posts tagged ‘1930s’
fashion in film: the thin man
Gee, I haven’t done one of these posts in awhile, have I? If you follow my Tumblr blog, you may have noted that I’ve been posting quite a few pictures of Myrna Loy lately, which means I’m probably on a Thin Man kick too! Sailor Husband and I watched The Thin Man (the best of the bunch, imho) last Friday evening, and I remembered just how glamorous all of Myrna Loy’s costumes for the film were. In fact, this was one of the movies that got me started with tracking down vintage patterns with an eye to sew with them. It’s fun to watch the movie again and remember just how taken I was with the designs and possibilities of recreating vintage styles! I’ve pulled some of my favorite of Myrna Loy’s outfits, along with a few comments for this post–I hope you’ll enjoy! (All images can be clicked and enlarged!)
Myrna’s high, theatrical collar on her coat (and equally dramatic fur cuffs) was popular in the 30s, though usually not quite to this extreme I love her little hat! The 1930s, in my opinion, was really the height of interesting millinery.
My favorite gown in the entire film! I have always called this the “Candy Cane” dress; the swirling layers of bias cut stripes and ruffles are amazing. Take a close look at the cascading ruffles; the under layer’s stripes are going in the opposite direction, creating a subtle checked look Note the slightly empire waistline too.
So maybe this is my favorite piece in the film instead! I love the extremely dramatic and luxurious 30s take on a highly fantasized Medieval silhouette. Can you imagine lounging around in such glamor?
This is such an adorable, fun lounging ensemble. Pants for informal settings like in the home or at a resort were gaining popularity in the 30s as an option for women. These are obviously quite fantastic and Hollywood’s take on the look!
Mad for plaid! Don’t you just love how matchy Myrna’s outfit is? It’s a less severe option to the head-to-toe suit look, while still being trim.
A lovely, filmy lounging/lingerie ensemble. The robe has similar construction to a kimono; the sleeves are set in straight along the side seams.
Another favorite! Who doesn’t love how playful her outfit is here? The 30s really had a knack for creating a bit of whimsy in fashion, and Myrna’s outfit is a wink to that with the exaggerated elements like the ruffled jabot and cuffs. This is also another pants lounging outfit.
The 1930s specialized in evening gowns that looked like they were poured onto the wearer, thanks to the cling of bias and the amazing fabrics available to designers. This satin-finish dress always reminds me of an oil slick–albeit, a very glamorous one!
This is Myrna’s most restrained and what I would consider “normal” (not overly fantasized, as was the custom of most Hollywood designer’s at the time). It’s a cute plaid (again!) pajama and robe set; I love the little blouse because it looks like it could almost be worn as daywear!
Myrna’s wardrobe for this film was designed by the prolific Dolly Tree, who I was interested to find out also handled the costumes for several of my other favorite films like Wife vs. Secretary, Libeled Lady and After the Thin Man. Do you have a favorite designer from the Golden Age of Hollywood? I would have to say, mine is hands down Gilbert Adrian, if nothing else but for the witty costumes in The Women and The Philadelphia Story!
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Posted to: 1930s, film fashion, vintage inspiration. | 24 lovely thoughts
fashion in film: the women
[ check out the unique, "winged" sleeves on the jacket, and the lacing up the front of the playsuit. ]
In my last round up of late 1930s film fashion, I can’t believe I forgot to mention one of my favorites (and seemingly many of your’s too!): the 1939 classic The Women! If you haven’t seen it, you really must. I won’t clutter this entry with a description of the plot, but suffice to say it’s a wonderful mash-up of fashion, amazing actresses (Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russel… just to name a few!), and witty dialog. It’s basically what we’d call in modern terms a “chick flick”, but it’s certainly one of the chicest chick flicks I’ve ever seen!
The film is so chock full of wonderful, over-the-top clothes (designed by the talented Gilbert Adrian), that I’m not even going to try and cover it all in one post! For this (first!) post I decided to cover my favorite part of the movie: the fashion show! Although the rest of the movie is in black and white, midway through the main characters attend a fashion show and the film switches into color (a true late 30s touch!). The fashions are fantastically theatrical as only Adrian could design them, with many sly winks at the mania for surrealism at the time. (Check out the beach jacket with the modeled-hand closure!) I hope you’ll be as inspired by all these fun looks as I am! (If you haven’t seen the movie, check out the scene in action here.)
Seeing all these makes me wildly excited about playsuits with sweet little details and jaunty hats! What details catch your eye?
[ more sweet playsuits. ]
[ one of the most interesting, surrealist pieces in the whole fashion show--check out the modeled hand clasp on the jacket! ]
[ I've pretty much decided if I can have a beach jacket with snappy red stripes around the shoulders, I'd be a happy girl! ]
[ more seaside fashions; two longer lounging outfits. the series of pockets on the left outfit are so interesting! ]
[ eye-catching cool-weather outfits. the center one is my favorite--especially the jaunty hat! ]
[ more gorgeous daywear. the fur details on the black outfit are pure Hollywood--so glamorous! ]
[ fanciful gowns. the one on the right with the simulated black skirt and midriff waistband and scalloped hem is so pretty! ]
[ more floaty gowns! ]
[ striking evening gowns. take a close look at the hat the model in the green gown is wearing: the crown is a clear plastic! ]
[ the caped evening ensemble is so interesting... ]
[ more glamorous looks! ]
[ I love this bustled gown so much--the shaping is divine, while the color keeps it elegant. ]
[ gloves all in one with the sleeves! ]
[ another nod to surrealism: gigantic gold "studs" on the gloves! ]post link
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Posted to: 1930s, film fashion, style inspiration, vintage inspiration. | 40 lovely thoughts
fashion in film: stage door
[ click for a larger view. ]
I have lately been on a 1930s movie kick: rewatching all my favorites (like You Can’t Take It With You, the Thin Man series, and The Philadelphia Story, just to name a small few) and haunting TCM for some new ones. The other evening I popped Stage Door in, a movie I hadn’t seen in ages and had forgotten how many cute outfits there are in this picture! I decided I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you (along with my obsessive notes… click on the images to see full-size. Feel free to skip if you’d like!)–I hope you enjoy!
So tell me: what is your favorite movie from the 1930s?
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Posted to: 1930s, film fashion, vintage inspiration. | 52 lovely thoughts
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