The Romantic Lifestyle
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
Saks Fifth Avenue 1950's Gold Brocade Sh
Here is a sweet pair of vintage 1950’s Saks Fifth Avenue Gold Brocade Evening Shoes with leather soles made on a Fenton last which was well known for comfort and quality. The soles are leather, the shoes were handmade in the US. Sized 7.5 AAAA and very narrow. These have a 2″ heel. They were sold in Saks Fifth Avenue shoe salon in New York City of course.
Dainty Ingenue Fabric Bows
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
Charming Pagoda Sleeves
An amazing 1930’s vintage evening dress has recently found it’s way into my collection of wearable vintage oddities! It reminds me of something Greta Garbo would have worn in Mata Hari! Where else could it have come from? It is not Siamese but has Siamese and/or Thai influences. It looks like some designer was inspired by both exotic oriental costumes and Hollywood’s rendition of such for films like Mata Hari and Shanghai Lily starring Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich respectively.
Mata Hari Inspired 1930's Evening Dress
The dress is outrageous and fun! It is not in the best condition, but I am sharing it with you as found before I do any restoration and repairs on it. The thread is old and rotted and it rips when the dress is tried on. It is made of silk brocade. From a distance and in a photograph it looks alright, but close up it has serious problems. It is coming apart at the seams as they say! It is watermarked or something like tea or coffee or wine has been spilled on it. So it is badly splotched in large areas, but it blends in well because of the print and the colors of the gown and you cannot see these problems unless you inspect the dress closely in person.
Mata Hari 1930's Evening Dress Backview
I don’t think the fabric is strong enough to withstand dry cleaning. And I don’t think it is safe to wash it because it is silk brocade. It could be worn on the stage or for photographs because the stains do not show up at a distance. However, the fabric and the seams might rip if an actress were to move while wearing it! I had to handle it very carefully when trying it on myself and when putting it on the mannequin to photograph it. It felt, and sounded, ready to give out at any moment. By sounded I mean I could hear little threads stretching and tearing with the slightest bit of strain put on them. And you cannot put anything on without exerting some strain on the fabric and the seams.
Mata Hari 1930's Evening Gown Featuring Fitted Bodice and 28 Jeweled Buttons
Given all these negative condition issues this piece is probably best relegated to the category of a study piece. That is a piece of vintage attire or a historical costume that is fragile but worthwhile to keep as is for study and reference. Sometimes I make completely new copies of such pieces if I really want to be able to wear them.This can be done for theatrical costumes as well. I think this one is a perfect candidate for a copy made in the orient by a professional tailor. To measure of course, so it would fit perfectly. I think such a tailor could improve on the construction of this type of dress using his or her traditional techniques.
It is designed to be figure hugging through the bodice, waist and hips, then the skirt flares outward. It has amazing jeweled buttons! 28 of them! In perfect condition without a single stone missing! Wow! These are very high quality buttons which would cost a fortune now! There are 26 down the front and one on each sleeve for accents. These close the front of the dress with self fabric loop buttonholes made for closures.
Seductive Cut Out Back of Mata Hari 1930's Evening Dress
The skirt is beautifully shaped ~ smoothly over the hips, then flaring outward to achieve a lovely fuller skirt that is longer in the back. ~ note the shape from the back! Also take notice of the shape of the cutout back! Gorgeous! Isn’t it?
Topstitching on Sleeves & Collar
Then there are the amazing sleeves! I call them Pagoda sleeves! They remind me of little pagodas. They are open at the top and buttoned together. I love the way they stick out to the sides and point up. They are heavily topstitched in many narrow rows as is the super pointy butterfly collar!
Mata Hari 1930's Evening Dress with 26 Buttons Down the Front and 1 on each Sleeves
The dress was found in an estate sale in London by two friends of mine who shop there for their vintage furniture store. They think it is from the 30’s. So do I. There is no designer’s label or fabric content label to help us identify its origins.
Vintage Glass Jeweled Buttons & Fabric Loop Buttonholes
The buttons look like European ones made in the 1920’s and 30’s of base metal and glass. It is a small size. Approximately a size 2 and designed to fit a woman of petite stature.
Waistline Slopes to Point in Back
I love the way the waist slopes down to a point in the back, If you click on the full length and torso length pictures to open them you will be able to see this better, It always slims the waist beautifully to do this! The front of the bodice at the waistline slopes into zigzag points on this dress as well. You can see this in the very first picture at the beginning of the posting and in the photo showing the line of buttons down the front of the bodice. Notice how the fabric is beautifully laid out in the back so that both sides match exactly! This was common in older clothing and is something often overlooked by today. I appreciate this detail. It is one of the major reasons I love vintage – the care with which the clothes were made, the fabric was matched, the stripes and plaids lined up, etc. When the pattern pieces are matched on both sides the body appears balanced.
If anyone has any knowledge of the backstory on this dress or has seen another one of them would they please notify me? I really would like to know more about it if possible, eventually.
