Movies from 50s

The best source of 50s look is in old movies.
All clothes, accessories, shoes, lingerie...everything is there. Especially hairstyles! Nothing is as good as movies.
I like also these showing old times and made nowadays simply because sexuality is shown. Original ones are rather short of passionate scenes.
So that is the first and primary step to know 40s and 50s and of course whatever period you want to know. However from 30s down movies may be a bit heavy: silent movies or very unclear image and sound.

You can find plenty of lists on the net suggesting what you should see, but me personally...
I worship these ones !!! :


All about Eve - 1950
Black and white. Amazingly built action. Really interesting. Marilyn Monroe passes here and there.
Mostly Bette Davis who's really a true star in this movie. Excellent movie about a sexy psycho :)

How to marry a millionaire - 1953
Who doesn't know this movie! Marilyn Monroe - Betty Grable. It's a simple romance - comedy but dresses are really something! And in color.

Since I've seen it I got obsessed with a long elegant house coat / bath robe.

...and this amazing dress which all you know. I'm sorry - here black and white.

Photo: Marilyn probably with a stylist

In the beginning Betty Grable comes in this sapphire-blue dress with pinkish petticoat. It looks really volumetric.

I wonder how many layers does it have?  

What is it made from??

Sunset Boulevard - 1950
YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS ONE!! Film Noir - My favourite type!
You won't find here really original 50s clothing. The main star is Gloria Swanson as famous Norma Desmond.
She playes kind of herself... Gloria Swanson was very famous silent movie star. Her carrier went down together with cinematography development.
She was already a lady getting closer to forty and she didn't feel well in current fashion style. Her waist wasn't so tiny anymore and that was the main key in fashion.
So stylist proposed her Dior new look.
Beautiful black and white. Camera man used to spread powder before shooting house scenes to make a picture more special.

Sorry wrong number - 1948
Another classic noir with Barbara Stanwyck. She has created so many movies in this style. Amazing actress. Her voice and unique features of the face are worth seeing.
And the best news! This one you can watch on youtube :)
Search it as: 'sorry wrong number part 1'
You can see some clothes and hairstyles, everything in 40s style.
But I'd say you'll get into action.
Sick rich woman suddenly accidently hears on the phone conversation of two men planning a murder...

By the way, some other movies you can easily watch on youtube with Barbara Stanwyck. All in the same diagram.

Double Indemnity

Thelma Jordan - 1950
I haven't finish this one yet. Noir.
Thelma Jordan part 1

Marriage on the rocks - 1965
I know it is 60s in color but it's worth it! It is funny. There are some appreciate garments.
I forced even my boyfriend to watch it :)

Deborah Kerr became a bit forgotten actress.
But she's very nice to look at in 'An affair to remember', 'From here to eternity'.



All Hitchcock movies. So good glance at 1940s 1950s and 1960s.
You can find there everything. Style, glamour, divas and all stylizations you need.

To catch a thief - 1955

I confess - 1953

Dial M for Murder - 1954

I'll give only some examples of these which you can fully watch on the net :)
Rebecca - 1940
..well as far as I remember you can not find here so glamorous gowns..but for sure mistery
Rebecca part 1

Notorious - 1946
I love Cary Grant!
Notorious part1

Lifeboat - 1943
a bit of glamour but only in the first scenes so if you want it now..leave this film for later
lifeboat part 1



This post is already too long. I could write and write about these old movies. I'll try to write about most important currently. I watch them all the time...whatever I do, yoga, painting, repairing my vintage clothes.
I rent them from video rental, from library or try to find on youtube - which is not easy sometimes.
And the last thing! Movies recommended by Dita von Teese:

'Ziegfeld Girl' and 'Pin Up Girl' you can find in the whole piece on the net :)
Let me know if you have problems, maybe I can help.
Number 1,3,6 I'm still looking.

So get inspired! and study 50s 40s look.

1920's - 1930's

As my friend says 'It was a great time!!! They have been taking all kind of drugs and as much as they could because they thought it's harmless! The biggest party on the world!'

It happens that I don't really like it...especially I'm not so fond of 20s.
30s much more. When the waist went up and the shape became more specific.
But it didn't matter yesterday :) I was invited to a 'murder' party. The game - Guess who is a murderer.
The whole script written by my friend who has been playing for years.

Action:
It is 1927 at Cranthrope Manor the summer home of Sir Philip and Lady Irma Williams in the south west of England. They have had several guests over to stay and one of them, William Fort-Pitt, has been murdered. After initial enquiries have eliminated the staff as suspects; only the guests remain. It is up to you to figure out who is the killer.

