Fashion In Film: South Riding (2011)

Director: Diarmuid Lawrence
Anna Maxwell Martin, David Morrissey
Costume Design: Stephanie Collie

After the sumptuousness of Upstairs and the practicality of the Downstairs costumes, BBC One and Masterpiece Theater Classics is now sharing with us a wardrobe somewhere in between; that of a school headmistress in fictional South Riding, Yorkshire in 1935. Which just happens to be my favorite period in clothing! I'll not only be watching it for the clothes but also because the drama, based on the novel South Riding by Winifred Holtby, has been adapted by the wonderful Andrew Davies (Sense & Sensibility, Little Dorrit, Bleak House.)

The costumes are by Stephanie Collie and include a lot of lovely details from the 1920-30s.

See this link for a video on the costumes.

I absolutely adore this delicate blouse (also seen later in teal) I love the barely-attached split sleeves and the diagonal tucks taken in the bodice front. I assume the top is closed by buttons in the back but I'll have to wait to see the film to be sure.

Check out the pieced fabric detail with chevron bars at the end of the lapels.

This dress could be in either a textured velvet or a silk faille, again, I'll have to see it in action to determine which. I love what looks like diamante clips at the shoulders.

Here's another view of that lovely blouse!

Here is the same blouse in a teal or aquamarine blue. You can see the details more clearly. I would love to have multiples of this blouse in my wardrobe. The blouse is technically a raglan cap-sleeve shell but the sleeves are not fully sewn and are only stitched halfway down, as split sleeves. The neckline is finished with self bias binding and a small self-faced rectangle is twisted and tacked to the center neck to form a faux-bow.

New York 2766

Amazingly, on the first page of results for Google search "1930s blouse" I found a vintage pattern, New York 2766 that would closely approximate this blouse. How you can find a copy is another thing, but the sketch does help to see what details you are looking for.

The series started May 1 and will run the next two Sundays, the 8th and 15th of May. Enjoy! First episode can be seen here!!

Images: BBC, screen caps from The Butterfly Balcony

Jean Patou

Originally published on the Coletterie blog.

Jean Patou (1880-1936) French

Wool jersey swim suit, 1928.
Photo by George Hoyningen-Huene.

Jean Patou is considered the first real designer of women’s sportswear. He combined austere silhouettes with comfortable cuts. He created his clothing for the healthy and active women of the 1920s. He was responsible for the popularity of knitted wool jersey swimsuits and simple cardigans. Many of his clothes also bore his monogram, years before that kind of fashion branding became popular.

Sports costume, 1926.

Jean Patou had been active in fashion since 1907, owning a small boutique. His career was then interrupted when war broke out. In 1919, after returning from service he founded his couture house and its inaugural collection was an immediate success.

Printed China silk gown, 1931.

Joanna McCormick in Patou by Henry Clark, 1957

Patou always felt that his real adversary was Coco Chanel. During their long rivalry, Patou raised the waistline in 1929 to its natural level and lengthened skirts after viewing a new collection by Chanel. In 1932, he then lowered the waistline again.

Les Creations Parisiennes magazine.

Patou would create so many clothes each season that he would need to show his huge collections in two parts. The morning sessions were devoted to sports clothes and beach pajamas while the afternoon would be focused on formal day and evening clothes.

Silk day dress, 1927.

He specialized in tennis clothes, dressing famous tennis player and Wimbledon winner Suzanne Lenglen, on and off the court. In 1925, he opened the Sports Corner where he presented his sportswear collections. Each room in the Sports Corner was devoted to a different sport such as tennis, golf, or skiing and all the clothing could be coordinated with accessories like scarves, gloves, and caps.

Silk cardigan and skirt, 1927.

Some of his most popular looks were pleated straight silk skirts worn with white cardigans. Even though he believed in strong lines and clear colors, he used beige as a base color. Sometimes he utilized folkloric embroideries and Art Nouveau geometric designs on his garments. Other popular garments were his “cubist”-inspired color-blocked sweaters.

Louise Brooks, 1920.

Hollywood Connection: He designed for clients, such as actors Mary Pickford and Pola Negri. He also designed costumes for French films, such as Beauty Prize (1930) where he dressed the American actor Louise Brooks.

Vogue 1235.

Home Sewing Connection: He designed patterns for the Vogue Paris Original Model collection.

Beaded silk evening dress, 1925.

His style, innovations, and lasting influence on fashion:

House of Patou, 1922.

• Patou would create a new fashionable color every season, Patou blue, dark dahlia pink, etc. He also created his own patterned fabrics.
• He launched the first suntan oil, Huile de Chaldée, in 1927. Years later, his rival Coco Chanel released her own version.
• Patou was the creator of Joy perfume, long time considered the most expensive fragrance in the world. Joy was named the “Scent of the Century” by the Fifi awards in 2000, beating out Chanel No. 5 and Anaïs Anaïs.
• He was the first European designer to use professional American models to show his clothes.

Images: Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection.

Sources: Couture: An Illustrated History of the Great Paris Designers and Their Creations (1972) Ruth Lynam; Fashion: The Century of the Designer, 1900-1999 (1999) Charlotte Seeling.

