A Star's Wardrobe Make-Over

Gene Marshall, circa 1940's

Miss Marshall's brown and cream herringbone suit from Ashton Drake's Star Wardrobe Collection gets a marvelous make-over by removing the original fur collar and cuffs to reveal a sleek silhouette, perfect for accessorizing. The mother-of-pearl buttons were replaced with a delightful Bakelite button accent at the waist. Underneath a cream linen dickey maintains the clean line of this fabulous Forties suit. Fur drape is from miniature furrier PD Root. Handbag and gloves are from Ashton Drake. The crochet pin "corsage", earrings, and hat are from The Couture Touch.

Zita Charles models the original suit ensemble......

Zita Charles

Gene Marshall tops her "new" suit with the re-shaped and re-styled hat
from Madra Lord's "Top This" costume.

Sometimes inspiration for a make-over can come from a failed project. After successfully dyeing my original "Croquet, Anyone?" ensemble a charcoal grey, I purchased a second costume in order to dye it another color. The dress dyed beautifully; the jacket not so well. 

Gene Marshall

So why not make something new from something old. In this case, ripping apart the old jacket and making a pattern for a new one. The result gives this version of "Croquet, Anyone?" a smart new look. Fur from PD Root, hat from Ashton Drake's "Fashion Plot" ensemble, and gauntlet gloves from The Couture Touch.

Gene Marshall

Miss Marshall updates this versatile jacket by pairing it with the pinstriped shirt from Robert Tonner's Brenda Starr Collection and a black skirt from Sandra Stillwell. Fur is from Integrity, Black suede gauntlet gloves and felt hat are from The Couture Touch. Handbag and bracelet are from Ashton Drake.

Credits: 
The original circa 1941 "Croquet, Anyone?" ensemble was designed by Lynne Day for Ashton Drake's Gene Marshall Collection.

Miss Marshall and Miss Charles appear courtesy Monolithic Studios.

Spectator Sports

The 2000 Ashton Drake Gene Marshall costume "Croquet, Anyone?" is a perfect example of the early 1940's fashion trend called Spectator Sports.  The look is "mannish" in a feminine way, highlighted by tailored garments and accessories in natural fibers.

The original "Croquet, Anyone?" outfit designed by Lynne Day is white linen with powder blue topstitching.  As you may remember in an earlier post, I dyed it a rich charcoal grey.

"Azure Elegance" Madra Lord wears my dyed version of "Croquet, Anyone?".  I designed the hat and purse to go with the new look.  The gloves are from Ashton Drake, and the fabulous shoes are from Integrity.  I was so pleased with the results, I decided to pick up another outfit to dye.  This time I wanted to go lighter in color. 

A restyled "To Have and To Hold" Gene Marshall wears my latest version of "Croquet, Anyone?".  This color was called "wild mink" in the 1940's.  The dress turned out great, the jacket did not!  I guess it pays to be a fabric hoarder, because I found this wonderful vintage fabric in my stash that went perfectly with the new dress color.  I took apart the jacket to make a new pattern resulting in this revised version.  The hat is from Ashton Drake's "Fashion Plot" ensemble, fur drape from PD Root, and gauntlet gloves from The Couture Touch.

Set Credits:
Backdrop from http://www.raihing.com
Table from CED
Phone from Ashton Drake's "Hot Day in Hollywood" Accessory Set

Adventures in Dyeing

When I recently discovered that my Ashton Drake Croquet, Anyone? white linen ensemble had begun to show signs of tea staining, I decided to try my hand at dyeing. 

Click photo to enlarge

USO Gene wears Croquet, Anyone?  a circa 1941 ensemble designed by Lynne Day for Ashton Drake's 2000 Gene Marshall Collection.  My little blue OOAK suede hat was an experiment.  I wanted to bring out the powder blue top-stitching detail.

Now the last time I dyed anything was back in the 1970's for a school project.  So I consulted the RIT website for hints and color options.  They even have a blog!  Who knew there was a community of faithful RIT users.  It's amazing all the stuff that can be dyed.

I removed all of the buttons and snaps from the jacket and dress. Boy were there a lot of them!  I also removed the attached belt and tie on the dress.  I gathered my supplies:  dye, rubber gloves, bleach (to clean up afterwards), stainless steel pot, wooden spoon, and lots and lots of paper towels.  I even lined my sink with foil leaving an opening around the drain.  I sure hope I can dye better than I can cook!!!

And now for the reveal......

Click photo to enlarge

I have to say I'm totally pleased with the results.  I love how the top-stitching now pops.  I replaced the original buttons with tiny grey ones eliminating the ones on the lapel.  And of course I had to make a new hat and purse just for this "new" ensemble.  The gloves are from Ashton Drake and the fabulous oxfords are from Integrity's C'est Moi Madra.  My model/muse is Azure Elegance Madra Lord from Ashton Drake. 

Wondering what happened to the original hat?  I decided at the last minute not to dye it, but reshaped it to make it more of a cloche style.

Click photo to enlarge

I always thought this great 30's dress needed a hat.  I reshaped the hat and replaced the original trim.  Luckily it doesn't show any signs of changing colors.  The dress, shoes, and gloves are borrowed from Integrity's Silhouette of the 1930's Zita Charles.  My model/muse is a wigged It's a Cinch Gene Marshall from Integrity.

Thanks for joining me in this adventure in dyeing.