Haute Madra

 

Everyone's favorite fashion doll diva is back, exquisitely executed in resin by Mel Odom and JamieShow.

"Spotted in Manhattan" Madra Lord wears her original wigcap that has been restyled to give her trademark bangs a fuller look. Miss Lord's marvelous organdy dotted blouse from "Heartless" is layered over the black satin sheath from "Black Ribbon", both from Ashton Drake's Gene Marshall Collection. Earrings are from Integrity and the OOAK cigarette holder is from Mystyna.

For years, Miss Lord reigned as queen of Hollywood. Now she reigns as queen of the catwalk. The circa 1950's sheath is from The Couture Touch. Accessories include restyled jewelry from D.A.E. Originals, gloves from Ashton Drake, and hat from Hamilton Toys accented with a bow recycled from a Mattel Barbie doll hat. The bleach blonde bobbed wig is from Monique.

There is nothing more synonymous than sumptuous fur and Madra Lord. OOAK hat and earrings are from The Couture Touch, fur drape from miniature furrier PD Root, gloves from Ashton Drake. Auburn wigcap was borrowed from J'Adore Gene Marshall.

"Spotted in Manhattan" Madra Lord wears a Christian Dior inspired cream satin halter gown with leopard accents, circa 1950. The matching leopard shoes are to-die-for. OOAK cigarette holder is from Mystyna. Carrot red bobbed wig is from Monique.

Christian Dior, 1950

1940's Victory Rolls

Linda Darnell, circa 1940's
Photo courtesy swingfashionista.com

A victory roll was actually the name for a WWII fighter plane maneuver. The women of the 1940's took this term and made it their own. Thus the hairstyle that defined a decade was born. Many Hollywood stars happily embraced this glamorous hairstyle.

Rita Hayworth poses for a circa 1940's jewelry ad
Photo courtesy swingfashionista.com

Ann Sheridan from "Thank Your Lucky Stars" (1943)
Photo courtesy caseykoester.wordpress.com

Hair accessories such as flowers, ribbons, bows, and scarves were the perfect complement to the victory roll. One of my favorite accessory for the victory roll is a snood.  Snoods function similar to a classic hairnet that were used to keep the back hair neat. They were the perfect option for medium to longer-length hair. Snoods could be worn during the day or evening and were available in a variety of materials. Crochet or knitted snoods were the most popular, but they could also be made of the same material as a dress to create a coordinated look.

The classic 1940's crochet snood in a fabulous color.
Photo courtesy delanceydamevintage.files.wordpress.com

On the girl in blue: A sequin snood accented with a
sapphire & moonstone clip.Costumes from Nettie Rosenstein.
Jewels from Tiffany & Company.
Photo by Horst for Vogue Nov 15, 1940.

"Belle of the Ball" Gene Marshall wears a silvery knit evening
snood from The Couture Touch to complement her sensational
brunette victory rolls.

Fabric snood to match a dress or top, circa 1942
Photo courtesy vintagedancer.com

"Parfait" Zita Charles wears her victory curls in an elegant
 evening style. Ransom in Red gown is from Ashton Drake.

Back view of a tightly rolled hairstyle option, circa 1940's
Photo courtesy veiledhaven.com

"Destiny" Gene Marshall in Pinque Passion.
Gloves from Gold Sensation. All from Ashton Drake.

In search of the perfect victory roll? Try curling the hair first. Here's how I created Destiny's victory rolls.

What you will need are some regular size drinking straws, end papers (found in beauty supply stores), straight pins, jewelry pliers, eyedropper or small measuring cup, a small pot of boiling water, a small bowl of cold water and ice, and a doll hairbrush. I use a Mattel's Barbie hairbrush.

Be sure to start with clean and tangle-free hair. I sectioned Destiny's hair from ear to ear and parted slightly off-centered. Each side was rolled using a straw cut to size. Wet the hair with water (or hair gel if desired) and wrap the ends with end papers before rolling. Hold the hair taut as you roll. To hold the roller in place, insert a straight pin through the straw and into the vinyl head with jewelry pliers. Repeat with the other side.

