Digs Frocks and Books

What I Wore: Rainbow Dress

2012-01-28T20:47:00.002+11:00

I've been a pretty pastel loving girl all my life but over the last couple of months I've become increasingly drawn to bright primary colours particularly reds, oranges, yellows and greens. This dress, however, has been in my wardrobe for a few years. A 1970s tennis style frock, the husband calls this my rainbow dress, and I decided to give it a spin again this Australia Day. The shoes are from Zomp.

Even when the sky is overcast, I can still feel summery in a bright burst of colour.

Swimwear, 1963

2012-01-21T16:26:00.008+11:00

These sultry images are from a swimwear shoot for the December 1963 issue of US Vogue photographed by well-known NY based music photographer Art Kane. The theme is the bandeau swimsuit, very much back in vogue again now, although perhaps it never really went away. After all there's nothing quite like a strapless swimsuit to create a nice even tan.
Starting this minute down south, coming north with a splash this summer: the bandeau bathing suit, slashed straight across the top, showing marvellous shoulders, cut shifty or bare through the middle.
The bikini featured in the last photograph (bright green according to Vogue) looks very similar to my own bright pink bikini, care of Zimmermann. Here is a pic of me wearing it on my most recent trip to Mission Beach in Far North QLD two weeks ago. The husband and I spent a lot of time exploring the area and we found a few gorgeous swimming holes at the foot of the mountains with the clearest freshwater imaginable. The other photo is of me wearing my favourite new vintage shorts care of Grandma Takes a Trip. The top is from The Vintage Drawer, the sunglasses are a second-hand market find and the handbag is Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Promo Trail!

2012-01-16T21:08:00.003+11:00

Michelle Williams - who just won a Golden Globe for her performance in My Week with Marilyn - has been hitting the campaign trail with aplomb. Pulling out elegant look after look, here she is in Jason Wu, Chanel, Miu Miu and then Jason Wu again. Some people find her style a bit too cutesy or whimsical, but I love the fact that she has a style 'persona' but it still happy to experiment too. And I LOVE her hair.
I read the books that the film are based on during a plane trip the other day. The first book The Prince, The Showgirl and Me was a fun and gossipy read about life on a film set in the 1950s. It appealed to the old movie buff in me. My Week with Marilyn (the author's supposed 'lost week' where he had an almost affair with Marilyn Monroe) was only so so, but I could see the filmic potential in it. I'm looking forward to finally seeing the finished product.

And what of the rest of the Golden Globes? I love to look at pretty dresses any day, any time, but these big events of late tend to be a bit ho hum. It's not very often that you see a truly dramatic dress. So, for me, my pick from this year is Evan Rachel Woods in Gucci Premiere. Not necessarily something I would wear but ERW looks smashing in it. And what's not to love about a plunging neckline, sequins and feathers, all in the same dress.

Norman Parkinson in India

2012-01-02T20:36:00.005+11:00

The January issue of British Vogue includes a feature that trawls through the Vogue archives for images from exotic locales. 'The fashionable life, lived at home and abroad, was vital to Vogue's early success.' There's Morocco in the 1920s, Hawaii in the 1930s, Kenya in the 1960s and Jerry Hall in the USSR while the cold war was still raging. My favourite images though are the ones taken by Norman Parkinson in 1956. The model is Barbara Mullens, the clothes are elegance manifest and the locations would give anyone itchy feet. I LOVE that yellow Dior gown.

Shangri Las

2011-12-29T15:26:00.004+11:00

I've recently discovered 1960s 'tough' girl group the Shangri Las, best known probably for the single 'Leader of the Pack'. Not only did lead singer Mary Weiss (she's the blonde one) have a lovely voice (the band were actually a quartet rather than a trio, but Mary's sister Betty rarely toured with the rest of the group and so doesn't appear in many photos) but their songs express so brilliantly adolescent longing and angst, all from a decidedly female perspective. Oh, and the girls had great style too. Youthful, cutesy but a big rough around the edges too.

Here's them performing one of my favourites: 'Out in the Streets.'

2011 Book Love

2011-12-23T22:28:00.007+11:00

Over the last couple of days, while I've been assessing my year, I've also been assessing my reading year. Books are such an important part of my life - not only do I work in them but I also consume them rabidly - that it would be a sad twelve months indeed if I didn't come across a number of works that had touched me, and at least a couple of books to add to my all time favourites list.
I remember saying to someone at the beginning of this year that I'm not a big memoir person. Too self-indulgent perhaps, or too limited. But as I reflect on my reading year I realise that I've actually read some bloody brilliant memoirs this year. In fact over the years I've read some seriously great memoirs which I would unreservedly recommend to any other readers: The Year of Magical Thinking (Joan Didion), Truth & Beauty (Ann Patchett), Lucky (Alice Sebold), The View from Castle Rock (Alice Munro - part memoir, part history, part fiction) and Borrowed Finery (Paula Fox).
I guess that, because I find novels so expansive and so representative (and because of that so TRUE), they are the books that overwhelmingly make up my top 10, 20 or 50 books of all time. Having said that though, when I look back at 2011 I would be hard pressed not to include these three beautiful memoirs in my ten favourites of this year.

Emma Forrest's memoir Your Voice in My Head focuses, essentially, on the author's relationship with her therapist. Suffering from depressive episodes throughout her young life (and she is still young) this therapist had seemed to be the only person who had really made a dent in Forrest's sadness. But then he died.
Your Voice in My Head is really Forrest's way of writing out her grief and her feelings are so raw and honest and beautifully drawn you can't fail but be moved. There is also a lot in this book about family and familial legacy as well as romantic love (and lust). Oh, and an awful lot about self esteem. There is much in here that any woman who has had her heartbroken could relate to. And haven't we all at one time or another?
Jeanette Winterson is a tremendously talented writer. Her way with prose is sigh inducing, in a majorly good way. There are passages in Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? that had me wishing I had a pencil with me so I could do some serious underlining. If you've read Winterson's debut novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit then her memoir will definitely intrigue. The first half is basically the true story from which that novel was drawn; the story of a working-class childhood of a bookish little girl adopted by a fiercely religious (and completely mad) woman. If it's possible, the real version of Winterson's mother is even madder than the fictional one. The second half of the novel is Winterson's very affecting story of her search for her birth mother. And finally Joshua Cody, a young 'un on the literary scene - he claims this will be his one and only book - has written a story about mortality and a brush with death. An intellect and musician living the life in New York, in his 30s Cody was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.

This book is such a pastiche; it includes musings on poetry and art interspersed with diary entries from himself and his mother during his stay in hospital, as well as deeply personal remembrances of his father, existential crises, sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and lots, lots more. The prose style is actually quite pretentious but I kind of loved it. I found it deeply original and honest in its affectation, if that makes sense. I felt, when I read it, that this was REALLY HOW THIS GUY WAS. He was someone I would want to sit down and have a meal with. I actually really hope he writes some more.

And what of fiction, you may say? Well my runner up for my Book of the Year (only including novels I've actually read, mind you) is Malcolm Knox's The Life, an unfortunately little read story about an Australian surf champion from the 60s and 70s battling mental illness. Simply brilliant. And my number one is most definitely Jennifer Egan's Pulitzer Prize winning A Visit From the Goon Squad. What I wouldn't give to write like her.

Some new pretty for the weekend ...

2011-12-17T21:24:00.006+11:00

I am loving these photos of actress Carey Mulligan in the latest issue of W Magazine, all in service of promoting her new movie Shame. Carey has such an expressive face and I love the clothing selection and the retro styling, which seems to suit Carey's off-duty style too. I'm still crushing hard on those hot rod print dresses from Prada.
Carey's been in Sydney for the last few months shooting The Great Gatsby. You can throw rocks at me if you like but I'm not a big Baz Luhrmann fan. It's safe to say that I'm nervous. Having said that his wife Catherine Martin gives great costume; check out the blog A Wild Tea Party for a sneak peek at some of the duds on the forthcoming flick.

Mini Break

2011-12-13T21:34:00.006+11:00

I want to apologise for my lax blogging of late. Work has been almost non-stop and when it finally did stop I left rainy Sydney again for a weekend away with my oldest friend Rebecca. Our destination: the occasionally rainy but sometimes sunny too Gold Coast. This is me on the balcony of our hotel wearing a bustier top from Sportsgirl and vintage shorts from Grandma Takes a Trip. Now that I've had my fill of travel for 2011, regular blogging duties will resume shortly.

Wishing Away the Rain

2011-12-04T15:18:00.003+11:00

I've been neglecting the blog while I've been travelling the countryside for work and now my thoughts - especially in the face of unseasonal cold weather and bucketing rain - are turning to holidays. Next weekend is a girls only mini break on the Gold Coast and next month is a week in my favourite spot in Far North QLD. I'll be taking my own gingham bikini with the tie-front top, but I won't be looking anything like Kate Moss.
These pics are from a cover shoot from a couple of years ago for Paris Vogue. The photographer was Mario Sorrenti.

The 60s Face

2011-11-23T21:20:00.006+11:00

Some further scans from the March 1965 edition of US Vogue; these images (from photographer Bert Stern) illustrate a beauty story contrasting 'European' make-up (think Italian mid century films) and the 'new American-English' make-up (soft, illuminated transparency). There is no doubt though that, being the sixties, the eyes had it for both of these looks and that colour was the real trend on display here. Silver lashes! Luscious falsies! And blue eyeshadow (that freaks some people out, but which I've loved for years and years. My eyes are about the same colour as the model on the left of the top picture, and there is something about the contrast between baby blue and deep brown that appeals).

Anyway, these photos got me thinking about my favourite beauty trends across the decades. I've always been partial to the slick of black eyeliner so popular in the 1950s; the shiny, voluminous and effortless hair of the early supers; the vibrant, matte pink and red lips of the 40s and 50s; the strong full eyebrows of the late 70s and early 80s; the over sized lashes of the 1960s (but only on top please ... I have a paranoid fear of gluey mascara on the lower lashes) and, finally, the tanned skin from the real life sun of the 1970s (my bad, I know, but fake tan just doesn't cut it for me. I love alabaster skin too but I'm not someone who can wear it well).

What is your favourite beauty decade?

Jo Copeland Frocks

2011-11-18T19:44:00.006+11:00

I posted a beautiful 1949 advertisement for Pattullo - Jo Copeland the other week and I thought I would follow that up with this selection of gorgeous vintage frocks from the label which you can buy right now.
The black 1940's dress above is from Shrimpton Couture and is for sale for AUD$271.72.

This unique 1950s satin cocktail dress with velvet bows is from Mercyvintagenow and is available for AUD$230.18.

This dress from Fab Gabs is Indian inspired and features a beautiful brocade. It is AUD$407.16.

And this day dress with the unusual neckline is currently up for auction at Basic Threads. With only two days to go, if you love it, you better jump on ebay now!

Frock of the Week: Vegetable Prints

2011-11-13T11:56:00.003+11:00

I loved Kirsten Dunst in Dolce & Gabbana so much this week that I've had to resurrect Frock of the Week. From Dolce & Gabbana's latest ready-to-wear collection, the theme is Italian in the extreme, with vegetable prints (in Kirsten's case it is tomatoes) appearing on fit and flare and wiggle dresses as well as skirts and crop tops. I had to go back to the collection ... see below. Love the eggplant print!
Kirsten has really been back on form lately. A new stylist maybe, or perhaps she's just got her fashion mojo back.

