Times of Glory: Dress

Showing posts with label Dress. Show all posts

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

Converting to the Fabulous 1930s

Last night Boyfriend and I had a chance to preview a feather light and sophisticated comedy - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. It will be out on 15th Aug in the UK but I guess many of you who live in US have watched the film. The movie has a brilliant cast and beautifully photographed. Just imagine silk satin, velvet, fur and all the fabulous 1930's décor. I don't usually do posts on movies, but it is simply marvellous for any girl who loves vintage, fashion and of course life.

Do you believe there is a day that we can discover life and find love both at the same time? Two lucky women will find that out in the most important 24 hours in their lives. Everything is on chance and your own character - 2 key elements of the fate and destiny.

In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is a mid-aged governess who is once again unfairly dismissed from her job. She suddenly realises that perhaps is the time to seize the day. She intercepts an employment that does not belong to her professional recommendation letters. She goes for an interview as "social sectary" - responsible for the care of day-to-day affairs assistant.

Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (played by Frances McDormand) at the interview

All the sudden, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into a completely different and glamorous world of her employer, an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu and help Delysia navigating her career and a messy love life that complicatedly involves 3 men: devoted pianist Michael (Lee Pace), intimidating nightclub owner Nick (Mark Strong) and impressionable junior impresario Phil (Tom Payne).

Meanwhile, Miss Pettigrew is blushingly drawn to Joe Blumfield (Ciaran Hinds), an influential fashion designer who is tenuously engaged to haughty fashion maven Edythe (Shirley Henderson) who senses that "social secretary" may be out her element, and schemes to undermine her. So what will happen in the next 24 hours...

Delysia Lafosse (played by Amy Adams) in a peach silk satin negligee with feather sleeves
Such a feminine and elegant gown

Miss Lafosse's Bedroom
(The beautiful and luxury décor of 1930's - the love of satin, silk and velvet
and soft & clean colour - the return of elegance)

Miss Lafosse's Vanity

Miss Lafosse's Living Room

Miss Lafosse's in a beautiful blue dress is going to a lingerie fashion show!
(1930s - budding rounded busts and clearly defined waistline,
foreheads have been revealed and adorned with small hats with/without veils,
soft curls give more feminine and sweet image)

Edythe (Shirley Henderson) hosts the fashion show

Everyone wakes Miss Pettigrew up from the facial!

Miss Pettigrew's transformation

'Pushing Daisies' star Lee Pace plays devoted pianist Michael

For the evening, Miss Lafosse wears gold lamé long gown
while Miss Pettigrew has a midnight blue velvet dress.

(Wealth women in 1930's do not really wear practical day wear. Many clothes can be worn for both day and evening occasions. However, metallic lamé, sequins and glass beads are very popular for evening... in general, the shinier and richer, the better.)

Designer, Joe Blumfield (Ciaran Hinds) dances with Miss Pettigrew.

Girls, if you love fashion and style, I really hope you love this beautiful movie....

Wednesday, 7 May 2008

Met Costume Institute Gala 2008 - The Superheroes

Since the $7,500-a-ticket event has set the theme as Superhero, then let's meet some beautiful superheroes! By the way, Marc Jacobs confessed that he was wearing Superman underwear beneath his tuxedo which I don't have any photo to show.

Audrey Tautou, the latest face of Chanel No.5 Perfume, in Chanel Spring 08 Couture - The colour made her porcelain-like skin even more glowing, and the cut made her look stunning! Who said we have to wear long dresses? We are superheroes on the go!

Anna Wintour in Chanel Couture (truely Superhero Coutour Look!) & her daughter Bee Shaffer in a beautiful Nina Ricci Gown - Comparing to Bee's outfit last year, I adore the colour of this dress much more. She's really a classic beauty, but the dress looked tiny little bit overpowering her.

Bee Shaffer in a beautiful Nina Ricci in Costume Institute Gala 2008

Bee Shaffer also in a beautiful Nina Ricci in Costume Institute Gala 2007

Eva Longoria Parker in Marchesa aw08 - It is a controversial one. I like deep purple, and I also like the design, but I am not sure if the beautiful design in this rich colour really suits Eva.

