Renee Perle - fashion icon

I feel like I start every post with "I can't believe I've not posted in so long" and "I will definitely post more often from now on" and I never do.  I really am a terrible flake.  

The truth is that I've been falling out of love with my vintage wardrobe for a while. I've been struggling to find a style I feel "myself" in.  I adore 1930s fashion but I don't think it is particularly flattering for someone of my size and a lot of it is more girlish than the woman I am now, at this grand old age of 36.  

I'm also decidedly lazy, try as I might I just can't do the girdle and stockings thing every day.  I like to sleep until 8am and have to leave the house at 8:30, so elaborate clothing, hair and make up rituals just don't work on week days, no matter how well intentioned I might be. However, I do still love vintage looks and I can't dress without at least a little theatricality thrown in.  I need something over the top yet casual.  Dramatic yet easy to pull on and go.  What to do, what to do?

I've been trying out different things.  Bringing a little goth back into my look, trying our different looks with trousers, even adding the odd splash of 50s back in; but as usual I've been flitting from passion to passion like a butterfly on buddleia. And with about the same concentration span.  

Actually, that might be rude to the butterfly, for all I know each and every butterfly might have an intellect far outweighing mine, they live, the mate, they die, it seems like they have life pretty well worked out.  Short, sunny, beautiful.  So it is probably somewhat ironic that my new fashion muse was known for a short, sunny and beautiful two Summers in the early 30s.  

When you look at Lartigue's photos of Renee Perle it is somewhat hard to date them.  Yes, the hair is distinctly fingerwaved and definitely 1930s, but the clothing could be modern, the make up, with the smoky eye could be too.  Renee had an avant garde fashion sense for her day - few were the women who would walk down the street in trousers and a t-shirt in 1930. Ah, the confidence great beauty bestows!

Renee met Lartigue in March 1930 and she made quite the immediate impression, as we know from his diary entry:

"Along the sidewalk of the Rue de la Pompe, I see two women standing in the shadow of a street lamp. Are they waiting for someone or... something? One of the women is tall and slender, the other is tiny. An umbrella next to a pot of flowers. Later, in the Bois, the umbrella is in my car between the flowers and me. I look at her profile. A long neck; a very straight, very small nose. A shiny, stray hair lock caresses her mouth. She has gloves on... I wish I could see her hands. Hands are so important!"

He arranged to meet her the next day:

“Half past five at the Embassy. I wait for my “parasol” from last night. I need a whiskey. I’m very shy deep down, and ready to be furious if she doesn’t show up. It’s my curiosity that would be most disappointed…Five thirty-five. There she is! Can it really be her? Ravishing, tall, slim, with a small mouth and full lips, and dark porcelain eyes. She casts aside her fur coat in a gust of warm perfume. We’re going to dance. Mexican? Cuban? 

Her very small head sits on a very long neck. She is tall; her mouth is at the level of my chin. When we dance my mouth is not far from her mouth. Her hair brushes against both.Romanian. My name is Renée P… I was a model at Doeuillet…” Delicious. She takes off her gloves. Long, little girl’s hands. Something in my mind starts dancing at the thought that one day perhaps she would agree to paint the nails of those hands…”

The recently divorced Lartigue quickly made Renee his live in lover and muse, until they separated in 1932.  Their two years together were spent in the South of France, mainly at Biarritz and Juan-les Pins, and Lartigue spent much of his time photographing the object of his desire in pictures which are, frankly, redolent with lust.

“Tall, slim, a long neck, a shining lock of hair caressing her mouth. I see the reflection of Renee’s beauty in women’s eyes and men’s glances…Beside her, other women look like farm girls.” 

"She is always making scenes," he wrote. "Is it jealousy, or is it madness? Maybe it is the need to be assaulted, to be made unhappy and to cry - all for the sake of a reconciliation? I am far too down-to-earth, too much of a spectator and too bad an actor to fall into the trap of playing the kind of game Renee wishes me to play."

"Certain insects die after having made love, but they make love anyway. Every second of the present counts. I will think about the future later... But there is one haunting thought: with whom can I expect to talk about love after Renee has gone?"