Photos courtesy of Style.Com.

Tzaim Luksus - Art Nouveau

2011-11-06T16:58:00.003+11:00

In the March 1966 issue of US Vogue I came across this wonderfully colourful editorial entitled Art Nouveau - flowering again in America.

The story claims that in 1996 Art Nouveau was undergoing a spirited renaissance in contemporary design: furniture, decor and fashion. And one of the most exciting torchbearers for this renaissance was American painter turned fabric designer Tzaim Luksus. Luksus had received a COTY fashion award in 1965 for his startling prints and in the same year that this editorial would appear, he would show his own dress collection. He would keep showing into the mid 1970s, as a fan of the tent and kite silhouettes.

In this case the fabrics are Luksus' but the designs are courtesy of Geoffrey Beene and Pauline Trigere. I love the originality and modernity on display here, the models back lit beautifully by stained glass. The last dress is a particular fave.

The photographer was Gordon Parks and if you can steal a glance away from the dresses to the hairstyles, you'll discover they are completely wild? God knows how the models posed with such heavy hair pieces. So 1960s.

And doesn't Verushka look stunning in the last two pics?

Early Jean P

2011-11-02T20:32:00.005+11:00

From the same 1948 issue of US Vogue as those photos of a 16-year-old Elizabeth I posted comes these two images of the glorious 50s top model Jean Patchett. Jean would have been only 21 or 22 when these photos were taken, and in the first year of her modelling career, which lasted until 1963. She signed with an agency in early 1948 and by the end of the year she was already a cover-girl, gracing the pages of Vogue.

The editorial that the photographs come from is called 'Fashions For A Man's Eye' and has models posing in some of Vogue's favourite recent frocks for the benefit of a panel of men who give their thoughts. It's all quite amusing really and is a concept still used in magazines today.

As the point of this issue is 'Will a man like them?' we went to four acidulous young columnists, who were part of the male rebellion against the new-born new look a year and a half ago; showed them the dresses, invited them to say exactly what they wanted to about them, pro or con.

You might like to know that the judge for Jean's first dress said men embarrass easily. This dress isn't embarrassing.
And for the second dress the male critic said I like halter-tops. They show off a good back.

When it comes to men, it seems not too much has changed. All the men declared that they detested ballet flats! (Lucky we don't care what they think).

The advertisements in this issue are just as exciting to pore over as the fashion editorials. I think my favourite frock is the gorgeous Patullo - Jo Copeland for the opening of the Opera ... for a brilliant ball. Patullo - Copeland was a shared ready-to-wear label designed by Jospehine Copeland, based in New York, that existed from the 20s through to the 60s. You can read more about her over at the Vintage Fashion Guild.

Interestingly her daughter, the novelist Lois Gould, wrote a memoir in the 1990s about her mother, from a child's perspective. Called Mommy Dressing I'm sure it would provide a fascinating insight into the world of early American high fashion.

Muse

2011-10-30T21:44:00.005+11:00

I've been meaning to do a post on my favourite models throughout the decades and once I get around to it the lovely Arizona Muse would be my pick of the current crop of working models. Her beauty reminds me of the great supermodel era of the late 80s and early 90s, like a cross between Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. I love her thick brows and wide smile and small oval shaped face which photographs with such versatility. And that bob gives me hair envy.
The photo above, from the November issue of US Vogue, was taken by David Sims and styled by Grace Coddington. You can see more of the editorial here, but this is by far my favourite shot (the clothes in the rest of the editorial are a bit drab). The rain clouds, the position of both Arizona and the young man with the horse and the drama of that Alexander McQueen gown combine to create a truly arresting image.
Arizona appeared on three different covers for Aussie Vogue back in October & she had a whole Dazed and Confused issue dedicated to her in March. This month she is the cover girl for French Vogue, looking every inch the supermodel and rising star.

More vintage models to come soon, but do you have a favourite from the current runways?

The promotion begins ...

2011-10-26T21:17:00.003+11:00

Michelle Williams has just hit the promotional trail for My Week With Marilyn and the buzz is already building around her performance. She wore a gorgeous Nina Ricci black gown to the Hollywood Film Awards the other night (she won Best Actress) and at the New York premiere of the film she looked ravishing in baby blue Dior.
I believe the film opens in Australia over the Christmas period and I'll definitely be checking it out. I've always had a soft spot for Michelle because Jen Lindley was my favourite character on Dawson's Creek plus she has always reminded me of my dear friend Megan. They both have the same reserved beauty.
Oh, and as demonstrated here, Michelle has great style too.

Sweet Sixteen

2011-10-22T14:40:00.004+11:00

From the November 1948 issue of US Vogue comes this lovely photo shoot with a sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Taylor. Here she demonstrates the current skirt and shirt fashion that the young love for its different-every-time-look. Elizabeth was just about to appear on screen as Amy in Little Women when these photos appeared but she was already famous around the world as Velvet Brown. I do love that plaid skirt and the framing in that first photograph. Lovely.

What I Wore: Bangle Dress

2011-10-17T21:17:00.004+11:00

You read that correctly. This isn't my bandage dress, but actually my bangle dress, which I picked up for a steal on Ebay more than twelve months ago. I love plastic bangles so I couldn't resist a print that contains about a hundred of them. I wore this outfit on Saturday to my friend Stacey's 30Th birthday.

Sunglasses: vintage (from Bondi Markets)
Blouse: vintage (courtesy of Grandma Takes a Trip)
Dress: vintage (Ebay)
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Suebeen

Stop the Press - Love Vintage Fair

2011-10-12T19:46:00.003+11:00

Sydney's bi-annual Love Vintage Fair is on again this weekend and quite frankly I cannot wait. I missed the autumn Fair as I was on author tour and I believe my absence warrants double the effort on my wallets behalf. At the moment our country is stuck in a vicious cycle - lower consumer confidence means lower returns means less stable employment means lower confidence. Perhaps I should do my bit for the economy, and the environment, and purchase a few second hand frocks?
Alas I doubt the husband would concur.
In the meantime I'll see all you Sydney-siders in the wilds of Canterbury this weekend.

London, Paris, Milan

2011-10-09T13:22:00.017+11:00

A picture heavy post to follow of a few of my favourites from the Spring/Summer 2012 collections, starting with the always influential Prada. Inspired by mid-century hot rod culture, Miucci Prada's pieces are always left of centre but never boring. I loved the pleated skirts, bare midriffs and clutches in this collection. And what vintage loving girl isn't partial to a novelty print?

Piccioli and Chiuri's latest ready-to-wear collection from Valentino was beyond dreamy. If I had money to spare and somewhere to wear, I'd be acquiring these frocks, for sure.

There is nothing like colourful clothing to brighten my day and I love the colourfulness and Parisian chicness of Carven.

In London Jonathan Saunders went all retro, providing a wardrobe suitably for a weekend away at Frank Sinatra's Palm Beach House in the 1950s.

Erdem's collection was as blue as blue could be, and in my book, that can only be a good thing.

And Christopher Kane's embellished and appliqued frocks had all the fashion editors sighing with delight.

And my favourite: Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton. Sure, I'm partial to colours that remind me of candy or pills, but the laser cut outs and the experiments with volume make every piece GORGEOUS. A final audition for the Dior gig? if that's the case, having Kate Moss close the show in white ostrich feathers certainly can't harm his chances.

Photos from Style.Com.

Winning Links

2011-10-06T20:08:00.004+11:00

Lucky lady and fellow Aussie blogger Veronica Darling has won the Horrockses Fashion book giveaway. Unlike me Veronica is a whizz on the sewing machine and she blogs all about her brilliant creations. This lady wears almost all homemade, which is about as green as they come. Even if you don't sew though and you just love pretty frocks her blog is well worth following. Hopefully the fab Horrockses designs and prints will give her plenty of creative inspiration.
And speaking of cool blogs, my friend Jessica introduced me to The Hairpin which I now catch up with regularly. You've got to love a site that speaks to intelligent women about some intelligent (and not so intelligent) things. It makes me laugh with loads of aha moments. The other day they uploaded this awesome You Tube clip of a 1950s fashion show of - wait for - swimming caps. Hard to imagine when you watch the Olympics that swimming caps used to be so decorative and fashion forward. I mean, there's even a couple here with in-built fringes! Enjoy.

Crystal channels Rita, Joan, Dovima ...

2011-09-30T22:46:00.003+10:00

I'm becoming more and more convinced that Crystal Renn is one of the most dynamic and versatile models working today and these photos - from a selection from Vogue Germany, photographed by Sebastian Kim - demonstrate why. Every photograph is a wonderful transformation.
Enjoy some pretty for the weekend! It is a long one here in NSW.

Giveaway: Horrockses Fashions

2011-09-27T21:33:00.005+10:00

To celebrate getting over the 200 follower mark (thanks so much to all my lovely readers!) I thought I'd run a giveaway of the divine Horrockses Fashions book from V&A that I've blogged about previously here.
Horrockes was a UK textile producer and fashion label of the 1940s and 50s. This wasn't couture but everyday style, and their fabrics were so spectacular that they were worn from Queen Elizabeth down. For Fabric nuts, this book is an absolute dream.
Below is a pic of me from the other weekend in my very own Horrockes frock, at the top of Barrenjoey Point looking out towards Pittwater and the Pacific Ocean. It's hard to believe, now that the wintry weather has made its drastic reappearance, that it was so deliciously warm only ten days ago.

Okay so if you'd like to win this book, all brand new and in its original plastic wrapping, please leave a comment on this post. For a second chance at winning let me know if you have a favourite designer label from the past. One that isn't around anymore and perhaps you'd like to see resurrected or that you'd like to collect yourself.
And for a third chance, post about this giveaway on your own blog, or you can tweet about it too. Just let me know that you've done so.
I'll draw the winner randomly next Tuesday 4 October.
P.S. The last book giveaway I did the winner received her book but I just realised I promised a book to a runner-up - actually Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote - and I forgot to send it. Bad blogger. Bad book publicist. I'll trawl back through my messages to find her address, but if she's around please message me and I'll get onto it pronto.

Mad Men Rewind

2011-09-25T13:48:00.005+10:00

My friend Liana has finally gotten around to watching Mad Men (and is of course loving it) and after chatting with her about the show I was inspired to watch the 1st season again. There are so many layers to the show and to each of the characters, their hidden dreams and desires, that every time I view an episode, I see something new in it. And, after seeing Janie Bryant's Icons of Style exhibition at Chatswood Chase a couple of weeks ago (where Liana and I saw some of the costumes from the series up close and personal) I marvelled again at the brilliant costumes, so true to the period, and to each of the character's individual worlds.
The lovely 50s style floral dress that Betty wears when we are introduced to her in the second episode of the series was included in the exhibition. With it's wide blue cummerbund, it reminds me a bit of my own wedding dress.
Here are a few of my other favourites from Season 1 ...

Many of Betty's looks in season 1 are still very 1950s in flavour. After all, it is 1960s, and as a housewife in the suburbs, she'd no longer be on the cutting edge of fashion as she would have been working as a model in Manhattan. Having said that, she's always so put together that she's almost doll like, even in her house clothes. This one is one of my favourites of her house dresses.

