November Seasonal Accessorizing

Add a sequin collar to a basic dress.  A detachable collar is a great way to transition a daytime dress for dinner, cocktails, or the theater.

Monolithic Studios' director Miss Ivy Jordan in the knit dress from "Warmest Wishes", an FAO Schwarz 1998 Fall Exclusive designed by Tim Kennedy.  A detachable sequin collar replaces the original cowl neck scarf transforming this dress from daywear to evening sophistication.  Dress and gloves are from Ashton Drake.  Hat, fur muff, and waist corsage are from The Couture Touch.  The sequin collar was recycled from another doll.  Lady Director Ivy Jordan is from Integrity.

A pearl encrusted green velvet tie-on collar from Hattie Carnegie is the perfect addition for a late-day dress.  Photo is from the October 1, 1943 issue of Vogue magazine highlighting new ways to wear new accessories.

Unexpected Assistants

It just takes a small amount of color to assist in brightening neutral tones as well as black.  The addition of these bright assistants provides unexpected touches that lift the mood and spirit of the woman who wears it.

Bold red enlivens a striped tailored suit worn by film star Gene Marshall.  Suit, hat, scarf, and jewels are from The Couture Touch.  Handbag from Ashton Drake.  Gloves are from Sandra Stillwell.  Cocoa Crisp Gene Marshall is from Integrity.

In the October 15, 1941 issue of Vogue magazine, these uplifting pops of color were referred to as "Bright Assistants".

For late afternoon, a pink sweater with matching gloves uplifts a black suit.  The simple addition of a pink bow on a fur muff along with a black hat accented with pink floral trim can have the same uplifting effect.  Green gloves matched to shoe laces and jewels are another bright idea.  Illustration is by Rene Bouet-Willaumez (RBW) for Vogue.

Passionate purple provides an inspiring pop of color for director Ivy Jordan's tailored ensemble.  Jerkin, skirt, hat, and gloves are from The Couture Touch.  Shirt is from Robert Tonner's Brenda Starr Collection.  Cigarette holder is from Mystyna.  Lady Director Ivy Jordan is from Integrity.

Next Time:

Learn how to make Miss Marshall's Fashionably Forties Felt Tilt Topper.  After all, you just can't have too many hats!

Spring Hats in Bloom

Hats accented with flowers can be worn with your furs, your tweeds, your tailored town suits, your dinner suits.  They are the perfect escape from winter.

From Vogue 1941, red roses are planted on a black and white striped tilt hat accented with a dramatic siren veil.  From Walter Florell.

Monolithic Studios' film star Madra Lord wears a Sandra Stillwell hat updated with pink tulips.  Suit ensemble is from The Couture Touch.  Bracelet from D.A.E. Originals.  Top This Madra Lord, enhanced with an Integrity articulated body, is from Ashton Drake.

A delightful floral topper adds whimsy to Miss Lord's Town and Country suit.  Jacket with replaced buttons is from Integrity.  Scarf from Ashton Drake.  Hat and gloves are from The Couture Touch.  Spotted in Manhattan Madra Lord is from Jamieshow.

Credits:

January 15, 1941 issue of Vogue magazine from the author's personal collection.

The 1940's Turban

The turban has been a renowned fashion staple with women for a number of decades.  In the late 1930's milliner Lilly Dache revived the turban elevating it to high fashion prominence.  Carmen Miranda, the Brazilian singer, gave the turban enormous publicity by wearing it festively adorned with fruits, flowers, and feathers.

The turban was available ready to wear or could be wrapped by the customer when she put it on.  They were available in a variety of fabrications and suitable for day or evening wear.  The stars from Monolithic Studios prefer their turbans wrapped by their personal stylist.

Diva Madra Lord goes for drama wearing a turquoise blue turban trimmed with a floral corsage accented with beading.  Top and corsage are from Ashton Drake.  Hat, gauntlet gloves, skirt, belt, and styling are from The Couture Touch.  Pool Pose Madra Lord is from Integrity.

Two illustrations from McCall Patterns showing turbans paired with dresses for a chic daytime look.  Turbans could be cleverly manipulated into an incredible variety of flattering styles.

Large cabbage roses with stems accent Gene Marshall's jewel-tone turban.  Dress and jewels are from Madame Alexander.  Fur drape and purse are from PD Root.  Hat and styling are from The Couture Touch.  Gloves and Miss Marshall are from Ashton Drake.