No-one really knows what happened to Renee herself after their break up.  She must have married as there is mention of a stepchild, but no other information exists regarding her later life.  All we have is this butterfly moment, captured under the glass of Lartigue's lense.

For me, her style is perfection - dramatic make up, comfortable clothing, big chunky jewellery.   I'm shamelessly stealing her style, or at least being influenced by it, mixed in with a few other icons I plan to post about over the next few months.

Key to the look are wide leg trousers / palazzo pants.  These are slightly different to the 40s wide leg trousers I am used to, being much wide, less baggy in the crotch and a little lower on the waist.  I have the perfect pair in Navy by Nudeedudee on Etsy.

Paired with these you need your nautical stripes.  Nudeedudee again make some great striped tees, of which I have three, and they wash and wear really well, but you can pick up striped tops anywhere over the Summer.

Add a beret or a veil, a slick of red lipstick and all your bangles and you are done.  French casual chic.  Vintage without fuss. What could be better?

Now just to practise those damn fingerwaves!

Make a spectacle of yourself

The sun is out!  It's April in the UK and the bloody sun is bloody shining!

And now I'm going to jinx it with a Summer based post...

I couldn't find my sunglasses this morning, I lose things all the time, usually within the confines of my small one bedroom flat. Le sigh.  So it looks like a need a new pair.  Then I thought, ooh, a brief history of sunglasses might be fun, along with some shopping ideas.

You really didn't need my train of thought there, did you?

Anyway, according to Wikipedia (why reinvent the wheel?):

Inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses were introduced to America by Sam Foster in 1929. Foster found a ready market on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he began selling sunglasses under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth on the Boardwalk.^[6] By 1938 Life magazine wrote of how sunglasses were a "new fad for wear on city streets ... a favorite affectation of thousands of women all over the U.S." It stated that 20 million sunglasses were sold in the United States in 1937, but estimated that only about 25% of American wearers needed them to protect their eyes.^[7]


Styles have changed a lot over the years and so below is a potted history and some modern examples:

the 1930s and 40s - the originals!

Early sunnies weren't necessarily the most face flattering but I love them nevertheless.  Look at these examples.  The shape tended to be round and the specs rather large

Life Magazine Archive

Bette rocking some white framed sunnies

stylesight.com

The 1930s and 40s - the vintage inspired finds

The gold floral numbers below are uncannily similar to the top pair above - TopShop round sunflower glasses, £20

For the more demure: Black round sunglasses - £4.99, New Look

And some lovely white frames, £9 - ASOS

The 50s and 60s - the originals!

The 50s and 60s really had three main looks.  The cat's eye - which epitomised the glamour and fun of the 50s, the large Wayfarer for mid 50s to mid 60s and the giant bug eye which look great with the more mod-ish 60s styles, taking influence from the space race.

Marilyn in cats eyes

Audrey in oversized Wayfarer frames

Jackie in bug eyes

The 50s and 60s - the vintage inspired finds

These pearl encrusted specs from Jeepers Peepers are just perfect! £18

These are a tad less OTT, Brown animal print half frame sunglasses - £4.99, New Look

Metal frame cats eye sunglasses - oh so Marilyn! - £20, TopShop

Those transitional large Wayfarers - £10, ASOS

And the perfect bug eyes, Jeepers Peepers £18

You may even prefer to find original vintage frames. Through I would recommend getting these reglazed with more modern sun protective glass if you want to take care of your eyes.

I've always had a great service from Dead Mens Spex.  They always have a large range of everything from Victoria to the 80s and can glaze your choice of frame using a prescription sunglass if needed.

These are fab!

What are your favourite glasses styles?  Do you change up depending on your outfit or choose based on your face shape?

Old Movie Madness - Love Affair (1939)

Another film I indulged myself in while furiously knitting over the weekend.  This time a little later in the 30's - in fact made in one of my favourite fashion years (the same year as The Women) - glorious 1939.