I love the scene where she shows off some of her old outfits from her modelling days in Italy to Francine. This one is very, very cool and probably would have had Don in paroxysms of anger if she'd try to walk out of the house in it.

And this frock, which serves to show how out of touch Betty is with the modelling world of her past (she's at a casting call and check out the other would be models beside her), is quite simply breathtaking.

Joan wears so many great frocks but this - with it's very 60s op art like print - is my favourite from Season 1. Very arresting.

I love the character of Rachel Menken. She's a successful intelligent woman, ahead of her time, and one of the few characters in Mad Men with a working moral compass. I love her break-up scene with Don where she finally calls him out for being a fraud. You don't want to run away with me, you just want to run away.
As the manager of a high end department store, she's always very well turned out, and I particularly like the gorgeous pink suit with the matching hat she wears to a meeting at Stirling Cooper (are those ostrich feathers maybe?) and the blue nightgown she's wearing when a desperate Don turns up on her doorstep. There is no way I look that glamorous when I'm heading to bed, much to my husband's dismay. In my case it's over sized flannelette's all the way.
Do you have any favourites?

Designer Profile: Jacques Fath

2011-09-20T20:06:00.008+10:00

I was excited to see the other day that actress Jennifer Morrison from House wore a vintage Jacques Fath dress to a film premiere the other day. And then I realised that I've never really blogged about Jacques Fath who, along with Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain, was one of the great French couturiers of the Golden Age. He started his small couture business in 1937 but it soon grew to be a large one after his creations proved so popular. In 1949 he signed an agreement with American manufacturer Joseph Halpert to design two ready-to-wear collections, which was one of the first such licensing deals (something that Dior would go in for in a big way).
Jacques was known for his hourglass designs and his genius with pleats, but alas he died young in 1954. His very chic wife, former model Genevieve Boucher de la Bruyere (see second from last pic) took over the running of the house until 1957, after which time it was closed. The label was reincarnated later as a perfume house, for a time it produced apparel again, and these days it makes luxury leather goods only, which is why the name doesn't have quite the same ring to it as the continuously run couture houses like Chanel and Dior. But Jacques creations were truly wow. Here are just a few examples ...

There is a great clip of a Fath show from 1956 on You Tube. The embedding function has been disabled, but you can check it out here. Oh that final gold evening gown.

Michelle/Marilyn

2011-09-17T10:07:00.007+10:00

Michelle Williams forthcoming film My Week with Marilyn must be opening shortly as she is the October cover star for US Vogue, all dressed up as Marilyn.
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, I do love that they have replicated one of my favourite 'Marilyn reading' shots, but what do you think of the photos? I can see a bit of a resemblance to Marilyn in the photograph of her dancing in the park, but otherwise I don't think that Michelle looks anything like her really. She's a beautiful woman in her own right, but utterly different.
Having said that, while that may matter in a photo-shoot, I don't necessarily think it will matter in the movie. As long as she gets the voice right, the walk right and the heart right, it could be good.
And the interview with Michelle is an interesting read. Check it out here.

But wait, there is more Elizabeth ...

2011-09-11T14:11:00.004+10:00

I've been collecting quite a few old magazines, especially those with interviews and photo-shoots with Elizabeth Taylor. These photos are from the March 1957 edition of Coronet, an American magazine - a bit like a Reader's Digest style mag - from the same people that published Esquire, I think. Calling her 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World' the writer waxes lyrical on that face: 'a strange combination of aloofness and sensuousness, she walks in beauty as few others.'
The photos have been collated from a number of different shoots and the photographers credited are Bob Willoughby (famous for photographing movie stars on set) and Sanford Roth. The last picture I recognise from a shoot with her then husband Michael Wilding, and the cute picture of her winking is from the set of Raintree Country (an imperfect film that is nonetheless worth seeing if you are at all a fan of Elizabeth and Montgomery Clift. Elizabeth's performance in particular is excellent).

I'll also try and scan another great story from the magazine for you, about teenagers hanging out in 'milk bars' all Happy Days style. And this really was the 1950s, not the 1970s pretending to be the 1950s. Also quite cool is an advertisement for the Relax-a-cizor, a weight-loss machine so brilliantly parodied in the last couple of episodes of Season 1 of Mad Men.

Book Love of Late

2011-09-07T21:58:00.022+10:00

I finally got around to reading Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger's account of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's relationship Furious Love (HarperCollins). Written with Elizabeth's permission and containing many of Burton's love letters to Elizabeth for the first time (they are legion, poetic, epic) - this book is a seriously guilty pleasure. Most biographies of Elizabeth devote a chapter to each of her husbands and perhaps two to her most beloved Richard, so it is wonderful to read an entire books worth of sex, gossip, legendary fights, films (some brilliant, others campy), jewels and jet setting. The book gives background on Richard's impoverished and rather unusual earlier life and is perceptive about his insecurities and his demons. And of course, Elizabeth was not without her own demons. One wonders if their love would have developed differently had they met today, and also what would have happened to their relationship had Richard not passed away so young.

If you love the movies, if you love Elizabeth, if you love Richard and if you love love, then get your hands on this book, the perfect beach read.

And now for a few other books I've read of late and loved.
Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad (Corsair) so wowed me that I think I've recommended it to about five friends and even bought a copy for my mate Emma. Each chapter is like it's own contained short story, but all are linked by a group of characters, most of whom are related through music. It's experimental but the characters are authentic and their situations searingly honest in their evocation of human foibles and the vagaries of lust and love. I'm going back now to devour Egan's earlier books.

My friend Sassica introduced me to this accomplished debut When God Was a Rabbit (Headline) from English actress turned author Sarah Winman. It beautifully evokes an eccentric British childhood, first friendship and sibling love.

I was blown away by Hollinghurst's The Line of Beauty so I was beside myself to read The Stranger's Child (Picador). For me it didn't quite move me in the same way, but it sill kept me entertained and thoughtful. Spanning almost a whole century, the book is all about writing biography. Who do our stories belong to? And Hollinghurst writes so brilliantly about that English upper-class milieu.

I've read all of Ann Patchett's books and although I was initially sceptical about the whole 'New World girl goes to the Amazon' plot of State of Wonder (Bloomsbury) it really works here for me. A special writer and a special book (and she's currently in Australia too, for the Brisbane Writers' Festival).

And Skippy Dies (Penguin), set in an Irish boarding school, is one of the funniest books I've read in my life. I actually had to keep reading aloud passages to the husband it was so entertaining. But don't be deceived if you do decide to pick it up - and you should - because it is also a dark commentary on modern life, and a reminder of how tough it is to be a teenager.

Red-Carpet Prints

2011-09-03T09:09:00.007+10:00

Sarah Jessica Parker has been on the campaign trail for her new film I Don't Know How She Does It proving that despite saying 'I don't think about fashion all day long' in US Vogue recently (and I hope no-one does really, except the people that actually create it ... although wasn't SJP one of them for a while?), she is still one of the best dressed actresses out there. Both these print dresses are Prabal Gurung.

And backing up SJP's assertion that prints are so hot right now (and always will be in my opinion) Keira Knightley was spectacular in Mary Katranzou at a photo-call.

She also looked spectacular in Valentino Couture for the premiere of her new film Dangerous Method which looks very intriguing by the way. David Cronenberg directs, Viggo Mortensen plays Freud, Michael Fassbender plays his protege Carol Jung and Keira is the patient Carl has an affair with. Check out the trailer.

Bikini Lust

2011-08-29T20:19:00.002+10:00

Sydney has had some beautiful weather over the last week. It well and truly looks, smells and tastes like spring. But as much as I love this season summer is what I well and truly crave and what I want is a bikini just like one of these.
This photograph - 1958, Cannes - is from famous American celebrity photographer Slim Aarons. He loved photos of beautiful people lounging by the sea or the pool. There is even a whole book - Poolside with Slim Aarons - devoted to such summery shots.
As Liz Lemon would say, I want to go to there.

Transformers

2011-08-26T20:18:00.006+10:00

I'm enamoured of this editorial from the September issue of W Magazine, shot by Steven Meisel and styled by Edward Enninful. The models have been styled in barely there make-up as 'themselves' in clothes that they'd be comfortable wearing in their day to day lives. Then their entire looks have been completely transformed to help them channel style icons from the past including Gala Dali, Babe Paley, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland and Dovima. This editorial, entitled 'Transformers' is as good a demonstration as any of the transforming powers of fashion and the art form that is getting dressed. Love.

A Bit of Winter, A Bit of Spring

2011-08-22T20:00:00.010+10:00

Here's one of the outfits I've been living in this winter, sans the usual stockings and boots. I mentioned this vintage skirt before when I first picked it up from Twig Vintage on Etsy. It matches perfectly with the cropped periwinkle blue jumper I bought from John Macarthur at Purl Harbour in Bondi. There are some things I really miss about not living in Bondi anymore, and John's shop is one of them; he really does create the most divine knits, worth the investment. Plus this particular jumper I had imagined in my own mind before I event met it, and so when I did I was ecstatic. There are lots of over sized knits doing the rounds this winter but, for outside of the house wear, I much prefer something that doesn't disguise the waist.
In a nod to spring, which I'm willing on with all my might, yesterday I decided to pair this outfit with my new aqua blue Gorman clogs. Gorman always has some interesting pieces and I love the label's experiments with colour. How cute is this spotty outfit from their new Spring collection? Perfect with flats for a chic weekend away.

Late 60s Goldie

2011-08-18T15:26:00.007+10:00

The other night I watched Goldie Hawn's first starring movie role in 1969's Cactus Flower, co-starring Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman. Goldie won an Academy Award for her turn as the ingenue Toni Simmons who attempts suicide in the opening scene. It's interesting that her daughter Kate Hudson's breakout role in Almost Famous wasn't dissimilar.

It's quite funny watching comedies from this flower power era as some of them are so self-consciously groovy. The scene where Goldie and Ingrid are dancing in the nightclub is hilarious. Having said that, this is a really cute film, with great performances by the three main leads. And Goldie looks as cute as a button. The costume designer on the film was Moss Mabry, who was also responsible for Barbra Streisand's gorgeous looks in The Way We Were. Goldie wears lots of block colours, super mini mini skirts and long gold beads in a nod to hippie culture. There's a fabulous scene where Walter and Goldie are in the Guggenheim and Goldie is wearing a gorgeous navy suit with a red scarf. Love it.

And here's the original trailer.

Louise Dahl-Wolfe

2011-08-13T15:57:00.004+10:00

All those old Harper's Bazaar covers got me thinking about the photographs of the immensely influential Louise Dahl-Wolfe. One of my favourites Louise was a staff fashion photographer for US Harper's Bazaar from the late 30s to the late 50s. Here are a couple of eher arlier shots that are both tremendously evocative and thoroughly modern. And both those dresses are to die for.

Skorver1 has a great set of Louise's photographs on her Flickr page. Worth checking out.

Vintage Covers

2011-08-07T18:44:00.014+10:00

It's a lazy Sunday night of TV ahead of my last week at Pan Macmillan, and my last author tour for them. What a better way to wile away some time than a trip down magazine cover lane. I'm loving these Harper's Bazaar covers from the 40s, 50s and 60s. I'm intrigued by covers where the model is facing away from the camera, they are playing with props or even when there is no model at all. The cover at the top is all about that glamorous earring. And there are so many gorgeous ways to photograph hats.
The covers of the 70s and early to mid 80s became very commercial and samey, until picking up again in the supermodel era of the late 80s. I might revisit those next, but in the meantime how cute does Audrey look in top to toe floral?

