Fawning Over Fédora

Theft

Did you know the fedora hat was originally designed for women? I was not in possession of this sartorial fact until recently. But it is men who have most commonly worn it (until recent decades at least), misappropriating it in the 1920s (in emulation of the Prince of Wales) and ruining its reputation by consorting with gangsters and bootleggers and other unsavoury types, such as financiers and advertising cads executives on Madison Avenue (Don Draper, I’m lookin’ at you).

I am outraged at this outright theft. Men are always stealing our clothes, like the trouser, and the oversized shirt that fits them properly, and the so-called boyfriend sweater (which was really a girlfriend sweater first) … ahem. 

History

There once was actually a Princess Fédora. I cannot believe that I was ignorant of this important information. Well, okay, she was actually a fictional character, but that’s just a petty detail. She existed in a play by the dramatist Victorien Sardou, written for the great Sarah Bernhardt in 1882.

Sarah Bernhardt. Click image for larger version.Bernhardt – and this I also did not know – was a notorious cross-dresser, and she wore a centre-creased, soft brimmed hat in the play. After its appearance on the American stage in 1889, women’s rights activists adopted the stylish yet practical hat. Then along came Prince Edward and it was all over for us girls until the 1970s.

Vital Statistics

Fedoras are creased lengthwise down the crown, and usually pinched in the front on both sides. The crease comes in many shapes, including teardrops and diamonds, while the exact position of the pinches can vary. This fawn fedora (top) has a teardrop crease, with two delicate pinches on either side, and the height of its crown is also exactly the typical 11.4cm (4.5”). Brims usually are about 6.3cm (2.5”), but can vary; mine is 10cm, or 4”, which gives it its dramatic appearance. Black, grey, tan, and dark brown are the most common masculine colours, but modern fedoras can be found in many colours. 

The Trilby

The trilby is actually a type of fedora, but its brim is shorter, with the front angled down and the back slightly turned up – to saucy effect. I have a rather fetching red trilby (above) which features this design, but at the sides. 

So now that you know the distinguished history of the fedora, wear it with respect ladies – and gents (I’m lookin’ at you).

Sheer’s a Lady

One of my favourite fabrics is silk chiffon – I am unfailingly drawn to it when I see it hanging from a rack. It has such a beautiful texture and drape, and flutters so prettily in the wind. And of course it allows the skin to gleam through alluringly. Sheer can be sweet, or it can be sexy, but how does a Lady do sheer? Here is a crash course in pictures.

Sheer can be sweet, or it can be sexy, but how does a Lady do sheer?

The secret is undergarments with the appropriate amount of coverage, naturally, and judicious layering. One can add layer upon layer of pretty nothings, a bit like a layer cake … or pass the parcel, which can be particularly entertaining when undressing for someone else. Dance of the Seven Veils anyone?

Now, we are long past the days of Carrie and her visible bras. It’s not only passé, but it’s too obvious and tacky. Especially don’t try it at the office. In fact, depending on how conservative your office is, with the correct amount of coverage beneath a sheer shirt, for example, you can even carry it off there. A fitted camisole is good so as not to ruin the line and throw off the illusory effect of the sheer top, and it’s best to match the camisole to the overall tone of the shirt. Skin tone under light hues or patterned fabric, or another matching colour that complements the pattern, and black under black or other dark colours.

I adored the fabric of this cute little star-printed black chiffon tiered dress, but the tiny slip provided with it was appalling. It is far too short and looks utterly ridiculous under such a long dress. The vintage slip with its longer length looks much more the thing. It could even be a trifle longer.

By the way, both blouse and dress looked far more intriguing with buttons done up all the way – I’m already revealing quite a bit of flesh so leaving the buttons undone as I might with their opaque counterparts just looks too much. Also, the delicate nature of the chiffon made the collars flop in an unattractive way. I’d answer done up or down on a case by case basis though.

Click through to Fashionising for their comprehensive report on sheer for Spring 2013, and their pretty (and pretty daring) picks from the runway. 

Elegant Lines

Here is the second in my series of fashion editorials inspired by great artists: Amadeus Modigliani (the first was Ingres). Long a favourite artist of mine, for the elegance of his lines and compositions, and the subtle, unusual colour palettes, Modigliani here inspires Sarah Moon, who is incidentally also a favourite photographer of mine.

What beautiful justice she has done to his work, from the painted backdrops to the way the model has been posed, the soft focus and motion blur, and the way the images have been cropped in post-production. Fashion editor Jayne Pickering has done a great job in selecting clothes that suit both the period and Modigliani’s paintings. The model with her elongated nose and neck is a perfect muse too.

