By Jenna,
December 14th, 2011 at 5:00 am
(Conferences and Calls for Papers, Events, History of Dress)
This past weekend, December 8-10, 2001, The University of Brighton hosted a conference entitled Developments in Dress History, in tribute to the significant contributions of Professor Lou Taylor to the field of dress studies. I was fortunate enough to have had Lou Taylor as a guest lecturer during my MA in Fashion Curation at the London College of Fashion, and it was her writings and lectures which in part inspired me to begin my research into 20th century fashion cartoons.
I was pleased and honoured to be among those presenting papers, and to meet fellow Worn Through contributor and conference speaker Brenna at the event! We had ample opportunity to catch up, discuss our work and research and also to introduce each other to colleagues and associates. Although the experience of addressing the conference, and meeting Brenna as well as many other distinguished and interesting people were the highlights for me, I also include this week brief synopses of some of the presentations I attended.
The conference presented papers from over 80 speakers, from all over the globe and from different points in their academic careers. With six sessions composed of four simultaneous panels it was only possible to see one quarter of the work being presented. While this may seem a bit disappointing, it did make for very lively conversation and sharing of experiences during the tea and lunch breaks, and at the highly enjoyable conference dinner.
Tim Walker editorial published in Vogue Uk 2007, which featured in Sarah Cheang's paper on dress and ethnicity.
The conference began with a series of introductory papers that highlighted key themes of the overall programme, but the organisers pointed out that these were not deemed “keynote” speakers in order to place all the presenters on an equal ground and to foster the exchange of ideas amongst scholars of all levels. The first session began with a survey of Sarah Cheang’s ongoing research into fashion and ethnicity via a study of portrayals of the “ethnic other” in Western fashion editorial photographs. Sally Helveston Gray, of the Michigan State University Museum presented her extensive object and document based study of the mother Hubbard dress, as it was widely known in 19th century in North America.
Tahitian women wearing versions of the Mother Hubbard dress, 19th c, wikipedia commons
The material culture aspects of dress research were further explored in Lesley Miller’s presentation of her lifelong and ongoing research on Lyons silks. Miller is currently a curator at the V&A, and gave a preview of how 18th century Lyons silks will figure in the forthcoming Fashioning Europe 1600-1800 galleries, opening in 2014. The introductory session finished up with an eye-opening talk by Sharon Peoples about the collection and presentation of convicts dress and histories at the Narynna Heritage Museum in Tasmania.
Fashion engraving of a 1680s evening gown
The morning session, in which I presented my MA and ongoing research Satirical Sartorial: Fashion Cartoons from the New Yorker, was themed around images in fashion.
Image from my preseantation of an exhibition concept for Satirical Sartorial: Fashion Cartoons of the New Yorker
I was delighted to be presenting alongside Elizabeth Davis who examined 17th century fashion engravings as documents of fashion history, and Rachel Ritchie’s survey of fashion marketing to rural women in post-war Britain. The session finished up with an highly engaging and well researched analysis of the use of museum and gallery settings in fashion photographs in the decade following the end of World War 2, by Felice McDowell, currently a researcher at London College of Fashion.
A panel on collecting and collections was comprised of talks by curators and collectors and provided insights into the collections and collection histories of the V&A and the Museum of Costume at Bath. I particularly enjoyed curator Rosemary Harden’s look at the life and work of Doris Langley Moore, and her legacy on the field of fashion curation.
Fashion historian and curator Doris Langley Moore - what a gorgeous lady!
The role of the personal enthusiast/collector was addressed by Lewis Orchard, who presented a wealth of material derived from his collection of garments, ephemera and documents relating to the designer Lucile, also known as Lady Duff Gordon. Lucile is well noted in fashion history for her opulent belle epoque designs, is credited with staging the first live fashion shows, and is a notable historical figure for being a Titanic survivor. Orchard has liberally collected material related to Lucile for over 20 years, and his collection reveals new information abotut the designer, her life, clients and milieu.
Lucile, Lady Duff Gordon
The Study of Dress History was a conference theme running across four panels, which were mainly devoted to material and archival dress history research. The session I attended looked at artefacts as diverse as diverse as 19th century dresses with toxic dyes, to boys’ sailor suits to the rare examples if Aesthetic dress in museum collections. The former presentation, by Alison Mathews David, on arsenical dyes and their impact on health in the 19th century and beyond in contemporary museum collection, will be a chapter in her forthcoming Berg publication Fashion and Health. Her book promises to re-assess the view of fashion’s impact on physical health and to delve deeper than the usual discussions of corsets and foot-binding as fashion’s cruellest enemies of well-being.
Arsenical green dress, Collection of the Museum at FIT
On the second day of the conference, I attended two panels on Displaying Dress, among which were the papers on curating and exhibition design I was most highly anticipating. With papers that examined the innovations, traditions and questions around the discipline of fashion curation, I was extremely satisfied and engaged by all the presentations. Highlights were Christine Guth’s study of The Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum as a space fashionably dressed by its founder, as well as Claire Wilcox’s insightful talk on displaying dress at the V&A past, present and into the future. Marie Reigels Melchior gave a thorough and though provoking historigoraphy of fashion in museums; research she is undertaking in order to devise a collecting and display policy for fashion at the Design Museum Denmark.
Interior view of the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum including display of her dress silk
I was also honoured to be invited by Amy de la Haye to particpate in her presentation of Cecil Beaton’s Fashion: An Anthology Exhibition which took place at the V&A in 1971. I have been working with Amy and curator Judith Clark to recreate a physical model of the exhibition from surviving documents, and commented on the experience and challenges of the process to the conference delegates.
I left the conference with a greater awareness of the diversity and intensity of the field of dress history, and a clear affirmation that the collective and individual work of those who pioneered the field as well as those just entering it, is significant and sure to engender more such research in the future.
3 Comments
By Tove Hermanson,
December 13th, 2011 at 9:25 am
(Academic Research & Related, History of Dress, International Fashion)
proposed (Photoshopped) APEC outfits in Hawaii, 2011
I read with some interest the Times article Obama Says Forum’s Costume Photo Is Unnecessary. This refers to the tradition of the 21 members of the annual APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum participating in what has unfortunately been dubbed “the silly shirts photo.” Past photo-ops “have included ponchos and what looked like gowns for pregnant bridesmaids,” Jackie Calmes wrote. Frankly, I’m surprised by Calmes’ snarkiness.
At the first meeting in Seattle in 1993, then-President Bill Clinton outfitted the leaders in leather bombardier flight jackets. This fun photo-op idea subsequently became a tradition to don the national dress of APEC’s revolving host country; leaders wore the outfits for the photo and the rest of the day. Let’s take a look at past ensembles and judge for ourselves, shall we?
1994 Indonesia, Batik shirts
Batik is a wax-dying technique that, in certain regions, can takes inspiration from everyday life like flowers, people, Arabic calligraphy, European bouquets, Chinese phoenixes, or Indian peacocks, marvelously illustrating the influences upon Indonesia as a land. There are many batiks specific to momentus occasions (weddings, funerals, births), and batik is often an integrated part of such ceremonies. During an expectant first pregnancy, mother-to-be is wrapped in seven layers of batik while being wished well (“naloni mitoni”); and batik is incorporated into another ritual when a baby touches the earth for the first time (I just like the very existence of such a ceremony!). Though I don’t have expertise enough to name the batik prints worn by esteemed APEC leaders below, it is easy to see the variety, and fun to imagine the rich history that produced such “classic” motifs.
