Put to the Blush

Definitely not sitting like a lady!

I was intrigued a few months ago when I came across a reference to women rouging their knees in the 1920s. I had never heard of this practice before. Subsequently I stumbled upon a reference from the musical Chicago: “I’m gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down and all that jazz…” sung by Velma.

Jaynie Van Roe at Here’s Looking Like You, Kid suggests that flappers, like courtesans who rouged their breasts, rouged their knees to attract attention to them. Most likely they applied it after they had pulled on their silk or rayon stockings, however. (Consider the unattractive red smear created if one dragged stockings over the top.) Skin toned stockings gave the impression of nudity, making the short skirts and blushing knees seem more shocking still.

Flappers are notorious for being the first to wear short skirts that revealed so much of their legs. For two centuries women’s legs had remained hidden beneath skirts that swept the floor. A change came in the Roaring Twenties, a decade of sheer excess and joie de vivre after the terrible years of war. Women were freed from their constricting underclothes and voluminous skirts. Worn by the working girl, practical and comfortable tubelike dresses no longer hugged the body, or exaggerated the bust, waist or buttocks.

Goodbye corsets, hello short skirts

Not only had fashion changed; so had the zone of erotic interest. The décolletage was no longer the primary focus: it was now the legs. Goodbye corsets, hello short skirts. Hemlines crept steadily upwards from 1922; by 1926 they were right on the knee where they hovered for three years – and truly shocked the old Edwardian generation.

Whenever a girl danced or walked into a breeze, one might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of their knees, hitherto hidden delights. Although Charleston era dances were so energetic any loose skirt – regardless of length – might fling up, revealing the forbidden flesh made more titillating by powder or rouge.

Flapper style evening dresses have been a mainstay in fashion ever since the Jazz Age, although today you might apply a bit of shimmer powder or bronzer to your limbs, rather than a puff of rouge to your knees. It won’t scandalise anyone though.

Reference:
Dusk till Dawn – A History of the Evening Dress, by Alexandra Black, Scriptum Editions 2004

Summer Hats on a Pedestal

The darlingest red vintage hat is a recent purchase from the Salvos. Made from red velvet, it has a satin ribbon around the crown and a Forties look. It bears an Otto Lucas Junior label. 

Underneath it is my pink 60s trapunto tasselled hat. 

Next is a leopard-print fedora that I bought a few years ago.

Beneath that is a pretty 30s white hat that has a black velvet ribbon woven through the crown.

Several layers down, there is my gorgeous black Panama hat with its cluster of white flowers at the back.

The photo isn’t a Hipstamatic of course, but it’s close. Last night I downloaded a new iPhone app called ClassicTOY, and amongst its retro lenses and films it had the Shinok Edition, which gives me the Photo Booth look. I had to be fast to snap these – hence the blurring in the final shot.

The camera has a few different lenses full of possibilities: a Double Eye (two shots in one frame); Double Exposure; Jelly Candid (freaky pink, jelly-coloured rings around the edges of the frame); Sabinne Edition (four lenses, like a lomocamera); Mikkers! Edition (six frames in one shot); these are the best out of the ten lenses. There are a heap of films to choose from too, with additional effects possible.

I foresee much fun in the future!

Tales of the Past (With Morals)

She KNOWS she shouldn’t … but she does

nce upon a time – a year ago in fact – I discovered the most beautiful vintage red cashmere coat, trimmed in rabbit’s fur in a boutique hidden in one of Melbourne’s laneways. The coat was expensive, but irresistible: I purchased it. It curled in ruffles around the hem; it swished like a luxurious cloak around me as I walked. All that was missing was a hood.

That didn’t stop friends and total strangers in the street alike to exclaim, “Little Red Riding Hood!” when they chanced upon me wearing it. This happened so many times last winter that I knew I had to create a tale around this evocative theme.

In the height of the summer gone past I finally had the time to do the photoshoot – and sweltered as I pranced in front of the camera. Then only weeks after, I saw the film poster for Red Riding Hood. I had no idea at all that a new film had been made. The movie poster is certainly full of mystery and foreboding. It actually has nine antecedents, the earliest a silent Czech film made in 1920.

Many fairy tales have sinister origins, and unflinchingly employ gore to fully convey their strong moral themes. Little Red Riding Hood is no exception…

Origins

The earliest known tale was had its origins in 17th century French folklore, and was written down for print by Charles Perrault in his collection Tales and Stories of the Past With Morals in 1697. It was he who introduced the red hood.

The oral versions are traced back even earlier, to the 14th century, related by French and Italian peasants, in which the girl rescues herself through her own cunning. These old versions were in fact titled after the grandmother, not the caped girl. There are also links to old Russian and Norse stories.

The German Brothers Grimm tackled it in the 19th century, basing their stories on Perrault’s, but writing a sequel where the girl and her grandmother trapped and killed another wolf, presumably as a form of revenge, or deterrent to future erring wolves. 

