FIDM Museum Blog

Undergarment ensemble, circa 1900

For much of the past 500 years, women have used underpinnings to mold their bodies into the dominant fashionable silhouette. The basic underpinnings usually consisted of a chemise, corset and petticoat(s). Other items, including sleeve plumpers, crinolines and bustles, came and went as fashion dictated. In the late 19th century, the fashionable figure was womanly and voluptuous, with full curves and a defined waist. This undergarment ensemble features some of the underpinnings a woman might have used to create this silhouette.

Undergarment ensemble
c.1900

Pelerine

Pelerine
1855-60
Gift of Steven Porterfield
2007.897.1

Ferragamo

Though Ferragamo shoes are closely associated with Italian luxury and chic, the roots of the company can be traced to southern California. Company founder Salvatore Ferragamo was born in Italy in 1898, but immigrated to the United States at age 14. Following in the footsteps of his older brothers, he first worked in a Boston shoe factory before making his way to Santa Barbara around 1914. With his brothers, Ferragamo opened a shoe repair shop, though he was soon creating custom shoes for the actors and films associated with the American Film Company, a silent-film studio based in Santa Barbara. In 1923, Ferragamo moved to Los Angeles and opened the Hollywood Boot Shop, where he designed custom shoes for famous customers, including Pola Negri, Gloria Swanson and others. In 1927, Ferragamo returned to Italy and established the company that bears his name today.

Mules
Ferragamo
1944-45
Museum Purchase
2004.5.38AB

Alexander McQueen, you will be missed.

All of us at the FIDM Museum were saddened and shocked to learn of Alexander McQueen's death. Such a tremendous loss of creative talent is difficult to comprehend. McQueen's aesthetic was provocative and never shy of pushing limits. Individual garments (recent examples include "armadillo" shoes and bone patterned suits) were provocative, as were the narratives that inspired each collection. In addition to his creative abilities, McQueen was a master of his craft, with many calling him the finest woman's tailor of his generation. For anyone who questions the impact of a provocative designer on everyday dress, take a look at the jeans you're probably wearing right now. If they're low-waisted, you have Alexander McQueen to thank, as he first introduced the low-cut "bumster" trouser in the mid-nineties.

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

Platform boots

Platform boots
1972-73
Museum Purchase
2006.5.3AB

With a heel of about 5 1/2" and a platform sole roughly 3 1/2" thick, these dramatic boots are an extreme example of the platform shoes, sandals and boots popular in the first half of the 1970s. Perhaps even more notable then their extreme height is the fact that platform shoes of this era were worn by both men and women. In a final flowering of the Peacock Revolution, men wore platform boots and shoes featuring contrasting color combinations, appliques and exotic leathers with unusual finishes, including wet-look and crinkle leather. In 1972, a shoe salesman interviewed by the New York Times reported that his male customers were unafraid to experiment, saying that "the freakier the shoe, the higher the platform and heel, the better it sells."¹

Handbag variety

Like shoes, handbags and purses straddle the line between functional and decorative objects. Though many women (and some men) consider them necessary containers for objects such as keys or money, the sheer diversity of available styles demonstrates that handbags are also a design object in their own right. Until about 1800, when menswear became more sedate and less decorative, both men and women carried purses on a regular basis. From this point onward, men typically carried compact wallets or a very small pouch tucked in a sleeve or pocket. Women continued to carry decorative purses, creating an association between handbags and femininity.

Beaded purse
c. 1920
Gift of Penny Schnabel
S2004.821.2

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

Twiggy

The girl herself is the extravaganza that makes the look of the sixties.¹

Twiggy exploded onto the scene in 1966 though pure happenstance. While getting a haircut at the London salon Leonard of Mayfair, 16 year old Twiggy (then known as Leslie Hornby) was persuaded to try a short, boyish hairstyle. A promotional photo of the resulting haircut was displayed at the salon. Within a few days, a fashion editor for the British newspaper Daily Express spotted the photo and asked for the name of the young woman pictured. Twiggy met with the editor, who had a few more photos taken. A few weeks later, Twiggy's father opened a copy of the Daily Express to see his daughter named the "Face of 66."

In comparison to other models, Twiggy was tiny. Her short haircut and the doll-like black eyelashes she painted under her eyes reinforced an impression of childlike androgyny. This girlish self presentation perfectly suited the clothing of 1966, which focused on garments that deemphasized the female body. Photographs of Twiggy show her in childlike poses, such as on a child-size tricycle or throwing herself at the camera, arms outstretched. During interviews, Twiggy further reinforced her youthfulness by frequently responding to questions with "I dunno" and by fidgeting like a child.

Despite her apparent naivete, Twiggy knew that her celebrity wouldn't last forever. To capitalize on her stature, Twiggy (apparently at the suggestion of her father) started Twiggy Enterprises, which licensed her image to numerous manufacturers. Though a clothing line designed by Twiggy was a financial flop, Twiggy merchandise was lucrative. False-eye lashes, notebooks, pens, paper dolls, lunch boxes, wigs, dress-up kits and hosiery are only some of the Twiggy licensed items marketed to her fans in 1967-68.

Twiggy tights
Trimfit
1967
Gift of Stephanie Kline Morehouse
2004.148.5