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Post by BunnyWhit on Oct 22, 2024 16:06:03 GMT
That's a nice comparison, FadingFast. Thanks for it.
Could it be that you are especially sensitive to the tall-necked sweater with fabulous coat because SG looked so good in same back then.....and I suspect now.....or is it just because it's such a classy and classic look on everyone?
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Post by Fading Fast on Oct 22, 2024 18:13:29 GMT
That's a nice comparison, FadingFast. Thanks for it.
Could it be that you are especially sensitive to the tall-necked sweater with fabulous coat because SG looked so good in same back then.....and I suspect now.....or is it just because it's such a classy and classic look on everyone?
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Post by BunnyWhit on Oct 26, 2024 5:01:34 GMT
(PART 4) Welcome back! Let's take a look at a few more costumes from the exhibit.(There are a couple in this group for which I could not find stills of the stars wearing them. I’ll do my best to send you to the films when this happens. Otherwise, we’ll use our imaginations!)* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Corinne Calvet wore this gown in My Friend Irma Goes West (1950).
It is an ivory rayon column dress covered entirely with chainette fringe. So often this fringe looks too flirty, but applied as it is here it really looks elegant. It is a surprising use, and it adds movement to a quite simple gown that would be rather plain without it. I don’t much care for the pendant; I think it detracts from the dress and from Calvet.
* * * * *
The next two costumes were for Beverly Garland in The Joker Is Wild (1957).
This black wool crepe suit is understated and glamorous at once. The pleated shoulder caps provide a little bit of lift to match the height of the built up neckline and some width to contrast against the nipped waist. The low-V front mimics the shaping provided by the impeccable tailoring of the jacket, which would serve to make the wearer look just that much taller and trimmer. The slim skirt is without details, but it is beautiful in its simplicity. The bugle beaded appliques at the left shoulder and the scalloped front hem of the jacket elevate the suit from day to evening. These small details do a huge job. In the film, Garland wears the suit with multi-stranded beads filling the deep V neckline, and this style choice further glamorizes the suit.
This suit would have looked well in the 1960s when slim suits were worn or contrasted against the rise of the pantsuit in the 1970s. It would have held its own among 1980s power suits. When ladylike fashions inspired by the 1950s had a resurgence (especially for women over 30) in the 1990s, this suit would have been there. In the 2000s and beyond, when slim suits enjoyed their day, this suit would fit right in. And today, when fashion is perhaps as wide open as it’s ever been, and when vintage is more popular than ever and history bounding is darn close to mainstream…..THIS suit!
I couldn’t find a still of Garland in the suit, but the next time you watch The Joker Is Wild, look for her in it around the 40 to 45-minute mark.
This rayon crepe gown is also to have been worn by Garland in the film, but for the life of me I couldn’t find it. It’s a lovely gown with a cumberbund waist, short shirred sleeves and a funnel neck. The shoulders are adorned with bugle bead appliques of similar design to those on the suit. Either I wasn’t looking closely enough (though I did watch the film twice), the dress was replaced with another, or the scene was cut. I am of the mind that the dress was replaced. Though lovely, this dress does not seem to match the rest of the costumes Garland wears in the film. The style of this gown is just a little bit old fashioned, as otherwise Garland’s character is dressed in garments very much on trend.
* * * * *
Betty Hutton wore this costume in Here Come the Waves (1944).
![]() This gold sequined silk chiffon two-piece dress is as dazzling in person as it appears on film. I love the scalloped edges that resemble waves. This is another example of a pleasant surprise at learning the color of the garment. The sequins provide the pizzazz desired in the film, but with black and white there is no way to know for certain the color of a garment. Gold hadn’t occurred to me! But what I love about the revelation is that I know the gold would have looked great on Hutton. It is one thing to design a costume that will look great on film, but I think this is an example of also designing for what will look good on the actor. In this way, the actor feels comfortable and can better inhabit the character.