APEC in Indonesia, 1994
1995 Japan (Business suits)
It was decided that the familiar kimono was too restrictive to be worn comfortably by APEC members, so they all wore suits. Not only disappointing, this excuse is curious to me, as Samurai wore kimonos and had notoriously physically active lifestyles.
APEC in Japan, 1995
1996 Philippines (Barong shirts)
Barongs are very lightweight and white (speaking to the climate of the Philippines), common formal attire for men and sometimes women. The barong was popularized by Ramon Magsaysay when he wore it to his inauguration as president in 1950, and most formal affairs afterwards (reminds me of Josephine popularizing the “Empire” gown at Napoleon’s coronation.) Dubious legend has it that the invading Spaniards forced Filipinos to wear their barongs untucked (Spaniards would wear them tucked) for easy class distinction, and they allegedly took advantage of the barong’s translucency to see if Filipinos were attempting to conceal weapons. Accurate or not, it’s telling that these possible myths about the national garb being used to control the native people endure.
APEC in Philippines, 1996
1997 Canada (Leather jackets)
I must admit, bomber jackets don’t really scream “Canada” to me, but feel free to offer hypotheses of relevant history!
APEC in Canada, 1997
1998 Malaysia (Batik shirts)
Though a similar wax-removal dying technique is used in Malaysia as in Indonesia, there are some major differences. First, depictions of humans or animals are rare because such images for decoration are forbidden in Islam (the butterfly is an exception, for some reason). Malaysian batiks are highly vivid, unlike the earthy Indonesian tones. The Malaysian government has been heavily promoting the adoption of batik as a national outfit, even encouraging civil servants wear it on the 1st and 15th of every month.
APEC in Malaysia, 1998
1999 New Zealand (Sailing jackets)
As an island New Zealand clearly has an oceanic ties, solidified far before the British colonialists arrived by the indigenous and ingenious Maori. When I myself sailed there in 1997 as a high school student aboard the now sunk (!!) Concordia, New Zealand had just won back the America’s Cup sailing prize, and goddamn, the whole country was abuzz with pride. I enjoy the outdoorsy look the weatherproof jackets give the dignitaries, though I’m disappointed they obliterate any reference to the native peoples who sailed around the island first.
APEC in New Zealand, 1999
2000 Brunei Darussalam (Kain Tenunan shirts)
Southeast Asia has developed its textiles over centuries (the earliest recorded mention of cloth-weaving in Brunei Darussalam can be traced to the turn of the 16th century), and motifs include leaves, local flowers, and Islamic patterns. A sad consequence of modernism has been a drop-off in interest in this labor-intensive art. Since 1975, the Brunei Arts and Handicrafts Training Centre (BAHTC) has been apprenticing small batches of trainees in traditional handicrafts such as weaving, but it might be relegated to a curiosity in the not-too-distant future. I wish I could better see the embroidery on the APEC shirts to discern a pattern or significance.
APEC in Brunei Darussalam, 2000
2001 People’s Republic of China (Tangzhuang shirts)
The Tangzhuang is a jacket that originated at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), modified from the Manchu clothing Magua. Typical colors are red, dark blue, gold and black, and Chinese monograms with good wishes are a common motif (lovely sentiment, right?). Initially it was only worn by the elite classes, though it has trickled down to be worn by all in modern times (even women, if you can believe it!).
APEC in People's Republic of China, 2001
2002 Mexico (Guayabera shirts for men/Huipíles for women)
The origins of the Guayabera shirt is actually hotly contested — most Latin American countries, Cuba (which declared it its national garment in 2010), and even the Philippines claim it as their invention. There is a Cuban legend that a poor seamstress sewed large pockets on her farmer husband’s shirt so he could carry guavas home. Guayabera shirts are traditionally white or very pale, with 2 -4 large pockets, side slits, and vertical rows of tiny pleats. They’re worn for special and casual occasions all over the Caribbean. A huipil is a tunic / blouse worn by the indigenous women of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America (and by men in Guatemala). The elaborate decorative embroidery may convey the wearer’s village, marital status, and personal beliefs. (I wish we could see more detail in the APEC photo.)
APEC in Mexico, 2002
2003 Thailand (Brocade shirts for men/Brocade shawls for women)
Richly embroidered brocade — material with raised texture — is the most expensive type of silk and was only worn during ceremonial occasions like weddings. This clearly speaks to the natural resources (mulberry trees, food of silk worms) and accompanying silk industry, to say nothing of the Silk Road relationships. To even untangle silk from woven cocoon to useable thread is an absurdly time and labor intensive process, and silk has always been a luxury fabric, worn by the royal court, favored by the Prime Minister’s wife, and often given to visiting dignitaries. Ironically it was an American — Jim Thompson — who revitalized Thailand’s declining silk industry in the 1950s and ’60s.
APEC in Thailand, 2003
2004 Chile (Chamantos)
Similar to a poncho (but apparently not exactly the same), chamantos are decorative garments from central Chili woven from silk and wool, with ribbon edging. Each side of a chamanto is fully finished, and one side is lighter colored than the other for variety; the dark side is typically worn during the day (perhaps when it would absorb the most of the sun’s rays in the chilly mountains). Common motifs depict local flora and fauna such as copihues —Chile’s national flower— and various birds.
APEC in Chile, 2004
2005 Republic of Korea (Hanboks)
Hanboks, colorful, pocket-less garments with sleek lines, are the traditional costume of Korea; it literally translates as “Korean clothing.” Though historically commoners wore hanbok and rulers and aristocrats wore more foreign-influenced designs, they have always been worn ceremonially. Hanboks were designed to facilitate ease of movement and also incorporated many shamanistic motifs, indicative of their nomadic northern Asian origins.
APEC in Korea, 2005
2006 Vietnam (Áo dài)
As opposed to the A-line looseness of the hanbok, the áo dài is a closer fitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. Originally an 18th century court dress, over centuries it evolved. In the 1920s and ’30s, artists modernized it as a female dress, and in the 1950s the waist was tightened to produce today’s silhouette (men’s fit is still un-cinched). Typically a female dress, the áo dài is imbued with feminine and nationalistic symbolism (interesting, given the unfortunately typical male-dominated politicians in APEC).
APEC in Vietnam, 2006
2007 Australia (Driza-Bones and Akubra Hats)
“Driza-Bone” (“dry as a bone”) is an Australian company specializing in foul weather gear, established in 1898 by a Scottish immigrant. Initially developed to protect horse riders from the rain, they were originally made of oiled sail boat sails. With some irony, the company moved back from an extended international hiatus to Australia a year after APEC gathered; but perhaps the “silly photo” garnered enough attention to spur the return? Unfortunately this photo doesn’t show the akubra hats, but they’re the typical wide-brimmed hats of the Australian bushmen, not dissimilar from functional American cowboy hats which protected the wearer from harsh wind and sun.
APEC in Australia, 2007
2008 Peru (Ponchos)
Protective woolen ponchos have been worn by the peoples of the Andes since pre-Hispanic times. A gorgeously simple and un-wasteful design, they are constructed from a single square of woven fabric with a center hole cutout for the head; waterproof versions may have fasteners to close holes and hoods to protect from heavy weather. Though this is inevitably one of the APEC outfits that’s the butt of many jokes, latex-coated military ponchos have been worn by Americans since the 1850s and were used in the American Civil War as a multipurpose jacket, tent, or ground-covering sheet for sleeping. They have consistently been a part of American military accoutrements ever since, albeit in technologically edgy textiles. Peru had the original!