These pages are from British Vogue, probably from the early-to-mid 1990s.

Click images for larger versions.

Two Tales of Ridiculous Lingerie

Underwear as Outerwear

Underwear is not outerwear. That’s why it’s called underwear. Once upon a time it even used to be called unmentionables. Also undergarments, underclothing and underlinen. Note the repetitive use of the word ‘under’. And in case you are still not sure: there were underdrawers, underpants, undershirts, undershorts, underskirts, undervests and underwire bras … sorry that last one doesn’t belong in that list. But it’s pretty comprehensive, you’ll have to admit. So how on earth did lingerie graduate to outerwear?

Seen on the Marc Jacobs runwayA couple years ago I came across a Marc Jacobs runway image that I found so ridiculous I laughed and laughed and book-marked it for future reference. A satin bra worn over a knit. There is something appealing about the soft pretty colours, the contrasting textures, but how many women would actually get about like this in the ordinary day to day (unless they were burlesque performers by profession)? Of course Marc Jacobs was not the first perpetrator of this amusing fashion – we’ve seen underwear as outerwear in many manifestations on the runway over the years, but I can’t think of one time I’ve seen it on the street.

Armed and Dangerous

Meanwhile, it was always an ambition of mine to own some vintage 1940s lingerie, and I was excited to purchase an ice blue satin rayon bra on eBay. It was exactly my band and cup size, so presumably it would fit. I won it at auction for $5, so at that price it hardly mattered if it did not. To my chagrin though, I found that it was a precursor to the famous 1950s bullet bras, and when I put it on there was this strange empty pointy tip in each cup, which I found impossible to fill by natural means (and no, tissues didn’t work). Ironically, it fits better over the knit tank!

 there is a silver lining to every empty cup …

A dud purchase, I decided after I stopped laughing. But there is a silver lining to every empty cup (or something like that), for there was a story here. I finally had a bra to wear over a knit top in homage to Marc Jacobs’ deconstructed unmentionables.

I donned the garments and immediately felt silly. But then I added a pair of taffeta shorts, and my pompom headband. Somehow the pompom becomes the cherry on top and takes this outfit out of the unfortunate unmentionables into silly-but-cute costume … although I have an ominous feeling I look a bit like an ice cream.

From ‘Seduction, a celebration of sensual style’, by Caroline Cox (Mitchell Beazley, 2006)The bullet or cone bra was invented in the 1940s as a full-support bra ‘with cups in the shape of a paraboloid with its axis perpendicular to the breast. The bullet bra usually features concentric circles or spirals of decorative stitching centred on the nipples.’ [Wikipedia]

Bullet bras did not become popular until the 1950s however, when pin ups known as ‘sweater girls’ rose to the fore, such as Jayne Mansfield and Lana Turner (but not Marilyn Monroe, she never wore any underwear of any sort at all because she liked to feel ‘unhampered’) – supposedly men found them attractive. But I put it to you: is this the stupidest bra design ever (see right)?

Allow me to present my case with the following pictorial examples:

Now really, that just looks painful, right? Imagine hugging a woman with those WMDs on her torso. They bring new meaning to the expression ‘dangerous curves’. And besides, who even wants a paraboloid anywhere near their chest?

I can’t decide if I’d rather wear my bra on the outside or not, but if someone was holding a gun to my head and I simply had to choose, I would totally dodge that bullet bra.

Seventies Prints

Hello 1970s Australiana. How this picture makes me chuckle! I am here posing for a family portrait with my three big sisters. We are on a family outing, possibly in Emerald, a township in the Dandenong Mountains east of Melbourne.

My sister Blossom, the eldest, looks to be wearing maroon cords with a white blouse (I love her proprietary big sister pose, stern but benevolent); Serena is in a black embroidered peasant blouse matched with a navy, yellow and white maxi skirt (how I wish these were stored in the family attic somewhere … and, is she holding me back from bolting?); Star is in a purple cord mini and what I think is a print shirt.

And cute li’l me, sporting a long bob, was dressed in a plaid dress (possibly cotton flannel) and white Roman sandals. I am sure I had that same dress in two colourways, and I don’t think I particularly liked it. Funnily, I’ve been looking for a taffeta plaid dress recently – Australian label Cue did some great 50s style dresses a season or two ago, and I’ve been trying to find one on eBay … What goes round, comes round, as ever.