Themes

Earlier versions were far ‘grimmer’ than the sanitised and happy-ending of the 19th century authors’: Perrault’s story ended badly, with the attractive, well-bred young lady being eaten by the wolf. End of story. No woodcutter. No rescue. Basically it was a warning written to good girls: beware of (human) wolves, especially those quiet, gentle seducers who enter your home.

…Perrault’s story ended badly, with the attractive, well-bred young lady being eaten by the wolf

Other interpretations include literal warnings against wolf attacks, wolves being genuine predators; natural cycles, such as solar myths, or seasonable fables, ie spring as an escape from winter – also akin to the notion of rebirth; puberty rituals; and sexual awakening – the red cloak symbolising the menstrual cycle, and the dark forest, womanhood. ‘The anthropomorphic wolf symbolises a man, who could be a lover, seducer or sexual predator.’1

The first and last seem most likely to me, as often the simplest and most obvious explanation is the true one – and the neatest.

Art

Scroll down for some lovely vintage art, and some more modern interpretations from today’s photographers.

Carl Offterdinger (1829–1889), German children’s book illustrator

Walter Crane (1845-1915), English artist and book illustrator

Margaret Ely Webb (1877-1965), American children’s book illustrator and author of art textbooks

From an anthology of fairy tales, 1927

Manga style by Aurore, 2006; (click image for link)

LOVE this coat too! Dakota Fanning stars in Karl Lagerfeld’s shoot for Vanity Fair, Jan 2007

Natalia Vodianova stars in Mert Alas' and Marcus Piggott's interpretation of the fairy-tale for US Vogue, Sep 2009; click image to see more imagesI do like this interpretation of the ravening wolf transformed into faithful friends. Singer/actress Selena Gomez as Little Red Riding Hood, Dec 2010Suitably mysterious. Red Riding Hood film poster, 2011

Footnotes
1. Wikipedia

Don Johnson Fan

“He’s flash – he’s got his white jacket on, and he’s got his cash; He’s wearing dark sunglasses, sleeves rolled up – yes, he’s Eurotrash…” (I made that song up just now.) :: Melodie // Alfred Infrared // No flashI was sitting on a train a few months back and had a little giggle to myself when I spied this guy in his corner seat, flashing his hairy legs; sleeves of his white jacket rolled up à la Don Johnson in Miami Vice. The reason I was giggling was because I was planning a photoshoot with a friend of mine with the theme ‘Eurogigolo’.

My friend actually adores dressing Eurotrash style, and I knew he would love to see this guy in his little shorts, sockless feet and dark sunnies.

Now I’m not one for blatantly snapping away at members of the general public without permission (unless it’s a public event and I’m photographing ‘ambiance’), but this time I sneakily pretended I was taking photos of the train’s interior. And I was right, my friend did love it. 

Recycled Reptiles

Reptile skin is an exotic leather, and includes lizard, snake, alligator, eel, stingray, and ostrich. The scales and skin of exotic leather is held together by membranes, an armour-like skin that is a primary defence against predators, and an extremely moisture tolerant barrier against their aquatic environments.

However, it is more than merely beautiful: this strength makes it durable, and longer-lasting lasting than cowhide or the leather of other mammals. A premium quality exotic leather wallet should serve for five to six years, compared with a cow leather wallet. Even at top quality, the latter may last only two years.

Lauren Merkin pink stingray leather ‘Allie’ clutch

Cleaning Exotic Leather

Keeping accessories clean and dry is the best way to care for them. To clean them, do not use cleaning or conditioning products designed for cow leather as these will damage most exotic leathers; use products specifically for them. After cleaning with a clean damp cloth or appropriate cleaning product, condition the item to replace lost emollients and reseal the leather. An excellent natural product to use is extra fine beeswax: lightly applied, gently rubbed in and then lightly buffed off.

Chanel ivory ostrich leather 2.55 jumbo classic single flap bag

A Vintage Collection

My vintage exotic leather accessories have certainly stood the test of time. The snakeskin bag is sewn from strips of leather, alternating with natural coloured hide, celadon and viridian green. It’s Italian-made and cost me $5 at a Salvos.

It had an ugly long strap of
‘pleather’ (quite a different beast), which I cut off.

The bright turquoise shoes are also snakeskin, and were bought on eBay. I also own a little snakeskin clutch bag made in a delicious shade of vanilla that I bought on Etsy. It had an ugly long strap of ‘pleather’ (quite a different beast), which I cut off. Another eBay purchase was a large dark brown crocodile tote good for shopping. And yet another op-shop discovery was a little jade green eelskin bag, a bargain at $8.

Cherry red Gianmarco Lorenzi double platform eel skin shoes

Dinosaurs are reptiles too

The dinosaur spine (also a kind of giant reptile!) necklace however, is made from recycled shells and new grey freshwater pearls. The shells once formed an unattractive belt. I bought that also for a song at the Salvos, and chopped off the cord that knotted the shells into a belt. It certainly is a statement necklace and fragile – as much as the ecosystems all these creatures come from. It makes me glad to know that at least my exotic leathers are all recycled.