APEC in Peru, 2008
2009 Singapore (Peranakan-inspired designer shirts)
Peranakens are the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to Indonesia; they clung to many of their traditional ways of life such as ancestor worship, but assimilated with the culture and language of their new land. Traditional designs often incorporate Chinese symbols, and shoes often have European flowers, but depicted in local bright palettes.
APEC in Singapore, 2009
2010 Japan (Smart casual)
Prime Minster Naoto Kan cops out of kimonos once again. (I’m not going to get into the history of the dark business suit at the moment, but frankly, I associate it more with English / American history than with that of the Japanese, yet in light of all the other foreign influences present in previously mentioned national costumes, it should not be so surprising that the two-piece suit has become ubiquitous for businessmen / politicians everywhere.)
APEC in Japan, 2010
2011 United States (Business suits)
APEC in United States, 2011
I really love seeing familiar leaders in the colorful, unfamiliar dress of these countries. It makes me question (again) the prejudices the western world has against color, decoration, and unisex clothing on men — this of course taps into ideas of masculine identity and classicism. It also strikes me that from a distance, when the members are in a line in the same outfits, they look like they’re unified. They look like they’re working together. Whatever differences they may have in skin tone or hair styling or ideology fades to the background, and they appear to be a unified body. And shouldn’t they?
It was especially interesting to me that Obama chose to dissolve the tradition in his own home state, where presumably he feels the most comfortable in the local garb. Chilean President Piñera Echenique was said to have asked, disappointed, during this year’s APEC meeting, “Where are the Hawaiian shirts?” It has been speculated that Obama deemed the bright floral inappropriate for these austere economic times, but I would argue that’s exactly when color and patterns and art and fun are the most needed — to lift our spirits. I recently had a discussion with an activist friend of mine who has deliberately been toning down her wardrobe as she becomes more involved in radical organizing because she fears colors and patterns or anything “fashionable” would be considered bourgeois in her line of work. I pointed out that the most ostentatious dressers I know are typically artists — a group famous for its financial struggles and radical alliances. This may be so, my friend conceded, but within Marxist ideology, there is a long history of vilifying fashion as a non-useful and therefore frivolous waste of energy and resources. <sigh>
But to return to the topic: if the impetus for abolishing the APEC costume tradition is so-called lack of dignity or a fear of appearing foolish, I must protest on three counts. First, politicians are known to be stuffy, conservative (i.e. “boring”) dressers, and it might actually do some good for their public images (and their cause with APEC) to be seen as real people who actually get silly and have fun — like us norms. Second, and this is a greater problem in my mind, this discomfort in native dress, even for a “silly picture,” highlights the prejudices of one culture towards others. “Ponchos and batik shirts might be fine for the locals, but that ridiculous look is normalized where they live!”
Lastly, as a fashion culturalist, I emphatically believe that clothes are imbued with socio-cultural significance. When you stop to ask why the national dress of various countries, even within a relatively small geographical area, are different (and also how they overlap), you are forced to confront the histories of those countries, their natural resources (silk production of Thailand), their climates (heat of Mexico), their wealth distribution (Thai brocade silks), their political systems (Shanghai Mao collars), what kind of work and activities the populations engage in (Peruvian / Chilean ponchos facilitate movement; New Zealand and Australia’s stave off extreme wet weather). Empathize with another man by walking in his shoes? Why not pose for one so-called “silly picture” in another man’s whole outfit? I dare you to not get a new perspective on your own ethnocentricity.
3 Comments
By Rebecca,
December 9th, 2011 at 5:00 am
(History of Dress, International Fashion, Museum Life)
This post is mostly based on a tour I gave of the fashion collection at the Powerhouse Museum for a group of NIDA costume students. It is also inspired by my work on the Australian Dress Register. I am a strong believer that dress and fashion research should include close examination of actual examples of dress. Through my work at the Museum and for the ADR I have learnt much about Australian dress through examining actual examples of dress from the past.
For many people outside of Australia, the image of Australian dress is based largely on ‘bush’ stereotypes such as Crocodile Dundee or the swag man described in the famous song ‘Waltzing Matilda’ . Contrary to these stereotypes, Europeans in Colonial Australia attempted to dress in very fashionable styles.
When the British settled Sydney as a penal colony in 1788 they initially only intended to create a prison for criminals on the other side of the world. The result was a country that in many ways resembled Britain. With dress there was a general adherence to British and European styles.
In this post, I will have a look at some of my favourite examples of early Colonial Australian dress before 1850.
Anna King's Evening dress, c. 1805. Collection: National Trust of New South Wales, Photo: Brenton McGeachie
Anna Josepha King wore this dress from 1805, most probably for evening wear and formal events in Sydney. She was the wife of Philip Gidley King, Governor of New South Wales, was born in 1765 in England and had three children.
Detail, Anna King's Evening dress, c. 1805. Collection: National Trust of New South Wales, Photo: Brenton McGeachie
The Colony had only been settled 17 years when this dress was worn. It is a fashionable style of dress for the period, which saw a move away from the elaborate styles of the 18th Century to a more classical mode. This dress with its luxurious muslin and fashionable cut would have stood in contrast to the worn and frayed working class clothing of the convict population. In the newly created society of Sydney with a large number of convicts, it was important for those in positions of power to demonstrate their authority. The distance between England and Sydney at that period would have made it desirable and even necessary for those in positions of power in the colony to keep up with English fashions.
Ball gown thought to have been worn by Ann Marsden Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Photo: Penelope Clay
Cotton was not only a fashionable choice of fabric but was a suitable choice of fabric for the warm climate of Australia during the early years of the Colony. Ann Marsden, the member of another significant colonial family, wore this dress during the early 1820s and may have been worn to a ball at Government house in Parramatta in 1822. Ann was the first daughter of clergyman Samuel Marsden a prominent figure in the Colony of New South Wales. There are two things that I find interesting about this dress. Firstly, unlike Anna King’s dress, this gown was little less fashionable for the period in which it was worn. By the 1820s Romantic styles began to influence European fashions. Although this dress is quite plain and discreet in style by contemporary standards it would have been suitable for the daughter of a clergyman. Perhaps this dress demonstrates conservatism and piousness instead of wealth and power like Anna King’s dress.
The other interesting thing about this dress is the embroidery at the hem and cuff. The embroidery features a ‘boteh’ motif with a scalloped edge and small-stylized circular flower motifs. This design is Indian in style and may have been added by the maker of the gown. Another dress from the same period provenanced to Ireland also uses a very similar style of embroidery in the hem and cuff of the dress.
Dress, cotton / muslin / lace, maker unknown, Ireland 1815-1825 Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.
Detail, dress, cotton / muslin / lace, maker unknown, Ireland 1815-1825 Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Photo: Rebecca Evans
Detail of hem, ball gown thought to have been worn by Ann Marsden Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Photo: Penelope Clay
Ackermann's Repository of Arts, 1818. Photo: Rebecca Evans
A9762 Jacket, men's, convict period, felted wool, maker unknown [War Department
Convicts were often issued with jackets such as this rare surviving example. It is made of rough woollen fabric and was designed to be uncomfortable while the miss-matched colours were made to humiliate and punish the wearer.This jacket stands in contrast to the muslin dresses worn by Anna King and Ann Marsden. Instead of demonstrating wealth, this jacket was designed to maintain social order through humiliating the wearer and making them obvious.