Love Affair is a sort of romantic comedy drama starring the lovely Irene Dunne and Mr Charles Boyer as a couple who meet on an ocean liner.  Both Terry (Dunne) and Michel (Boyer) are engaged to other people and, given Michel's celebrity playboy reputation they have to be very careful not to give the press the wrong idea.  It seems all their platonic sneaking around fuels the fire of true love, and after much flirting over champagne cocktails, the pair agree to end their relationships and meet up again in six months to see whether the spark is still there with Michel giving up the playboy life to concentrate on becoming a painter.

On the way to their meeting Terry is hit by a car, and is told she may never be able to walk again.  She does not want Michel to know and so does not contact him, leaving him heartbroken, thinking that she did not turn up.

The pair bump into each other a later date - abut Terry manages to hide her condition.  Michel later tracks Terry down, angry and wanting to find out why he was rejected so cruelly.  

It's all very heart rending to tell you the truth, if you are soppy of constitution as I am.  though I suspect for some it might teeter on the brink of mawkish.  Still - we aren't here for the plotline really - we are here for the clothes!

Being set in 1939, the world was on the brink of war, and it can probably be argued that this had an effect on fashion, even in Hollywood and even at this early stage.

Dresses were losing the fluffy, puffiness of the earlier years and become much more structured and incorporating mannish elements.  Whether this was a reaction to the impending war or just that the eyes were sick of the flounces I cannot say.  I suspect a little of each.

You can see the military lines in this FABULOUS dress on Irene Dunne.  I've included a few pictures so you can see the detail.

The puffed sleeves of the earlier 30s have almost gone, with the sleeve caps being set in more cleanly.  The dress is shirtwaist in style, mimicking menswear, with large chevron detailing at the bust.

This coloured detail follows down into the narrow skirt with inset coloured pleats. I like to imagine that this was white with Navy blue accents but it could be yellow and green for all I know!

It's the big buttons that mark this out as late 30s rather than 40s to me.  It's a dream dress.

The picture below, from the blog of the wonderful Subversive Femme shows the shirtwaist design and smaller, harder shoulder treatment.  I love her blog it's probably my absolute favourite, I'd recommend popping over for a browse.

There is also some wonderful evening wear featured, well, what do you expect with gowns by Howard Greer?  I'd love this sequin bolero ensemble.  The shoulder treatment (again, note the emphasis on the shoulder) is positively space age.

 The bolero was really quite the thing in '39, as this image from Wearing History shows

Below shows the most beautiful flowing black evening jacket, which looks divine with the short  curly-top hair, like an early version of Betty Grable's famous poodle do.

Coats are a bit of a theme in this film as a lot of it takes place outdoors - either on the deck of the boat or in the street or on the porch of houses.  This fur trimmed number is divine.  Simple, but with that striking fur panel to add interest.

The piece that stood out for me however was the fur coat Terry wears early in the film.  I think she was wearing this when the couple met, it is probably what made Michel fall in love with her, anyone with the sheer chutzpah to carry off this epic jacket deserves a grand passion.

I mean, seriously, look at the size of that freaking thing.  It's epic.  I want it.

I think I found a picture of Dorothy Lamour working the same jacket, also from '39.  Click here to take a peek.

Big fur coats were definitely a thing in '39.  Earlier in the 30s furs were still big, but tended to be more curvaceous in cut, it is the boxy shape of this fox bolero that really marks it out as a wartime number and this style would continue well into the 40's as the military influence of WWII continued to make it's mark on fashion.  fur coats in fact, were one of the items not rationed in wartime Britain, through they were still costly.

This wonderful article from the Telegraph in 1939 talks about the high demand for furs that year.

I hope you enjoyed my fashion round up of Love Affair (1939).  go watch it.  Make sure you have some tissues.  

Old Movie Madness - Gold Diggers of 1933

Jeepers, it's been over a month since I last posted.  I've been keeping up with my Facebook page but haven't really felt inspired to write anything here, especially since I left my camera in Eastbourne last month.  Ah well, we have some catching up to do!