Monday, April 4th, 2011
As a professional ballet dancer living in New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC; and traveling extensively, I picked up many ways to wear scarves and shawls along the way that I would like to share. I also collected quite a few scarves and shawls because they were nice momentos of the places I’ve been and easy pieces to pack and use to transform the looks of the two dresses I traveled with. I love to travel light and I call them transformers! Two dresses and and a mixed selection of five scarves and shawls can create many different looks. I haven’t counted them and I know I haven’t discovered them all! It seems there is always a new way to wear a scarf just around the corner or in the next country you visit! Scarves are an international staple of style. They are worn by women everywhere and how they are wrapped, tied, and worn is a wonderfully interesting feminine art that is practiced all over the world.
I have already shown you Style #1) the Sash, Style #2) the Dorothy Lamour Sarong and Style #3) the Cowgirl Bandana with this square blue shawl in the previous blog. Here are two more wonderful ways I like to wear a large 43″ square silk shawl with 6 ” hand tied fringe. I am using the same blue shawl to demonstrate and will number the styles accordingly. I ended with Style# 3) The Cowgirl, and continue here with Style #4) The French Bateaux and Style #5) the Italian Side Tied Sling.
Begin with Style #3) The Cowgirl Bandana Tied at the Back of Your Neck
Style #4) The French Bateaux: Begin by folding the shawl in half in a triangle and hold it up like a bib in front of you, just as you do to create the Cowgirl Bandana. Tie the ends of the shawl around the back of your neck.
Then rotate the shawl so that the knot is nestled on your Left shoulder and the long pointed centers of the triangle are hanging down your Right side. Arrange the drape of the silky shawl so that it appeals to you and make sure the fringes hang down neatly. I like to arrange a Bateau ~ a more or less square shaped neckline ~ for this style.
Style #4) The French Bateaux
This is an easy to execute way of tying a shawl and makes an elegant look for both day and evening. It creates warmth around the shoulders on slightly chilly occasions. You can both decorate it by pinning a brooch at the shoulder.
Style #5) The Italian Side Tied Sling
Style #5) The Gorgeous Italian Side Tied Sling: Simply begin with the shawl folded in half in a triangle. Place it, centered, on your right shoulder, with half the shawl coming across the front of your body and the other half going around and across your back. Gather the ends together on your Left side near the waist and tie in one overhand knot! Arrange the shawl to your liking and make sure the fringe is hanging nicely.
I often saw shawls worn like this when I was in Italy. It is lovely, graceful and very sexy!
Vintage Eisenberg Ice Brooch on the Hip
This is also incredibly easy to execute! I have added a vintage blue Eisenberg Ice and sterling silver brooch at the side on the hip to create a bit of jazzy evening dazzle!
Eisenberg Ice is Very Nice!
A jewel at the hip is gorgeous bit of glitzy vintage Hollywood Glamour inspired sparkle so rarely seen these days and so lovely to emulate. You can see many examples and get many ideas of how to wear it in old films.
Enjoy trying, tying and wearing these large fringed square shawl styles and I promise there will be more to coming soon!
These large square shawl styles I have demonstrated are truly international with origins and inspirations coming from The South Seas, Hollywood, The Cowgirl from the SouthWestern United States, France and Italy so far!
I think we could cover the world with ways of wearing shawls there are so many! The more I discover, the more I want to know! They are such an easy way to add elegance, grace, and a touch of the feminine arts to any outfit. There is no reason, with access to the internet, that you cannot be your very own international scarf stylist! Isn’t it wonderful?
Sunday, April 3rd, 2011
I’ve been watching old movies and studying the styles of the actresses wardrobes of course. I note many lovely shawls as part of their costumes imparting real glamor to their looks. (Good old fashioned time tested still holds true glamour! ) I’m inspired to try them out of course! The movies, especially the old ones, are a great source for beautiful vintage styling ideas. You can find almost everything there!
I have a large blue silk 43″ square shawl with especially lovely 6″ long hand knotted fringe. There are many ways to use this shawl shape. To begin fold the shawl in half in a triangle across the center. I promised instructions on tying sarongs in my postings on Dorothy Lamour a while back and here they are!
The Exotic Waist/Hip Sash and Sarong
Style #1) The Exotic Waist Tied Sash com Skirt or Sarong: Simply wrap the shawl around your hips with the point of the triangle hanging down over your bottom in the back and tie the two ends in an overhand knot in the front. Be sure to adjust the fringes so they are all hanging down neatly.
Close-up of Knot & Fringe
The Dorothy Lamour Sarong: as a Lovely Side Tied Skirt
Style #2) Sarong Skirt: Tie the shawl in the same way and rotate it so that the knot is on one side, usually the left, and position it at a jaunty slanting angle below the waist. The point of the triangle should be hanging down one side, the tie ends down the other. Voila! You have made one version of the lovely Dorothy Lamour Sarongs – the side tied skirt!
This is pretty over a dress or skirt as shown. It also works beautifully over slim pants and leggings. and makes a darling little skirt and coverup over a swimsuit!
Watch some of Dorothy Lamour’s movies for inspiration on how to wear these!