Perhaps the best part is that Hutton plays identical twins in the film, so we get a double dose of this one.
* * * * *
Head also dressed Hutton in Somebody Loves Me (1952). Hutton wears about a million-and-a-half costumes in the film, and they are all superb.
 This single shoulder black silk chiffon is accented all over with a slash mark grid of silver sequins and silver seed bead dangles. The dress is also trimmed with sequins around the neckline and cap sleeve. The chiffon’s ability to drape beautifully is demonstrated at the left hip with a lovely gather, off-set at the right hem with the slightest of fishtails. This is yet another example of one of Head’s designs that is simply timeless.
Hutton wears this dress nearly an hour into the film as she sings “Love Him.”
Also in the film is this yellow silk sueded satin number. Jet sequins, cabochons, and dangles adorn all round the upper bodice and down the center front. Hutton wears this dress about fifteen minutes into the film as her character serenades soldiers in an Armistice show. The bright yellow makes Hutton a ray of sunshine against the muted uniforms.
* * * * *
Angela Lansbury wore this dress in Blue Hawaii (1961).
What a marvelous bateau-décolletage neckline on this cantaloupe rayon chiffon dress. The neckline is further accentuated with a satin funnel trim. This neckline treatment, along with the horizontally gathered bodice and sleeves, help to add volume to Lansbury’s smaller bust and visual width to balance her pear shape. A dress that balances the figure in this way makes the wearer look thin and poised. Clearly the skirt gores are cut much narrower at the waist and fuller at the hem. This is evident as the hem is full and flowing while the waist is minimally gathered. This construction takes full advantage of the feminine nature of chiffon without adding volume through the hips where Lansbury was widest. What a delightful dress.
It is also interesting to note the Head sourced fabrics for the film from Alfred Shaheen, fabric designer and father of the Hawaiian shirt.
* * * * *
Gloria Swanson wore this costume in Sunset Boulevard as Norma Desmond (1950).
This silk and silk crepe nightgown has held its age beautifully and the color has not faded or discolored as black often does. Truly, it looks like it’s brand new. The full-length accordion pleats hug the figure, and the ruffle at the sweetheart neckline adds volume to the bust. It’s another example of how designing for the bedroom during this period flaunted femininity and modesty at the same time.
For the film, Head covers the strapless gown with a sheer white chiffon topper. It is the best of both worlds – coverage with promise we might call it. But it is also just a little bit off, a little bit unexpected in a way that is difficult to describe. Layering the more playful white over the sexy black is the little bit of bizarre that keeps reminding us that Norma lives in a dream. This is the brilliance of what Head did with Swanson’s costumes throughout the film. To suit a character that is from a Hollywood gone by who strives so desperately to remain relevant, Head dressed Swanson in a New Look-meets-Jazz Age wardrobe. She looks fantastic throughout, and both Head and Swanson would have settled for nothing less.
As amazing as her work is for this film, Head was not nominated for the Oscar for Sunset Boulevard. She did, however, win the award for her designs in the black and white All About Eve AND the color Samson and Delilah. I guess the Academy couldn’t see their way clear to award Head with three statuettes in the same year!
* * * * *
Carole Lombard wore this costume in True Confession (1937).
The first thing I noted about this silk dress and unlined swing jacket ensemble was the unique print.
I don’t even know what to call this, but it certainly is very 1937. It looks like perhaps it is meant to be stylized seed heads? That’s what I’ve chosen to call it; what does it look like to you?
This is a straightforward 1930s style that could have been worn by any woman. The dress has short sleeves and box pleats on the skirt. I don’t know that she ever actually wears the cover in the film; I think she simply carries it. I would wear this one today.
Lombard enjoyed working with Head and said that if she ever made another picture for Paramount she would ask for her. Sadly, this was the last picture she made at the studio.
* * * * *
This suit was for Veronica Lake in The Glass Key (1942).