Miss Marshall in a chic, asymmetrically draped turban.  Jacket from Jamieshow.  Handbag from Sandra Stillwell.  Restyled jewels from Facets by Marcia.  Belt from Integrity.  Hat, gauntlet gloves, scarf, and styling are from The Couture Touch.  Gene Marshall is from Ashton Drake.

Pink tulips are thrust through loops in Loretta Young's cashmere turban by Lilly Dache.  Jewels by Flato.  Photo by Rawlings for Vogue, 1940.

An animal print turban tops Miss Lord's smart suit ensemble punctuated by a pop of color.  Restyled suit is from Integrity.  Fur from PD Root.  Handbag and gloves are from Ashton Drake.  Hat, ascot, belt, brooch, and styling are from The Couture Touch.  Moulin Noire Madra Lord is from Ashton Drake.

Credits:  

Color and Design in Apparel by Bernice G. Chambers, 1942.

Must Haves for Updating a 1940's Wardrobe

Photo from the cover of British Vogue, September 1941.

The use of florals and bows in women's apparel were popular fashion trends during the 1940s.  Both were the perfect choice for giving new life to old clothes as well as uplifting morale during the war years.  From the pages of vintage Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, here are ideas for embellishing with flowers and bows.

Not your traditional way to wear flowers, but delightful indeed.  A small bouquet tucked into a belt at the waist.  Rembrandt dress ad from British Vogue, 1941.

And don't forget hats.  A bunch of violets with the stems still attached are perched on top a flaring, blue, silk satin snood from Lilly Dache.  The flowers are repeated in the corsage on the jacket.  Photo from Vogue, 1941.

Three suits accented with bow trim from Charles Armour, Inc., New York City.  Eve Tartar hats.  From Vogue, 1943.

Four small strategically placed bows accented with jeweled clips add interest to this suit-dress from the Doctor Dress Company, Inc.  Photo from Harper's Bazaar, 1942.

A black, silk crepe dress from Traina-Norell is accented with a marvelous brooch mounted on ribbon bows.  Bonwit Teller ad from Harper's Bazaar, 1942.

The same brooch appears in this color photo by Rawlings for Vogue, 1942.  Tailored ensemble from Traina-Norell.

Love this idea for a bow accented necklace.  La Tausca Pearls, New York.  Hat by Lilly Dache.  Photo from Vogue, 1942.

A cherry red wool suit-dress from Jacqmar features a turned back lapel to reveal an oversized velveteen bow.  Illustration from British Vogue, 1941. 

1940's Hats, Furred and Fabulous!

A stylish leopard-trimmed tilt topper with matching muff-bag by Otto Lucas.  From British Vogue, 1941.

 Sophisticated, high-flared tricorn by John Frederics.  From Vogue, 1942.

From the Millinery Salon at Carson Pirie Scott & Co., Chicago.  From Vogue, 1943.

1940's Outerwear

Furred casuals from the Chicago Mail Order Company, Fall/Winter 1941-42.  Soundly tailored tweed coats mounted with full, fluffy furs.  Stylish yet warm, you will be yearning for chilly weather.

Only cashmere and mink will do for Monolithic Studios' star Gene Marshall.  Mink trim accents the versatile coat from Robert Tonner's Tyler Wentworth Collection.  Cashmere Noir transcends the decades with its classic design.  Hat, scarf, and styling are from The Couture Touch.  "Fur" muff and gloves are from Integrity.  Midnight Gamble Gene Marshall is from Ashton Drake.

Fur collars broaden the shoulders and make your waist appear smaller.  A flared hemline gives grace to your walk.  From The Chicago Mail Order Company, a luscious blonde lynx-dyed Guanaco fur collared coat.  Fall/Winter 1941-42.

Victoire Roux is ready for a Winter in New York with a stylishly classic black wool coat accented with contrasting blonde "fur" collar and cuffs.  Hat and scarf are from The Couture Touch.  Bracelet from Joshard.  Coat and gloves are from Mattel.

Wrap it....please.  A new fur coat for '41.  Beaver coat and sash from Ritter Brothers.  Hat from Lilly Dache.   Photo by Rawlings for Vogue.

It's a wrap....The enormously chic "fur" coat from Ashton Drake's Warmest Wishes is worn wrapped and cinched at the waist with a leopard "fur" belt from Fashion Boulevard.  The toasty-warm winter coat flares voluminously below the knee.  Hat and scarf are from The Couture Touch. Gloves and Fashion Plot Gene Marshall are from Ashton Drake.

Inspirations: Accessories

The accompanying part of a costume, known as accessories, serve both a functional as well as an aesthetic need.  They are the costume completers.

