FIDM Museum Blog

Sewing patterns from the FIDM Museum

Within the FIDM Museum collection are a number of smaller mini-collections. Some, like the Rudi Gernreich Archive, consist of large groupings of objects that document the work of a specific designer. Others, like our photograph collection, are less focused groupings of objects collected to help us interpret fashion history. One of my favorite mini-collections is our collection of paper sewing patterns. In addition to their entertaining envelope illustrations, sewing patterns are a valuable source of fashion information because they help us understand how high fashion or runway garments are interpreted for the mass market. This is particularly true for patterns associated with known designers. They can also point to the social context of specific garments or styles. Because many patterns are copyrighted, they can be very useful in dating extant garments. Sewing patterns also allow us the opportunity to engage with fashion on a very personal level. With a bit of practice and patience, any sewer can create a custom-designed garment demonstrating either a highly individual sense of style or one perfectly attuned to the latest runway fashions.

  Misses' and Women's Slack Suit and Coverall pattern
Simplicity
1942-45
2003.46.10
Gift of Andrea Tice In Memory of Carmelita Johnson

Norfolk jacket

First appearing in the 1860s, the Norfolk jacket is a durable, loose fitting jacket designed to provide ease of movement to hunters and sportsmen. Deriving its name from the Duke of Norfolk, the jacket was reputedly created specifically for the Duke at his request. Other origin stories suggest that the Norfolk jacket was created for the Prince of Wales, but somehow became linked with the Duke of Norfolk. Regardless of its origins, the characteristics of the Norfolk jacket made it ideal for outdoor and sporting pursuits, specifically hunting. Constructed from rough woolen fabrics and buttoning to the collar, the jacket was extremely warm and durable. With a center back and two front pleats allowing for easy arm movements and large patch pockets providing extra storage, it was widely adopted as sportswear or casual day wear by gentlemen of leisure when vacationing in the country.

Paired with a cap, short knickerbockers, rough woolen stockings and sturdy short boots, the Norfolk jacket was suitable only for informal rural settings. Unlike an urban suit, Norfolk jackets weren't always paired with matching trousers. Though fashion plates indicate the existence of matched Norfolk suits, the jacket was also worn with knickerbockers cut from a different fabric. Color also marked the Norfolk jacket as a casual garment. Unlike urban suits, which were almost uniformly black during the late 19th century, Norfolk jackets were usually made from rustic woolen fabrics in earth tones of green or brown.

Because of their functionality, Norfolk jackets were adopted by sportsmen of all varieties. Always, however, they were associated with the well-to-do, who could afford specialized garb for leisure activities. This fashion plate from May 1901 features a golfer (right) clad in a Norfolk jacket and matching knickerbockers. Dating from roughly 40 years after the origination of the Norfolk jacket, this plate confirms the longevity of the style. The jacket pictured here features all the classic characteristics of the Norfolk jacket, including patch pockets, front box pleats and a self-belt. Notice his cravat pin, a pair of crossed golf clubs.

May 1901
The Sartorial Art Journal

Masculine dress?

In the early 20th century, women who chose to wear bifurcated garments (i.e. trousers) outside of the gymnasium or off the playing field risked public censure. Though women had been wearing full, almost skirt-like trousers for sporting activities since the late 19th century, these bifurcated garments escaped condemnation only because they were functional, not fashionable. Full trousers of this type were often called "bloomers," after Amelia Bloomer, leader of a controversial attempt to popularize bifurcated garments as everyday dress for women during the early 1850s. Worn for activities such as bicycling, cricket, light calisthenics and swimming, bloomers allowed for freedom of movement, while obscuring the contours of the leg and lower body.

Bloomers
c. 1920
Gift of the Manlove Family
2006.870.76

Military influence

Military inspired fashion has been getting a lot of attention lately. March 2010 issues of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue (both American and British) feature fashion editorials focusing on garments in khaki and shades of olive, while a recent New York Times article also describes the trend. When examining the accompanying images, its clear that designers are primarily referencing 20th century military uniforms, which were designed in a variety of drab colors to make pinpointing a particular soldier difficult. Though solid color uniforms have been largely replaced by sophisticated camouflage patterns, the iconic military uniform is still a solid khaki or green.

Military uniforms haven't always been so sedate. Prior to about 1850, military uniforms were often elaborate affairs, featuring extensive embellishments and accessories. Ironically, the most elaborate uniforms were typically seen in times of peace, as functionality was less of a concern. Some of the more visually distinct elements found their way into feminine fashions. The FIDM Museum wool jacket below features gold braid and a high collar, elements commonly seen in these more fantastic uniforms.

Wool jacket
1891-92
Gift of Steven Porterfield
S2008.897.2

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

Fashion history through photographs, part I

Today's post was written by Christina Johnson, FIDM Museum Collections Manager. Part II will be posted on Wednesday, December 9. Enjoy!

