Other than making me think about how I could copy such pieces in my own sewing (with difficulty, I know, as these fabrics are tough to work with), they've also made me turn to some of my Lyell pieces, including the new jacket that I can't wear until it warms up. Here's a picture of one of my favorite Lyell dresses from 2005--the Bonnie and Clyde dress (taken from the lookbook as my camera is broken--the dress is far lovelier in real life, if a little longer than I'd like).
While I don't know if I can really dress like a showgirl from 1931 and actually go to work and teach a class, I love the way that fashion allows this kind of reinvention--a play with the construction of self, space and time.
2 comments:
I recently met someone at a screening, mid-40s, completely decked out in what looked to be a 1930s era suit and tie--the whole bit, heavy wool tweed, tie-pin, etc. As he was accompanying an artist from LA, I assumed it was the next wave in hipster quotation. But then it turned out he was just a friend from Boston and has dressed this way his entire adult life. Very striking.
Those fashions definitely work better on women, I think. They tend to make men look much older. For example, I watched "Ninotchka" on cable the other night. At one point Melvyn Douglas reveals he's 36--but he looks to be 56!
I love this post. The clothes are so inspirational. If only I had the gams to pull off such adorable styled outfits.
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