Louise Chéruit (not Madeleine) is another of those couturiers that has been forgotten by historical chance, whose style and contributions are almost unknown today, despite the fact that she may be the only designer mentioned in Vile Bodies. Mme Chéruit, by Paul-César Helleu, ca. 1901 Unlike Pingat, we do know where Chéruit learned her trade - though … Continue reading Louise Chéruit (ca. 1870?-1935)
Category: 20th century
Isabelle Sloan Rohlfs, 1916
Isabelle Sloan Rohlfs on her wedding day, 1916, 1984.24.3; gown is 1984.24.1 (pattern at link) This wedding dress is a great example of its period in several ways. The layered closures, snapping to cover each other, all covered with a tunic layer that fastens on the side and at the shoulder; the loose bodice and … Continue reading Isabelle Sloan Rohlfs, 1916
Isabel Elsey's Wedding Dress, 1934
Wedding Dress, 1973.11.1 (pattern available at link) This dress. Oh, this dress. Bias cuts are tricky to pattern, because patterning requires following the grain and measuring the rise and run to get the slope of a diagonal or curve, usually using the center front or back when they're cut on the straight. Satin also makes it … Continue reading Isabel Elsey's Wedding Dress, 1934
New Types of Coiffures for Ladies and Young Girls, 1908
[This was typed months ago, but somehow it never got posted. Oops!] Once again, with the help of Lauren of Wearing History, I bring you a something a bit more modern: a discussion of hairstyles from Le Miroir des Modes, 1908. The Greek style has invaded the domain of evening and at-home city toilettes; but … Continue reading New Types of Coiffures for Ladies and Young Girls, 1908
Costuming in The Great Gatsby (2013): Not What You Might Think
There are two genres of historical film costuming: the accurate and the artistic. To judge either type by the other's standards results in dissatisfaction - very accurate costumes that are truly representative of their era will frequently be unattractive or awkward to a modern eye, while very stylized costumes can frustrate a viewer who was … Continue reading Costuming in The Great Gatsby (2013): Not What You Might Think
Mimic of Modes 