From the Monolithic Studio's Costume Vault: 1940's Daywear

We are opening the costume vault at Monolithic Studios to share some fabulous 1940's daywear modeled by three of the Studio's brightest stars:  Gene Marshall, Ivy Jordan, and Violet Waters.

Director Ivy Jordan wears the iconic red crepe suit from Brenda Starr's "Reporter In Red" film.  I love the clean lines of this funnel neck jacket.  Jewelry and hat from The Couture Touch, embroidered gloves from the Star Wardrobe Accessory Collection by Ashton Drake, and the handbag from Sandra Stillwell's "A Woman of Means" Adrian ensemble.

Gene Marshall wears the flirty tweed peplum jacket from the 2005 Decade of Dreams Gene Convention paired with the skirt from Ashton Drake's "Fashion Plot" costume, and the blouse from "Hello Hollywood Hello".  The fur muff is from PD Root, hat from Bogue's Vogues, and the gloves and earrings are from Ashton Drake. Feather pin and purse are from The Couture Touch.

Violet Waters in the smart, 2-pc ensemble designed by Dolly Cipolla, and originally worn by Gene Marshall at a "Press Conference" announcing her upcoming USO tour.  Violet makes this costume her own by adding the delightful hat from Madra Lord's "Top This" ensemble.  I removed the original grosgrain trim from the hat and replaced it with a peach braided trim and matching tassels.  The fur drape is from PD Root, handbag and cuff bracelet from Integrity, shoes and gloves are from Ashton Drake.

Gene Marshall in another Brenda Starr ensemble, "Just My Type" tweed suit paired with the corsage and handbag from Ashton Drake's "The Perfect Gift", fur drape from PD Root, and gloves from Ashton Drake.  The scarf and fabulous fur and felt tilt topper are from The Couture Touch.

Gene Marshall shines in the D.A.E. Originals top from their "Starmaker" evening ensemble paired with a wine velveteen skirt.  Fur and gloves are from PD Root, shoes from Integrity, purse from Ashton Drake, and the fun tilt hat from The Couture Touch.

Additional Credits:

Brenda Starr costumes are by Robert Tonner
Gene Marshall and Violet Waters dolls are from Ashton Drake
Ivy Jordan, Lady Director, is from Integrity

DIY Project: A Whimsical 1940's Cocktail Hat

These whimsical cocktail hats were all the rage in the early 1940's.  In '41, Paris was showing little hats that resembled nests fashioned with tiny stuffed birds and fabric fruit.  These delightful hats are also very easy to make for your favorite fashion dolls.  In the example shown above, I used 1/4" wide black, textured trim for the base and added a bird that I purchased from a craft store.  The veiling and marabou feathers were salvaged from an old vintage hat.

To get started, you will need to gather a few supplies:  scissors, straight pins, scotch tape or Fray Check,  needle, thread, glue (I recommend Fabri-Tac by Beacon), and assorted trims.  Most of these items are readily available at your local fabric or craft store. You can also check out eBay and the Internet for vintage resources. I often check local flea markets and antique malls for vintage veiling, feathers, birds, millinery floral, buttons, and jewelry pieces that can be utilized as decorations.

Click photo to enlarge

You will need approximately 1/2 yard of cording or narrow braid trim for the hat base.  If needed, apply a small piece of scotch tape to the ends to prevent raveling.  You could also use a dab of Fray Check and let it thoroughly dry.  Begin winding the braid slowly into a spiral shape, pinning as you go.  Once you have reached your desired size, trim ends and tuck underneath the base.  With a needle and thread, either whip stitch or simply run the threaded needle through the spiral a few times in different directions to secure.  If you use a textured braid and matching thread, your stitches won't show.   Not handy with a needle and thread?   You could also use glue to form the spiral.  You now have a flat cartwheel shape that is ready to trim.  Trims can be attached either by stitching or gluing.  I usually start with veiling that has been whip stitched to the base, then begin layering on additional trims such as birds, feathers, leaves, etc. 

Our fabulous cocktail hat is the perfect accessory to Madame Alexander's 2001 "Afternoon Out" sheath ensemble.  Gloves, purse, and shoes are from Ashton Drake, Bracelet from Facets by Marcia, Fur drape from PD Root. 

This fanciful concoction is also the perfect topper for "Just My Type" tweed suit from Robert Tonner's Brenda Starr Collection.  Gloves from Integrity, purse from Tonner, fur from Bandolier Morado by Sandra Stillwell.  My model/muse has been Ashton Drake's "A Lady Knows" Gene Marshall enhanced with an Integrity articulated body. 

In this example, I made bias strips from the fashion fabric using a 1/2" tape maker to make a bias binding.  The binding is then folded in half and rolled as shown.  Don't be afraid to experiment with different materials and widths for your hat base. 

OOAK Cocktail Ensemble by The Couture Touch
In a private collection

I hope you have as much fun as I did creating your own unique cocktail hat for your favorite fashion doll diva.

Ringing in the New Year: Vintage Barbie Style

Well....A vintage reproduction anyway!  I think it's fitting to end the year with the doll that started my magnificent obsession of doll collecting and eventually, vintage fashion:  Barbie!    Ringing in the New Year in style is "Solo In The Spotlight" Barbie, an early Mattel vintage reproduction doll.  Her hair was re-rooted into an American Girl style (artist unknown).  May the New Year bring you peace, happiness, and a wealth of new dolls!