The Color Side of Necklaces

The other side of the coin is one also needs to bring color into the wardrobe in other ways. Why not try a colorful necklace? Perhaps something fun and whimsical?

Though these necklaces are metallic, the color of these Shabd fabric prints at Totokaelo lighten the mood and celebrate the great weather coming to us here on the East Coast of the U.S. You won't find fabric like that at Jo-Anns though. So a colorful piece around your neck may be the best way to go.

Similar ones to these are priced as $40 and $100.

First up, are these gorgeous wooden enameled bead necklaces. Unfortunately, these two specific Kristina Klarin necklaces are no longer available but I love her style (check out her personal blog here). They set me off on another journey looking for something similar and that is how I found the necklace below offered by The Vamoose.

Serpentine bead & metal necklace, $51.27 USD

However, these types of designs could be easy to duplicate, especially if using cord instead of chain, you just need to purchase some wooden balls, some cool tester pots of paint, some silk cord and use this tutorial provided by Jenny Gordy at Wikstenmade.

Another why to bring in color is to incorporate floral images such as these by new-to-me company, Ruche:

Charms of the Garden, $45, Rustic Romance, $40.

I think I've already found my colored necklace. It's only $40 dollars so I will probably get it as an "I survived another semester of college" gift in a few weeks after I actually survived. Here are some pics from the amazing site where I found it, Elk Accessories in Australia:

Fan necklaces, long and short, $30-40.

Image sources: totokaelo.com. Kristina Klarin images via Jennskistudio; The Vamoose, Ruche, Elk Accessories

Edward Molyneux

Originally published on the Coletterie blog.

Captain Edward Molyneux (1894-1974) English

Photo by Edward Steichen, 1931.

Edward Molyneux was born in London of Irish parents. At age 17, he won a design competition held by British couturier Lucile and began sketching for her design house. During a stint in the British army from 1914-1917, where he earned the rank of captain, he was injured and lost sight in one eye. When he returned in 1919, he opened his own couture house in Paris and in time followed that with branches in Monte Carlo, Cannes, and in London.

Silk cocktail dress, 1950.

He was known for conservative, well-bred, fluid, elegant clothes with a pure uncluttered line. Even his evening dresses possessed simplicity and a touch of severity. His customers were never over- or under- dressed.

Synthetic evening gown, 1935.

In 1934, Princess Marina of Greece ordered her bridal gown and trousseau from Molyneux for her wedding to the Duke of Kent. This single commission made his reputation in royal social circles and his future clients would include the Duchess of Windsor and actress Merle Oberon.

Silk moiré wedding gown, 1948. 

Wool utility suit, 1942.

In 1939, he relocated to his London branch offices. During WWII, Molyneux designed Utility clothing – garments that met the strict fabric ration laws set up during the war. He also provided clothing that could be used in films produced by the British film industry. In addition, he was commissioned, along with other British designers, to create uniforms for the women in the British Armed Forces.

Silk gown, 1932. 

He later reopened his Paris house in 1946 and at that time enhanced his business by adding furs, lingerie, hats, and perfume to his available products. In 1950, when the vision started to fail in his remaining eye, Molyneux decided to closed his Paris and London establishments and retire to Jamaica.

Vogue 1080.

Home Sewing Connection: Molyneux designed a few Vogue Paris Original Model patterns.

Gown with glass beads, 1949. 

His style, innovations, and influence on fashion:

• Molyneux insisted that his staff wear pale gray uniforms the same shade as the walls in his salon.
• He was known for printed silk suits with pleated skirts, capes with accents of bright hot pink and for the use of zippers to mold the figure.
• Interestingly, Molyneux produced a fragrance in 1926 called Numero Cinq even though Coco Chanel’s very similarly named No. 5 was already in existence.
• During the war, Molyneux turned over part of his profits to the UK National Defense.

Images: Metropolitan Museum of Art, V & A Museum Textiles and Fashion collection.

Sources: The Fashion Spot; Fashion: The Century of the Designer, 1900-1999 (1999) Charlotte Seeling.

My Next Dress

Okay, it's been quiet on the sewing front. I'm very disappointed because I had some lovely things in mind. I can't believe I haven't attempted to sew since that hiccup in February with the unfinished corduroy skirt (now scheduled for a fall completion). I also kept meaning to make my Simplicity 2560 cardigan out of a fuchsia knit I bought but the motivation is just not there.

Well, I now have a new pattern for a slim column of a spring dress and I was so expecting to find some colorful spring fabrics to make it. However, a trip to Hancock Fabrics, Jo-Anns, and even Hobby Lobby left me cold. There was a great turquoise from the new Lisette fabric line but I wanted a fabric that had more drape.

Guess what? I ended up with a wonderful fabric that totally goes against what I've been posting lately. I bought BLACK fabric!

Now, it is technically black and white but from a distance it will read black. A cotton, polyester, and Lycra mix, it has a very nice drapy hand. But when I picked it up I realized that the pattern and color would be great for job interviews and it might also look killer with my black and gray duster coat when it finally gets finished. In fact, this dress might motivate me to start on that!

So, wish me luck, I hope to have this done by the first week of May.

Yeah. I said it.