Frock of the Week: Floral 50s

2011-07-29T20:56:00.003+10:00

I thought Dita's lovely turn this week in this 1950s floral cocktail frock deserved a revisit of my Frock of the Week posts. Love the green and gold sash. I say more sashes on dresses. More, more.
This also gave me an excuse to post this more modern dress - Alexis Mabille 2010 Haute Couture - that Dita wore during the Couture Fashion Week in Paris recently. The details on this dress had me in raptures. It is a little bit Belle Epoque, a little bit 1940s, and a whole lot of gorgeous.

Mildred Pierce

2011-07-29T19:58:00.012+10:00

Jumping back a decade to the 1930s, director Todd Haynes remake of Mildred Pierce is currently playing on Showtime on Foxtel. Unfortunately I don't have Pay TV, so I'm going to have to go the DVD route. Not only do the costumes look divine, but I'm a sucker for a good melodrama (please see earlier posts about Douglas Sirk films and Todd Hayne homages i.e. Far From Heaven).

The costume designer on Mildred Pierce was Ann Roth, responsible for other period films like Evening, The Hours, The Talented Mr Ripley, Cold Mountain (loved that book) and The English Patient (loved that book and that movie). You can read an insightful interview with her at the LA Times here.
My favourite quote? 'Costuming is not fashion ... we're not doing a Vogue spread ... it was the way people dressed.'

Has anyone out there - overseas perhaps - watched the mini-series already? Thoughts?

Miu Miu Magnificent

2011-07-21T21:15:00.015+10:00

While I gazed adoringly at the the dress Kate Moss wears on the July cover of UK Vogue, I remembered that fashion is having a 1940s moment and, of course, one of the key arbiters of style - Miuccia Prada - is one of those responsible, with her recent A/W collection for Miu Miu.
A sophisticated collection of mostly very wearable clothes, I love the contrast of those ultra modern sparkly shoes with bare legs and wide shoulders. With swing skirts, hip swags, fierce shoulders and hemlines hitting mid calf, some of the key elements of 1940s fashion are all here. Throw swallow, daisy and lily of the valley prints into the mix, and I'm squealing with delight.

You can check out some genuine 1940s details on these two gorgeous frocks from the era, courtesy of Shrimpton Couture. The shoulders on the I Magnin evening dress are beautiful and the swag on that liquid gold like party dress is very special indeed.

I might be having a 1940s moment myself.

Runway pics courtesy of Style.Com.

Hollywood Postcards

2011-07-16T14:20:00.007+10:00

Movie star postcards were popular from the 30s through to the 60s and occasionally I like to take a peruse through the fabulous Flickr page and blog of Dutch collectors Truss, Bob & Jan too!. I especially love the coloured cards such as the ones I've chosen here.
It is definitely worth checking out their blog for some of the lesser known European stars and lots of movie trivia too.

Love that picture of Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida. Do you reckon the husband and I can replicate it on some hill somewhere? Perhaps minus the apron?

And Claudia Cardinale looks so fresh and modern in hers. I adore that green swimsuit.

Peggy Hunt Love

2011-07-11T21:32:00.006+10:00

I haven't blogged about Peggy Hunt for a while, but ever since I discovered the Californian designer of fancy frocks, my gaze is always drawn to her creations whenever I come across them. So my eyes were thus drawn to this lovely 1940s Peggy Hunt wedding dress over at Posh Girl Vintage. Are there any soon to be brides out there looking for something a little bit different but still a whole lot of lovely out there? I'd love to this on a real life person?

Peggy Hunt started out as a children's wear designer in the 1920s before venturing into women's wear and finding her niche in pretty party frocks. Working on her line until the late 60s, Hunt was known for her use of beautiful lace and appliques, and has been credited as the inventor of the illusion neckline. Her granddaughter actually keeps a Flickr page of images of Peggy Hunt dresses. I took a stroll through some of close ups of her handiwork.

Peggy Hunt's daughter Jeannette Alexander followed in her mother's footsteps and became a designer too. She might warrant a post soon as well.

Celebrity Vintage: Kirsten Dunst

2011-07-04T18:04:00.003+10:00

Kirsten Dunst has really been getting her fashion mojo back again lately. She looked ravishing at the Cannes Film Festival; it was a pity, then, about the movie she was promoting (sorry, not a Lars Von Trier fan).
Anyway, Kirsten stepped out for Wimbledon the other day in this pretty vintage frock paired with gold Louis Vuitton heels. So fresh and summery. Love it.

Pretty Purchases

2011-07-02T19:13:00.007+10:00

I've been a bit slow on the blogging front of late as my days have been consumed with work. I've been travelling a bit, am about to travel some more (I'll be in Melbourne, Brisbane and Noosa this week), and things aren't really going to quieten down until the end of August. Such is life, and I just have to take each day as it comes and look after my health and sanity as best as I can during this busy time.
I have managed to get a bit of online shopping done though as, whilst I'm not loving the global recession, I am enjoying the strong Aussie dollar. Just arrived on my doorstep today is not one, not two, but three new period dramas for me to enjoy (hello Downton Abbey) and two new floral skirts to mix and match with knits for winter, and which are sure to take me into Spring too.
Thanks muchly to TWIGVINTAGE and Becky Drolen.
Do you like?

Shoe Inspiration

2011-06-24T18:58:00.005+10:00

From the new Prada winter campaign. Can someone knocks these off please. And don't forget the buttons!

Movie Magic: Debbie Reynolds Auction

2011-06-19T19:31:00.004+10:00

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while would know that I'm a big fan of old movies. My interest has its genesis in my childhood, as my Aussie grandparents were both big movie buffs, loved 'their' Golden Years of Hollywood, and as a result had amassed a big collection of classics on VHS. Every school holidays - when I wasn't coming up with elaborate games set in the 'olden days' with my cousins, or playing down at the beach - I was watching movies. Some of my favourites were Little Women (with Janet Leigh & Elizabeth Taylor), Pride & Prejudice (with Greer Garson), Gaslight, High Society, Intermezzo, Rebecca, Casablanca, My Fair Lady, anything starring Shirley Temple or directed by Alfred Hitchcock (except Psycho or The Birds ... too scary) and, of course, The Sound of Music and Gone with the Wind.
My Nanny was obsessed with Shirley Temple as a child in the 30s and kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about her. She's also had a lifelong crush on the young Laurence Olivier. My Grandfather has always fancied 1940s songstress Deanna Durbin, who has somewhat faded into obscurity now. I, however, watched an awful lot of her movies when I was young.
So, when I found out that Debbie Reynolds was auctioning off her UNBELIEVABLE collection of movie memorabilia, I had to take a look at the catalogue. The breadth of it filled me with wonderment and sadness. Wonderment at the quality and fame of the items (it is wonderful to see some of the costumes in colour for the first time) and sadness that such an important collection is being broken up. Apparently Debbie intended the collection for a museum, but the project got into financial difficulty, and so she's had to auction off the items to appease creditors.
Here are a few of the costumes included ...

Other costumes include that white Travilla dress that Marilyn wore in The Seven Year Itch as well as the red sequin dress she wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Dorothy's ruby red slippers.

And it wasn't just costumes up for grabs; there was movie posters, stills, props, scripts & contracts, paintings & illustrations, and even cars. You can tell that Debbie was someone that really loved her industry.

The first part of the auction happened yesterday and the Cecil Beaton designer Ascot dress from My Fair Lady fetched a staggering US$ 3.7 million. Judy Garland's Dorothy dress and red slippers were worth US$ 1.7 million and, wait for it, Marilyn's iconic white dress was snapped up for a cool US$ 4.6 million.

When I saw Andrew O'Hagan speak a few months ago, he thought that Marilyn Monroe has now superseded Joan of Arc as the most famous woman in the world. This latest auction result goes some way to proving his theory. Discuss?

PS Speaking of old movies, I recently watch The Best Years of Our Lives for the first time, and highly recommend it. A brilliant film, in any decade, it also stars my Mum and my current retro crush, Dana Andrews. He is also very sexy in Laura. Check him out.

Grace inspired by the 1940s

2011-06-17T22:31:00.007+10:00

Making me wish that I had never sold the violet faux fur jacket that I had for many years, this moody editorial is from the July issue of US Vogue. Shot by Peter Lindbergh, styled by Grace Coddington, and featuring Lara Stone (with eyebrows!) and the yummy Alexander Skarsgard, the looks featured here all have a 1940s flavour. I absolutely adore that Miu Miu dress with the embroidered swallows.

Frock of the Week: Teen Dream

2011-06-13T17:49:00.005+10:00

13-year-old Elle Fanning looked so pretty in vintage at the premiere for her new film Super 8 the other day. The look is very sparkly Virgin Suicides and I love the Chloe wedges she (or her stylist) paired with the dress. The outfit is quite fitting as Super 8 is set in the 70s. I saw the preview the other day and thought it looked reminiscent of ET. Has anyone seen it yet?

Elle is doing a great job of dressing her age and being uniquely stylish too. I loved the cute Dolce & Gabbana play suit that she wore to the MTV Movie Awards too. Pretty in pink with an on-trend skinny belt to match? Just lovely.

Pics like this kind of make me wish I had a daughter so that I could shop for her (not a good reason to have said daughter, I know).

Oh well, maybe one day.

Bringing the 30s Back

2011-06-08T21:06:00.013+10:00

The film Water for Elephants is inspiring fashion editors and viewers everywhere with it's lovely 1930s costumes. I saw the film over the weekend with my friends Helen and Emma and while the film had its issues (for me), I still found it really entertaining and oh so very pretty. Costume designer Jacqueline West fitted Reese out in gorgeous separates for day-wear (love that scarf), slinky bias cut gowns (which were worn sans underwear in the 30s) for evening, and sparkly, revealing costumes for the big top scenes. I loved the art direction too; the big top scenes were fantastic.
And yummy Rob Pattinson looks great in a vest, and vintage undies, and a tuxedo, and braces ...
Okay, okay, he looks good in anything at all.

The 1930s may have been a time of economic woe, but the high fashions of the time were all about sleek glamour. For example, here are a few gorgeous & genuine 1930s frocks that Dorothea's Closet uploaded to the site this week. Lovely, huh?

A Midi Can Be Mightly Lovely

2011-06-01T20:46:00.011+10:00

I like the floor skimming maxi skirts that are back in vogue right now, but unfortunately I'm not the right height to wear them. I can, however, wear a knee to calf grazing midi skirt and this pic of Keira Knightley strolling around LA with her boyfriend had me wanting to pull out all of mine and pair them with a crisp white shirt. There's something eternally chic about a fulsome skirt in a bright colour or vibrant print cinched with a belt and paired with a tight top. Dovima and Ava Gardner (in Mogambo) demonstrate how to work the look in summer with a sleek halterneck or off-the-shoulder top. A cropped knit works well for winter.

