FIDM Museum Blog

Nail head dresses

Young cosmopolitans love nail-head glitter!¹

Dresses embellished with decorative gold, brass or silver nail heads first appeared in the late 1930s. Usually seen on solid-color "background" dresses of wool or synthetic crepe, nail heads were used as glittering accents on bodice, sleeves, belt, collar, pocket or cuffs. Marketed towards the "smart, lithe, swift moving figures of youth" for evening or special occasion dress, nail head decoration was also used more sparsely on dresses intended for day wear.² Typical placement usually focused on the neckline and upper bodice, though print advertisements indicate that nail heads were placed anywhere and everywhere. In 1940, the New York City branch of Best & Co. advertised a slim, floor length gown of rayon crepe with "a skirt that falls slim and straight when still, yet flares into a sunburst of nail-studded pleats when you dance."³

Evening gown
Rayon crepe
1938-42
Gift of Women Helping Women
2001.788.1

Lounge pajamas, c. 1935

During the 1920s, pajamas moved from bedroom to beach. Though pajama style pants were suggested by Paul Poiret as avant garde dress during the teens, pajamas were worn primarily as sleepwear until the 1920s. Sometime during the mid-to-late 1920s, pajamas appeared outside the bedroom as swimsuit cover-ups on the beaches of the French Riviera. Beach pajamas soon became a double-duty garment for the relaxed resort lifestyle, one that navigated easily from beach to cocktail party. In 1931, Vogue magazine declared, "A woman may and does wear pyjamas to quite formal dinners in her own house, to other people's dinners in town and country if you know them well and the more iconoclastic members of the female sex even wear them to the theatre."¹

For women who aspired to a resort lifestyle but didn't have the necessary means or leisure, pajamas could be worn for entertaining or relaxing at home. Worn in these situations, beach pajamas became lounge pajamas or sometimes "lounjamas."² During the 1920s, beach or lounge pajamas were usually two-piece ensembles accompanied by a matching jacket. By the 1930s, one-piece, jumpsuit-style pajamas had emerged. These one-piece lounge pajamas from the FIDM Museum collection are shaped with a self-fabric sash and fasten with a 3-button closure on the left side. Like menswear of the same period, these lounge pajamas feature a wide leg.

Lounge pajamas
c. 1935
Gift of the Manlove Family
2006.870.1AB

The Little Black Dress

During the nineteenth century, black clothing was usually worn to signify a special status, i.e. mourning, religious piety, extreme poverty or a position of economic and social authority. Because many professional men adopted black suit coats after 1850, black clothing was also associated with masculinity. Though women certainly wore all-black on some occasions, these ensembles were usually worn for specific activities, such as mourning or equestrian pursuits. Black slowly began to enter the realm of fashionable dress in the late nineteenth century when it was adopted by a few daringly audacious women for day and/or evening dress. The infamous black dress worn by Virginie Gautreau in John Singer Sargent's 1884 painting Madame X, though shockingly revealing for the 1880s, is a prescient vision of what would become one of the twentieth century's most iconic garments, the little black dress.

Black dresses slowly gained ground through the early years of the twentieth century, earning the nickname "little" as the elaborate embellishment of late nineteenth century dress gradually dropped away. A November 23, 1906 society feature in the New York Times titled Society Women Wear Black indicates that all-black dress was fashionable but was still considered novel enough to inspire comment. During World War I, mourning dress was so widespread that black dresses were, almost necessarily, created in tune with the latest fashions. For the many women who worked outside the home during World War I, black garments were also a practical choice for everyday dress. Black also entered the fashionable lexicon via the work of Chanel, who presented a collection consisting primarily of black dresses in 1919. Others, including Poiret, Lanvin and Fortuny were also experimenting with the potential of black during this same period. By the late 1920s, the little black dress had become a wardrobe essential.

The images below feature a selection of little black dresses from the FIDM Museum collection. When looking at these images as a group, an impressive continuity is apparent. Despite slight differences in silhouette the primary characteristics of a little black dress, simplicity and an understated elegance, remain the same from decade to decade.

Evening dress
Silk taffeta
1927-29
Transfer from the Museum at FIT
2004.291.21

Textile swatches

Today's post features a hodge-podge collection of textile swatches presented with a minimum of commentary and contextualization. We'll be back to our usual posts next week. In the meantime, enjoy these striking textiles!

Designed as European countries moved towards the fierce battles of World War II, these toy soldiers were probably used to decorate the bedroom of a young boy.

Printed cotton, probably a furnishing fabric
C. 1938
Gift of Roberta Tuller
2006.865.9

This whimsical cat and mouse print is very similar to some of the prints seen in the Miu Miu Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear show. The paper tag seen at the top of the image indicates that this was a sample. Three of the five colorways are visible.

Silk crepe textile samples
c. 1938
Gift of Roberta Tuller
2006.865.14

Do nautical motifs ever go out of fashion?