Check taffeta skirt worn by Sarah Thomas, c. 1839 Collection: Tongarra Museum, Photo: Rebecca Evans
Looking at a slightly later example, this check silk taffeta skirt is believed to have been made and worn by Sarah Thomas, the wife of a farmer en route to Australia from England in the late 1830s. I talked a bit about this skirt a few years back when I wrote a guest blog post for Worn Through. I believe this dress had a bodice, something like the bodice of this similar dress from the mid-1840s.
Womens day dress, 1840 - 1850 Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Photo: Sue Stafford
What strikes me as interesting about this check skirt is that it is a very stylish example of English dress for the late 1830s. This dress was chosen by Sarah Thomas, a member of the working class, to start a new life in Australia. It represents the desire and need to re-create British society on the other side of the world.
Dress during the early Colonial period in Australia was used as a means to re-create British society and to differentiate between those in positions of power and wealth and those who were convicts and of the working class. Rather than creating a disinvite individual style, much early dress in the 19th Century was very European in style.
One of the best parts about working in a Museum is sharing the collection with the public and one of my favourite ways to do this through collection tours. They give curators the opportunity to chat with a wide range of people about collections and visitors often provide more information on objects. Tours are always great fun, the only worry is losing visitors in the stores!
References:
http://www.australiandressregister.org/
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/
Alexandra Joel, ‘Parade: The story of fashion in Australia’, Harper Collins, Sydney, 1998
Alexandra Joel, ‘Best dressed: 200 years of fashion in Australia’, Harper Collins, Sydney, 1984
Margaret Maynard, ‘Fashioned from penury: Dress as cultural practice in Colonial Australia’, Cambridge University Press, 1994
Comments
By Jenna,
December 7th, 2011 at 5:46 am
(Events, History of Dress)
Amy Winehouse's dress worn on the cover of Back to Black. Photo: Kerry Taylor Auctions
Last week, on November 29th, Kerry Taylor Auctions sold the dress worn by the late Amy Winehouse on the cover of her album Back to Black for £43,200 ($68,000). The dress, designed by British boutique label Disaya, was donated by the designer to Amy’s father, and all the profits from the sale will aid the establishment of The Amy Winehouse Foundation, to aid young people struggling with health, addiction and social problems.
The dress as (just barely!) seen on the cover of Back to Black
The auction catalog description of the dress reveals both its details of design, and the story behind its coming to grace the cover of Winehouse’s successful album:
Sold in aid of the Amy Winehouse Foundation The Disaya printed chiffon dress worn by Amy Winehouse for the cover of `Back to Black’, 2006, with engraved gilt metal Disaya label, the short dress printed with bands of graduated dark-red polka dots, the corset-like bodice with under-wiring and central lace bow insertion and waistband, elasticated puff-ball skirt, UK size 8, bust approx 82-86cm, 32-34in, the high waist 71cm, 28in; together with a letter of authenticity signed by the designer – Disaya, (2) Provenance: In 2006, the young St Martins trained, Thai based designer Disaya was approached by her British PR agent with a request for the loan of a dress for Miss Winehouse’s photo-shoot. This request came via his friend – Louise Winwood who was Amy’s stylist at the time and was working on the album cover project for Universal Island Records. Although this was Amy Winehouse’s second album (she was re-launching her career after a break) there was reluctance on the part of many of the leading fashion designers initially approached to assist. However, Disaya was happy to help as she was launching her new label in the UK and felt that the young, innovative designs would be a good match. The photo-shoot took place in the photographer Mischa Richter’s house. Louise took over a selection of clothes for Amy to try, and they both agreed that this dress suited her best. After the photo-shoot the dress was returned to the designer and carefully stored in the Disaya archive. The album went on to sell over 3.2 million copies. In the light of Amy’s untimely death Disaya has decided that rather than keep the dress stored away, that it should be sold and the money raised used by the Amy Winehouse Foundation to benefit young people in need in the UK and overseas. The image of Amy Winehouse is copyrighted to Mischa Richter/Universal Island Records.
Jorge Yarur Bascunan, Director of the Museo de la Moda Chile, photo NY Times
The winning bidder was the Museo de la Moda in Chile, whose director Jorge Yarur Bascunan, has previously purchased other high profile celebrity and designer garments for the museum’s collection. Most sensationally, in June 2010, the Museo de la Moda purchased Princess Diana’s black taffeta engagement dress designed by Emanuel for a record £192,000. The museum, who paid far above the auctioneer’s estimate of £50,000, has announced that thy intend to return the dress to the UK after the death of founder Bascunan. In March 2011, just prior to the Royal Wedding, the auction house sold the transparent dress worn by Kate Middleton at a charity fashion show, where she was “noticed” by future husband Prince William. While the dress itself would not necessarily be lauded for its design or craftsmanship, the value of the story behind it and its future importance as a piece of Royal history, caused it to fetch £65,000 to an anonymous private buyer.
The dress worn by Princess Diana on her engagement day with designer Emanuel
Like many aspirant fashion historians and curators here in London, I have worked as an intern for Kerry Taylor, and relished the opportunity to see and feel some of the fabulous and iconic garments that go up for sale in her auction room. In addition to the seemingly unattainable and expensive pieces, Taylor regularly offers lots of vintage clothes that are affordable even to those who may incorporate such garments in their daily wardrobes, or use them for design research.
The sale of Amy Winehouse’s dress follows in a tradition of clothing belonging to celebrities and performers as valuable, desirable and expensive artefacts. Amy’s recent untimely death, and the fact of proceeds going to a highly publicised charity endeavor surely raised the hammer price, and will ensure that the dress, if it goes on display at the Museo de la Moda will attract droves of visitors and raise the profile of both the museum and Kerry Taylor’s auction house.
In a few weeks, I will be visiting the Museo de la Moda for the second time, and hope to find out more about the museum’s plans for the dress – and even perhaps to have a peek at it in storage! In the meantime, please share your thoughts about this topic here as well as noting any other significant instances of celebrity clothing at auction.
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By Monica Sklar,
December 5th, 2011 at 5:00 am
(Academic Research & Related, History of Dress, Uncategorized)
Photo Credit ted.com
The notion of a fashion anarchist in the U.S. government sounds like an oxymoron, but that’s precisely what makes Secretary of State Madeline Albright stand out, the fact she did maintain a distinct fashion signature throughout her time in Washington. The variety and flair in her array of brooches became legendary, and even generated a museum exhibit showcasing more than 200 of her pieces!
Check out the details in the book Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box
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By Arianna,
December 1st, 2011 at 5:00 am
(History of Dress, International Fashion, Uncategorized)
As I write this, it is just after 4 PM. The sun is long gone, the sunset is slipping away right behind it, and it is DARK. Dozens, hundreds of little red and yellow lights zip by, crisscross, waver at intersections: bikers. A few cars pass by here and there, driving carefully: bikers rule here in Uppsala.
Twenty-four percent of Uppsala residents bike to work or school. (1) Perhaps this is a Swedish attitude toward pollution and eco-friendly living, or maybe it’s that the (beautifully-maintained and on-time) bus can cost up to six dollars per trip, even if it’s just out to Ikea.