As an aside I watched Mogambo recently and Ava was absolutely mesmerising in it. She lit up the screen as the cheeky girl with a heart of gold and her beauty was breathtaking. The scenery was great too, but those two elements were the best part of the film. I found Clark Gable and Grace Kelly's romance kind of lacklustre, which is funny considering that they were having a real-life affair while filming.

Photo credits BD/Flynetpictures & Conde Nast Archive/CORBIS.

Designer Profile: Philip Hulitar

2011-05-27T21:19:00.028+10:00

I saw this gorgeous cocktail frock pop up for sale over at Shrimpton Couture (some wise lady has already snapped it up) and it reminded me that I had intended on profiling Greek/American designer Philip Hulitar for quite some time. I don't think I've stumbled upon a piece of his that I haven't fallen a little bit in love with, and I think the proof here is in the hip swag and the blossoms (some of which have been appliqued onto the fabric).

According to the Vintage Fashion Guild Philip Hulitar was the custom designer of evening, wedding and maternity attire for Bergdorf Goodman from 1935. In 1949 he launched his own label and he was known for his sophisticated but sexy designs, which are highly collectible now. In 1964 he retired from fashion but still led a very public and full life as a building preservationist and patron of the arts. He passed away in 1992 and you can read more about him over at this New York Times obituary here.
I love his designs because they are pretty and colourful and glamorous without being too girly or frou frou. I think people should wear what they feel comfortable in regardless of age (except jeggings, which should NEVER be worn, EVER), but as I get older, I have noticed that my tastes change and that I don't feel comfortable in some of the particularly cutesy items that used to appeal.
I would desire, however, to wear any and all of these Philip Hulitar dresses.

This cocktail dress from Posh Girl Vintage has been sold to a lucky princess. I love the appliqued leaves and that pinky shade of mauve on the bodice.

And if I sold my car I might be able to buy these three frocks right now.
You can check them out for yourself over at Enoki World, Vintage Textile and Torso Vintages.

And speaking of Jackie ...

2011-05-25T21:03:00.004+10:00

I thought I'd share my favourite photo of Jackie's glamorous younger sister Lee Radizwell. Sure, her wide-brimmed hat is lovely, but that cute pug on her lap is definitely her best accessory. She reminds me a bit of my own pug Elsie when she was younger (and before she had to have plastic surgery, poor baby). Look how happy she seems to be cuddling her gorgeous friend. The companionship of dogs really is one of life's great joys.
And my verdict on the Kennedy series so far? While it's not breaking any new ground, I'm finding it very entertaining. Katie Holmes is better than I thought she'd be, and she looks quite like Jackie. Greg Kinnear's similarity to JFK is quite eerie.

Did anyone else watch the first episode?

Jackie

2011-05-22T20:27:00.018+10:00

I've just switched on the television to watch the new Kennedy mini-series with Greg Kinnear as Jack and Katie Holmes as Jackie. I've heard that Katie's performance isn't great, but that many of the other performances are good, and the styling is spot on. Wait to hear my thoughts, but in the meantime I thought it was as good a day as any to blog a few Jackie pics. What a life, hey?

Frocks That People Wore in Cannes That I Liked

2011-05-20T21:45:00.051+10:00

Zoe Saldana in Armani Prive; Le Seydoux in Louis Vuitton; Sarah-Jessica Parker in Elie Saab; Milla Jovovich in custom-made Prada; Alexa Chung in vintage 60s Balenciaga; Fan Bing Bing in Oscar de la Renta and a custom-made evening gown from her own stylist (stunning!). What were some of your favourites from the Film Festival?

Wishing Winter Away

2011-05-14T11:41:00.009+10:00

Saturday nights are for friends but Friday nights are for me. I must be getting old. I was so exhausted last night that all I wanted to do was lie on the couch and look at pretty things, so I picked up the June issue of UK Vogue and gazed upon a season that now feels completely alien to me. As of about three weeks ago, it well and truly became scarf and coat weather here in Sydney.
Regular readers will know that I'm not a winter girl. I should be excited about wool coats and funky stockings and finding that perfect pair of boots, but instead I long for that feeling of warm air hitting bare skin. I love looking chic in just a swimsuit and sandals. I covet cotton dresses all year round. This gorgeous shoot from Josh Olins, featuring Brazilian model Raquel Zimmerman, really appeals. I love the colours of the shoes and clothes and the bright pink lippy against her deep tan. And I especially love the one-shouldered red DKNY swimsuit in the first shot. It reminds me of this vintage Bill Blass number from Posh Vintage which I've long lusted after.

Splendor in the Grass

2011-05-10T06:44:00.017+10:00

No I'm not talking about the music festival or even the Wordsworth poem that this phrase was taken from, but rather the 1961 Elia Kazan film. I re watched it the other night after an absence of many years and while the heavy handedness of its message does date the film, it is still totally watchable, not least because of Natalie Wood's lovely performance as the heartbroken Deanie Loomis. Splendor in the Grass was also Warren Beatty's first film and while he does look very handsome, Natalie is positively luminous. Here are a few publicity shots from around that era - West Side Story was released in that same year - for you to enjoy.

The film has a great ending, where Deanie and Bud meet up again. Set in the late 1920s and early 30s, around the time of the stock market crash, I love Natalie in this white dress and hat. The perfect outfit to see that first love that dumped you again.

Planning For My Winter Wardrobe

2011-05-08T19:17:00.006+10:00

I put my new winter coat on lay-by today (a beautiful shade of crimson) and now that the cold weather has hit Sydney with sudden and full force, I'm thinking about my wardrobe for the next three months. I need knit dresses, but I also crave comfy cable knit jumpers as per the one worn above by Tina from Violetville Vintage. What do people think of a cable knit jumper paired with a cute floral skirt (thanks Astaire Steps Vintage in Bendigo) and opaque tights? I think I may be onto something here.

Hooray for the Met Ball!

2011-05-04T20:22:00.033+10:00

Hooray indeed as some seriously dramatic frocks finally hit the red-carpet this year. It is almost silly how excited I get about the Costume Institute Met Ball.
It's been an Alexander McQueen kind of week as the ball this year was ties to a Lee McQueen retrospective. This followed a frenzy over a certain Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen wedding dress that someone may have donned last Friday (if you are remotely interested in my two cents worth, I thought it was a beautiful if relatively unexciting choice. Tom and Lorenzo have an interesting take over here.)
Meanwhile, here are my favourites rom the fashions night of nights.

Edgy: Saoirse Ronan in Rodarte is brave and beautiful.

Vintage: Nicole Richie looked gorgeous in a classic 1930s bias cut down while Ashley Olsen had me coveting voluminous sleeves in vintage Christian Dior.

One-of-a-kind glamour: Natalia Vodianova in Valentino haute couture (die) and Michelle Williams in a custom-made Miu Miu gown covered in bronze swallows. Michelle's hair and make-up are divine too. She may just be my favourite of the night.

Elegant sexiness: Emma Stone in Lanvin and Diane Kruger in Jason Wu. They both look immaculate from head-to-toe.

Bringing the pretty: Dakota Fanning in Valentino. When you are 17 you should be wearing dresses like this. I have a feeling some people might not like this, but I'm forever partial to floral appliques and tulle. It was very fairy princess ... in a garden.

Bringing the drama: Crystal Renn and Christina Ricci both delighted me in dark and deeply dramatic gowns courtesy of Zac Posen. It's these kind of Met moments I so look forward to.

And finally, SJP and Salma Hayek (who was one of the event hosts) saw fit to honour the late Lee McQueen. I thought that more guests would've mined the archives, but there is no doubt these two ladies did his genius proud.

Now bring on the red-carpets at Cannes I say.

Housekeeping

2011-04-30T17:23:00.003+10:00

The lovely Leah from Couture Arabesque has just posted an interview with me about Digs Frocks and Books. You can read it here. Check out her blog for gorgeous vintage finds and the best in recent fashions.
In other housekeeping news I've finally joined Twitter. You can follow me here.

Winter 1963: Jean Shrimpton

2011-04-30T16:46:00.010+10:00

At the Sydney Antiques and Collectibles Fair a few weeks ago I picked up this amazing scrapbook - one amongst a collection of many - that some devoted follower of fashion collated back in the 60s. The one that I eventually decided to purchase (because I couldn't justify buying all of them) was labeled 'Winter 1963'. Each image is either advertising or editorial, obviously from the best fashion magazines, and the very creative collector compiled them as though they were a catalogue. 'Winter 1963' starts out with fur, then heads into coats, followed by evening wear, accessories and then sleepwear and lingerie. I love, love, love it.
There are so many gorgeous images to scan for you but in the meantime here are just a few of the ones that feature the hottest model of the early 60s, Jean Shrimpton.
Oh, and I just found out that apparently a film is being made about Jean's love affair with David Bailey. I'll definitely be looking out for that one although one does wonder what the fiercely private 'Shrimp' would think about it all.

Is it just me, or is this Verushka in the pink?

Dita's Off-Duty Style

2011-04-21T16:07:00.008+10:00

Dita favours Elie Saab and Christian Dior couture for her red-carpet appearances but I think it is in her everday style where her real personality shines through. Can you have an 'everday' style when your job is to be stylish every single day? Perhap not. I have noticed, however, that she is either looking particularly cute of late, or getting papped a lot.
She shopped at an LA flea market in vintage and she embraced colour, and all purpose wedges, for the Coachella Music Festival. Pairing one of Dior's South Pacific inspired dresses with a sailors cap provides a lovely finishing touch and suddenly I"m flooded with memories of my own sailors cap that I wore obsessively for months on end when I was 11.
PS Her boyfriend is a little bit handsome. Lucky lady.

All I Want for Winter ...

2011-04-17T19:24:00.007+10:00

Besides good health for me and my loved ones, some time and space to write and blog and *hopefully* a few successful author tours under my belt is a new wool coat (preferably camel), some ankle boots, and that perfect pair of pants that will work on weekends as well as at work. I'm quite taken with both of these from Arnsdorf's new A/W collection. What do you think?

Off to Melbourne tomorrow so fingers crossed I can squeeze in a trip to Alice Euphemia, one of my favourite locations for Aussie designers. I bought my last pair of Arnsdorf jeans there. Oh, and when I was in Brisbane last week I discovered a new vintage store in Fortitude Valley, right opposite my hotel. It is called The Purple Bedroom and the owner helped me discover a gorgeous pencil skirt in that exact same hue of blue seen on the pants above. It is definitely worth checking out her lovely little store.

Autumn Loves Vintage

2011-04-15T20:19:00.002+10:00

I've been remiss in my blogging of late as I seem to be working every waking moment. When I do get some spare time I spend it staring listlessly at the television or trying to get some physical exercise so that I feel a little bit like a human being. This is why it is so important that every hotel I stay in has a fabulous lap pool (the one at The Olsen in Melbourne is particularly lovely). Please read this and take it into consideration decision making work people. Anyway, I've been travelling a lot, and tomorrow I'll be travelling again, and meantime I may just miss this seasons Love Vintage Fair at Canterbury Racecourse. But that doesn't mean that you should. If you are in Sydney this weekend, get yourself to thee Fair. I challenge you not to be tempted by something timelessly lovely.

PS I did manage a trip to the monthly Sydney Collectibles, Vintage & Antique Fair in Wentworth Park recently and picked up a few interesting pieces. More on those later.