Tis the Season!

To give!   To Celebrate!   To Enjoy!  

Happy Holidays

Queen of Hearts Gene Marshall in Bonnie & Blythe
Hat, gloves, & belt by The Couture Touch
Shoes from Integrity
Dress, fur, & jewelry from Ashton Drake

Violet Waters Makes Her Holiday Entrance

Integrity's Heat Wave Violet Waters enjoys a Holiday cocktail in Gene Marshall's "Star Entrance" evening ensemble.  OOAK feathered headpiece from The Couture Touch,  jewelry from Tonner's Tyler Wentworth collection.  Violet's long locks have been restyled into a chignon.

I found this ad for Foreman Fabrics in my copy of the Dec/Jan 1944-45 issue of Vogue Pattern Book.  This chic rayon crepe day ensemble was designed by Nettie Rosenstein and utilizes the same bodice treatment as Gene's "Star Entrance" gown.  I love the beautiful draping of this long-sleeved version, and there are even matching gauntlet gloves!

The Hats I Wished They Had Made

Accessories can do wonders to change the look of a costume, and hats can provide the ultimate drama to any ensemble.  Here are 3 examples utilizing costumes designed exclusively for The Gene Marshall Collection by Ashton Drake. 

"Paradise in Pink" was a faithful recreation of Marsha Hunt's 1946 wedding suit for the 2004 Annual Gene Hollywood Convention.  It is a simple yet stunning dusty pink wool crepe 2-piece suit with fabulous pink "fox" trim at the sleeves.

From "The Way We Wore" by Marsha Hunt

The original floral hat accented with layers of pink netting was designed by Sydney Guilaroff, Chief Hairstylist at MGM.

A striped toque accented with black marabou feathers gives this ensemble a dramatic turn.  The marcasite clips at the neckline were made from an old piece of jewelry.  Hat and jewelry from The Couture Touch.  Scarlet Temptress Madra Lord from Ashton Drake is my model/muse.

Courtesy of Ashton Drake

The ensemble for "Scarlet Temptress" Madra Lord was designed by Tim Kennedy and was an exact copy of a 1947 Christian Dior design.  The original cocktail hat was a ribbon rose and veiling.

Here's my take on this iconic design with a complete change of accessories.  The dramatic black suede hat and beaded "lucite" purse are from The Couture Touch,  jewelry and gloves from Ashton Drake,  the belt buckle is from a Barbie doll gown.  Integrity's "Flame" Madra Lord is my model/muse.

I never thought the original hat for "Press Conference" did the ensemble justice.  It was a braided headband accented with organza bows.  Recently I came across what may have been the inspiration for this mid 1940's 2-piece suit designed for Ashton Drake's Gene Marshall Collection by Dolly Cipolla.  It was accessorized with a turban style hat accented with flowers.  I decided to do a turban style but with a fur accent that matches the fur drape from PD Root.  The gauntlet gloves are borrowed from "Winged Inspiration" by Ashton Drake.  I added peach colored gems to dress up an Integrity goldtone cuff bracelet.  My model/muse is "Symphony in G" Gene Marshall from Ashton Drake.

This Rose Barrack Original from 1945 was done in pink and brown.  I just love this look!  Photo is courtesy of  my vintage vogue.com   If you haven't visited this site, you are in for a treat.  You will be inspired by the best in mid-century classic fashion and photography.

Art Deco Hair: Those Fabulous Finger Waves of the 1930's

Myrna Loy

A finger wave is a method of setting the hair into a wave shape that was popular during the Art Deco period of the 1920's and 1930's.  Finger waves are similar in appearance to the Marcel wave.  The main difference is how the waves are achieved.  Finger waves are molded into S shaped undulations with the fingers and a comb while the hair is wet.  Usually a lotion is used to help hold the shape.  The Marcel wave is achieved with a heated curling iron and was named after the 19th Century French hairdresser, Francois Marcel, who invented the process in 1872.  It revolutionized the art of hairdressing for years to come.

Bette Davis

Many Hollywood movie stars wore the latest in finger wave styles which contributed to its wide appeal.  It was a popular alternative to the bobbed hairstyles of the flapper period (think Louise Brooks) as it gave a softer and stylish look to evening wear as well as day wear.

Finger wave hairstyles also worked particularly well with the small, close to the head, hat styles of the 1930's.  Skull caps were seen with evening ensembles, and the small brimmed slouch hat became the perfect daytime accessory.  They were often tilted to one side and brims were tilted up in the back to reveal the neatly curled waves.

I was thrilled when Integrity introduced 1930's Madra Lord in 2008 and later Zita Charles to their line-up, complete with those fabulous finger wave hairstyles!  Pictured above on the left is Evening Mist Zita Charles wearing Integrity's "Dangerous Curves" frock.   The OOAK hat and gloves are from The Couture Touch, pin from Facets by Marcia,  fur and bracelet from Ashton Drake.  On the right is C'est Moi Madra Lord wearing Robert Tonner's "Mad About the Hat" suit ensemble from the Joan Crawford Collection.

Silhouette of the 1930's Zita Charles poses in Ashton Drake's "Fascination", a Violet Water's Art Deco inspired evening gown. 

Gene Marshall is truly a "Cinema Siren" in Tonner's Joan Crawford Deco evening ensemble.  Earrings and bracelet from Ashton Drake, cigarette holder from The Couture Touch.