Thousands of bicycles at Uppsala Central Station. From Swedish Wikipedia.
There are also a ton of agents in place to ensure continued bike usage: extensive bike paths, air pump stations and bike racks everywhere, nice flat landscapes. And there is abundant equipment available to facilitate riding in all manner of outfits. Everyone has chainguards and many ladies’ bikes come with skirt guards (including my second-hand Crescent). Those who wear heels become masters of the elegant dismount.
But almost no one wears a helmet. I’m sure that there’s a semi-false sense of security, with separate, well-marked bike paths and a driving population that probably are bikers as well–or at least know to look for them.
Eddy Merckx, cycling's biggest hero (and babe), wearing his choice of headgear at the 1971 Tour de France. From cyclingnews.com.
Boston hipsters with fixed-gears pine for the 1970s in race caps with the tiny brim, modern Tour de France guys seek out the newest aerodynamic model, and bike trick-obsessed teens seem to prefer those heavy-duty rounded types.
Helmets for 2005 Tour de France. Photo: Joel Saget/AFP.
What does a sleek Stockholmer wear to protect the good stuff? Nothing, probably, although from a personal, unofficial study they seem to be more popular there than here in our sleepy town, as the number of late-to-work cyclists and clueless tourists from lands without bike paths gazing at the Riksdag escalate in tandem.
There are many reasons for not wearing a helmet, including the more straightforward issues of morphology and more complex psychological reasoning. (2) “Style” falls into the latter category when a cyclist is deciding which model and brand to choose. Since there are so many helmet models available, “style” might also fall into the former as well, due to created issues of morphology–i.e. topknots and meticulously straightened or combed hair. Other aesthetic and comfort issues surrounding helmet use can be described as, “It’s hot“, “Annoying” or “Uncomfortable“. (3) In colder climes, not being able to fit a warm enough hat under a traditional helmet has been cited as well. (4)
With that in mind, there was a lot of buzz this summer around the Hövding: “the invisible helmet”.
The Hövding inflated. Modern, no? From Hövding website.
Most of the photographs were of the equipment inflated, and in early summer my Swedish was too limited to understand much past cognates like “modern“. So it wasn’t until I checked out the website that I understood that this is an airbag for cyclists. I can’t think of a more frustrating thing to wear, thinking of the embarrassing halting stops that I’ve experienced while trying to readjust a pencil skirt mid-ride on my back-pedal-brake single-speed…how sensitive is this thing? But at least it does look cool, even when inflated.
In addition to somewhat reassuring crash tests, the website features echoes of fashion photography, with outfits and hair styled to appeal and conceal:
Safety chic. From Hövding website.
There are many functional parts of this apparatus, important clips and snaps that turn the thing on and off, even a little “black box”; these are all housed in the foundation piece, the collar. This is plain black, but if minimalism is not your thing, the company also offers a purely decorative shell to snap on for style. From their website:
“The shell surrounds the collar. The most important function of the shell is to enable you to change the look of your Hövding – every day if you feel like it. The shell is removable and attaches to the collar with zips. It’s easy to change the shell to match your outfit, to suit the season or to wash it. The shell’s appearance can be varied in a virtually endless number of designs, colours, patterns and fabrics, turning Hövding into a fashion accessory. At the moment there are two different shell designs to choose from but we will be launching new collections all the time.” (5)
The FAQ section suggests adding your own “badges, etc” to their shell (the collar will not inflate with DIY shells, apparently), and offering styling tips to ensure that your scarf doesn’t strangle you as the airbag inflates in an accident. In light of this, the styling in the website’s photographs become part safety manual, acknowledging further interest in personal style proclivities.
The problem with helmets appears two-fold: they ruin one’s hairstyle (or hinder one’s hairdo-creativity) and don’t allow for adequate personalization.
The Hövding’s designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin did a survey when researching the future of the helmet: “When we asked people what they’d ideally like the bicycle helmet of tomorrow to look like, we got responses like these: “Something small that you can fold up and put in your pocket. Something that lets you change what it looks like, like you can with mobile phone skins or wigs. Invisible. The instant we heard the word invisible, we realized that was what the world was waiting for. An invisible bicycle helmet. That wouldn’t ruin your hair.” (6)
Although helmets can be found in many shapes and styles today, it is rare that they are associated with fashion the way the Hövding seeks to be, and safety gear in general is not built to be personalized, chic and subtle, but instead overt, practical, and uniform. (7)
Swedish brand J. Lindeberg has taken up this subversion of safety gear with their flannel cycling suit. This two-button suit looks like many of their other suits, but features secret mesh lining for body temperature regulation, reflective strips revealed by turning up cuffs and collar, and the option to button back the front flaps so they don’t whip around as you pedal to get through that yellow light. No reflective crossing-guard vests or pant-leg-cinchers for these hip city-dwellers!
Back view of suit. When folded down, the cuffs and collar look like any other suit and belie their safety-concern lining. From J.Lindeberg website.
Each of these pieces seeks to create greater access to cyclists’ comfort and safety–but secretly. Taking a cue from study subjects, the Hövding even has the word “invisible” in its tagline. There is effort here to mask the practical, responsible decisions with a frivolous slipcover or a fashionable form. Finnoff et al. concluded that in 2001, “The prevalence of bicycle helmet use remains low despite research indicating the high level of head injury risk when bicycling without a helmet and the significant protection afforded by bicycle helmets.” (8) Can a fashionable–or invisible–exterior help raise the use of head-safety gear by “solving” the problems cited by their subjects and creating want (fashion) on top of need (safety)?
Or perhaps, despite their sleek campaigns and designer names, these items will be relegated in public consciousness to the less desirable “equipment” category? Hövding put on a runway show in one of Stockholm’s most highly-trafficked squares on November 10–with appropriately outrageous, voluminous hairstyles and a top hat to prove their point. But the event was to announce the placement of the airbag in Designtorget stores, known for their clever, practical interior design products. A fortuitous partnership, to be sure, but an interesting choice of paths. (9)
What do you think? Does fashion have the ability to make us safety-conscious? Leave your comments below!
(1) http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/cykel-till-arbetet-tilltalar-allt-fler
(2) David Bryson discusses the body and its relation to clothing that we find “unwearable”, especially as regards “smart clothing” or “wearable technology”. His pre-Hövding research suggests that hard-shelled helmets are best, although he cites Nolén’s findings that only 14% of Swedish adults wore a helmet in 2002. He suggests, “Safety equipment might be ‘unwearable’ but anatomical [sic] designed to reduce injuries” and therefore necessary despite psychological qualms. (33-34)
(3) Finnoff et al., 5
(4) http://www.designtoimprovelife.dk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=633. This website quotes the designers’ poll of
(5) http://www.hovding.com/en/how
(6) http://www.designtoimprovelife.dk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=633
(7) Consider, however, the pop-culture co-opting of the bright orange hunters’ caps by the hipster crowd, traditional safety garments chosen by this group specifically for their awkward conspicuousness. Also, for a wider discussion of fashion’s intersection with technology/equipment, see Seymour, helmets pp.98-99, 136, 164; bike safety gear, 193. These items all assume an interest in obvious use of technology/equipment.