Cate's New Collaboration

2011-04-08T22:21:00.005+10:00

Cate has been photographed in Aussie label Romance Was Born for the May issue of Harper's Bazaar. I love what Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett do with their label; it might not always be practical, but their creations are never anything but mindblowingly original and gorgeously colourful. Cate has announced that Romance Was Born will be creating costumes for a new Sydney Theatre Company production, Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness. You can read more about it here. I'm hoping that this frock is a sign of things to come, for both the play and the label, because, is it just me, or do the floral appliques on the bodice resemble the ones found on raffia bags and purses from the 1960s? And the skirt appears to be made of rosettes. My Cate looks lovely indeed.

Dress Crush

2011-04-03T18:28:00.006+10:00

I spotted this 1940s Sally Milgrim dress over at Timeless Vixen Vintage and instantly fell in love. How beautiful are the appliques on the bodice and the bottom of the skirt? How divine is the big bow at the back? This lovely dress would suit a garden party wedding I think. I just love knowing that pieces this lovely are in existence, whether they ever make their way to my wardrobe or not.

Sally Milgrim had a famous dress shop on the corner of 57Th and Fifth Avenue in New York for many years. She made clothes for many of New York's well-to-do ladies + celebrities too. She famously made the dress that Eleanor Roosevelt wore when her husband was inaugurated as President.

A Bevy of Books

2011-04-01T21:06:00.013+11:00

It has been a while since I've done a 'what I've been reading lately post'. Most of these books I've read in the last few months, although in the case of Freedom (Fourth Estate), I actually read it last July in proof form (thanks Jane!) whilst on holiday in Fiji, and now rather belatedly I'm joining the chorus of readers espousing the virtues of this book. Franzen's novels might only come around once a decade, but they are quite seriously literary crack. I've had nine months to ruminate on the fact that I enjoyed Freedom even more than The Corrections and I think that was because I found it more hopeful. Despite 9/11, despite the GFC, despite the tragic/comic events that befall Patty and Walter, this book has a lot of heart. It is both hilariously funny - I actually had to read some parts aloud to hubby - and moving. It is ambitious in scope and unflinchingly honest; it reads as though it was written without any pretension or fear. Fingers crossed novel number three isn't another nine years away. Oh, and it was great conversation fodder at my office for a few months. There was a lot of hype about this originally self-published book, Anthropology of an American Girl (Allen & Unwin) by a young American writer. After some success it was picked up by a mainstream publisher, edited somewhat, and released to the wider trade. I started it on a Sydney-Perth flight and couldn't put it down. It probably could have done with some further cuts, but one reviewer called this book 'literary crack' (which is what I called Freedom when I was reading it) and it isn't hard to see why. Set on New York's Long Island in the eighties, the book follows the romantic adventures of a young heroine, Eveline, from high-school into college. The plot sounds kind of generic but the execution is entirely original. Some of the language lapses into pretension, but some of the passages are truly inspired, and the picture of first love that Thayer Hamann creates is scarily authentic. Remember when you were so in love that you thought you might die? My main frustration with this book, apart from some of the too flowery language, was that Eveline is not an entirely sympathetic character. Of course she doesn't have to be, that's just the way the author imagined her into existence, but I did find myself occasionally wanting to throw the book at my tiny (plane) window because of her passivity. Eveline just kept letting bad stuff, and bad men, happen to her. Having said that I thought the young male characters in this book were some of the best developed and truest I had read in a long time. The author 'got' the bravado and competitive nature of young men down pat. And I couldn't stop thinking about this book a long time after I finished it. I'll be very interested to read what Thayer Hamann does next.

Ever since I read Brooklyn I've been completely in love with Colm Toibin's writing, not to mention the fact that he is absolutely adorable. I went back in time and read his novel based on the later life of Henry James, The Master. I lent it to my Mum afterwards and we both agree that it is an almost perfect book. I'm serious when I say reading his prose is a bit like listening to The Beatles White Album or gazing at one of Van Gogh's later paintings; the beauty of it warms your soul. I also read Toibin's latest collection of short stories The Empty Family (Picador), which had me weeping on a plane. I can't gush enough about how much I love Toibin's writing. The Pleasure Seekers (Bloomsbury) is a gorgeous first novel about a blended British/Indian family. In the late 60s Babo heads to London to study and work, and his family are initially horrified when he declares that he is determined to marry his Welsh girlfriend Sian. The book then follows Babo and Sian and their families over the next thirty years or so and the cast of assembled characters are delightful and funny and richly drawn and were very hard to leave when the book finished. I love, love, loved this.

In the book world we call Maggie O'Farrell a literary/mass market cross-over author. In other words, she's hugely popular, and with her expert plotting and sympathetic characters, it isn't hard to work out why. Her latest, The Hand That First Held Mine (Headline) has two separate but interlinked stories; the first follows a young woman, Lexie, and her love affair with an older man in the 1950s London art scene and the second heroine is a present-day young mother and artist, Elina, who is struggling after the traumatising birth of her first child. I got quite teary at the end of this book, which I read in one wonderful weekend.

And now to a book that hasn't come out yet ... The End of Everything (Picador) is being published in the middle of the year, but it has already done the rounds in our publicity and marketing departments. Unanimously my colleagues and I loved it. The author, Megan Abbott, is an award-winning crime writer, but this is a bit of a 'literary' departure for her, but it does contain crime elements. Told from the point-of-view a thirteen-year-old girl whose best friend goes missing one summer, it reads like a cross between Virgin Suicides and The Lovely Bones. It has an almost retro feel to it, even though it is contemporary, or perhaps it is just because it is set in childhood. It is very perceptive about that age when sexual feelings first begin to stir, but in heart and mind you are still a child. The sense of menace Abbott builds is very powerful and it has a great ending too, quite controversial. A good book for reading groups methinks.

In between all the books I read for work (and you can read more about them in this interview with me at The Australian Literature Review) I've also read David Vann's sad but beautiful Legend of a Suicide and Caribou Island (Penguin), Alex Miller's romantic Lovesong (Allen & Unwin), William Boyd's Any Human Heart (which is about to be released as a mini-series with Matthew McFadyen) and his great spy novel Restless (Bloomsbury) and I took a trip down memory lane recently and revisited Gone With the Wind, which I hadn't read since I was 15!

At the moment I'm thoroughly engrossed in Julie Orringer's The Invisible Bridge (Penguin) which is a historical romantic saga that reminds me a bit of Doctor Zhivago. For a first time novel from a young American writer it is pretty darn impressive, and its a real page-turner as well. In fact I might get back to it right now, but meanwhile I'm happy to take recommendations for other books. I find personal recommendations are still the best way to discover new books and authors, particularly as I await patiently for Jeffrey Eugendies new book The Marriage Plot (Fourth Estate) to hit shelves later this year. Squeal, squeal! I've already been promised an early proof.

Off Duty Elizabeth

2011-03-27T17:21:00.009+11:00

Everyone remembers Elizabeth in that tight white swimsuit in Suddenly Last Summer, the tulle prom dress in A Place in the Sun or the sexy slip in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but she was as equally as noteworthy in her off-duty style, which encompassed everything from the New Look of the fifties to the ethnic inspired looks of the seventies and onto the over-the-top ultra glitzy looks of the eighties (as befitted a star of her brightness). Elizabeth looked particularly ravishing in yellow (which she chose for her first wedding to Richard Burton and her 2 million wedding to Larry Fortensky) and she gave great resort wear as well as great glittery jewels. Enjoy!

The Last Movie Star

2011-03-24T22:51:00.004+11:00

My regular readers will know that I am a huge Elizabeth Taylor fan. I've consumed a tonne of her movies, have read everything I can get my hands on about her and her life, and I've admired her ability to overcome obstacles such as grief and ill health to carve out a phenomenal career on the screen and stage, and in her charity work too. When Rock Hudson's battle with AIDS first became public he was actually kicked out of a French hospital; tragically that was the kind of stigma the disease carried then. Elizabeth's work in this arena was fundamental to changing the public perception of the disease + she raised tremendous sums of money for research.

She was a true movie star in a way that will probably never be seen again. Celebrity just ain't what it used to be and I was shocked and saddened this morning to wake up and hear about her death.

In all the reporting of her dramatic life, we shouldn't forget her legacy in film. From here on in I'll let another recently passed Hollywood legend do the talking ...

Book Review: Movie Star Style

2011-03-21T19:54:00.005+11:00

I mentioned that I was lucky enough at Christmas time to receive a copy of Edith Head: The Fifty Year Career of Hollywood's Greatest Costume Designer. I had read the book cover-to-cover by New Years Eve and now I dip in an out of it occasionally and most particularly when I'm watching an Edith Head credited film.
The book provides a fascinating insight into a truly accomplished woman and the photos and illustrations are to die for. I love old movies (well, the good ones), and as well as a snapshot of fashion history there is loads of Hollywood gossip and movie trivia contained within the glossy pages.
Edith started out at Paramount in the 20s when women rarely received a credit on any film unless they were starring in it. After assisting designers like Travis Banton and Howard Greer, it was Edith's costumes for Mae West in the early 30s really took her career to the next level, and she went on to mould the look of many famous stars including Dorothy Lamour, Barbara Stanwyck, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Natalie Wood. In those days, before personal stylists and fast fashion, Hollywood stars often turned to studio costumiers for their civilian wardrobes too.
Edith hit her peak in the 1950s when some of Paramount's most successful films were made and she soon become a household name. She gave regular fashion advice on TV and in print and even, for a while, had a touring show so that movie fans could see some of her most famous frocks up close and personal. The shot above is from one of those shows.
Edith become close with many of the actresses she dressed (she was quoted saying that Grace Kelly was her favourite ever and they were friends) but like most she had a dark side too. Although she was much lauded and won 8 Academy Awards during her career there were, according to author Jay Jorgensen, a number of instances where she took credit for other designers works. Clearly she was fiercely ambitious.

As Edith become more and more successful she did less sketching of her designs herself but these old fashion illustrations were just so divinely pretty, I couldn't not include them. Here are some of Edith's recognisable designs from All About Eve, Harlow, The Great Race, To Catch a Thief and Vertigo.

Edith Head: The Fifty Year Career of Hollywood's Greatest Costume Designer is published by Running Press.

Inspiring Style

2011-03-17T20:34:00.003+11:00

I just noticed this in the March issue of US Vogue: an exhibition has opened at the Phoenix Art Musuem in Arizona celebrating the life and style of Ann Bonfoey Taylor.

The remarkable Taylor, who lived and entertained in high style between Denver and Vail, was one of the first women to earn a pilot's license, played tennis at Wimbeldon, and was a champion shot, a dashing equestrienne, and a member of the US Women's Olympic Ski team.

Sounds like an amazing lady, hey? She was also a model and designer who launched her own range of ski wear in the 1940s. Even though I've never been skiing - I'm allergic to cold weather - I can imagine it isn't easy to look chic covered in snow. LOVE those crazy ski goggles and the pink lippie.

Taylor amassed an amazing collection of high fashion during her lifetime, which was bequeathed to the museum. Below is some Charles James, Balenciaga and Givenchy to drool over.