This is a plain black wool suit. As this was crafted in a period of fabric rationing during World War II, there are no embellishments. It is a properly tailored utilitarian suit, and that’s AOK in my book.
* * * * *
Shirley MacLaine wore these costumes in What a Way to Go! (1964).
Head was loaned to Twentieth Century-Fox for this film. In designing for MacLaine, she essentially created wardrobes for four separate characters, 73 costumes in all. The film chronicles the story of Louisa, a four-time widow, and her wardrobe during each marriage reflects her station and who she is in that relationship.
In her second marriage, Louisa becomes a canvas for her artist husband. This hand-painted rayon and silk dress reflects his avant-garde style. The gown is rather plain of style, focusing instead on the painting. The use of the hard-edged, rectangular cape symbolizes the canvas.
This lime green silk satin gown appears during an extravagant montage satirizing Hollywood movies and “what’ll she wear next.” It’s over-the-top, and it’s fabulous. This column gown with multiple trailing ribbons of self-fabric is chic, glamorous, and of the moment. Louisa wears the green dress during her third marriage to a wealthy businessman. The couple live a lavish, luxurious life. They are trendsetters, as this dress illustrates.
Head’s budget for MacLaine’s costumes was $500,000.00.
* * * * *
This dress was for Nina Foch in The Ten Commandments (1956).
This black and gold lamé Egyptian gown is accordion pleated with draping wings over the shoulders and pewter medallion and chain embellishments under the bust, at the waist, and down the center front.
Head designed for the principal female leads in the film. Other costume designers on the film were Arnold Friberg, Dorothy Jeakins, John Jensen, and Ralph Jester. The group did receive an Oscar nomination for their work in this film. In all, over fifty costume and wardrobe people worked on the film to dress the main cast and many thousands of extras.
* * * * *
I hope you enjoyed this part of the tour. I shall return shortly with the next part.
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Post by Fading Fast on Oct 26, 2024 7:13:25 GMT
Another fantastic post that had to take a lot of time and thought to put together, thank you BunnyWhit.
It's really neat to see the outfit – dress, top, what have you – first and then to see a pic of it on the actress in the movie.
Love that simple black suit on Veronica Lake and that "crazy" print dress and jacket on Ms. Lombard. To your question, BW, I have no idea what that print is, but it reminds me of some of the prints you'd see on Diane von Furstenberg dresses in the 1970s
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Post by I Love Melvin on Oct 26, 2024 12:16:37 GMT
I agree with F.F....great job. I'd heard of the exhibit, I think maybe on YouTube, but I'm probably too old and sedentary to indulge myself in that kind of bucket list thing, but having you there on our behalf is even better. I know I would have enjoyed it, but so many of the details you highlight would have escaped me.
I'm also puzzled by the fabric pattern for the Lombard dress. My first thought was of a button box because there's a small one with four center holes at regular intervals (and one with three), but then some seem to have stems like Christmas ornaments. Some seem to suggest kabuki masks, so I wonder if there could be a Japanese influence. But even without a concrete meaning, it's an intriguing pattern and I'm glad you included the close-up view.
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Post by Fading Fast on Oct 28, 2024 11:33:53 GMT
Christine, over in the Celebrations/Remembrances thread, pointed out that it is Edith Head's birthday today, prompting me to think that we have to note that in this thread, too, as she's all but our patron saint.
Happy Birthday Ms. Head.
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Post by Andrea Doria on Oct 28, 2024 11:49:19 GMT
Thank you, BunnyWhit! You've started my week off right.
My favorite is the picture of Edith Head with Betty Hutton. Betty is smiling, she always seems happy and about to laugh, and next to her is tiny little Edith working away.. She put so much selfless effort into making everyone else beautiful. Our patron saint indeed, FF.
