Cataloging Catalogs: Montgomery Ward Spring Summer 1943 (Coats!)

With the arrival of the frosts and early sprinklings of snow, it is time to sort out styling coats. If only finding 1940's coats was as easy as choosing from dozens of options in a mail order catalog. These pages may be from the Spring/Summer 1943 Montgomery Wards catalog, but swap out the straw hats for wool and these coats would be just as fabulous for late fall and winter. I know I'd like several of these coats in my closet! It may be time to try and make a coat, though the many layers involved are intimidating. just look at the coat on the left in the image below though! So dreamy. I've got a dress to make first, and hopefully it will be just the project I need to get sewing again more frequently. Have a good weekend everyone!

Star Wars & the Power of Costume at the Denver Art Museum

All of my favorite things in one outing, The Denver Art Museum, Star Wars, and gorgeous costumes. Of course it was really special to see the actual Jedi robes, and a real original storm trooper suit of "armor", and even Leia's famous golden bikini, but lets get real-- Padme has the best (and the most) costumes of any Star Wars character. As a huge Star Wars fan I was already on cloud nine just to be in the same room with such iconic costumes and props, but to see the craftsmanship and amazing fabric manipulation techniques used for the Naboo queen's and Padme's costumes up close was incredibly inspirational.

Sparkling antique Victorian jet beaded appliques used on galactic queen's gowns, Fortuny-esk pleated dresses for the handmaidens, historical silhouettes with Mongolian headdresses, the costumes of Padme Amidala are one of the few redeeming qualities of the oft ridiculed Star Wars prequels. I happen to like a lot about Episodes I-III, mostly the design, both costume and production design. (I also love Ewan McGregor...) The Denver Art Museum's new exhibition Star Wars and the Power of Costume showcases over 70 original costumes from the 7 films in the Star Wars saga. I won't lie, I nearly got teary turning a corner to see Rey's costume from The Force Awakens, a lead female character I was just so happy to have introduced into one of my favorite series, but I kept it together!

The exhibition was very well laid out, and explained the work and process that costumers go through to design characters overall look and their costumes for film. Art museum's get a lot of push-back from the "art" community when they do "commercial" exhibitions like film costumes or 20th century fashion designers, which I think is so stupid. Of course what film (and theater) costume designers do is art. Of course what fashion designers do is art. To claim otherwise, to say that costumes and fashion don't belong in an art museum, is ludicrous! I feel like the Denver Art Museum's focus on the process of the costume designer at work in this exhibition serves to try and prove that what they do is art, but though interesting for those unfamiliar with costume production for film, it is actually an unnecessary justification. You could have any of Padme's gowns alone in a gallery with no accompanying information and no one could argue that the piece before them wasn't pure artistry. I suppose there is no way to deny that pop culture zeitgeisty exhibitions like film costumes drive people into the museum, selling tickets certainly, but isn't it a good thing if people who wouldn't normally go to the art museum come and get to experience the space? Isn't it wonderful if their daughter drags them to see the photography while they are there? Or they might figure out they really love modern sculpture when they get lost looking for the elevators? More visitors due to a "commercial" exhibition will help create much needed revenue for a museum sure, but they also create new art lovers, and what could be better than that?

Anyways, I'll get off my museum studies soap-box, and get onto the many photos I took during my visit! I highly recommend you visit the exhibition in person if you are able to, nothing beats being their and examining everything in person!

It was amazing to see original story boards for the films! They were so detailed too!

Sunday Spotlight: Fantastic Costumes and Where to Find Them

No spoilers I promise!

The wizarding community isn't exactly great at keeping up with muggle fashion trends, and as dress robes and tall pointed hats are definitely still considered stylish in 1990's era Harry Potter, I didn't expect their to be many beaded flapper dresses in the new Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Well lucky me, there were two very lovely beaded 1920s dresses but on the whole what impressed me the most about Colleen Attwood's costumes for the new film set in Joanne Rowling's magical world was her restraint. I mean, we all know Colleen Atwood (the costumer of such films as Little Women, Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, and most Tim Burton films) can do some epic costumes, like her recent work in Snow White and the Huntsman for example, so wish a setting as open and imaginative as the wizarding world she could have gone quite over the top and no one would have batted an eyelash. Instead the costumes feel grounded and real, which is probably a better choice in a film which already has a lot of fantasy elements going on, if everyone was wearing glittering capes and feathers it would have been way too much!

Of our two female leads, sisters Tina and Queenie (played by Katherine Waterston and Alison Sudol respectively), Tina is the tomboy. Her clothes are more somber muted grays and she wears boxier menswear inspired silhouettes finished with flat practical man-ish shoes. Her hair isn't perfectly set, she's too busy running around getting stuff done as a MACUSA (the USA's version of the Ministry of Magic) employee. Her sister Queenie is the more traditionally feminine of the two, and wears mostly shades of pink and blush throughout the film, the exception being her midnight blue(/black?) dress. When we meet her in the sister's apartment she seems to have just been putting the finishing touches on said dark silk dress, as it's on a mannequin, and you can see a length of pink silk draped over an ironing table in the background. A witch who uses her magic to make deco dresses? Awesome!