Here Comes Another Bride

2011-03-15T21:17:00.005+11:00

I enjoyed another wedding this Saturday, this time for my friends Jessica and Pete. 'Tis the season to get married, or at very least the age group, and I thought this celebration felt similar in flavour to my own; they used the same celebrant and caterers that we did and their setting was equally as beautiful as ours, although the historical and architecturally magnificent grounds of an old mental hospital has a bit of a different flavour to a grungy old surf club. The result, however, was that it felt a little bit like experiencing my wedding from the other side, and I've got to say the ride was really fun. I relish any opportunity to dance and dance and dance, especially now that my nightclubbing days are behind me.

I've worn this 1960s shocking pink dress to a number of weddings before but up until Saturday I hadn't had it in rotation for a couple of years (I bought it around four years ago from Inta-Vintage in Narrabeen). I had a couple of other shortlisted dresses but for some reason, as I was getting my hair done earlier that day (thanks Desmond and Molly Jones) I thought about this frock, and when I mentioned it to the hubby he said YES YES YES.
So, it turns out he rather likes this dress.
The skirt is really stiff and I love the frill on the bottom, and I wore a corset with it to try and get the perfect fit. I don't know whether that was wholly successful, but it did prevent me from going overboard on the blue cheese (yes, they served blue cheese!). My shoes are new ones courtesy of Alex Alex and I found a cheap little belt to bring the whole look together.

It seems lots of hip brides are finding their dresses in far flung places now and Jess is no exception. Her wedding dress was from the 1970s via Ebay and she had it altered to modernise it a bit, and for fit. Hopefully, once she's back from her honeymoon, I'll be able to source some better pics. I was having so much fun most of the night, I kind of forgot to take them!

Runway Pretty for the Weekend

2011-03-11T22:48:00.005+11:00

Sarah Burton brought romance and high drama to the catwalk with her latest collection for Alexander McQueen. Some of the gowns were truly breathtaking. The swathes of organza, the white feathers, the bodice that looks like broken vintage china; it is all so elegantly edgy.

Perhaps the rumour that Kate Middleton will be wearing McQueen for her wedding next month isn't so far fetched after all?

Meanwhile isn't all this conjecture about the royal wedding lots of fun?

Autumn Inspiration

2011-03-04T21:15:00.003+11:00

Sometimes inspiration can be found in the most unlikely places. Dolly Parton's knit dresses, tight sweaters, circle skirts and waist cinching belts are pretty darn cute in Nine to Five. Secretary chic? Just maybe.

Something Old, Something New

2011-03-02T20:05:00.011+11:00

The Oscars just ain't what they used to be. Sure, the ceremony has got shorter, the awards are more diverse and my TIVO means I can fast forward through the dull songs, but it seems that actresses these days are too wary of the more mainstream fashion pundits to make a real statement in their dress. Personality is definitely missing and after this year I'm more convinced than ever that the Costume Institute Ball and Cannes are where it is really at for red-carpet fashion.

Having said all that, Anne Hathaway was totally gorgeous in each of her eight costume changes. I think these were my faves: Armani Prive, Givenchy and Vivienne Westwood.

The only person who really blew me away was, unsurprisingly, my aspirational friend Cate B. I remember marvelling at this Givenchy gown when this couture collection was first showcased. Comprised of only ten gowns, each of them is a work-of-art from a truly gifted designer. Riccardo Tisci really is working at the height of his powers and funnily enough this dress was one of my favourites (who doesn't love lavender?). The hours that would have gone into all the intricate beading on this dress boggles the mind and Tisci could not have hoped for a better fashion plate than Cate. She has such a regal air and her hair and make-up were perfection too.

Another star who isn't afraid to take risks is Marisa Tomei. She regularly wears vintage to big events and as I was blown away to see her wearing Charles James, the father of American high fashion. I don't think I've ever seen a real-life human being in this century wearing a James couture gown; usually they are found on mannequins in museums. Marisa sourced her James from Lily et Cie in Los Angeles, which is the same store where Renee Zellweger found her Oscar Jean Desses a decade ago. I've got to admit though that while this dress is AMAZING, I don't think it fits Marisa that well, particularly around the bust. The catch-22 is that it would be sacrilegious to alter a piece of design history like this, so I've got to give Marisa credit for wearing it and thus raising the profile of this oft forgotten great designer in the process. You can read more about him at an old post of mine here.

Imagining The Oscars

2011-02-27T19:45:00.008+11:00

Only one more sleep until the Academy Awards! And what better way to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon when I'm not feeling well than to fantasise about what I would wear if the world went all topsy turvy and I got my own invite to the red-carpet event of the year.
Cate Blanchett is presenting this year Anne Hathaway is hosting and Nicole Kidman, Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman are all nominated for Best Actress, so I've got my fingers crossed for plenty of glamour. I'm sure Dior, Elie Saab and Versace will put in plenty of appearances, but some 1960s shocking pink Oscar de la Renta like the dress above, would make me very happy too.

Over at 1st dibs Stephanie LaCava has selected vintage frocks, jewellery and accessories for the five Best Actress nominees. It is a fun little fantasy, so to continue the trend, here are a few other gowns on the site.

The latest offerings over at Kerry Taylor Auctions includes some mid-century Givenchy, Lanvin-Castillo and Balenciaga. Pretty hard to go wrong with any of these methinks.

And The Frock still has one of the best selections of vintage designer duds I've seen on the web. With my invite in hand I could be pretty in pink in 70s Balenciaga, confounding the fashion critics in Norman Norell, making a nod to one of the grand dames of couture in Madame Gres, rocking classic Hollywood chic in Jacques Fath or swathed in pastels courtesy of Hattie Carnegie. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Meanwhile I'm looking forward to hosting my regular Oscars party at my place tomorrow night where, thanks to TIVO, we can fast forward through the boring bits. Its fun to banter over outfits and winners and losers and favourite films of the year with some of my dearest friends. So far it looks like we are all tipping The King's Speech to be the big winner.

Pink Cotton + Embroidery + The 1960s = the perfect dress for a garden wedding

2011-02-24T20:27:00.006+11:00

Last week on Valentines Day my parents and I were lucky enough to attend the wedding of a very old family friend, and one of the lovely Vintage All Sorts girls who helped organise my wedding. Annette and her husband Ross had just a little less time to turn their day around than me and my hubby did. They were engaged on Christmas Eve and won a wedding on 14 Feb followed by a honeymoon in Vegas, all thanks to a competition run by Las Vegas Tourism (hence the showgirls hovering in the background).
It was a champagne breakfast by Sydney Harbour and the dress code was garden party. What a perfect occasion to wear this baby pink cotton embroidered dress that I picked up in Brisbane last year. In the midst of a busy work day, I managed to sneak a spare half an hour to dash over to the Paddington Antique Centre which houses a number of lovingly tended vintage clothing stalls as well as lots of great antiques too. And they are all live in a 1920s era picture palace!

Here I am with my Dad and I had to include a pic of my Mum too, as she made this lovely floral dress from a Vintage Vogue Pattern. Doesn't she look gorgeous? And isn't she clever?

The groom looked dashing in a Givenchy suit and the bride wore a mod-tastic white lace 1960s shift dress. Her bouffant hair-do was divine and had me green with envy. The only way I could ever get that much volume in my hair is if I wore a wig.

Cleopatra & Liz

2011-02-21T21:47:00.008+11:00

At US$194,800, Elizabeth Taylor's costume budget on Cleopatra was the biggest ever for a single actor, and the designer Renie must have been kept very busy as she had to come up with 64 outfit changes! The costumes, while not necessarily authentic to the period, were lavish and beautiful and set trends in the early 60s. Its not hard to see why they won an Oscar.

The latest issue of US Harper's Bazaar has reality TV star Kim Kardashian trying to replicate Elizabeth's glamorous turn as Cleopatra. I must be getting old as I open the gossip mags these days and I don't know who half the people are, Kim and her sisters included. She's certainly beautiful, but I'm not sure why she is famous?

Anyway, I digress. Not only does Kim actually wear one of the original costumes from Cleopatra, she also engages in a Q&A with the one and only Dame herself. She is all class, as per usual, and she says that, apart from her Cleopatra duds, her favourite frock of all time is the lavender Edith Head gown she wore to the Oscars in 1970.

Dame Elizabeth is currently in hospital struggling with congestive heart failure. I hope she gets better and makes it home to her friends and family and jewels soon. I don't think any other actress could ever look as ravishing draped in genuine gold.

Frock of the Week: Back to Her Best?

2011-02-18T22:03:00.007+11:00

It has been a while since I've done a Frock of the Week post (maybe I should rename it The Occasional Frock?), but there were so many lovely at the Grammy's and BAFTA's this week (hooray for awards season), that I couldn't resist posting my favourite: Nicole Kidman in Jean Paul Gaultier.

Spectacular!

Remember when Nicole, in the late 90s and early noughties, was setting trends on the red-carpet and rarely put a foot wrong? This look harks back to those halcyon Nicole days for me. The woman has a figure made for drama, but lately she's been playing it quite samey and safe. I've got my fingers and toes crossed this is a sign she'll pull something amazing out Oscar night. Couture please?

And now for a little trip down memory lane ...

Nicole married Keith Urban in 2006 and her Balenciaga wedding gown totally brought the drama. I love, love, love this dress (although don't you agree Nicole looks better as a redhead than as a blonde?).

Nicole apparently pocketed $2 million to wear John Galliano for Dior couture throughout the awards season in 1997. The lucky lady was not only rolling in cash, but the alliance seriously upped her profile in the style stakes too. This chartreuse is still remembered as an Oscars fashion highlight 14 years later.

And for some Cinderella out there who has access to more credit than me, I just spied this John Galliano for Dior gown over at 1stDibs. From the same collection methinks? Regardless, it is lovely.

Ten more sleeps til Oscar night!

Style Crush: Charlotte Dellal

2011-02-14T21:28:00.008+11:00

I think I've mentioned before that I have a bit of a style crush on shoe designer Charlotte Dellal. She has a great style pedigree, seeing as she's the daughter of Brazilian model Andrea Dellal, and I love how she always looks quite girly, even when she's wearing a suit or trousers. Her style is a little bit retro, without being too costumey. Charlotte is the February star of British Vogue's 'Today I'm Wearing' blog. There is still another fourteen days of sartorial goodness to go!

Also, her shoes are crazily expensive and crazily high but this doesn't stop me wanting them. I love, love, love these Carmen Miranda-esque heels. Snakeskin rocks, wooden platforms rock, and colour has me drooling.

And for something not quite so statuesque, she did just send out some kitten heels for Peter Som's 2011 Fall/Winter collection at New York Fashion Week. Pic care of the Charlotte Olympic Facebook page, and they are tres cute too.

Happy Holidays

2011-02-08T22:16:00.008+11:00

You might have noticed that I went off the air for a little while recently, and that was because hubby and I ventured up Far North to a little place called Mission Beach. It was the second time we've holidayed there in the last 18 months, and this time we stayed at a divine house called Sejala, which is owned by one of the hubby's clients. It was a real treat, not only because the house was luxurious, the beach and rainforest beautiful, and the Great Barrier Reef was on our doorstep, but also because I got to wear swimsuits everyday! I think on the first day I went swimming about ten times!
Here I'm wearing a 60s cotton bikini I purchased from Fraulein Marlene over on Etsy. I had been longing for a vintage swimsuit for some time, and the cute pattern on this one really caught my eye. I was a bit worried about how it would hold up when actually wet, but it was actually more durable that I thought it would be, though I can see why the invention of lycra was so revolutionary.