Tintype
c.1895-1897
Gift of Stephen Porterfield
2009.897.74

Photographic portraits are valuable resources for understanding fashion history. Knowing the dates certain photo techniques were used can help date extant objects. These images also reveal a great deal about how clothing was accessorized and styled. They present a less-idealized version of dress than fashion plates or painted portraits. The FIDM Museum actively collects historic photographs for these reasons.

Menswear

Like many museums that focus on dress and textiles, the FIDM Museum is constantly searching for compelling menswear for our collection. Most 19th and 20th century menswear is relatively straightforward; it tends to favor function over form, resulting in garments without intriguing structural or decorative elements. There are, of course, exceptions to this general statement, as you can see from the late 1960s ensemble featured in our post today.
Smock-style shirt and suede Levi's
Both c. 1967
Gift of Jay Hampel
Shirt 2007.801.5
Levi's 2007.801.4

Beginning in the early 1960s, long-standing dress codes began to relax and even disappear. Women stopped wearing gloves and corsets on a regular basis, and men were seen in public without hats. Though sartorial expectations for both men and women became looser, men especially benefited from this change. Many men abandoned sober, dark-colored suits, plain dress shirts and constricting neckties in favor of clothing that was more personally expressive. All aspects of menswear were under assault: neckties were replaced by scarves and ascots, turtlenecks became an alternative to the button-down shirt, multi-colored shoes and sandals replaced black oxfords and hair grew longer. Color and pattern appeared in menswear, as did traditionally "feminine" fabrics such as velvet, satin and chiffon. As a whole, these changes in menswear were dubbed the "Peacock Revolution."

Men in urban areas such as Los Angeles, London and New York could purchase these new styles at boutiques such as Mr. Fish (London), and Paraphernalia (New York). Some of these boutiques catered exclusively to men, while others sold garments for both men and women. Gender specificity was no barrier however, for in 1968 WWD reported that men were purchasing women's wide-legged pants for their own use at the Yves St. Laurent boutique in St. Tropez.¹For those in search of an even more "authentic" look, vintage and non-Western garments could be purchased at flea markets, military surplus stores or while on the 1960s version of the Grand Tour through the Middle East or Latin America. Caftans were a popular travel souvenir for both men and women and were often reinterpreted, as in this beribboned smock-style shirt from the FIDM Museum collection. Back view of 2007.801.4 and 2007.801.5

Intended to be inventive and playful, these changes in the visual character of masculinity were widely understood as a challenge to political and social conformity. Furthermore, dress was conceived as a sort of costume which allowed one to try out or take on a new identity at will. The rejection of the staid business suit freed men from societal expectations regarding personal identity and allowed for a truer expression of the self. This sartorial liberation was thought to be both personally and socially liberating. In the words of a caftan and gold medallion adorned New York dentist interviewed in GQ in the March 1971, "Groovy people should wear groovy clothes. That way we turn on the whole world." 

1 Lobenthal, Joel. Radical Rags: Fashions of the 1960s.New York: Abbeville Press. 1990 :138.

Just a glimpse...

Now that you've been introduced to the FIDM Museum, you're probably wondering where and how we've acquired our objects. Museums acquire new objects in a variety of ways, but purchases, bequests and donations are the most common avenues by which objects find new homes in museum collections. Often, we have specific ideas as to what we might like to add to our collection and Museum staff keep an eye out for these items. Sometimes an object shows up, unexpected and uninvited, but ultimately becomes an important part of our collection. Today's featured object literally walked through the Museum door one day last fall. Not on its own, but with the help of a generous donor. The image below is a detail shot; any guesses as to what you're seeing?

Vest detail (center front) of a man's 3-piece court suit
c. 1811-15
Gift of Yvonne Hummel
2008.947.2B

This suit has a fascinating provenance, or history. The husband of the donor was the great-great-great grandson of the Austrian composer and pianist Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837). If you happen to read German, you can read about Hummel here or in English here. According to family lore, this suit belonged to Hummel, though we don't know when or where it was worn. As with any object there are so many unanswered questions. How did the suit make its way from Austria to Los Angeles? It is in near pristine condition--how did it stay this way for 200 years? Who made the suit for Hummel and how much did it cost? The donor will be conducting additional research into family records with the hope of obtaining more information, while Museum staff continues research into the suit itself. As it is a relatively new acquisition, we have not completed photographing the entire suit. We will definitely post more pictures, including detail shots, when we have them.

At the time this vest was worn, both men and women who could afford to do so wore highly embellished, luxurious garments for both day and evening. This particular vest is paired with a jacket and breeches of aubergine silk velvet. Both the jacket and vest are embellished with the embroidery you see in this image. Satin and metallic thread form iris flowers and stems, while small round glass ornaments and metallic sequins complete the shape of the iris. Small embroidered commas of metallic thread and metallic sequins are repeated allover the vest front. Keep in mind that this entire ensemble was created about 50 years before the sewing machine came into common use. In other words, every element of this elaborate suit was created and completed by hand. For those of us who find sewing from a simple pattern challenging, this is an unimaginable feat.