(Images found here)

The men have nice costumes too, especially main character Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) who has a great color scheme going on with his dark turquoise wool coat. I really enjoyed the film, but as a Potter fan I expected to of course! With JK Rowling writing the scripts everything is canon, plus a period setting, what more can a vintage loving fangirl ask for? Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find is set in 1926 and is the first of a five film series which will span 19 years (to 1945), so I look forward to seeing 1930s and 1940s costumes from the wizarding world perspective as well!

Did any of you rush out this weekend to see the film? I really can't wait to go see it again!

The 1930's Bridesmaids Dress: The Plan

Well I say the plan, but the plan is already in action ;) I will be busy working away finishing my new dress this weekend, but I thought I would show you all some images that inspired my final design choices.

I had parameters from the bride of course, strappy and shoulder-baring, silky, grey blue, and knee or tea length. Then of course I took into consideration that I will likely be the only retro gal in attendance, so nothing too obviously "vintage" so I don't stand out. Still, most actual bridesmaid dresses are pretty classic these days anyways, so something retro with simpler lines wouldn't look too out of place. Seeing as I don't usually wear anything without sleeves (upper arm anxiety you know) I decided I would definitely be making a matching bolero (for the reception or after dark if it gets chilly (not likely in Mexico I realize!)). This all lead me to the 1930s, and as I don't have many 1930s dresses (and nothing for evening) I am excited to add one to my wardrobe!

I found the grey blue silk, lightweight silver silk for the lining, and taffeta just one shade lighter than the dress fabric for the bolero all at my favorite local fabric shop. What style did I decide to go for? 

The back is too low for me (bra straps eh?) but the general idea is right, and the pattern for a bolero is included too

Gorgeous, I'll take the same ensemble in a size 10 please!

I'll be making my dress between knee and mid-calf length, and I like how this pattern shows both knee length (for day I assume) and full length options. Plus another bolero of course :) Notice the center back zipper too, something I did in my dress as I find side zippers difficult both to sew and get into.

I wish I could have both of these dresses to wear on my trip when I'm not swimming, so cute!

This dress is super similar to what I decided to make, virtually the same except for my dress having a waist seam. My bolero is less extravagant though, no puff sleeves this time around!

And here is the dress that originally inspired my eureka "ah yes the 30s!" moment. I based my design entirely on this dress :) Minus all of the lace, but perhaps a future more exacting replica could be fun to undertake!

I am glad I was able to find something that fit just perfectly into each requirement! I may make a long thin sash to wrap around for a more modern/drapey looking (Madam Gres anyone?) effect too if I still find the finished dress is looking too vintage in the end.

I hope you all enjoyed looking at one of the classic styles from the 1930s today! I'm off to finish wrestling with the silk...

Playing With Color Pairings for Fall

As soon as I saw it I thought this striking image by John Rawlings had some serious potential. Not only was the ensemble divine, it was a great front facing image showcasing a bold color pairing that I could mess with in Photoshop to test out-- well other color pairings. Since I only have a few vintage suits, of course I want to figure out how to style them in multiple ways for maximum versatility. What easier way to test out some options than in the one-click-away digital realm? Lets play around...

Here is the original outfit, a lovely mid-toned blue suit paired with a rich warm red vest, hat, and leather bag and punctuated with fresh white gloves. Red and Blue are both primary colors, and as a rule I love putting primary colors together, even all three of them at once like in this recent outfit of mine. One could easily swap out the white gloves here for yellow and the look would still definitely work even if it would be a bit more bold.

What if we take out the bold pop of color and replace it with black? Somehow everything looks cooler (in hue not in style) and more wintry. A good option for when fall turns to winter later this year. It's not winter yet however...

The next idea is too keep everything on the cool side of the color wheel by pairing the blue suit with adjacent color green. The punchy lichen/acid green adds more of a fall flair to the ensemble, as does the choice of a rich pine hue. Now let's try something completely different, because...well because I don't have a mid-toned blue suit myself (though I'd like one)...

I do have a light brown/tan-ish suit however, so here is the original image with just the suit color changed to brown. The outfit still works with the red accent color and white gloves for sure.

How about a brown suit with yellow and dark green as accents? I love this combination! Perhaps it's because I just love saturated and darker yellows for fall. I need to make a yellow hat pronto.

Then swap out the yellow for pumpkin orange and again personally I still think this looks great. Two fall colors plus a neutral isn't so bad a formula to follow it seems!