(8) Finnoff et al., 1
(9) It’s also got the support of Oprah’s blog, citing the “cyclist’s dream” of “no more helmet head”. Although it wasn’t chosen by the woman herself (probably not a cyclist?), “The ‘O’ Factor” is known to create buzz–and massive sales.
Works Cited/Further Reading:
Bryson, David. “Unwearables” AI & Society 22 (2007): 25-35.
Finnoff, Jonathan, et al. “Barriers to bicycle helmet use” Pediatrics 108 (2001): e4.
Nolén, S., et al. “Bicycle helmet use in Sweden during the 1990s and in the future” Health Promotion International 20 (2005): 33-40.
Seymour, Sabine. Fashionable technology: the intersection of design, fashion, science and technology. Wien: Springer-Verlag, 2008.
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By Mellissa,
November 17th, 2011 at 5:00 am
(Exhibitions, History of Dress, International Fashion)
Recently I went to see the popular former Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones in its new temporary home at the Bard Graduate Center Galleries. I’d been longing for an opportunity to see the show after its London run–and I’m glad that I chose an evening when the gallery was open late, as taking the time to wander around and really look at everything is highly recommended. FYI–gallery admission is free during extended hours on Thursday evenings between 5-8 pm, so there’s little reason to miss out on visiting this exhibition if you are going to be in the New York City area between now and April 15th, 2012 when the show closes.
Spanning three floors of the BGC galleries, the exhibition is organized thematically into four different sections, which follow an artistic-millinery trajectory from Inspiration, to Creation, to the Salon, concluding with the Client—a category signifying simultaneously the end of one creative life cycle and the beginning of another. Included is an impressive mixture of hats ranging from a 12th century Egyptian fez to fashionable concoctions from the 21st century. While the involvement of an active designer or design house can sometimes disadvantage an objective curatorial approach — the Stephen Jones show does nothing to underplay the fact that this show is organized by an actively working milliner. Hats does not in any way aspire to be a comprehensive history of headwear. Instead, as the title suggests, it is an anthology channeled by one vision and one unique perspective. Although the work of Stephen Jones comprises this voice and is a prominent portion of the exhibition checklist, ultimately it is the voices of many that create the dialogue of the show.
The first section, Inspiration, provides a refreshing entry into the ideology behind creation. While starting with inspiration might be the glaringly logical starting point for a designer, it is not often that museum exhibitions start in this manner. Such information is not usually divulged unless it specifically enhances the perceived value of the work of a designer. In design school students are taught from day one that inspiration is the starting point of the whole process, and starting the show with this theme draws one into the mindset of an artistic thinker immediately. Individual cases are sub-categorized into typologies such as “Bonnets and Top Hats”, “Tricornes and Bicornes”, and other less literal designations such as “Status”. Immediately evident from the mixture of objects included in this section are the multifarious influences that a successful designer draws from, as well as the prominence that history does maintain in informing contemporary design. Included are items as divergent as a Darth Vader polyethylene helmet from the 1977 film Star Wars, to an Indian crown dated loosely between 1800-1900. One can compare ‘originals’ such as an 1850 Prince Albert top hat alongside more modern interpretations like the Justin Smith, Polly Wales, and Nikole Lowe tattooed top hat from 2009. Naturally, thrown into the mix is a Stephen Jones 2008-09 pink silk satin top hat from his collaboration with Comme des Garcons, Homme Plus line for the Autumn/Winter season of that year.
The Creation section of the exhibition provides an exciting selection of exemplary creations, which speak to a mastery of materials and concepts. In a case focused on straw hats there are Lily Dache pieces from the 1960s grouped with a French Bergere hat with elaborate floral embroidery around the rim from one hundred years earlier. There is a delightfully twisted Marshall and Snelgrove straw hat (ca. 1937) and a “cityscape” hat by Jennifer Ouellette from 2001 with buildings and trees that encircle the inside of the hat while small squares on the outer ring represent what I enthusiastically interpreted as small cars. Another vitrine within this section focuses on the animal kingdom and includes an Elsa Schiaparelli silk foulard hat that is printed with ants (although they looked like flies to me), a Bes-Ben of Chicago “Swan hat” comprised of silk, velvet, and cotton that featured two small clusters of embroidered swans meant to sit on either side of the face, and a Michael of Lachasse “Martians Claw” hat and veil from 1955. Within the creation section were also sub-themes such as “hoods”, “geometry”, and the “modern age”, which paired items like a bicycle helmet alongside a Louis Vuitton “casque damier” hat.
The Salon portion of the exhibition was particularly interesting. While hats are grouped in cases devoted to materiality by types (paper, flowers, plastic, and feathers, etc.) which collectively provides stunning examples of creative headwear—it is the atelier vignette set up within the room, that simulates the chaotic harmony of a design room in the most compelling way. From the floor to the ceiling, the reconstruction of an artist’s studio feels complete. There are tears and sketches tacked along the expanse of the walls; half-open boxes strewn across the floor; and desk lamp spotlighting elaborate concentrated works. Feathers, findings, and other hat-specific accoutrements are tossed and pinned throughout the room, and there are a variety of interesting objects to glean information from. One of such is a “Head Shapes” conformator machine, which punches out a pattern of the client’s head directly onto a piece of card for reference. Displayed next to this bizarre mechanism are patterns for the heads of celebrity clientele such as Cecil Beaton, Jackie Onassis, and Norman Hartnell.
This glamorous clientele of the milliner is the fourth and final section of the installation titled: The Salon. This portion focuses on the second life that consumption and use brings to finished hats and cases are organized by themes such as “Designer clients”, “Famous hats”, and more physical classifications such as “Tiaras”. There is an entire case devoted to “Shoe hats”, which quite satisfyingly include an Elsa Schiaparelli creation from 1937-38, alongside inspired homages by Bill Cunningham, and three by Stephen Jones himself from 1982, 2006, and 2011 (who isn’t obsessed with Elsa Schiaparelli!?). And it is this specific lineage of inspiration which makes the Stephen Jones exhibition so fascinating. While the quantity, quality, and vast artistic range of examples provided makes for a fun and interesting exhibition regardless, to be presented these items through a designers perspective gives an interesting glimpse into the way that a vital artist perceives the very world in which they labor.
The Stephen Jones exhibition is on view at the Bard Graduate Center galleries through April 15th 2012. On Thursday, December 15th, Phyllis Magidson, curator of Costume & Textiles from the Museum of the City of New York will be moderating a panel titled The Hatmaker’s Muse: New York Milliners: Part I. Please see the BGC website for more information.
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Images:
1- “Sex on the Brain” Hat by Kirsten Woodward, 1989
2- “Shoe Hat” by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1937-38
3- Stephen Jones “Thunderbird” Hat for John Galliano, 1996
4- Stephen Jones/Nasir Mazhar for Gareth Pugh, 2008
5 & 6 – Michael of Lachasse “Martian’s Claw” Hat, 1955
7- Jo Gordon “Kiss of Death” Bonnet, 1994
8- Stephen Jones ‘Bunny Ears’ Hat for Comme des Garcons, 2007
9- Indian Crown (possibly Lucknow), Mid 19th Century
10- Turban, Madras, India, Mid 19th Century
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By Mellissa,
November 7th, 2011 at 7:00 am
(Conferences and Calls for Papers, Events, History of Dress, International Fashion)
Red: Allure, Style, and Significance- A CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK
New York, NY. There is no color more freighted with meaning than red. The color of anger, of passion, and less metaphorically, of blood, red is arguably the color of life itself. As the representative color of authority and courage, red has become the symbol of social sustainability and of the battle against HIV/AIDS.