Vogue magazine has long been considered the ultimate fashion authority.  Here are some inspiring ads for fashion accessories from inside the pages of vintage 1930's and 40's issues.

Sensible yet stylish walking shoes, perfect complement to a tailored suit ensemble.  Circa 1936.

This uniquely styled handbag was available in black, brown, and important new fall colors for 1938.  I'll take one in each color please!  

Belts were a popular fashion accessory in 1939....and beyond.  

Wonderful stitching detail highlights these sueded cotton gloves.  Circa 1941.

Smart and comfortable shoes for 1943.  Love those oxford styles.

There are many ways to tie a scarf.  Here's a stylish solution for a bad hair day, circa 1943.

High fashion has moved down from the shoulder to the arm, yet still hands free.  New proportions for 1947.  Handles designed to take your arm.

Now you might be asking yourself, where are the hats!?!  Click HERE for more inspiring vintage ads.

Vogue is a Conde Nast Publication.

A Well-Suited Hollywood Production

Between takes Madra Lord wears a smartly tailored suit ensemble from a scene in her new film, The Black Widow. The film's costume designer took her inspiration from the classic 1940 edition suit featuring a longer length, notched collar, nipped-in waist, and an unexaggeratedly broad padded shoulder. The new, shorter length skirt is still long enough to cover the knees when you walk.

The versatile jacket can be successfully paired with a variety of skirt and even hat styles. This dashing two-piece suit from New York Patterns includes a flared skirt [#1358].

A fabulous suit from Falkenstein is paired with a delightful turban from Lilly Dache. Photo by Horst for Vogue.

The Black Widow Madra Lord appears courtesy Monolithic Studios, produced in cooperation with Mel Odom and Ashton Drake.

Costume Credits:

OOAK suit and hat are from The Couture Touch. Fur from PD Root. Scarf from Mattel. Gloves from Ashton Drake.

You might also enjoy....The Classic Tailored Suit - 1940 Edition

More Scene Stealing Fashion for Fall, 1940s

Gene Marshall

Miss Marshall's Town and Country suit becomes a show stopper with the addition of a fabulous suede tilt topper accented with vintage feather detailing. There were many hat styles during the 1940's, but none more sophisticated than the tilt topper. The traditional topper was a stiff silk hat worn by men for formal day and evening occasions. Milliners took the distinctive style and fashioned it for women in various fabrications and trims.

Photo by Richard Avedon for Vogue, 1946.

A Regency Dandy Suit, designed by Morris Kraus for the Suit Salon at Bonwit Teller in New York, is topped with a marvelous tilt hat with a unique crown shape. A simple, narrow hat band and veiling complete this smart style.

Gene Marshall

The same topper gives chic distinction to the dress from It's A Cinch. Additional accessories include gloves from D.A.E. Originals, bracelet from Ashton Drake, handbag from PD Root, and belt from The Couture Touch.

For more on tilt hats, you may also enjoy the following posts from the archives:
Tilt Hats, Part 1
Tilt Hats, Part 2

A 1940's Tilt Topper labeled NY Creations.
From the author's personal collection.

Credits:

Shanghai Siren Gene Marshall, enhanced with an articulated body from Integrity, is from Ashton Drake.

"Town and Country" suit ensemble and "It's A Cinch" fashion are from Integrity. Additional accessories for Miss Marshall's updated "Town and Country" look include leather gloves and scarf from The Couture Touch.  Handbag is from Ashton Drake.

Miss Marshall's OOAK tilt topper is from The Couture Touch.

Cover Girl Madra Lord is the Toast of Manhattan

Madra Lord poses for the cover of Vogue in Sandra Stillwell's ultra chic Cover Girl 3-piece suit ensemble from her Toast of Manhattan Event. Perfectly coordinated accessories include a dramatic toque, gloves, belt, handbag, earrings, and leopard-trimmed shoes (not shown). The pin is from The Couture Touch.

Photo by Rawlings for Vogue, September 1, 1942

The original ensemble featured a Young-Timers' wool jersey two-toned dress topped with an overcoat of Forstmann wool with a leopard-stencilled lapin (rabbit fur) lining.  (Note: Wool linings were forbidden under the new wartime L-85 Government Regulations, but fur linings were legal and luxurious.)  Dress, coat, and hat from Henri Bendel.

"Spotted in Manhattan" Madra Lord is from JamieShow. Auburn wigcap borrowed from J'Adore Gene Marshall.