Back to WOOORK!! - 7/11/11

            Monday is upon us once again.  Let's all take a lesson from Miss Dietrich.  If you have to work.  You may as well show up looking like this.  WOOOORK!!

Philip - In Brooklyn

Back to WOOORK!! - 5/9/11

           Many apologies friends and family!  We missed last week's Back to Wooork because Kathleen and I were off celebrating my 30th birthday... IN VEGAS! So you will need to bear with us as we are still in "Vegas Mode".  Please enjoy this week's edition of Back to WOOORK brought to you by Sin City!

Roll the dice with some vintage showgirls!

The Tropicana Showroom 1959

Freemont Street 1949

Philip - In Brooklyn

Back to WOOORK!! - 4/18/11

           It's Monday and we could all use a shot of glamour in our morning cup of Joe.  Today I'm going with some Leslie Caron for desperately needed that pick me up.  Hollywood's French Prima Ballerina is oozing with unscrubbed beauty that most girls pile on the make up to look like. 
           In the 1955 film "The Glass Slipper" Leslie plays Cinderella perfectly.  That hoe shows up to the ball to holler at her man in a gown that is the defenition of WOOORK!!  Not to mention her "F*&# Me Pumps" made of glass.  That bitch is serious!

Philip - In Brooklyn

Well Hello, Mr. Rochester!! 1840's Fashion, My Way

 Hi Everyone!

With the release of the new Jane Eyre film this month, I thought it would be fun to share this lil’ dress project I did a few years ago, but didn’t actually get an opportunity to wear it until Dec ’09:

Me, Dec 2009, in my Laughing Moon Round Gown

This dress is the product of a pattern test I did for a lovely lady in Sacramento.  She has her own line of costume patterns, Laughing Moon, and a shop in Old Town Sacramento.  I had the wonderful opportunity to sign up and try out the pattern before it was published for the masses.  A style know as the Round Gown.  She sent an unpublished copy, and I had to make the dress according to the pattern & directions, step by step, to review and ensure the process was clear and highlight any errors/typos in print or wording, ect.

This was a worthwhile experience in more ways than one.  Not only did I create a dress, but I was a contributor to the creation of a historical pattern, and a GREAT one at that!  It can be purchased here. 

But my favorite part, the icing on the cake, was finding a way to actually like dressing up in this particular silhouette in history. 

Women's fashion plate from 1844.

You see, I love the story of Jane Eyre…my sisters and I grew up watching the BBC min-series in the 80’s with insanely handsome and brooding Timothy Dalton, and adore the latest version from 2006!

But frankly, women’s fashions from the mid-19^th century scare the shit out of me.  I would not willingly choose this silhouette or even this Laughing Moon round gown to make for myself.  Perhaps it’s those severe center-part hairstyles and bonnets, or the confining drop-shoulder bodices?  Or just the fact that all the women look so …sad?

  We all have era’s of time we are attracted to for different reasons.  That’s why civil war reenactments, Dicken’s and Renaissance faires exist, right?  As much as I love costuming, these time periods have  always been my least-favorite eras of fashion.  Judging by the images of women in these periods of time, it does not look fun or pretty to me. (Such as the Tudor (left) and Elizabethan (right) ladies below)

The Laughing Moon pattern test gave me an opportunity to “make it work”. 
Here I was, faced with the challenge of making a dress from a time I did not care for, so I found a way to like it! 
What inspired me the most? 
Reading bios about various women from the 1840-1850’s.  Women who lived unconventional lives in America and, in particular, California.  Since the Gold Rush started in 1849, California is a wealth of mid-19^th century unique inspiration.

And that’s how I stumbled upon this crazy bitch, Lola Montez.

FIERCE: Note the tight leather gloves and what looks like a hand-rolled cigarette. 
My kinda mid-19th century gal!