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Post by I Love Melvin on Oct 28, 2024 12:21:59 GMT
I was surprised to see so much speculation online about who inspired the character of designer Edna Mode (voiced by Linda Hunt) in Disney's animated The Incredibles (2004), because I'm sure it jumps out to all of us.  ![]() |
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Post by BunnyWhit on Oct 29, 2024 1:53:35 GMT
PART 5
Welcome back! Let's take a look at a few more costumes from the exhibit.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This costume was for Lizabeth Scott as Kay Lawrence in I Walk Alone (1947).
The crossover waistline of this creamy rayon jersey dress is embellished with a large bronze and white sequined applique. These two details provide interest and motion in opposite directions, concentrating in center then dispersing evenly the fullness and motion created. It was interesting to see the neckline in person. It obviously was fitted on Scott and hand turned to sit closely and perfectly in a high jewel neckline. Scott is seen in this dress at the 4:25 minute mark in a newspaper photograph, and we see her in it again between the 50 minute mark and beyond. There is a fairly deep keyhole opening in the back to provide yet another spark of interest.
I had difficulty finding a still of Scott in this dress, but here she is in a photo of the photo.
* * * * *
This one was for Veronica Lake in Duffy’s Tavern (1945).
Though reports during her heyday were of a 5’2” tall Lake, in reality she stood only 4’11”. It also was consistently reported by Head that Lake had the smallest waistline in Hollywood. Reporters gave her waist measurement as 18½” when she began her career, and Head reported it at 20¾” in the mid-1940s. Either way……
Head always tried to design garments that made Lake look taller. She put the star in long dresses very often to elongate her frame and hide high heels. With this dress, Head kept the details in the upper part of the dress to lift one’s eyes. The sequinned X’s provide a nice bit of glamor without being overpowering (and this design was also on the matching gloves Lake wore in the film). The tucked sleeve caps across the shoulders add some height and breadth to Lake’s small frame. The front of the bodice is closed with hooks and loops leaving a clean, unfussy appearance. The slightly fluttery peplum adds height by extending the waistline and gives hip fullness to balance the shoulders, again rounding out Lake’s small frame. By using a French dart, Head combined the bust and waist shaping which simplifies the overall look of the bodice construction. This long, vertical dart also provides lift, whereas a horizontal bust dart would have interrupted the line. Even using a two-piece construction on the sleeves helps to add height. Because vertical seam lines run up both the inner and outer sleeve, we are reminded once more to direct our gazes up and down, tricking us into believing Lake is taller. Even when we don’t really “see” these details, they are there doing their work.
This is an excellent place to talk about nearly all of the long sleeves we have seen, and those yet to come. If you have noticed that wrists and forearms are fitted very closely on these dresses, you also might have wondered how actresses passed their hands through such small openings. The answer is made clear on this dress. Observe the placket at the inside wrists. This allowed the garment to be opened for dressing and undressing. They most often are fastened with hooks and loops, but later sometimes snaps were used. I’m not sure this wonderful detail exists outside the bridal boutique today.
* * * * *
This gown was worn by Natalie Wood in Inside Daisy Clover (1965).
Costumes for the film were designed by Bill Thomas, but Head, eager to work with Wood who hadn’t a designer of her own, designed for Daisy Clover.
This silver thread on cream silk brocade princess ball gown is Daisy Clover’s “coming out” dress. The fabric is beautiful, and its richness helps to elevate the character out of her tomboy ways and into the glamor and pace of Hollywood. That said….poor Daisy. For her the dress is much too much, much too soon. The dramatic full skirt makes a princess of young Daisy who before now had been a wide-eyed and hopeful kid. She knows nothing about the responsibilities to others at her personal expense that are to come. The stiffly boned butterfly sleeves overpower Daisy. Their breadth will not be enough to help Daisy shoulder the hurt and disappointment that is in her future. This garment is a masterpiece of symbolism and foreshadowing.
* * * * *
Else Cárdenas wore the next two dresses in Fun In Acapulco (1963).
This silk, silk blend, and linen couldn’t look any more 60s chic if it tried. Cárdenas’ character is a bullfighter, and this red and white dress adorned with braid applique and tassels screams “toro, toro, toro.” She’s all I can see in this scene.