Printed cotton
c. 1938
Gift of Roberta Tuller
2006.865.10
 
The textile below is another of our Wiener Werkstatte textile swatches. We are still in the process of documenting this large collection of textile swatches! Wish us luck!

"Gazelle" textile pattern
Franz Fochler
Wiener Werkstatte
1911-12
Gift of Robert Fortunoff
99.274.99

Lucien Lelong lipstick

French couturier Lucien Lelong first began creating perfumes under the name Parfums Lucien Lelong in 1926 with the introduction of the ABC perfume trio, followed in 1927 with J (for Jasmine) and N (for Natalie Paley, Lelong's wife.) Lelong clearly understood the potential benefits of diversifying into perfume, as he established a Chicago branch of his perfume company almost immediately. This company produced Lelong's perfumes for the North American market, along with other Lelong-branded cosmetics. The couturier took a very personal interest in the appearance of his perfume and cosmetics, often designing the packaging himself.

Lipstick and box
Parfums Lucien Lelong
c. 1935-42
Gift of Monique Fink
F2006.877.9A-D

Mirrorwork embroidery

Though the focus of the FIDM Museum collection is on objects related to Western European and North American dress, we do have a small number of outstanding objects related to the sartorial traditions of other cultures and countries. Many of these objects, like this kimono dressing gown, have been reimagined or repurposed to suit Western tastes. Today's object, a small drawstring bag covered with mirrorwork embroidery, is no exception.

Drawstring bag
1900-35
Gift of Carita Kadison
2003.792.3

Velvet evening coat

Evening gowns of the 1930s were usually floor-length and clung to the body. Made of silk or velvet, they were cut on the bias and often exposed a swath of bare back or shoulder. Of course, this exposure meant that a fashionable evening coat was necessary in the colder months. Though black was encouraged as a practical, wear-with-everything choice, another option would have been an evening coat in an intense shade of purple, raspberry red, bottle green, chartreuse or orange. In person, the FIDM Museum velvet evening coat seen here is an enticing shade of rich, bright orange.  During the 1920s and into the 1930s, this particular color was sometimes called nasturtium after the orange flower of the same name.

Evening coat
c. 1930-32
Gift of Renee Sanders
2008.932.10

Details Make the Woman

During the Great Depression (1929-1941), many women could not afford to purchase new clothing on a regular basis. Instead, women exploited the potential of accessories to update an old frock. Carefully coordinated gloves, hat, handbag and shoes could be used to distract attention from a well-worn day dress or suit. Along with items such as a delicate handkerchief or modest jewelry, these accessories were prized as a means to providing a "moral uplift" in difficult times. Reframing necessity as a virtue, fashion journalists suggested that these "little triumphs" (i.e. accessories) were actually the key to a fashionable wardrobe.

Because they framed the face and drew attention away from outdated or worn garments, hats were a focal point of fashion throughout the 1930s. Hat shape was dictated by personal taste and women could choose from a seemingly endless array of available styles. Berets, fedoras, pillbox, platter, and sailor styles were all available, along with many others. Trim was also extremely varied with feathers, bows, beads, artificial flowers or fruit, ribbon and many other whimsical items appearing on 1930s headwear. Many 1930s hats were worn at a jaunty angle. Relatively simple turban shaped hats, as seen in the FIDM Museum example below, were also widely popular.

Coat and matching hat
Wool boucle with rhinestones
1938-39
Gift of Anonymous Donor
2003.40.17AB

Aprons

In practical terms, aprons are merely protective overgarments, worn to prevent food or dirt from staining the clothing underneath. Despite these functional origins, aprons have taken on the much larger role of signifying feminine domesticity. This is particularly true of aprons featuring brightly patterned fabric or decorative embellishments. In the late 19th and through the mid-20th century, plain, utilitarian aprons were worn while doing actual work in the kitchen or home, while colorful aprons were worn when receiving guests or serving food. Thus, decorative aprons came to be associated with competent and dedicated homemakers. Even today, an image of a woman or man wearing an apron is intended to convey domestic prowess.

The distinction between plain and colored aprons was particularly important in the late 19th century, when many households began to hire servants. In order to provide visual differentiation between hired servants and the lady of the house, household maids were always clothed in white aprons when interacting with visitors. In early 20th century pattern books and kitchen manuals, white full aprons are usually labeled "maid's aprons" while those made of patterned fabric are designated "fancy aprons." Though fancy aprons were not strictly necessary, it was suggested that no woman's wardrobe was complete without a few fancy aprons to spruce up her everyday dress.

Fancy apron
1895-1905
Gift of Ms. Judy Thomsen
2004.823.3

Presentations abroad!

As mentioned in this post, FIDM Museum staff are constantly engaged in collection oriented research. Currently, Christina Johnson (Collections Manager) and Kevin Jones (Curator) are at the Fashion & Materiality symposium hosted by the Centre for Fashion Studies at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden. Click on the link above for more information on the conference and the other presenters. Today's post consists of their respective presentation abstracts and images. Enjoy!