What a perfect blend of beauty, scandal, and mental illness!  I found her story and images very inspiring.  Lola Montez: "Special friend" to writers Franz Liszt and Alexandre Dumas, Mistress to a German King, dark and dramatic, known for her “Spider Dance”, SHE is the original vamp!  The song “Whatever Lola Wants” was written just for her!  This broad knew how to LIVE!

I ended up making the Laughing Moon Round Gown in a blood red “crackle” print calico cotton.  The cotton makes in so “American” and the bizarre crimson print makes it intriguing and dare I say…sexy?  The buttons I chose for the front closure are actually “Teddy Bear” eyes intended for stuffed animals.  (I didn’t know this until I went up to the counter to buy them…needless to say, it adds to the “crazy” factor.)

My hair was full-on Lola inspired with the bun in the back, a Spanish comb, and curly sides known as Spaniel Ears (not hot).  Miss Lola Montez was basically a white girl pretending to be Latin and exotic, so I accessorized with a Lace Shawl and Spanish fan:

 

 I went to the Dicken’s Fair in San Francisco looking like this, and felt scandalous and extra-spicy!  Definitely stuck out from the Bonnet & Cape crowd…and since I’m anti-hoop, I felt liberated in my net petticoats!

I was VERY happy with the end result!  So early California! 

Me, Dec 2009: Dicken's Faire @ The Cow Palace, San Francisco.
(yes, that is sawdust on the hem of my dress...classy!)

And that’s how I was able to inspire myself to sport an 1840-50’s round gown! 

By looking to the American West and going outside the Jane Eyre/Dicken’s/European history, I was able to have the mid-19^th century “talk to me” in a different way.

Perhaps, one day, I can have that same experience with the Tudor/Elizabethan fashions.  Until then, I can remain content in knowing the Mid-19^th Century ain’t so scary anymore.

-Kathleen, In Oakland

Back to WOOORK!! 3/14/11

           Ms. Bacall has the right idea.... F*CK Mondays!  And you too Gregory Peck!  Never trusted him as far as I could trow him.  And with my bad back I shouldn't be throwing anybody!  But that Helen Rose gown ain't hurtin' no bodies!

Philip - In Brooklyn

Special Collections... INDEED!

            While trolling the "web" one evening I came across the Flickr account for the FIT Special Collections.  They turned out to be a treasure trove of fashion illustrations.  I had to just share them with you guys!  I hope you find them as inspiring as I do!

BALMAIN



DIOR

BALMAIN

MADAME GRES

Philip - In Brooklyn

Back to WOOORK!! - 1/31/11

           I'm not gonna lie to you kids.  Daddy had a rough weekend.  I lost my camera!  That's gonna put a damper on my posting skills.  It's alright though I'll be getting a new camera.  So in order to prop me up-right on this most evil of weekdays I called in the only thing I knew that could help. 

           There they are, Miss Kay Kendall's epic eyebrows.  It's funny I have the same outfit in Black.... no I don't.  I said earlier I can lie to you guys.  You do have to admit Orry-Kelly knocked it out of the park on the "Les Girls" costumes.  Essence of WOOORK!!!

Philip - in Brooklyn

Black Beauty - Just a Taste

            Hey there Patterned History Readers!  I've been beading on Black Beauty off and on and I felt I should throw a picture up to tide you over for a little bit.  I've been adding some beads to the bodice to mirror the beads trickling down the skirt.  So far it's looking pretty rad.  Let me know what you think.

Philip - In Brooklyn

It May Be Cold Outside...

            ... but these vintage illustrations are broiling hot!  In the first episode of the 4th season of "Mad Men" featured Jantzen coming to get some ad magic from Little Donnie Draper.  But as we all know they passed on his work and returned to they're old stand by campaigns.  With illustrations like these why WOULDN'T you!?  Which reminds me I am no where near ready for 2 piece Resort Wear!

 

 

Here is some actual Jantzen ads from the late 50s. 

Thanks to Tom and Lorenzo for finding and posting them.

 Philip - Brooklyn