FIDM Museum Blog

Gloves in the 20th century

 

In contemporary fashion, gloves are generally overlooked. Warm knitted gloves keep our hands warm in winter, while sturdy canvas or leather gloves protect our hands during gardening or construction projects. Protective gloves (or sometimes mittens) fill an important role, but because they are primarily utilitarian, function often trumps design. Though brightly colored winter gloves are often cheerfully appealing, they aren't worn just for their appearance; if they aren't warm enough, you'll probably purchase a different pair. When was the last time you wore a pair of gloves simply because their elegance was overwhelming?

Evening gloves
c. 1952
Christian Dior, designer
Lionel Legrand, maker
Leather, rhinestone, bugle beads & sequins
Museum Purchase
2006.5.4AB

Designer costume jewelry: Chanel and Schiaparelli

 

Today's post investigates the costume jewelry associated with two renowned design houses: Schiaparelli and Chanel. As we discussed in our post on Kenneth Jay Lane's starburst brooch, costume jewelry became an important component of fashionable dress during the 1920s. Though it had long been possible to imitate the appearance of gold or precious stones with glass paste or pinchbeck, beginning in the 1920s it was acceptable to flaunt jewelry made from inexpensive materials like glass, plastic and non-precious metals. In 1923, the New York Times noted a recent proliferation of shops devoted to costume jewelry, "all displaying a bewildering layout of necklaces, pendants, earrings, bracelets, [and] brooches" made from semi-precious stones and other inexpensive materials.¹  Popularized by Parisian couturiers like Patou, Chanel and Schiaparelli, inexpensive costume jewelry soon adorned even those women who could afford the real thing.

Couturiers did more than simply promote costume jewelry. Many couturiers, including both Chanel and Schiaparelli, were closely involved in the design of costume jewelry to complement their haute couture collections. By designing jewelry to complement a particular collection, couturiers ensured that their clients' accessories and dress were aesthetically aligned. Offering branded products like perfume and costume jewelry also promoted the namesake couturier. These less-expensive products also brought the glamour of the haute couture within reach of the less-affluent consumer, who could possibly purchase a necklace or fragrance from Chanel or Schiaparelli, but not an entire ensemble.

Bracelet
c. 1955
Schiaparelli
Gift of Barbara Bundy
2006.37.10

Virevolte suit, Christian Dior, Autumn/Winter 1955

 

One of the most celebrated figures in the history of fashion, Christian Dior's reputation was founded on the New Look. Introduced in 1947, the New Look silhouette presented an idealized vision of the female body: soft, sloped shoulders and defined waist accented with long, full skirts. Called Corolle (petal) in French, the collection was both a reaction to the material deprivations of World War II and an expression of Dior's romantic, yet precise and sophisticated, take on femininity. This nostalgic romanticism was most openly expressed in Dior's cocktail and evening wear, especially in the petal-like skirts of Dior's Junon evening gown.

If Dior's evening wear was extravagant and flowery, his daywear was the opposite. In black, navy or gray, Dior's daytime suits were almost austere in their simplicity. Precisely cut and tailored, they demonstrated Dior's ability to translate menswear into the feminine idiom. In the wool twill suit pictured below, Dior presented a version of the masculine suit softened only by the rounded neckline of the jacket. Dior even went so far as to mimic the look of a neck-tie by tucking and pleating the fabric of the bodice to create a trompe l'oeil knot at the collar. Despite its serious appearance, this suit has a surprisingly lighthearted name: Virevolte. A French verb meaning to dance or twirl around, it suggests that Dior's romanticism was at play in even his most austere designs.

"Virevolte" 3-piece suit
Christian Dior
Fall/Winter 1955
Black and white wool twill
Gift of Mrs. Herbert Lawrence
81.443.1A-C

 

A Step Ahead of the Competition

 

As we've discussed here, here and here, many of the objects in our collection are donated. Our donors are extremely generous, and we've been gifted with many wonderful pieces over the years. To round out our collections, we also purchase objects. In this post, FIDM Museum curator Kevin Jones describes this process and reveals how his extraordinary patience helped bring an unusual pair of 1959 Roger Vivier evening shoes into our collection. These shoes are featured in both FABULOUS! and the companion catalogue.

Evening shoes
Paris, France, 1959
Roger Vivier for Christian Dior
Kingfisher feathers & leather
Museum purchase
2009.5.50AB

Neck ties

 

Neck and bow tie pattern
Simplicity
1945-50
Gift of Helen McKenna
2006.864.3

The elongated, relatively slim silhouette of the modern neck tie emerged in the mid-nineteenth century. Unlike its predecessor, the cravat, the neck tie didn't require careful starching, arranging and continual readjustment. This 1818 image from a satirical essay called Neckclothitania; or Tietania mocks the various and complicated methods of tying the neck cloth or cravat. It was much easier to knot a neck tie in place, securely tucking the ends inside the waistcoat and jacket. The simplicity and speed with which a neck tie could be donned was a boon to men who entered the office-based workforce during the Industrial Revolution. The necktie continued to gain favor as stiff, standing collars were gradually replaced by softer collars with turn-down points. Another form of neck wear, the bow tie, remained popular into the twentieth century as demonstrated by the Simplicity pattern pictured above. Increasingly, however, the bow tie was associated with formal wear and not everyday business dress.

