#20th century costumes

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

Evil Under the Sun / Maggie Smith as Daphne Castle

For an evening party that's she's hosting at her hotel on a Greek island, Mrs. Castle wears this fun bejeweled jacket over a horizontally striped blouse and vertically striped skirt. It's accompanied by a necklace, bracelet, and flower pin.

Anthony Powell designed the costumes for this movie. According to Wikipedia, other noted costume designer Sandy Powell is his cousin!

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Cesare Saccaggi (1868-1934) "Incipit Vita Nova, Dante" (1903) Oil on canvas Currently in a private collection

[preraphaelitepaintings]

Narcissus

Artist: John William Waterhouse (English, 1849–1917)

Date: 1912

Material: Oil on canvas

Collection: Private collection

Description

John William Waterhouse is very famous for his use of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Most of his pieces express classical mythology, historical subjects, and British poetry. He is known for his great proficiency in oils and watercolors. Narcissus was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1912.

The exquisite oil painting on canvas displays a woman picking flowers in a field. According to the Greek mythology by Ovid, Narcissus was the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. Narcissus had been promised to live to an old age if only he would not look at his reflection, and so he rejected all women who fell in love with him and would not look at himself. Eventually, he was subdued by Echo, a woman who was deeply hurt by his rejection that she caused the Goddess Nemesis to strike Narcissus that he may look at his reflection in a pool and fall in love with himself. Narcissus then looked at his reflection in the pool till he died.

This story gives origin to the narcissus flower, which grew where Narcissus died. The flower grows almost anywhere but prefers well-drained soil with a sunny or light shade environment. The masterpiece of oil on canvas is set in a beautiful wooded landscape, seemingly with a stream and rocky edges. Wildflowers grow there too, and a young lady is bent picking them. Her countenance is downcast in the flowers. In her other hand, she holds a bunch of already picked flowers. She is dressed in a red dress, perhaps to symbolize love or a burning passion. The flowers she is picking are the narcissus flowers. Waterhouse was always keen to use colours, patterns, and simple objects for symbols of the old mythologies. The Narcissus would be no different. This wonderful work of art brings out his genius with the oils on canvas as he seemingly brings every aspect to life as rich in meaning.

Waterhouse was much influenced and inspired by Greek Mythology and works by Homer, Ovid, Shakespeare, and Keats, among other famous writers and poets from the time. His most common theme from these sources was femme fatale, the woman who ensnares a man. Most of Waterhouse's subjects were women from Greek Mythology, historical or literary texts. Often, he used live models, family, and friends to be his subjects, creating a great mix of the old and new as he used symbolism from the mythologies around current

[jeannepompadour]

Jean Patou brown cotton tulle evening gown, circa 1932

[historical-fashion-polls]

submitted by @asterroth 💚💛❤️

[galleryofart]

Salome Dancer

Artist: Robert Henri (American, 1865-1929)

Date: 1909

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, Amherst, MA, United States

Description

Broad, slashing strokes give powerful shape to this defiant female figure standing with parted legs, a pose more athletic - even pugilistic - than seductive. Her oppositional posturing matched the painter’s contrary aesthetic sensibilities. The Realist painter Henri sought a provocative and timely subject in Salome, the biblical figure who served as her mother’s dutiful pawn in facilitating King Herod’s assassination of John the Baptist. By the late nineteenth century Salome had evolved into a far more aggressive and decadent creature, as witnessed in Oscar Wilde’s notorious play of 1891. That Henri adopted the theme in 1909 suggests his desire to capitalize on Salome’s high currency for controversy, which had been confirmed by the New York Metropolitan Opera’s scandal-provoking performance of Richard Strauss’s Salome (based on Wilde’s play) in 1907. The gleam of amusement that enhances Salome’s haughty expression slyly evokes her complicity in constructing Henri’s own reputation as a radical painter.

[fashion-from-the-past]

1905

[chic-a-gigot]

L'Art et la mode, no. 45, vol. 38, 10 novembre 1917, Paris. A la comédie-française: L'Autre Danger. Dessin de Meignoz. Bibliothèque nationale de France

Mme Bartet.

Robe en mousseline blanche sur fond de satin rose, garnie de broderie d'argent.

White muslin dress on a pink satin background, trimmed with silver embroidery.

—

Mlle Robinne.

Robe en satin "vert Empire", brodée "argent"; tunique de tulle "vert Empire"; roses rouges et girandole de perles sur les bras.

"Empire green" satin dress, embroidered "silver"; "Empire green" tulle tunic; red roses and pearl garland on the arms.

—

Mlle Maille.

Robe en satin "rose ancien", garnie de broderie "vieux rouge" et "or".

“Old pink” satin dress, trimmed with “old red” and “gold” embroidery.

[frostedmagnolias]

Theatrical Costume

c. 1900

“This theatrical costume is made of velvet and features two pieces that consist of a bodice and a skirt. The bodice has an off-the-shoulder neckline as well as lace applique throughout. The three-quarter sleeves have lace cuffs and there are hook-and-eye closures down the center front. The skirt has lace applique around the hem and hook-and-eye closures down the center back. It also has a train.”

Grand Rapids Public Museum

[cressida-jayoungr]

So I Saw This Costume...

The Importance of Being Earnest / Reese Witherspoon as Cecily Cardew

This seems an appropriate dress to post on Valentine's Day, as it is worn in the scene where Cecily explains to Algernon that they have been engaged since February 14th (much to his surprise).

Cecily wears pink quite often in this movie, although here the effect seems to be achieved by a sheer layer of white over a red base. The top has a simple polka-dot pattern with rows of lace and the skirt has a floral design. The bodice is trimmed with red ribbon bows at the neck and on the puffed sleeves.

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) "Apollo and Daphne" (1908) Pre-Raphaelite In the myth of Apollo and Daphne, she is a beautiful nymph who turns into a laurel tree in a bid to escape the affections of the god Apollo.

[sonyaheaneyauthor]

Girls in traditional dress outside the Opera House in Kyiv.

Ukraine, mid-twentieth century. X

[jeannepompadour]

Olive Borden,from the 1927 film "The Joy Girl"

[historical-fashion-polls]

[preraphaelitepaintings]

Ophelia

Artist: John William Waterhouse (British, 1849-1917)

Date: 1910

Medium: Oil paint on canvas

Collection: Private Collection

[fashion-from-the-past]