“In my case the face was created.”¹ Fashion and Identity in the Life of Marlene Dietrich

by Christina Johnson

Marlene Dietrich was married to the same man for over fifty years. She did not gain notoriety in Hollywood until age thirty. She was a mother and grandmother. She was self-conscious to the point of obsession regarding her perceived bodily imperfections. She was a recluse for the last ten years of her life. She longed to be accepted, admired, and loved. These personal facts are in direct opposition to Dietrich’s public identity. She was a bisexual siren with multiple lovers. She was a self-assured woman who took pride in showcasing a “perfect” body, eternally youthful and beautiful. She basked in the admiration and awe bestowed upon her from legions of fans and friends. A glamorous public identity was materialized by Marlene Dietrich through her appearance.

This paper will study fashion and identity in the life of Marlene Dietrich focusing on a rare group of her garments and accessories from the FIDM Museum in Los Angeles. This significant collection is comprised of over fifty personal wardrobe and movie costume ensembles in addition to twenty pairs of custom shoes donated by Dietrich to a now-defunct museum from 1964 to 1966 before arriving at the FIDM Museum in 1990. These pieces date from her early career in Berlin, her Hollywood years, USO tours, and stage performances.

Snapshot of Marlene Dietrich during her USO tour
1944-45
Museum Purchase

Marlene Dietrich purchased this paisley gown in Los Angeles in the early 1940s and wore it frequently, as evidenced by the many extant photographs. During her 1944-45 USO tour, she was photographed wearing the gown onstage, as seen in the snapshot above. Dietrich also wore the gown in the 1948 film, A Foreign Affair. The image below shows how this illustrious gown is stored at the FIDM Museum.

Gown worn by Marlene Dietrich
Irene
c. 1941
Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles, FIDM Museum
INV. 3633

This embellished jacket was part of Dietrich's personal wardrobe.

Evening Jacket worn by Marlene Dietrich
Travis Banton/Howard Greer
c. 1936
Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles, FIDM Museum
INV. 1137

Detail of INV. 1137

Hollywood Scandal! : Edith Head and Celanese “Star in Crepe”
by Kevin Jones

This is a convoluted story of eleven dresses in the FIDM Museum’s Hollywood Costume Collection. The collection came as a loan to FIDM in 1990 from the City of Los Angeles, California, after being stored in an abandoned city jail for more than twenty years. Many of the garments have been exhibited around the world as authentic; half of these gowns, though, are spurious. While dressing the costumes for an exhibition, it was noticed that some of them did not look as they appeared in publicity stills. Were these the same garments? Had they been altered? A detailed analysis of the gowns ensued. The gowns’ provenance, though, proved to be the thriller of this drama.

In 1960, the rayon manufacturer Celanese teamed with Paramount Pictures costume designer Edith Head to launch a new material called “Star in Crepe” by showcasing eleven original “Golden Era” crepe gowns in fashion shows in the United States, with contemporary interpretations of the garments to inspire consumers to purchase the new material so they too could dress like a star. The first fashion show was held at The Plaza Hotel in New York. Thereafter, identical copies of the gowns and their interpretations were worn in fashion shows around the country. Later, the costumes were donated to Hollywood Museum Associates, an organization planning a museum of Los Angeles movie history. The copy gowns were donated to various other institutions. By 1968, Hollywood Museum Associates was defunct, bailed out of debt by the City of Los Angeles who twenty years later loaned the eleven gowns to the FIDM Museum.

Which famous dresses are these? Who were the movie queens wearing such beautiful creations? Have any of the original dresses survived? Stay tuned for the ending to this most dramatic Hollywood Scandal!

Sketch of the gown worn by Greta Garbo in the film Inspiration

Gilbert Adrian design for Greta Garbo in Inspiration, 1931
Modern Screen Magazine, March 1931
Image courtesy of Richard Atkins
FIDM Museum

Actual gown worn by Greta Garbo in Inspiration

Gilbert Adrian for Greta Garbo in Inspiration, 1931
Silk velvet and rhinestones
Image courtesy of the Drexel University Historic Costume Collection, PA
Gift of Mrs. Thomas E. Burns Jr., 76-1-1ab
Photography by Dave Gehosky
Image courtesy of the Drexel Digital Museum Project , http://digimuse.cis.drexel.edu

Fake version of the gown worn by Greta Garbo in Inspiration, created in 1961.

Fake by Edith Head for Celanese Corp., 1961
Representing Greta Garbo in "Inspiration," 1931
Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles, FIDM Museum

Image of model wearing fake Inspiration gown in 1961 fashion show.

Fake gown by Edith Head for Celanese Corp., 1961
Representing Greta Garbo in Inspiration, 1931
Model wearing the costume for a Celanese Fashion Show, 1962
Department of Recreation and Parks, City of Los Angeles, FIDM Museum

1 Dietrich, Marlene. Marlene. trans. Salvatore Attanasio. New York: Grove Press, 1989.