Who are you Mary Jane?

Celebrating the Roaring Twenties in a Special Series

Multi-strap patent leather Mary Janes by WittnerThe classic shoe of the Roaring Twenties must be the Mary Jane. Not to be confused with the T-strap (which was introduced in 1922), the Mary Jane was a broad, comfortable shoe, with a single flat strap across the instep fastening with a button on the side. The original Mary Janes flappers donned, unlike the modern versions today, were low-heeled – one to two inches high only – the more comfortable to dance all night in.

Traditionally, the Mary Jane was a child’s shoe that was worn when a toddler took his or her first steps, and was in fact worn by boys and girls alike. Alice in Wonderland and Christopher Robin are two characters in children’s literature that wore them, and they can be seen even as far back as in Tudor paintings of the 16th century.

An innocent-seeming pair of suede flat Mary Janes, from Quick Brown Fox In 1902 a comic strip named Buster Brown about a group of mischievous children, including Buster’s sister Mary Jane, and his dog Tige, was published in the New York Herald newspaper. By 1904 the cartoon was so popular it lead the Brown Shoe Company to licence the characters and to take a troupe of costumed actors across America, visiting department and shoe stores. It was not until 1909 however that Mary Jane’s name was immortalised, when it was applied to single-strap children’s shoes. In the years following, the shoe gradually became associated solely with girls, and disappeared entirely from boys’ wardrobes. 

Flapper style was evoked by slender, boyish youthfulness, the quintessence of fashionable trends of the era, and the Mary Jane was adopted as the shoe of choice: Fashions of the 1920s deliberately rejected any hint of the matron, and the Mary Jane shoe, the most childish of shoe shapes, was a perfect foil for this fashion. [Vintage Shoes, by Caroline Cox, Carlton Books, 2008]

By the end of the decade however, Mary Jane shoes had become more sophisticated. Heels were higher and more tapered (particularly for evening) and they were constructed from more luxurious materials, with satins, brocades and hand-painted silks reserved for evening. The rest is history.

Read the history of Mary Janes in more detail, from Vintage Shoes, by Caroline Cox, Carlton Books, 2008
Comfortable Mary Jane shoes for dancing, from Vintage Shoes, by Caroline Cox, Carlton Books, 2008

Gloria Swanson, the Original

Celebrating the Roaring Twenties in a Special Series

Gloria Swanson, ph Edward Steichen, 1924I bet Charlie Chaplin was kicking himself when he turned unknown movie extra Gloria Swanson down for a starring role in his film His New Job. He didn’t see her as leading lady material and gave her a small role as a stenographer.

Gloria went on to sign with Paramount Pictures and worked with Cecil B DeMille. In two years she rose to stardom and became one of the most sought-after stars of Hollywood. She played many romantic leads in costume dramas, and such was her success that Paramount, fearful of losing her, indulged her every wish and whim.

Swanson, in Male and Female, 1919Her most famous role however is not from the silent era, but Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder’s 1950 film Sunset Boulevard. Norma is a faded silent screen star who falls in love with an unsuccessful screenwriter, played by William Holden. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won three. (It’s also the only film of hers that I have seen.)

In her heydey, audiences went to see her films not only for her performances but also to gasp over her wardrobe. Whether haute couture or extravagant period pieces, they were frequently ornamented with beads, jewels, peacock and ostrich feathers. She was barely five feet tall (1.52m) – perhaps that explains her predilection for very tall hats!

One of the most famous and photographed women in the world, her fashion, hairstyles, and jewels were copied everywhere. A precursor to today’s craze for every detail of an actress’s wardrobe, Swanson was the silver screen's first clotheshorse – the Original.  

Swanson in Don’t Change Your Husband, 1919

Flapper Chatter

CELEBRATING THE ROARING TWENTIES IN A SPECIAL SERIES

Princess Tatiana thinks she’s the bee’s knees in her new 50s red sequinned topPrincess Tatiana was dolled up in her glad rags, and ready to paint the town red. She was wearing her brand new red sequinned top with the black satin skirt, with its matching cap adorned with a black rose. Tonight she was off to Tin Pan Alley to hear the latest jazz the newest, most copacetic whangdoodle was banging out.

Confused? Step right up and take a trip with Princess Tatiana to the world of 1920s slang  …

Tatiana squared her shoulders, flung back the marabou boa and defiantly stepped down the dimly-lit alley, there were no bulls about, and that sweet music called her on.

“Well, look at you, little biscuit, don’t you sure look like the cat’s meow?” the bimbo leaning against the wall outside the juice joint drawled, checking out the chassis as Princess Tatiana strolled past him to go inside.

“Swell,” she snapped smartly. “Hey snugglepup, this ain’t no petting party and the bank’s closed anyway, ok? So scram.”

She don’t say that to every feller!“Aww, be nice baby. That ain’t no line – I’m on the level. I can see you’re a real bearcat – but I ain’t got no beef with that. You go on in – I’ll cut myself a piece of cake.”

“Sure, sure, but I’m bettin’ you ain’t no cake-eater, and I’m no dumb Dora. Take a check, sweetie!” Princess Tatiana thumbed her nose at this drugstore cowboy and stepped inside to shake her booty to those fine jazz tunes. It was a good thing she had her mad money with her, because she figured she’d need to make a speedy getaway if she couldn’t find a suitable alarm clock inside.

Need a translation? Peruse this flapper dictionary, and click here for more, recorded by the genuine article in 1922.

Dancing to the copacetic Mad Manoush

The Artists Mock

I have owned this grey Veronika Maine top for years, and have loved it. It’s always reminded me of the traditional artist’s smock with its floppy sleeves and bow on the neckline. Unfortunately there are a couple of small stains on the front, created when I put it on one morning too soon after applying body lotion – nothing I have done has succeeded in removing them from the cupro material (a cellulose fibre made from recovered cotton waste).

Each time I go to cast it from my wardrobe though, I can’t bear to part with it. Probably it is in such condition now that it would be suitable to actually use as an artist’s smock!

Artist wearing smock: Franck-François-Genès Chauvassaignes (French, 1831–after 1900)

Here you’ll find a couple of examples of the artist’s smock, from the traditional to the fashionable. In fact, I own a somewhat similar white and black polka-dotted blouse with little puffed sleeves – you can see a little bit of it here. I do love Balenciaga’s designs from the 50s and 60s. Might be time for a Gordon Parks homage.

Polka dotted smock top over black skirt by Balenciaga, ph Gordon Parks, LIFE magazine March 1951

Tribal Pompoms

It is no secret that I adore pompoms almost as much as I love stripes. (Hmm, striped pompoms … there’s an interesting proposal.) I am not sure whence comes this delight in pompoms – they are cute and full of movement, and are usually colourful, yes, but I am also drawn to their connotations with tribal style.

Thai hilltribe girlsSoutheast Asian people groups incorporate pompoms into colourful headdresses; they are also seen in Chinese wedding and opera hats. Latvian Irita Too is creating some extraordinary tribal-inspired headgear for label UTHA – you can shop her Etsy store. Probably appealing to music-festival revellers, but much more fun to wear stalking the city streets to shock those staid suits striding by one’s side.

UTHA pompom ear warmer, availble on EtsyChinese opera hatFor my last birthday, my sister Blossom gave me some money (mysteriously, she finds it difficult to choose presents for me), some of which I used to purchase the pompom necklace (top) from Quick Brown Fox. Initially, I thought it was a headband when I reached for it – and it would be easy to convert – but it is a fun piece to wear around the neck. And happily, later on I did find a vintage 40s pompom headband too.