Cárdenas also looks great in this green silk lace dress. I love how the motifs are brought up over the underbust seam to disguise it and make the entire dress flow.
* * * * *
Rhonda Fleming wears this costume in The Great Lover (1949).
Who could resist Fleming in this feather print silk damask lounging ensemble? I adore this print. The shawl collar is engineered to perfectly match the print at the shoulders, which is glorious. I find it interesting that this is belted, as a belt does not scream “comfort” to me, but it certainly looks good. The robe tops a silk gown with the bodice made of the same feather print and a plain black skirt. In the film, Fleming wears this ensemble while she trims Roland Culver’s beard, and again later just for kicking about the ship’s cabin. Culver plays the father to Fleming’s character, so this attractive but not sexy ensemble is perfect for the character. Also, she wears the sleeves turned back in the film, which would have been a delightful addition to this display.
Note that in this portrait of Fleming in the ensemble, there appears to be a peek-a-boo under the bust. This is not evident in how the gown was presented at the exhibit, so I don't know if that is actually a feature of the gown or if that could have been added or removed later.
* * * * *
Deborah Kerr wears this dress in Thunder In the East (1952).
Head proves that humble, every-gal dresses shouldn't be unattractive. This pleasant dark taupe wool with white polka dots has a zip front for a clean line, and it is trimmed at the cuffs and neckline with white cotton voile. The structural collar is still a nod to the New Look, but the severely nipped waist and the very full, crinolined skirt of the late previous decade give way to this simply well-fitted bodice with a gently falling full skirt.
This dress provides us with another construction lesson – let’s talk bust darts. The bust darts can be pressed upward or downward, depending on the preference of the tailor and the desired look of the bodice. A dart pressed upward visually lifts the bust, but the feature itself is less noticeable. A dart pressed downward helps to add volume to the bust, and the feature itself is more obvious.
Here is an example:
The dart on the left is pressed upward, where light skims across the fabric but does not get trapped in the ditch of the dart, as is the case of the downward pressed dart on the right.
Homesewists used to be taught to press darts upward nearly exclusively, but today home sewing patterns almost exclusively instruct to press darts downward. Preferred techniques do change, and this is where some extra knowhow can make a big difference in a completed garment.
What a wonderful dress.
* * * * *
Betty Hutton wore this dress in Star Spangled Rhythm (1942).
This wartime rayon dress is a study in utilitarian fashion in the face of rationing. The bodice is plain, the A-line skirt not too full, but the scalloped waistline and the fun “Polly” integrated into the decorative accent across the upper bodice all illustrate that a lady still wants to look cute, even as she keeps the home fires burning.
* * * * *
Joan Fontaine wore this dress in The Emperor Waltz (1948).
This beautiful dress features a nude fabric under layer at the bodice, back and sleeves. The overlay of black silk chiffon and netting is heavily ornamented at the bodice with silk lace, and the same lace is used for the sleeves as well as a mid-skirt applique. Both vertical and horizontal pleating are featured. The silk faille base skirt has a tall self ruffle. The overskirt and its accordion pleated self ruffle are silk chiffon. The back is fastened with hooks and loops.
Descriptions of the film always say it is set in “turn of the century Vienna,” but I have no idea exactly what year. That matters for the costumes. If we are talking 1900, I would expect to see Fontaine in the S-bend corset and padding to create the pigeon-chested/big bum look that was in vogue then. By 1905 that look was still of the day but the severity of the curves were beginning to soften. This gown looks to me like it is of the 1903-1905 era, but the absence of the corsetry looks like the fashion beyond 1910, so I’m conflicted. Based on the style of the gowns, my assumption is that the film is set truly in the first two or three years of the century, but the gowns are worn sans corsets because the film was made for a 1948 audience. Design choices like this are common for period films.
