory. She is often depicted in the nude but sometimes she has a long flowing white covering draped over some portion of her body.

Venus’s white coverings are what led me to this ivory sequined robe, which always makes me feel a little bit goddess-like when I wear it. I added this gold statement necklace and large pearly earrings because they give me Venus vibes. To represent Venus as the goddess of victory, I wore my black studded cowgirl boots because I feel most badass with boots on my feet.

I wanted to wear my super wide black belt with the big gold buckle but it didn’t fit through my belt loops. So I hiked up my jeans as high as they would go and cinched them on top of my belt loops instead. The jeans are two sizes too big which caused them to keep sliding out from underneath the belt so if I wore this outfit in real life I would have to wear a different belt that fits through the loops.

I actually was going to change the belt and wear this outfit for brunch at my favorite eatery, but it is still just a bit too chilly for baring belly skin. So I bundled up instead to go stuff my face with the best Eggs Benedict and sausage gravy in the world.

But I will wear this outfit again when it is warmer. I really liked it!

Please be sure to check out how my songful friends have styled their outfits inspired by Bananarama’s “Venus”.

• Marsha of Marsha in the Middle
• Suzy of Suzy Turner, The Grey Brunette

Please stop back on May 27, 2024, for our next Songful Style challenge. We will be creating outfits inspired by Queen‘s “Fat Bottomed Girls”, chosen by me!

Freddie Mercury is one of my favorite human beings to have ever walked this earth. Like Freddie, I also have a very special affection for fat bottomed people. You see, I have the flattest bottom on earth and always wished I had a fatter bottom. Since God did not bless me with a fabulous bootie, I have always admired those who have beautifully plump and round butts. Fat bottomed girls really do make the rockin’ world go round! 

Featured Favorite from Songful Style Link Party #25 | “Girl On Fire” by Alicia Keys

La Moumous

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

Joining these Fabulous Link Parties. 

Outfit Details: Robe and Belt-Torrid / Jeans and Cropped Top-Charlotte Russe / Boots-Durango / Necklace-Walmart / Earrings-Old