Cabana set, c. 1955

 

Though "cabana set" sounds like the nickname for an elite group of beach hopping travellers, it actually refers to a matching or coordinating set of man's swim trunks and sport shirt or light jacket. Though California swimwear manufacturer Catalina promoted matching swim trunks and sport shirts in the 1940s, the term cabana set wasn't applied to this casual ensemble until sometime in the early 1950s. This clever marketing ploy elevated a straightforward sportswear pairing to an outfit suitable for the relaxed, yet sophisticated, indoor/outdoor lifestyle closely associated with Southern California. A 1954 advertisement for Arrow brand cabana sets declared them suitable for "dad's loafing, puttering or beaching."¹ As this quote reveals, cabana sets were marketed as multi-purpose sportswear, suitable both on the beach and off. Cabana set
c. 1955
In Loving Memory of Maurice Levin
S2007.917.5AB

Lana Turner's clutch, 1952

 

Lana Turner's story is the stuff of Hollywood legends. One afternoon in 1936, Turner skipped class at Hollywood High School to get a soda at a Sunset Boulevard soda fountain. While sitting at the counter, Turner was spotted by William Wilkerson, publisher of movie magazine The Hollywood Reporter. Wilkerson approached Turner (then known as Julia Turner) asking if she'd like to be in pictures. This chance meeting led to a small role in the 1937 film, They Won't Forget. As the murder victim at the center of the plot, Turner wore a tight, fitted sweater. Though her on-screen appearance was brief, Turner was a hit. Audience response cards and fan mail begged for more of the "Sweater Girl," aka Lana Turner.

Throughout the 1930s and '40s, Turner starred in succession of films, including a highly praised performance in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). Off-screen, Turner's personal life also had a cinematic arc. Turner reportedly enjoyed Hollywood nightlife, and was romantically linked with a succession of married and unmarried men. Turner's life both off and on the screen was well-covered in the press. The rate at which Turner switched romantic partners was considered somewhat scandalous, and MGM sometimes engaged in damage control regarding Turner's personal life. For example, when Turner slashed her wrist in the wake of her 1951 divorce from her third husband, the press reported that she cut herself in the shower. This type of misinformation campaign was not unique; studios frequently engaged in damage control to protect their assets, i.e. their film stars.

Clutch purse
1952
Museum Purchase
2004.5.56AB

Bathing cap

 

It's the time of year when those of us in the northern hemisphere start dreaming about summer. Winter has gone on long enough and we're ready for warmer weather. Granted, the FIDM Museum is located in Los Angeles, so we can't complain too much. Still, I find myself repeatedly searching the terms "swimwear" and "sundress" in our collections database. A recent search for "bathing cap" revealed this late 1950s rubber bathing cap, textured and printed to resemble a woman's hairstyle and adorned with a flocked flower.

Bathing cap
Rubber with fabric flower and leaf
c. 1956
Museum Purchase
2003.5.36

Hand-painted circle skirt

 

During the 1950s, casual clothing became an increasingly important part of the American wardrobe. Economic prosperity in the wake of World War II meant that many individuals had time for leisure and relaxation, either on the weekend or during extended vacations. Air travel was relatively cheap, making vacations abroad a reality for many people. Destination road trips were also popular, especially when the interstate highway system began linking major US cities in 1956. During their travels, many tourists purchased souvenirs of places visited. For visitors to Mexico or southern California, a made-in-Mexico embellished circle skirt might have been a popular reminder of a sun-soaked vacation.

Circle skirt
1950-55
Gift of Tina Brown
2008.925.3

Evening shoes

 

Brocade T-Strap Evening Pump
Woodward & Lothrop
c. 1927
Silk brocade, leather, rhinestone and metal
Gift of Vicky Stevenson
S2008.948.2A/B

During the 1920s and into the 1930s, T-strap shoes were popular for both day and evening wear. This muli-colored, floral patterned silk brocade T-strap evening shoe dates from about 1927. Silk shoes were most commonly worn indoors, as the delicate fabric would have easily stained or torn when walking about on city streets. The insole is marked with a gold stamp reading “Woodward & Lothrop,” a now-defunct department store based in Washington D.C. With its gold and yellow rhinestone buckle and yellow accented floral pattern, this shoe would have perfectly complemented the short, slim, jewel-toned evening dresses of velvet or silk popular in the mid-1920s. Metallic accents, like the yellow-gold tone in the pattern and the rhinestone buckle, were popular in 1920s evening dress and accessories. The sturdy boulevard heel would have allowed the wearer of these shoes to easily dance the Charleston, one of the trademark dances of the 1920s.