Fill an eyedropper or small measuring cup with the boiling water and carefully pour a little over the rollers avoiding the face and remaining hair. Immediately repeat with the cold water. Blot dry with a paper towel and allow to air dry for at least 24 hours.

When thoroughly dry, remove the pins with the jewelry pliers. Carefully remove the rollers and end papers. I just positioned the curls and secured with a couple of straight pins. That's it. The remaining hair was left long and slightly curled. No cutting or trimming was necessary for Destiny's hair length.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a professional hairstylist. If I can do it, so can you. If possible begin with an Ashton Drake Gene as their hair fiber is much more forgiving. And if you don't like the result, you can always rinse it out and start over. Happy Rolling!

Love 1940's hairstyles and want more? Click HERE to read my popular 2011 post on 1940's Hairstyles: Pompadours, Rolls, & Bangs.

Credits:

"Belle of the Ball" Gene Marshall is from Ashton Drake's 2001 Tulsa Oil Baron's Ball Gene Convention.

"Parfait" Zita Charles is from Integrity's 2010 Stardust Gene Convention.

"Destiny" Gene Marshall is from Ashton Drake.

Persia in Randall Craig

Persia, the exquisite handmade resin doll by Darrell Wallace, makes a fashion statement in Randall Craig. Speak Low (worn backwards) is a smart black and grey knit sheath with zebra accents on the collar and cuffs. Persia swaps out the original white belt with a black patent belt from Mattel. Brooch is from Robert Tonner's Tiny Kitty collection. Gloves and shoes are from Integrity. Dramatic black suede hat is from The Couture Touch.

Gauntlet Gloves

If you browse through fashion magazines of the 1930's and 1940's, you will be hard-pressed to find photos of ladies without gloves. Women always wore matching or coordinating gloves as accessories to their ensembles. There is something elegant, sophisticated, and even a little mysterious about a gloved woman. Whether it be for daytime or evening, gloves give that finished look to any outfit.

Yellow wool jacket collared in Persian lamb. Beneath, a black wool dress.
Note the fabulous Persian lamb gauntlets!  Marshall Field's & Company, Chicago.
Photo by Horst for Vogue, 1936.

Delightful pink sequined gauntlet gloves with matching scarf.
Gloves, bag, hat, and dress from Hattie Carnegie for
Frost Bros., San Antonio, Texas. From Vogue, 1943

Caroline Reboux millinery and the most dramatic gauntlets for an
evening on the town. Circa 1945.
Photo courtesy hprints.com

By the mid-thirties, the area over the wrist and forearm grew to an enormous funnel-shaped extension, reminiscent of the gauntlets worn by 17th Century French mousquetaires (musketeers). The flared portion of the glove, called a gauntlet, was usually made of a stiffer fabric than the hand to give it body. Gauntlets were often piped with contrasting color which accented the shape and design. Other design elements included top-stitching, buttons, and tabs. Gloves were not only made of the usual silk, lambskin, pigskin, and doeskin; but also washable chamois-suede, cotton pique, organdy, and cotton matelasse. Printed woven fabrics were also made into gloves to match a particular garment.

Crochet gauntlets, circa 1930's.

Myrna Loy wearing polka dotted gauntlet cuffs that button over
her gloves, circa 1930's.
Photo courtesy seraphicpress.com

Unusual gauntlets with red trim, circa 1930's.
Photo courtesy stardustyears.com

By 1939, the exaggerated gauntlet style had receded to minimal flare. The height of the popularity of the gauntlet glove was between 1934 - 39, but styles continued into the 1940's and even the early 1950's.

Veronica Lake looking smart in a pair of white kid gloves.
Circa 1940's. Photo courtesy weheartvintage.co
Original source & copyright: Robert Huffstutter.

Director Ivy Jordan wears a pair of color-blocked suede gauntlet gloves, a favorite with the stars of Monolithic Studios. OOAK hat and gloves are from The Couture Touch. Suit and muff are from Ashton Drake, shoes from Integrity.

Fan Club Meeting, Take 2

Monolithic Studios' resident diva, Miss Madra Lord wears a variation of "Fan Club Meeting", the HLAYG exclusive pattern by Vince Nowell, circa 1946. OOAK jacket, hat, gloves, scarf and belt are all from The Couture Touch. Fur from miniature furrier PD Root, black skirt from Bogue's Vogues, and cuff bracelet from Integrity. The Jeweled Cat Madra Lord is from Integrity's 24 Karat Collection.