And I promise more versions of the sarong and the sarong tied as a dress to come soon.
The Glamorous Cowgirl Bandana: Front View
Style #3) The Glamorous Cowgirl Bandana: To create this style simply position the triangular folded shawl evenly in front of your chest like a bib and tie the ends around your neck, Adjust the drape and fringe attractively.
This works well with small fringed or beaded shawls as well and you often see cowgirls in old western movies wearing fringed shawls and scarves this way – which is, of course, the way it got its name!
Below are the side and back views of this style: It is very elegant with a sheath dress and a lovely little clutch bag for evening wear.
Cowgirls were very glamorous! And they had a true love of fringe! I noted it on their shawls, their boots, their bags, their leggings, their skirts, the reins of their horses, their saddles. everywhere! And I was falling in love with it too!
I say, watch a few Westerns for Fringe Fashion inspiration!
In a more casual vein this scarf/shawl tying method works well over a western shirt or a blue chambray work shirt. You can use it on large, medium and small shawls, with and without fringes and in all fabrics.
The Cowgirl: Bandana Side View
The Cowgirl: Bandana: Back View
Friday, April 1st, 2011
Step #1 ~ A Square Leonard de Paris Designer Vintage Silk Scarf
I have asked Tricia James, International Scarf Stylist, to show me some ways to wear my designer silk 36″ square scarves. Here is a lovely and unusual vintage Leonard de Paris silk scarf from Lady Violette’s private collection. This scarf is unique because the designer’s name and signature are in the center of the scarf. They are usually placed in one corner so that it is easier to drape and tie them while showing the designer’s name.
I love this scarf because it features many beautiful flowers in the design and they are positioned inside a central heart. The violet has cordate heart shaped leaves. As my name, Violette de Courcy literally means violet of the heart and I am a lover of flowers this design really appeals to me! It is very personal!
Tricia told me she could show me how to easily make one fold into four wearable styles!
Step #1) Begin by opening the scarf out in a big square.
Step #2 ~ Fold Scarf in Half
Step #2) Fold the scarf in Half as shown, In this case we decided to fold this scarf down through the vertical center of the big heart making a rectangular shape.
Step #3 ~ The Proper Way to Hold the Scarf to Make the W Fold.
Step #3) Next, in order to make a W fold, hold the Left Upper corner of the scarf up in your Left hand, while taking the Right lower corner in your Right hand. Next, hold the scarf away from your body so that the Right upper side of the scarf falls behind thus creating the W fold…
Step #4 ~ Voila! You Have Now Created The W Fold
Step #4) Thus folding the rectangular shape half folded scarf into a W shaped fold as Tricia shows.
Step #5 ~ Position W Scarf Around Your Neck.
Step #5) Place the W folded scarf around your neck as shown on the mannequin bringing the two corner ends to the center front.
Step #6 ~ Tie a Simple Double Knot
Step #6) Tie the two pointed ends by tying them once, then again, thus forming a simple secure double knot.
Tricia says, “No fancy hard to tie knots here!”
Step #7 ~ Style 1 of 4: The Sailor Collar ~ C'est Fini!
Step # 7) You have created a lovely Sailor Collar out of the scarf, like the collars on midi blouses. This is a classic French looking style!
This is Style # 1 of the four styles from one fold ~ the W fold.
Step #8 ~ What the Sailor Collar Looks Like From the Back
Step #8) Just so you’ll know, this is what the Sailor Collar scarf tie looks like from the back.
Step #9 ~ Style 2 of 4: The French Bandana
Step #9) Simply rotate your already tied scarf around on your neck so that the knot is resting stylishly on one shoulder and the point is hanging down the front. This is another stylish and classic look I call the French Bandana.
This is beauty is Style #2 of the four from one fold ~ the W fold.
Step #10 ~ Style 3 of 4: The Draped Cowl
Step # 10) To create a flattering draped cowl rotate the already tied scarf so that the knot is in the center back and adjust the scarf so that a point is spreading out over each shoulder and a pretty cowl effect is formed in the front. This is called The Draped Cowl. It looks lovely over a dress or blouse as shown and is a fabulous neck filler for a jacket or coat.
The Draped Cowl is Style #3 of the four from one fold ~ the W fold.
Step #11 ~ Style 4 of 4: The Scarf Necklace
Step # 11) To create what we call The Scarf Necklace which is really like a jeweled necklace but made of beautiful colorful silk , simply roll the cloth sections from each shoulder toward the center by turning them under and smoothing them with your hands until you have achieved an attractive draped ring of soft fabric around your neck.
The Scarf Necklace is Style #4 of the four from one fold ~ the W fold
I am delighted to have learned how to use my favorite scarf now! Perhaps you have a huge square designer silk scarf languishing in a drawer that you would like to use too! I know many people receive them as special gifts and are often at a loss as to how to wear them. Hopefully this will give you some ideas to try on.
Visit Ticia James at Scarfgenie .com
This work by Violette de Courcy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at ladyviolette.com.
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