I've signed up for a knitting class especially on sewing together knitted projects - a particular pet hate of mine - and as a result I've been spending a lot of time trying to get my several unfinished items knitted up.  As a result I spent most of yesterday, yarn in hand, watching old movies.

I finally got around to watching "Gold Diggers of 1933" an early Ginger Rogers number -boy I love Ginger - and so thought I'd share my thoughts on the costuming with you.

It's an interesting one as it is so VERY early 30s.  all small hats, sleeve details and beautifully waved hair.  Take a look at this picture before scrolling down.  Especially the second along.  Note the sleeves and the collar detail.

retrowaste.com

The film is, unsurprisingly given the title, set in 1933.  It centres around four showgirls - Carole (Joan Blondell) the sexy, knowing torch singer, Trixie (Aline McMahon) the tall, wise cracking comedienne, Polly (Ruby Keller) the innocent and somewhat dull ingenue and Fay (Ginger Rogers) the flirty glamourpuss.

Opening with a Busby Berkely number its clear the girls are having a hard time.  It's the Great Depression and they simply can't find work and have been reduced to stealing food from their neighbours just to get by.

They hear news of a new show opening and go all out to impress the producer who casts them all - only to find he has no money to actually bring it to the stage.

Luckily the girls friend, a "penniless" musician has had his music commissioned for the show, and on hearing of the lack of funds seems to miraculously find the $15,000 dollars needed for the production.

This young man is in fact a millionaire and is in love with the wet fish, Polly, much to the vexation of his uptight older brother who threatens to leave him penniless and who tries every trick in the book to try and break up the pair.

Carol poses as Polly to play him at his own game, but ends up in a stew herself.

The costumes were designed by Orry Kelly, an Australian artist who had move to Hollywood in 1932 in search of acting fame of his own.  Kelly would go on to design for Arsenic and Old Lace, Harvey and Some Like it Hot.

The opening scene costumes for "We're in the Money" are pretty risque - little bikinis made of coins.  Here is Fay having hers taken by the bailiffs.

And a picture from the front.  How that girl managed to be funny, cute and sexy all at the same time I don't know.

In fact Ginger tended to have the best clothes throughout.  Her cosmetics counter uniform is simply to die for.  Back up top, second dress along!

working it like a boss

Look at the hat, the belt, the cuffs and the collar accent!

half'inched from the-telling.livejournal.com

It's quite a saucy costume and is referred to in the script as being very sheer.  I think it is a deliberate play on what someone "in the money" would wear - it could be elegant but it's overblown.  Too tight, too sheer, too detailed.  A bit "Stella Dallas."

She has to lend this little number to Carol and later appears in this delightful creation.  Circle details throughout - perhaps to mimic the earlier coin costumes.  Look at the target puffs on the sleeves and the circles on the belt.

It being the early 30s sleeves were a big deal - even a fairly dowdy secretary has these on her dress.  The pattern is somewhat 70s I think, I just love the fullness at the top and the tight forearm.  I'd also kill for those frumpy little specs.

Trixie has a couple of lovely outfits - this is really quite spectacular.  Look at the chevron print and the huge sheer collar.

She also has an evening dress that makes my heart hurt.  All liquid sequins and high necklines...i love that sort of cover all glamour.  Not to mention Carol's "illusion lace" style neckline here, with the almost nude net making the collar and bust detail of her gown look unconnected.  Amazing work Mr Kelly.  Amazing.

There were simply gorgeous details everywhere.

These buttons, on a dress which also had a sailor collar style tie at the back of the neck.  Look back up top at the second dress along.

Does this hat look just like fashion plates of the day?

fashion-era.com

And this outfit for the final big number.  Something which screams 50s bad girl rather than early 30s to me - with the low cut top, neck tie and tight fringed (fringed!) skirt.

In fact, even if you can't be bothered to watch the whole thing I'd advise watching that closing number.  Blondell acts her socks off.  Ignore the advert at the beginning.  Gods I hate adverts everywhere.

Now I'm off to go and watch "Love Affair" and knit some more.  I'll definitely not be away a month this time.  Definitely...