Photo courtesy whitebison.wordpress.com

This Simplicity suit pattern from the 1940's was my inspiration for the shortened and belted version of this classic and smart design.

Hats They Choose

When an actress is her own costume designer for her off-screen role, what does she wear? These three busy, beautiful stars were invited to come to our studio and bring their favorite hat. Here are the results.

Joan Crawford

Miss Crawford graciously stopped by our studio on her way to a benefit luncheon wearing a stylish checked topper perfectly coordinated with her jacket ensemble. Hat, jacket, necklace and earrings are from The Couture Touch. Gloves are from PD Root, handbag and bracelet from Integrity. The belt was borrowed from J'Adore Gene Marshall. Underneath is the strapless black sheath from Cherry Smash.

The asymmetric topper utilizes the same fabric as the covered buttons on the jacket. The floral trim was recycled from an Ashton Drake hair ornament. Miss Crawford was originally a Pin-Up Gene Marshall (artist unknown).

Ivy Jordan

Miss Jordan, who prefers being behind the camera instead of in front of it, drove up to the studio wearing a smart royal blue fedora accented with a dramatic feather and netting detail. Hat and fur from miniature furrier PD Root, jacket from The Couture Touch, and earrings from Ashton Drake. Dress is a dyed version of Croquet, Anyone?

Gene Marshall

Miss Marshall arrived in a tweed jacket and black skirt. The hat she chose - an extravagant red felt topper. Hat and scarf from The Couture Touch, fur drape from PD Root, jacket from Robert Tonner's Brenda Starr Collection.

DIY Vintage-Style Hat for Gene Marshall

It's that time of the year again when all eyes are on a ladies Easter bonnet. You can easily make your own 1940's disk-style tilt hat for Miss Marshall. Here's what you will need:

Fabric of your choice
matching thread
buckram  (available at most fabric stores or millinery supply shops)
assorted trimmings
felt
needle
scissors
straight pins
glue  (I use Fabri-Tac by Beacon Adhesives)
Fray Check or Fray Block by June Tailor (optional)

Draw a circle on the buckram and cut out. I used a glass that measured just under 2 1/2" in diameter as a guide. You can make your hat smaller or larger. The beauty of buckram is that it can be shaped while wet and when it is dry, it will hold it's shape. I use it for many of my hats. Cut out a circle of fabric 3/8" larger than the buckram circle. If your chosen fabric is loosely woven, I recommend you apply either Fray Check or Fray Block to the outer edge of the fabric to help prevent raveling.

Run a gathering stitch around the fabric approximately 1/8" from the edge. Center the buckram and gently pull the gathers around the disk.

Tighten the gathers around the buckram and secure thread with a knot.  Cut out a circle in felt approximately 1/8" to 1/4" smaller than your hat.

Center the felt circle and pin. Hand stitch the felt circle to the hat with a tiny whip-stitch. This clean-finishes the underside of your hat.

Now for the fun part.  Embellish your hat as desired. The floral spray was tacked to the hat with hand stitching. The remaining flowers, leaf, and bird were glued in position. It's best to work from the back of the hat forward once the foundation pieces have been attached. Netting, feathers, miniature birds, ribbons, beads, buttons, braids, and flowers are readily available at local craft and fabric stores such as Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Jo Ann Fabrics, etc. I also look for vintage millinery pieces at flea markets and antique malls. And as you know, I also like to re-purpose items I already own.

And Viola! You now have a smart new hat for Miss Marshall.  Jacket is from Ashton Drake's "Doing Her Part", scarf from Mattel, and fur from miniature furrier PD Root.

And just to get your creative juices flowing......

George Beigel tilt hat using a fabulous white ostrich feather, velvet ribbons, & flowers, circa 1940's.
Courtesy antiquedress.com

Bes Ben hat, circa 1944
Courtesy petitequaintrelle.wordpress.com

Joan Crawford, circa 1940's
Photo courtesy mattsko.wordpress.com

And 4 more courtesy houseofninesdesign.com

HAPPY EASTER!