My role:
Lady Irma Williams né Brown
Already twice married she appeared on the European social scene in Paris 6 years ago after divorcing her first husband a Texan cattle millionaire. Her second husband Le Compte de Ville died aged 86 leaving her fabulously wealthy and according to her heartbroken; within the year she had married one of London's most eligible bachelors.

Costume:
A woman who enjoys the finer things in life, she likes to show her wealth and truly believes that diamonds are a girls best friend.

 I had a little problem. I don't really wear jewellery. I think that 40s and 50s are so colorfull itself that extra accessories may be inept. These shapes and fabric prints! So better less than more.
Anyway I improvised a bit. Dress maybe 80s bleee.. and some very ugly plastic necklace. I really don't like this effect...but well, it's not my strong side :)

But whom I really admire is Dita von Teese describing all past decades (the most important ones) in her Burlesque - Fetish book.

Dita's book is one of the best about glamour that I have. So inspiring!
All about corsets and different styles. Some latex clothes and being beautiful all the time.
I bought it on http://www.elounge.com/ where it was the cheapest offer that time.
You can always get it second hand from ebay or of course look there for a new one.
But if you love glamour you have to have it.

Anyway appeared that my sister Molly shot Pit, whos name was actually Krackburger, because he blackmailed her. Some years ago she had her own brothel :) and it could destroy her engagement with Rev. Gavin.
Next time I hope someone will be killed in 1940s or 1950s. Early 60s still accepted!

Pin - Up Line

I am addicted to garter belts and seamed stockings.
I can not imagine my life without it.
Doesn't matter winter or not. I have many kinds and colors. However my favourite is contrast one - nude with black seam and, if possible...black sole - so you don't have to worry about all darker shoe marks when you're forced to take off your heels :)
FF Stockings from What Katie Did are actually really good. it doesn't lose shape as fast as Eleganti.
Eleganti are fine. Fits perfectly at the beginning. But with time it is noticeably longer and loose.
I like a lot Gio but it's really thin and hard to get.

I'll test soon two new brands: Cervin and Eva Chic (but no fully fashioned)

So my this fascination gave me an idea to paint pin up girls in stockings on ... anything which contains cotton. Tshirts, skirts, curtains...

Pin Up Line full gallery

Louis Vuitton 2010 / 2011

Usually I'm not interested in contemporary fashion.
I even try to avoid it. It doesn't fit me at all. ...and another thing - why should I create something common.
I like looking different.

so LV 2011 collection is the most amazing - for me - I've seen recently. and it is not about bags.

Louis Vuitton fall/winter 2010/2011

the length of some of them is a bit longer than all 50s vintage that I own. But it looks really nice anyway.

I wonder if these skirts are with petticoats? or just a lot of textile and it looks so full.

Probably later than sooner some of these pieces may be available on the net - I mean seconds.
I'm not sure how and where...but I'll keep tracking :)

Inspired by LV my recent targets are:
gloves - I found one. unspecified color, not long, not short. Brand new. Still haven't decided if 500dkk - 48GBP is the amount I'm willing to pay. From Gaucho.
GAUCHO
frames - Dolce Gabbana 3071 col.502
I actually ordered and waiting and waiting...producing, computers problems. already 3 months.
I'm going to make it sunglasses.
DOLCE&GABBANA

Glamorous troll - ing

First when I started to be interested in pin up clothing it felt strange sitting at home in washed H&M cotton sweat pants and faded Tshirt used for years by my two brothers and finally inherited by me.
It felt like I'm just masquerading.
I wanted to get rid of this feeling and actually feel pretty all the time.
Once I read article - something about unemployed people and process of looking for a job. It was written there it is very important to put yourself together even if you're just at home reading job announcements. So when you look in the mirror it doesn't make you depressed. Eliminate situation when you're wandering around the flat for weeks and everytime you look at yourself there's only one thought - I look like shit. Which means your confidence and happiness level drop.

So I found some solutions. Kimono - present from my uncle.

It's cotton. It's comfortable and yes, I can hoover, do the dishes, wash the floor.. and no, there's no point to save it for potential special occasion which will never come and I don't think it's a good idea to wear it outside :) unless during wild cherry tree festival.

But moving forward...

I'm constantly searching for house coats from 50s on eBay. (the most important source of vintage clothes)

Somehow can not find anything special. So I decided to buy sewing pattern - from ebay seller 'bloodblue'. (The gingham one is the one)

I found dressmaker who's doing this for me. I'll pay a bit. But not so much.