And now for something completely urelated to style, here are some holiday snaps ...

A few days after we came home, Mission Beach was devastated when it was hit with the eye of Cyclone Yasi. The hubby is now back up there, helping to put Sejala back together; the beach has disappeared, trees and debris litter every property, and many people in Mission and surrounding areas have completely lost their homes. It is heartbreaking, but it makes me even more determined to visit this special part of Australia again.

If you want to help the victims of the cyclone, you can donate to the QLD Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal here.

The Colour Issue

2011-02-03T21:21:00.005+11:00

I adore colour and so when I saw Aussie Vogue's new 'colour issue' hit the newsstands the other day, I knew I had to grab it. For the lead editorial Vogue travelled to Mexico, the flavour of the shoot dictated somewhat by Prada's lushly eccentric Spring 2011 collection (I love this collection so much). Miucci Prada just keeps setting the trends, doesn't she?

I love the embroidered Prada shift dress in the fourth pic, stylist Meg Gray has used a vintage dress to gorgeous effect in the fifth pic, and the Mulberry silk dress in the last image is to die for. Shot by Nicole Bentley, this pretty pictures give me some idea why everyone I know seems to be coming and going from Mexico at the moment.

Oh, and you know what I lust for most of all from the latest colour-tastic Prada collection? The shoes, oh golly gosh, the shoes. I'd quite like the blue and white pair, thanks.

Red-carpet Vintage Spot

2011-01-31T22:30:00.007+11:00

I always love seeing vintage on the red-carpet. Glee actress Dianna Agron wore vintage Chanel couture to yesterdays Screen Actors Guild Awards. It's a navy lace strapless dress courtesy of Rare Vintage, although I'm not sure what era (although the nineties can be considered vintage now, right?). I love the length of this dress, and it is classic, beautiful, flawless Chanel. I'm not totally loving her hair and her shoes - a bit clunky perhaps - but I'm loving everything about January Jones in brand new Carolina Herrera on the same carpet.

All this Chanel talk has got me lusting after vintage Chanel suits. Suits or gowns, what a pity I can't afford either. Knock off anyone?

Inspired Haute Couture

2011-01-27T22:10:00.005+11:00

I know I gush over the Dior Haute Couture collections every season, but Galliano's workmanship and drama get me every time. For this latest Spring collection Galliano mined Christian Dior's back-catalogue again, taking inspiration from the 40s and 50s illustrations of Dior's work by master illustrator Rene Gruau. Gruau, who worked for all the top magazines of the day, is so revered that some of his work even hangs in the Louvre. Style.Com says 'the graphite smears, pencil strokes and scribbles, erasure marks, and gouache washes of Gruau's illustrations were duplicated in cloth and embroidery.'

The results are spectacular.

The second last dress is my favourite. I would love to see this on the Oscars red-carpet, but I think it is unlikely. Actresses love to play it safe these days.

If I died and went to vintage heaven ...

2011-01-16T16:48:00.006+11:00

I might just wake up in George Cukor's 1939 film The Women. Last night it felt a little bit like I had. I've been unwell the last few days and I woke up in the wee hours last night feeling very ill and unable to sleep. I ventured out to the couch for a while, only to discover this film - with Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell and more resplendent in Adrian gowns - playing on late night TV.

Adrian's designs for this film were out of this world; completely unique, often ridiculous (but in a good way) and with a very high glamour quotient. Rosalind Russell's character is particularly spectacular, with all manner of mad head wear and check out this blouse covered in eyes!

Before I fell back into the land of sleep, I was lucky enough to catch the technicolour segue (the film is otherwise B&W) fashion show. Unfortunately I can't find a complete clip of it on You Tube which I can embed, but you can watch some of it here (not sure about the soundtrack?) or Casey from the blog Elegant Musings has posted extensively about it, including screen caps, here.

I particularly love the play suits and the evening gowns with capes. Who doesn't love a pair of gloves with built in light bulbs? Not even Patricia Field managed anything this weird in Sex and the City 2.

Colour and Prints for Spring

2011-01-15T16:27:00.008+11:00

I know the pre-Fall collections are already making the rounds (how many collections can one designer have per year? That's some crazy creative output) but the magazines are still focusing on S/S 2011 and I found my eye drawn to all the beautiful colours and striking prints (hello Prada) from that season. I'm particularly enamoured of UK designer Jonathan Saunders who showed feminine pieces drenched or dipped in various brilliantly coordinated colours. Saunders has said his S/S 2011 line was inspired by Erwin Blumenthal's fashion photographs from the 40s and 50s and great American designer Claire McCardell. I can certainly see where he is coming from; these clothes are ladylike but modern, with a sporty influenced wearability that is reminiscent of McCardell.

Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Style.Com.

A little bit of 60s glamour

2011-01-10T21:19:00.003+11:00

Periodically I'll start obsessing over a particular style of clothing or accessory and over the last couple of months that obsession had been brocade 60s party dresses. I even told my friend Helen that I would attend her New Years Eve do only on the proviso that she allow me to get dressed up in one, although I didn't yet own one!
Lucky for me on the day before New Years Eve I popped into Grandma Takes a Trip and spotted this lovely repro 1960s shift from their Altered State label, made from a gorgeous vintage fabric threaded with gold. Best of all their seamstress who works on site was able to alter it for me so that it fit to a tee. I was pleased because, despite my obsession, my pear shaped figure has prevented me owning many shift dresses in the past.
This is my friend Liana and I on our way out to Helen's party (her boyfriend proposed to her at midnight and she said yes!) and below you can check out the back of the dress, with sexy cut out detail and cute faux pearl buttons.

The Best Frocks of 2010

2011-01-05T21:03:00.009+11:00

When I think about the most jaw-dropping celeb fashion moments of 2010, the first images that come to mind not unsurprisingly feature the forever perfect Cate Blanchett. Now that she's keeping a relatively low profile in Sydney (I was in Hunter's Hill the other week but I didn't see her, although the hubby caught sight of her a couple of weeks ago), she doesn't walk the red-carpet as much, but when she does, golly she's gorgeous. LOVED her in Alexander McQueen at Cannes this year and she was equally as lovely in vintage Lacroix in Japan.

Another highlight: Kristin Davis' efforts for the SATC 2 promo trail. She wore designer vintage from Decades for every event and looked spectacular each and every time. It's hard to pick a favourite, but the Balmain and Jean Desses were flawless.

(By the way I relented and finally watched the film in a hotel room one night while I was working. It was entertaining in parts but I thought it was culturally insensitive and the overt displays of wealth left me feeling queasy. Is it just me, or is Sex and the City not really Sex and the City if it isn't set in New York? And Stanford and Anthony hated each other. No way should they have got married).

The Costume Institute ball always brings me vicarious frock joy, even more so than the Oscars or the Globes I'd say. Particularly memorable in 2010 were Bee Schaffer's Balenciaga Edition (a copy of an original from 1948) and Dutch supermodel Doutzen Kroes in Zac Posen. I'm a sucker for periwinkle blue.

Though Diane Kruger looked very, very pretty in Lacroix at the Golden Globes.

Shoe designer Charlotte Dellal wore the wedding dress of the year back in May, in this custom designed Giambattista Valli. AMAZING.

And outside of these lovely ladies, my picks for the consistently best dressed celebs of the year go to Sarah-Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway, Keira Knightley and Michelle Williams.

What were your favourite frocks?

Fashion on Film: Elephant Walk

2011-01-01T21:24:00.005+11:00

Its been lovely over the Christmas break to catch up on some non work related reading and watch lots of old movies, swim everyday at the beach, and generally do nothing much. One film I just watched was Elephant Walk with Peter Finch and Elizabeth Taylor. The dear hubby bought me a copy of Jay Jorgensen's beautifully illustrated Edith Head biography for Christmas (more on that later) and Head was the costume designer on this 1954 film.
Taylor plays a young English woman who marries a tea plantation owner who whisks her away to his plantation, Elephant Walk, in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). The spectre of her husband's dead father hangs over the plantation, plus there is a creepy housekeeper, disgruntled elephants who are upset that their access to water has been blocked by the plantation's bungalow, and a love triangle with one of the plantation employees. There are echoes of Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca in the new bride's isolation and in the dramatic and fiery ending. I found the love triangle not particularly convincing, nor were the tense scenes particularly scary, but the film looks beautiful as it was shot on location in Sri Lanka. For a clothing tragic like me though Taylor looks absolutely breathtaking. Vivien Leigh was originally meant to play the role of newlywed Ruth but had to pull out of shooting because of ill health, and Taylor replaced her at the last minute. Here's a quote about the costuming for Elephant Walk from the Edith Head book:

The incredible wardrobe worn by the character throughout the film is explained in the script by a reference that the newlywed couple stopped off in Paris to buy a trousseau on the way back to Ceylon. The standout design was a gown of draped white chiffon with a gold corselet, which was very similar to a gown Edith had designed for Patricia Morison in The Magnificent Fraud. Edith also incorporated Indian design in a dress of silk linen with a molded later neckline with a full skirt that resembled an Indian sari, that was accessorized with a narrow belt embroidered with gold and pink pearls and a pink East Indian sari stole.

Personally my favourites are the candy striped dress with the asymmetrical neckline and the beautiful white evening gown with the gold belt. Taylor's waistline is very flatteringly highlighted throughout, and its very interesting to note that this film came out the same year that Head won the Oscar for Sabrina, for which the most famous gowns were actually designed by Givenchy, and unduly credited to Head.

Retro Retrospective

2010-12-28T20:32:00.012+11:00

Miuccia Prada has been setting trends since the early 90s so when she sent mid century influenced designs down the runway this year, the whole fashion world went a little retro mad. The result was one fashion editorial after another referencing the 50s in particular - some better than others - and here are selections from three that I particularly liked but haven't got around to posting earlier.

Lara Stone looked breathtaking - and a little Veronica Lake like - in the September issue of US Vogue, photographed by Mert & Marcus. This spread makes me want to go out and buy a cable knit sweater.

The September issue of Aussie Vogue was all retro fantastic too, with this very pretty cover shoot by Nicole Bentley with Catherine McNeil modelling by the side of my beloved Sydney harbour. I love the use of genuine vintage jewellery in the balcony shot + that's a vintage frock Catherine is wearing in the photo on the lawn too.

I've long been lusting after an antique pink phone at the Sydney Antiques Centre not dissimilar to the phone used in this Vogue Nippon shoot by Solve Sundsbo. The luggage, the chairs and oh, the clothes, aren't bad too. I especially love the ribbon tie peep toes in the last photo.

Enjoy!

Christmas Cheer

2010-12-24T20:54:00.004+11:00

Wouldn't this gorgeous 1950s frock from SweetMoonlightShop make the perfect outfit for a warm Aussie Christmas?

And wouldn't I just love for my life, for the rest of my 9 DAYS OFF WORK, to resemble this vintage coke commercial? Okay, maybe minus the coke, because after all I can't drink it and if I could I'd have to spend hours running up and down the beach to burn off the calories. I will be running over my holidays, but hopefully at dusk after spending the daylight hours chilling on a beach towel with a thick novel.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!