Initiatives in Art and Culture announces Red: Allure, Style, and Significance, a two-day conference in which a distinguished roster of speakers and panelists will explore the innumerable facets of this color without peer. The conference will take place December 2-3, 2011 at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (Fifth Ave. @ 34th Street), and will be preceded by a cocktail reception and collection viewing at Fred Leighton Thursday evening, December 1. What Goes Around Comes Around will also host a reception and book signing for conference attendees Friday evening, December 2nd.
Participants will consider the history of the color red, and that of the materials from which it has been derived, as well as its symbolism, as a color in and of itself and as an integral component to patterns such as paisley and tartan. The conference considers red in all of its incarnations—from fashion to gems, from social metaphor to symbolism—and throughout all stages of history. Vintage is used as a lens through which to study this vibrant hue and the important roles it has played at all times and in all cultures; these roles are traced as well as their evolution over time.
Experts will address an expansive range of topics including red as a historical element, art influences and fashion design, extraordinary adornments, red in world cultures, red gemstone quality and character, regulatory issues surrounding red gems, and red as symbolism throughout history and today.
The distinguished roster of speakers and panelists includes:
- Matt Tyrnauer, director of “Valentino: The Last Emperor”
- Hal Rubenstein, creative director of InStyle Magazine
- Designers Norma Kamali, Jeffrey Banks, Anna Sui, Zandra Rhodes, Vicky Tiel, Margot Rozanska, & Sophia Edstrand
- Lisa Immordino Vreeland, author of the book & director of the film, “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel”
- Leatrice Eiseman, head of the Pantone & Eiseman color institutes
- Marilyn F. Cooperman, noted jewelry designer
- Poppy King (“the Lipstick Queen”)
- Susan Scafidi, founder, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham & author of the blog Counterfeit Chic
- Beverley Birks, fashion historian, vintage collector, and private dealer
- Dilys Blum, costume curator, Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Jan Glier Reeder, curator, Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum
- Lesley M. M. Blume, journalist, cultural observer & author, Let’s Bring Back
- Lisa Padovani, Emmy-nominated co-costume designer “Boardwalk Empire”
- Pamela Keogh, cultural commentator & author, Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn?
- Gerard Maione, cofounder/creative director, What Goes Around Comes Around
- Anya Strzemien and April Long, style commentators, HuffPost and ELLE
- Cesar Padilla, co-owner, Cherry, vintage boutique and archive
- Stephen Hannock, acclaimed artist who memorializes his friendship to the late Frank Moore (who devised the red ribbon as a symbol for AIDS awareness) by embedding it in some of his signal canvases
- Caroline Weber author, What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution, who writes for Vogue and The New York Times
- Douglas Kazanjian, Kazanjian Bros., owners of one of only three red diamonds over 5 carats in weight
- Jack Ogden, chief executive, Gemmological Association of Great Britain
- Gregory Kwiat, CEO, Fred Leighton
- Benjamin Zucker, Scholar, author, and gem merchant
- Christopher P. Smith, president, American Gemological Laboratories (AGL)
- Douglas Hucker, chief executive, American Gem Trade Association (AGTA)
- Antoinette Matlins, gem and jewelry expert
Click here for additional information, including the conference brochure.
Click here to register online.
Initiatives in Arts and Culture (IAC) is an organization committed to educating diverse audiences in the fine, decorative, and visual arts as well as architecture. IAC’s primary activities are conferences, publications, and exhibitions. These take an interdisciplinary approach, considering issues related to fabrication, connoisseurship, cultural patrimony, cultural preservation, and the future of culture.
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By Tove Hermanson,
October 25th, 2011 at 6:00 am
(History of Dress, Uncategorized)
Even with all the terrific, stylish, contemporary dramas out there, sometimes you just need to pick up an old favorite (there’s a metaphor for a comfy pair of beat up jeans somewhere in there). To wit, I’ve recently revived my Columbo viewing.
Columbo with sloppy tie and stubby cigar
Peter Falk as Columbo (1971 – 78; 1989 – 2003) is always deliberately disheveled, which he may be because he’s genuinely unconcerned with his appearance, or to disarm criminals who usually mistake his rumpled trench, stained pants, and dopey wall-eyed looks for bumbling incompetence. With few exceptions, there is at least one explicit reference per episode to Columbo’s semi-homeless appearance; he is not infrequently mistaken for a bystander, hired help, etc. by suspects and cops alike. Always good humored about it, Columbo dutifully shows them his detective Lieutenant badge — after he combs through his equally unruly wallet. I love when he needs to interrogate a nun in a soup kitchen and she mistakes him for a homeless patron (never saw that coming!) and provides him with a whole new outfit of donated clothes that are nonetheless in better condition than what Columbo had walked in with. Columbo’s working class Italian-American roots surface as pervasive but subtle class tension, as the killers are generally affluent and patrician in demeanor. There is no outward resentment when Columbo marvels at suspects’ wealth, but the socio-economic disparity is merely treated as a curiosity: in “Etude in Black,” Columbo calculates that on a LAPD Lieutenant’s salary of $11,000 he would need to work for 90 years to afford the suspect’s home and furniture.
Dragnet suits
The crisply, conservatively dressed Sgt. Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith of Dragnet (1951 – 59) were always impeccable in appearance, perhaps closer to what detectives in the real world attempt to be. According to a fun NY Times article “Dressed for a Meeting, Ready for Mayhem,” real-life detectives generally wear custom suits with certain elements designed specifically for their job: the jackets have extra material around the waist to better conceal the bulky accessories underneath like handcuffs, pistol, radio. Though “custom suit” conjures images of flashy Italian numbers, one detective specified “I try to wear my less expensive suits if I am going out to track a bad guy.” Though it may seem more practical to wear more sporty gear, another quoted detective says the suit and tie “uniform” is essential in taking command of a situation, and allowing the wearer to go from stakeout to interrogation room to living rooms seamlessly. Side vents and roomy shoulders further ensure that the suits will not impede the movement of the wearer while holding a gun or crawling around on the ground.
detective custom apparel (click for details)
Gumshoes have a bit more leeway, I think, as they’re generally trying to integrate themselves into shady scenes rather than command authority. One of my all-time favorite private dicks is Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe in the 1946 adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s hardboiled novel The Big Sleep (1939). Marlowe wears the now-traditional topcoat (double-breasted trench) and gumshoe fedora, and while it’s not exactly crisp, it’s presentable. His face, like Columbo’s, is weather-worn, and while he wears a decent two-piece suit (gloriously high-waisted, as was the style), he’s almost always in a state of dishabile — unbuttoned, or his jacket is off, or his tie is loosened and cuffs rolled up. Unlike Columbo who is perpetually sloppy, we are always given a reason for Marlowe’s casual state of dress: he’s in a hot greenhouse, or has just been jumped by hoods, he’s been at a stakeout in the rain, etc. If his clothes are out of place, it’s because he has an active, rough job. You get the impression that he’s crisp in the morning…
Marlowe and leading lady, similarly suited
…but not for long!