Totally confused about the textile I gave her my trust and she's the one who'll choose it. So little surprise for me. I guess it will take up to one month. But it will be brand new, only mine, kept in traditional 50s style.

Exciting!

So with all my ideas and new shopping my wardrobe is bursting at the seams. That's why from time to time I have to let go something.

With tears in my eyes...I'd like to present this lovely, however - whitish/white, which is absolutely not my color - house coat. No labels. Bought on eBay.

4 buttons in the front. Very nicely accents the waist. Makes your silhouette tall and slim. Textile is extremely light. It moves very slowly, with grace, a bit like floating.

Sooner or later I will put it on auction.

Anybody interested??? Would you like to buy it???

Please let me know!

Jacqmar

I'm biking. And styling my hair constantly. Definitively these two things don't go together. But I have no choice. Reducing train ticket costs and need of being separated from all these squeezed people forced me to use a bike as my form of transport. Of course it's RED.
So I'm fighting with wind - always. Rain - sometimes. I should sign up finally to the facegroup (polish) group
- Wkurwia mnie wiatr, ktory rozpierdala mi grzywke = I'm pissed because wind fucks my bangs, or something like this...
So the solution is:
I'm scarf-ing.

Took me some time before I found out what I want. And now I know I want only Jacqmar scarves!
Company established in London in ~1932. Existed as supplier of silks, exporting to France. Very fast senior staff realized there's no point to waist offcuts. Company started to produce scarves. So famous for it's creative design. Jacqmar became a part of story of british WW II propaganda textiles.
Unfortunately I haven't found any scarf with propaganda theme..yet.
They advertised as "british designed and british made". And really, quality is impressive. Of course if previous owner haven't made it oily or something. Perfect edges. Perfect colors.
Actually I think it's not only that it's british. All things from 50s-70s have amazing durability.
(...my aunt still has an old russian depilator which kills all silk - braun plastic shitty equipment...)
So scarves in 50s were treated as 'powerful signifier of female emancipation'.
also in factories - it was necessary - to prevent accidents. Some huge machine could pull your hair and you're dead.

But carefully! Isadora Duncan - american dancer - died during open car ride. She was speeding - probably - in her Bugatti when her scarf was pulled into wheels. So she died in Nice in 1927 as 50 - years old woman.
After this event still public combined the scarf with expression of emancipatory independence in women.

So I'm searching for Jacqmar scarves mostly from 50s (ok. only from 50s) however company had been producing till 70s I think...
Every single one has nice printed name JACQMAR, usually on both edges.
I read somewhere that some may have Arnold Lever printed sign, since he was these beauties designer, at some point.
So let's keep our hair up!
(and me - just simply covered)

Cardigan

Today I had an interview regarding my Danish language level in language school. So I decided - we have October but sunny day, maybe white skirt will do. So to this white full circle skirt with 3 layers petticoat I put on my lovely cardigan which I bought in Iceland.

On Laugavegur 17 in Reykjavik there's this second hand shop Rokk og Rosir.
So beautiful interior. You just don't want to leave. So nicely presented things.
It's true, I haven't got much time for shopping and Reykjavik is full of vintage shops. But this was the only one where I bought something. I haven't seen so nice dresses, but sweaters!! cardigans!!! amazing. So I bought two.
I always try to get some pieces originally from 50s but this one, however from 1996 - Michael Simon, is really special. Some say it makes me look like strawberry but I see in it rather animal impact.

But I already keep an eye on something new! 50s :)

1940s and 1950s look!

I want to know more and more so I guess I'll buy finally these books I've been fallowing.

1940's look and 1950's look! I found it on Amazon for 22GBP both. It's so easy to buy a rubbish.. but I think I'll risk this time.

...and I'll let you know

The Beginning

'I love artificial, man - made beauty.
I like the idea of being whoever you want to be,

not just saying -this is what I've got
-this is what I've been living with'

...said my walking inspiration Dita von Teese.
I love this idea. This is how I see and create myself. So I stuck in 40's and 50's.
I will skip all chauvinistic aspects and focus on pleasant sides: hourglass figure, bombshells, burlesque, some fetish, Hitchcock, glamour... all things that hypnotize me!

pin up for this weekend from my favorite calendar with Gil Elvgren girls - the gratest pin up painter!

On the tree, but still - perfect hairstyle, perfect manicure. Last christmas present from my friend :) cheers me up and inspires everyday.