Head did all the female designs for this film, while Gile Steele did the male designs. Fontaine said that Head was instructed by director Billy Wilder to go all out on the gowns, and that he didn’t seem to care how much they cost. The pair of designers were nominated for an Academy Award.
* * * * *
Barbara Stanwyck wore this costume in The Furies (1950).
This olive wool traveling suit is trimmed with sable and ornamented with hand-stitched dark olive soutache cord with a small amount of embroidery. The circular, stacked motif adorns the cuffs, center front, and peplum of the puffed shoulder jacket; it is spaced along the front hem of the skirt with a single at the center back. This was exceptionally pretty in person.
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I hope you enjoyed this part of the tour. I shall return shortly with the next part.
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Post by lonesomepolecat on Oct 30, 2024 6:48:17 GMT
I just watched I MARRIED A WITCH again and had to share Veronica Lake's adorable gown! |
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Post by kims on Nov 1, 2024 18:13:14 GMT
I'm watching TCM now for all the films based on Somerset Maugham's stories. I thought maybe someone following this thread could answer a question I've always had about women's makeup. Why during predominately the 1930's were women's eyebrows shaved, then a thin line drawn for eyebrows above the natural brow? I don't find it attractive and sometimes distracting. Was there some reason based on lighting and film? Did it "mask" a woman's too high forehead?
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Post by NoShear on Nov 2, 2024 14:58:40 GMT
For BunnyWhit:  |
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Post by Fading Fast on Nov 3, 2024 9:14:47 GMT
I recently posted comments on the 1951 noir "No Questions Asked" (comments here: "No Questions Asked"). I could go on and on about the clothes in the movie – I love mid-century menswear – but will point out just one interesting article – the reversible topcoat.
There are several iconic article in what today many call "Ivy style," when referring to the popular menswear fashion of that era (yes, the name is related to the East Coast Ivy league schools and is a fascinating story of it own), including the Oxford cloth button-down shirt, the three-over-two soft-shoulder sack suit, and many more. But there were also less high-profile articles that still helped to define the period, like the reversible topcoat seen here on actor Richard Anderson in the movie.
 
While you can't say for sure in a black-and-white movie, the wool herringbone side is most likely grey (there were less-popular brown herringbone ones made, too) with its "reverse" side being a tightly woven tan poplin that was water "resistant" (fine for a mild drizzle or few minute in a heavy rain).
Like most all-in-one gadgets, it has its drawbacks, as it's pretty hard to take the coat on and off over a suit when the wool side is on the "inside," which is why silk or Bemberg linings are used for most wool garments, plus these coats tended to fit "large" and a bit shapeless to accommodate the special tailoring needed to make it reversible.
Still, it is really cool in a throwback way and one of the lesser-known defining articles of clothing of the "Ivy" era of menswear.
And here's Ryan O'Neil wearing a clearly grey herringbone one in 1970's "Love Story," one of the last times "Ivy" style would be worn in a non-ironic or over-studied way in a movie. What's neat is, in the second picture, you see the coat being worn in the rare fashion of having the poplin side out.
 
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Post by Fading Fast on Nov 6, 2024 16:02:01 GMT
Earlier today on TCM (which I keep on in the background most of the time as I work from home), the 1946 movie "Easy to Wed" was on, which I have never seen, nor do I know anything about. But Lucille Ball was wearing this humdinger of an outfit, so I thought I'd post it here. I particularly love the hat.
 
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Post by BunnyWhit on Nov 6, 2024 20:12:37 GMT
I hope you enjoyed what you saw of Easy to Wed, FadingFast. I really enjoy this film.
You're right about this fabulous suit on Lucy. It is amazing. In fact, I think both Lucy and Esther Williams look gorgeous in the film. The suit you highlight is probably my favorite thing Lucy wears. On Esther, I love the brown gown and the pale orchid gown:
 
(Wish I'd been able to find better pics.)
Esther also wears this cute cattail dress.....but for me the story here is Van Johnson's jacket!
  
Thank you, Irene!
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