My mother (who was glamorous and committed to lipstick) also used to say things such as, ‘very Veronica Lake’ when referring to a one-eyed hair do. It would seem that the studios/actors intentionally developed a signature style -as the writer is also doing. The archaic meaning of glamour is magic and illusion.
Thank you for sharing 🥹🥹 I love this. I certainly model my ways after women like Lake. The entire studio system was vertically integrated and there was a team of people (hair & makeup teams, costume designers, photographers, lighting) who worked to create the illusion of glamour. You’re so right—the word glamour literally shares etymological roots with words that describe arcane knowledge and the occult. I think of glamour as a mysterious ineffable quality!
You could think of it as being restrictive- women actors were perceived as one dimensional, with limited things to portray eg they usually didn’t have a job or profession. But I like to think of glamour as a skill. Your piece also reminded me of the importance of accessories. When you have fewer clothes, accessories and trimmings ( an old fashioned word and idea) enable you to stamp your individuality on an outfit or change things up a bit. The bones of the sable trimmed evening coat and the austere daytime suit were probably not that different
It was definitely restricting—a lot of these actresses didn’t work for more than 5 to 10 years because they were expected to play the same kind of roles and eventually different kinds of films came into Vogue. And yes, Gilbert Adrian’s work from the 1940s really embodies the austere look of the period and his emphasis on details and accessories really makes his work shine. You should look at his suits in the digital collection of the Met CI !!!
There is a wonderful, strange little art museum on the Columbia River in Washington state that hosts a permanent exhibit of "Théâtre de la Mode" mannequins from the 1945 Paris haute couture season. Because of the Nazi occupation of Paris, the clothes for this season were only made at a tiny scale, on wire dolls.
These tiny dresses prove that "new look" was already being dreamed up in the midst of WWII, before anyone knew who would win, or if prosperity would ever return.
It's an amazing exhibition and I highly recommend it for anyone willing to drive 2 hours outside of Portland, Oregon! The museum itself is in the middle of nowhere with beautiful views, and feels like an art deco mirage.
I think the last time I went, I set the sensors off so many times by trying to peer at the shoes and hats(not cross the line really) that the docents were laughing with us. The sensors are Really Sensitive!
It's just as wonderful as you can imagine! The dolls are in gorgeous hand-drawn sets, it's so wonderful. The museum also has a huge collection of Romanian folk costumes and ikons, because apparently the queen of Romania was their patroness in 1927! I can't think of anything more glamorous than that. :-o
Thank you for sharing this. As a fashion student, I was obsessed with classic Hollywood in my twenties. It's been refreshing going back there. And just watching the pictures you've shared I remembered how intentional everything had to be in black and white cinema. Look how beautifully they play with stripes in the frame of the Laura movie. She's wearing stripes and everything else has stripes too somehow. Might sound silly, but that has caught my eye!
That is my favorite still of the film!! The light coming through the blinds & the striped jacket Laura wears 😍genius. So happy this resonated with you.
“As I see it, knowing the right keywords to type into the eBay search bar matters more than material wealth or the resources of a studio costume designer.” - Yessss! Love this incredible article. Thank you
Love this... Bonnie Cashin's designs in "Laura" are some of my favorites. Even in their austerity there was some luxury too - Gene Tierney wears a knee-length mink skirt in one scene! You barely see it, but it's there...
Happy New Year Avery! I know the focus of the article was on exuberance, but the section about WW2 economy of means and shoes of wartime deserves a separate post. Ropes and wood?
My mother (who was glamorous and committed to lipstick) also used to say things such as, ‘very Veronica Lake’ when referring to a one-eyed hair do. It would seem that the studios/actors intentionally developed a signature style -as the writer is also doing. The archaic meaning of glamour is magic and illusion.
Thank you for sharing 🥹🥹 I love this. I certainly model my ways after women like Lake. The entire studio system was vertically integrated and there was a team of people (hair & makeup teams, costume designers, photographers, lighting) who worked to create the illusion of glamour. You’re so right—the word glamour literally shares etymological roots with words that describe arcane knowledge and the occult. I think of glamour as a mysterious ineffable quality!
You could think of it as being restrictive- women actors were perceived as one dimensional, with limited things to portray eg they usually didn’t have a job or profession. But I like to think of glamour as a skill. Your piece also reminded me of the importance of accessories. When you have fewer clothes, accessories and trimmings ( an old fashioned word and idea) enable you to stamp your individuality on an outfit or change things up a bit. The bones of the sable trimmed evening coat and the austere daytime suit were probably not that different
It was definitely restricting—a lot of these actresses didn’t work for more than 5 to 10 years because they were expected to play the same kind of roles and eventually different kinds of films came into Vogue. And yes, Gilbert Adrian’s work from the 1940s really embodies the austere look of the period and his emphasis on details and accessories really makes his work shine. You should look at his suits in the digital collection of the Met CI !!!
Thank you. I will
There is a wonderful, strange little art museum on the Columbia River in Washington state that hosts a permanent exhibit of "Théâtre de la Mode" mannequins from the 1945 Paris haute couture season. Because of the Nazi occupation of Paris, the clothes for this season were only made at a tiny scale, on wire dolls.
https://www.maryhillmuseum.org/inside/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/theatre-de-la-mode
These tiny dresses prove that "new look" was already being dreamed up in the midst of WWII, before anyone knew who would win, or if prosperity would ever return.
It's an amazing exhibition and I highly recommend it for anyone willing to drive 2 hours outside of Portland, Oregon! The museum itself is in the middle of nowhere with beautiful views, and feels like an art deco mirage.
this is actually featured in an episode of Articles of Interest!
… which I am rerunning next month…
I had to leave out this information but I’m a HUGE theatre de la mode fan!!! So happy you got to see this excision I’m endlessly jealous.
I think the last time I went, I set the sensors off so many times by trying to peer at the shoes and hats(not cross the line really) that the docents were laughing with us. The sensors are Really Sensitive!
It's just as wonderful as you can imagine! The dolls are in gorgeous hand-drawn sets, it's so wonderful. The museum also has a huge collection of Romanian folk costumes and ikons, because apparently the queen of Romania was their patroness in 1927! I can't think of anything more glamorous than that. :-o
Oops **exhibtion**!
Fascinating read, thanks for putting this together.
Thank you for sharing this. As a fashion student, I was obsessed with classic Hollywood in my twenties. It's been refreshing going back there. And just watching the pictures you've shared I remembered how intentional everything had to be in black and white cinema. Look how beautifully they play with stripes in the frame of the Laura movie. She's wearing stripes and everything else has stripes too somehow. Might sound silly, but that has caught my eye!
That is my favorite still of the film!! The light coming through the blinds & the striped jacket Laura wears 😍genius. So happy this resonated with you.
“As I see it, knowing the right keywords to type into the eBay search bar matters more than material wealth or the resources of a studio costume designer.” - Yessss! Love this incredible article. Thank you
Thanks for this. I loved its content and your writing.
Thank you!
Love this... Bonnie Cashin's designs in "Laura" are some of my favorites. Even in their austerity there was some luxury too - Gene Tierney wears a knee-length mink skirt in one scene! You barely see it, but it's there...
The costumes in Laura are GENIUS. Gene Tierney is unbelievably chic in her floppy hats...I'll have to pay attention to this next time I watch it!
Really enjoyed this!
Great content! Nice research Liv.
Happy New Year Avery! I know the focus of the article was on exuberance, but the section about WW2 economy of means and shoes of wartime deserves a separate post. Ropes and wood?