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Marlowe sweating in the greenhouse
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 Marlowe tied up
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James Garner as down-and-out private dick in The Rockford Files (1974 – 80). An ex-con who is constantly having to explain to disbelieving law officials that he was exonerated for his false imprisonment, seems closer to his sketchy criminal targets. A thoroughly likeable, honorable guy to the audience, he is nonetheless harassed by police, beaten up by cops and perps alike, and is almost always stiffed on his bill by his case-by-case employer. Much as I love the classic suit and jacket of previously mentioned coppers and gumshoes, I am equally drawn to Rockford’s flashy patterned sports coats and unbuttoned shirts (it was the ’70s, after all!) Like Columbo, Rockford has a distinctly casual look, but it’s business casual, not sloppy-casual.
 Rockford in checked jacket |
 Rockford in houndstooth jacket |
Call me crazy, but there’s something incredibly satisfying about the lack of edge-of-the-future crime technology in Columbo, The Big Sleep, and The Rockford Files, as there is in Bones and CSI today. Criminals are caught as a result of the elbow sweat of somewhat hapless, ill-paid men who get little respect, and who can’t put their cigarettes / cigars down for a moment. Unlike the superstar detectives of many less sophisticated films and TV series, these men are fallible and sometimes sloppy, but it’s this humanness that gets them their ladies, fools their suspects into revealing themselves, and endears them to the viewers.
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By Tanya Wilson,
October 17th, 2011 at 10:47 am
(History of Dress)
This Tove Hermanson original was posted on May 5, 2009 and explores the roots of horse racing apparel.
With all the excitement of the Kentucky Derby culminating last weekend, I thought I’d take the opportunity to learn about (and share) the roots of horse racing apparel. To begin with the basics, jockey “silks” are comprised of white breeches and a bib, stock or cravat, and receiving them is a rite of passage for jockeys entering their first race ride. Horsemen wearing “colors” (as they’re also known) has a long, illustrious past that has developed with the various horse sports. In ancient Rome for example, chariot drivers wore unique, brightly colored capes and headbands to identify themselves in the arenas. Roots in heraldry and coats of arms can be seen, the decorated shields and armor of which identified members of families and soldiers on battlefields, as jockeys came to be identified by their silks:
Horse racing meets are recorded as far back as 1114, and individual silk colors are first mentioned in 1515 when Henry VIII occupied the English throne. In those early days of horse racing, few horses would compete and close finishes were rare enough that identification was not terribly problematic, but in the 18th century, racing gained popularity. As more horses competed in each race, riders wore simple colored silk jackets to combat increasingly confused judges and spectators. This was not an entirely new idea: in medieval times, jousting knights wore bright, distinct colors which facilitated the identification of the competitors for the audience members of large arenas:
In 1762 the English Jockey Club formalized what had been a general practice and requested that owners submit specific colors for riders’ jackets and caps, which were to be used consistently. Later that year they made the Newmarket resolution that owners must submit the racing silks for their horses to compete. From the minutes: “For the greater convenience of distinguishing the horses in running, and also for the prevention of disputes arising from not knowing the colors of each rider, the under-mentioned gentleman have come to the resolution and agreement of having the colors annexed to their names, worn by their respective riders.”
More rules have been implemented since then. The horse owner or trainer selects and registers their jockey’s colors (which includes colors and patterns) in national horse races; typically all horses belonging to a particular owner will be raced in the same colors. The owner must check the appropriate database (Weatherbys for England, The Jockey Clubfor the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, etc.) as each racing silk must be unique. Patterns are created with squares, lines, circles and stars of contrasting colors. Uniforms at national races are very bright but regulations dictate a maximum of 4 colors. Japanese rules mandate that the hat color must match the gate color, but in other countries it must match the uniform.
Jockey silks used to be made of actual silk, though it is unsurprising that synthetics like nylon are often used nowadays, as they are for other athletic ensembles. The cut of jockey silks is close fitting for minimal wind resistance — important when tenths of seconds can make the difference between first and second places — but not tight, as the rider must have freedom of movement. Thin, lightweight materials like silk are ideal for ease of movement, breathability, and not adding bulk to jockeys for whom low weight is a necessity. Long or short sleeves may be chosen but jockeys usually prefer long sleeves that minimize chafing. A 2005 lawsuit granted The Jockey Club the right to add small logos and advertisements to the jockey pants which had previously been pure white. It’s interesting to me that this sport previously resisted the seductive pull of ostentatious corporate sponsor logos that have visually taken over another track sport: car racing.
It behooves (ha!) jockeys to stand out from others not only to distinguish themselves from their competitors, but also as walking (or running) advertisements for the owners, the jockeys’ employers (even without literal sartorial branding). In a time when casual attire is more and more the norm, on the horse tracks pride in performance is still displayed with bright, shiny, colorful and patterned silks, where historically the attendees have been the upper class bourgeois, dressed in their own finery to see and be seen. This leads me into the class struggle that I see on the horse tracks.
I believe the jockey silks serve yet another purpose: to distinguish them — the hired talent — from the owners and spectators. The owner-dictated colors to be worn by jockeys are already a kind of stamp of claim, and professional jockeys — unlike gentlemen who ride or hunt for leisure — are typically culled from the working class who often got their starts as humble stable boys. In his fascinating book “City Games: The Evolution of Americann Urban Society and the Rise of Sports (Sport and Society),” Steven A. Riess notes that “thoroughbred racing and yachting, strongly identified in the public mind as elite sports because of the exorbitant cost of participation and the restricted memberships of jockey and yacht clubs, served as status-defining communities.” After being banned during the American Revolutionary era because of its associations both with the unpopular elite and immoral gambling, Jockey clubs were eventually created and justified “as the only means of developing superior horses for such uses as national defense (the cavalry) and transportation.”
The horse track is one of the few daytime, outdoor activities where formal attire is expected; it’s the plein air version of a night at the opera where the rich and famous (who may or may not actually care about the race outcome) can “see and be seen” while peering through their binoculars as opera-goers peered through their opera glasses. Mint juleps are served to daintily sipping guests while mud and dust spattered horses and jockeys are running for their lives — and sometimes to their deaths. These jockeys, though respected after wins, have been depicted in rather startling ways.
Jockeys are often portrayed as either boyish and/or with hunched posture:
This begs physical comparison with jockeys’ equine partners, as The Triplets of Bellville (2003) portrayed their cyclist athlete as a kind of horse-slave:
Compare to a horse owner. Note the erect posture, with top hat to emphasize his stature physically and socially (men of lower classes wore different hat styles):
The wonderful scene in My Fair Lady(filmed in 1964 but taking place circa 1916) illustrates the class prerequisite of the races. Lower-class Eliza Doolittle has never attended the races before, and her behavior in the exclusively upper crust setting is the final test of Henry Higgins’ skill, who has forced himself upon her as her aristocratic mentor. It also displays Cecil Beaton’s interpretation of the conspicuous fashion that lives on even today, with great humor and only slight exaggeration.
A marvelous irony is that horse racing was one of the first venues for legal gambling (it has been argued that its popularity continued because of this), so for every preening attendee there is a gambler who probably cares less what he looks like or where he sees or hears about the race and more who actually wins, (wearing whatever he damn well feels like).
Though I am undeniably attracted to race horsing as a genteel, civilized activity (I could never say I don’t love excuses to wear big hats, for example), my pragmatic, socially progressive side abhors the class distinctions that the races perpetuate, exemplified still in the attire of athletes, attendees, and remote observers.
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