Claudia Schiffer in Valentino 08 Couture - the baby blue made her eyes even bluer and the made her skin light-reflecting. The shape is perfect for super-slim Claudia, great! However, I have to say that I still prefer her skin looks nature rather than this tan.

Camilla Belle in Armani Privé ss08 Couture - Another blue superhero, great!

Met Costume Institute Gala 2008 - The Classic

What would you wear for such a big fashion moment - Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on 05 May 2008, in New York City. Theme - “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy”, so many pretty dresses, many superheroes and many "stylist-on-strikes" appeared, Oo-la-la! OK, let's forget those who were not quite right and have a look some of the nice ones...

Kate Moss in Stella McCartney - How many dresses can make Kate Moss look like a proper lady with an actually curvey-yet-slim figure? For that reason alone, the dress deserves a special credit! Plus, the simple yet elegant design not only suited Kate Moss, but also refined her edgy beauty for such a classic event!

Ivanka Trump in J. Mendel - She may not be a superhero but she looked fantastic and classic - no need rescue her I assume!

Liya Kebede in Jonathan Saunders aw08 - the whole look was just sooo together! Simple, that's the whole point. The simple cut and fabric contrast together created such a feminine and elegant silhouette, which was perfect for her figure!

Alessandra Facchinetti, ex Gucci and new Valentino designer, in Valentino aw08 - if the dress can make a designer becoming a model, it must have done something right.

Tuesday, 29 April 2008

1950s Glamour

I was tidying up my wardrobe and realised many of clothes are sorts of influenced by 50s glamour. In case you want to read something about 1940s fashion, you can check out my the other post, 1940s Fascination.

If someone asks me what is so significant about 1950s fashion, I’d say the New Look of Christian Dior which dominated the fashion for almost a decade since 1947, was gradually taken over by Chanel boxy-cut suits (after Chanel reopen in 1954) and of course, the birth of the famous Chanel classic 2.55 bag, launched in Feburary 1955. However, I guess that the most important issue happened in the fashion industry is the arrival of the teenager fashion, which overpowered the fabulous fashion for mid-age ladies. It was the first time that teenager girls did not dress like their mothers.

Actually, 1950s fashion was a period of transition in fashion, since till mid 1950s, everything was still pretty much 1940s. Then, the arrival of the teenage cult mutated the fashion from much disciplined style to more flexible 1950s glamour – the defined waist line, the gorgeous full and voluminous skirt, the pencil slim tubular skirt and mid-heeled pumps. The detailing on the clothes in 1950s is very pretty – beading on the sweaters and occasional extravagance on the circle skirts. OK, let’s put an easier way: the first half of 1950s is more Grace Kelly (or even Anna Wintour) whilst the second half is moving toward Audrey Hepburn.

(Dior New Look dominates the fashion industry 1947 - mid 50s)

(Grace Kelly & Elizabeth Taylor in early 50s)

(Audrey Hepburn's cropped fitted trousers and relaxed jumper influenced mid 50s fashion)

(The reopen of Chanel gives the 50s suit a new definition)

The movie, Walk the Line (2005), is a perfect example for the fashion during that era, since it goes through the whole 50s. Particularly, I do think Reese Witherspoon has the perfect early 50s style.

There is one interesting dress worn by Reese Witherspoon looks like Zac Posen ss06 dress worn by Hilary Swank in P.S. I Love You (2008). Here we have it that mordern fashion is influenced by this fifties feel.

What’s good about fashion is that there is always something new, the chic ones will remains as "style" and the ambiguous ones will become a short trend. For me, what's more interesting is the new modern 50s influnced fashion. Many talented designers are able to indicate the past, but the silhouette gives much fashion-forward picture.

Blumarine ss07 - shows its best chic clothing

Christian Dior ss07 - the mix of late fifties boxes cut & modern sleeve detailing

Bottega Veneta aw08 makes late fifties fitted cut much more effortless!

In the mood of dressing up, I thought I'd play with some my outfits that are sorts of influenced by fifties but shows much more of my own definition... I was going to model myself, but God, I don't why I'm useless in front of camera. I like mix & match, which is really important for 1) I cannot afford keep buying new things, so I have to "utilise" them ; and 2) I have kept too many clothes (so if I don't play with it, it will sleep in my wardrobe).