Question: why does 40s style seem so empowering these days? Answer: film noir and the femme fatale.
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive character archetype in classic and modern culture. Originating in ancient cultures (greek, chines mythologies and biblical contexts), today’s image of the femme fatale flourished during 1940s and 1950s film-noir era. The classic femme fatale resorts to murder to free herself from an unbearable relationship with a man who would try to possess and control her, as if she were a piece of property or a pet. Very manipulative and ordinarily hard-to-get, she uses her sexuality to get what she wants. The most famous and iconic femme fatales in 40s cinema are considered to be:
The Killers poster (1946)
Ava Gardner as Kitty Collins in the Killers (1946)
Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson in the Double Indemnity (1944)
Gene Thiery as Ellen Berent in the Leave her to Heaven (1945)
Rita Hayworth as Gilda in Gilda (1946)
Gilda (1946) poster
Lizabeth Scott as Jane Palmer in Too Late for Tears (1949)
Mary Astroma as Brigid O’Shaughnessy in the Maltese Falcon (1941)
The image of these characters was contrived carefully. The femme fatale had to be sexy and glamorous but in no way vulgar. Make up and outfits were selected to create a sense of elegance and sophistication - long cocktail dresses, not a lot of naked body seen, clean red lips and seductive hair.
In the late 90s till today, the concept of the femme fatale and her sexual appeal as an inspiration for style, fashion or even lifestyle became popular and important as never before because of its relation to concepts of Third-Wave Feminism and Post-Feminism. Woman as strong and independent, embracing her femininity and sexuality: the 40s image of the femme fatale had it all, and received huge symbolic following. The 1940s is cemented in modern fashion and culture today, owing to the memorable and complex characters of American cinema.
Femme fatal inspired image is popular in fashion industry
Dita Von Teese perfume advertisement.
femme fatal image as popular style inspiration
Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer in Fight Club (1999). Her image and style had a lot of femme fatale features
From the left: Emma Green at BAFTA awards 2011, Emma Stone at Paris premier of The Amaszing Spider-Man 2012, Angelina Jolie at 81st Academy Awards 2009
The 60s was an explosive time for British fashion and culture. London's new boutiques had faith in the agency of their trendy young shoppers to experiment with style. Suddenly British fashion was taken out of the silk-gloved hands of Mayfair and into the hands of ordinary people. Biba
Abingdon Rd.
At the forefront of the popular styles of the 60s, Barbera
Hulanicki’s famous boutique created clothes for skinny post-war babies, putting
emphasis on the legs rather than the bust and hips. Biba began as a mail-order
service; its breakthrough success came in May 1964 when Hulanicki offered a pink
gingham dress to readers of the Daily Mirror, similar to one worn by Brigitte
Bardot. The dress had over 4000 orders, leading to the creation of a shop
proper later that year. Girls under 25 around the country took trains down to
London just to visit the ornately decorated boutique, and sample Hulanicki’s
dark “Auntie-coloured” mod clothes. Biba was responsible for putting the
mini-skirt on the highstreet as well as some of the first maxi coats; its
influence on British fashion is evident - and not just for vintage-lovers.
Among its employees was a young Anna Wintour, later the editor of Vogue.
Bazaar
King’s Rd.
Mary Quant opened her boutique in 1955 at a time when
“fashion wasn’t designed for young people”. She was part of a movement that
tried to shirk London’s fashion traditions, fronted by Mayfair couturiers and
their wealthy clientele. Her quirky and decidedly modern shop fit in with the Chelsea
set: artists, beatniks, filmmakers and socialites that gravitated towards the
King’s Road. She is one of the designers credited with inventing the mini skirt
and hot pants.
I Was Lord
Kitchener’s Valet
Portobello Rd., Notting Hill.
This famous boutique promoted antique military uniforms as
fashion items. The look became a defining feature of Jimi Henderix’ signature
style. Among its other famous clientele were Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger and John
Lennon. The now-iconic 60s military look became so popular with the
disenfranchised youth that a number of outlets were opened around Carnaby Street and other London fashion hubs.
Lord John (& Mates Boutique)
Carnaby St.
Lord John has an important place in pop-culture history. The
boutique largely imitated the mod-style of John Stephen, the self-styled “creator
of Carnaby St” and 50s retail innovator whose methods are still used on the
high street today, deserving of the “Lord” moniker (and potentially a profile
piece on this blog!) While Mary Quant and Biba owned the female fashion stage,
these two boutiques, opened by brothers Warren and David Gold, were
revolutionary in the field of male fashion. By the mid-sixties, nearly every
London-based band were wearing John Stephen’s styles, popularising the mod look
we know and love: The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who and The Small faces
(who have remarked that their manager paid them in clothes from Lord John). Many
see this as the moment that bands and fashion became bedfellows.
Kleptomania
Kingly St.
Another fashion-innovator deserving of his own article,
Tommy Roberts opened his first shop Kleptomania in 1966, which was,
essentially, a vintage curiosity shop. Like Lord
Kitchener’s Valet, Roberts discovered the market for old military uniforms,
then began bringing in new stock from upcoming designers and upcycling
second-hand garments, which ultimately led to the foundation of their own
label. In the years that followed, Kleptomania whole-heartedly embraced
psychedelia: kaftans, incense, afghan coats, velvet flared trousers etc.
Situated near the Bag O’ Nails
nightclub frequented by the rock elite (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The
Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience), they would spill out into the street in the
early morning, spot something they liked in the window and send someone round
to get it the next day. After Kleptomania came the more famous Mr Freedom in
the King’s Road and Roberts was established as fashion designer for the biggest
names in music. Amazingly, after its closure in 1972, the shop was taken over
by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren: here punk was born.
Granny Takes a Trip
King’s Rd.
The first psychedelic boutique in swinging London with perhaps
the most iconic shop-front in British fashion, Granny Takes a Trip was the brainchild of journalist Nigel Waymouth
and girlfriend Sheila Cohen, whose vintage clothing collection was becoming
excessive. Savile Row-trained tailor John Pearse adjusted these garments into
the preferred shapes of the time, even cutting up blouses or dresses and turning
them into shirts for men. The flamboyant designs became a proponent of Pink
Floyd’s early shows; allegedly Syd Barett took his dirty clothes to the
boutique thinking it was a dry-cleaners. By the mid-sixties, the shop was world
famous and had transformed the duller end of the King’s Road. Its influence was
enormous on many of the boutiques already mentioned. Today, vintage shops as
far afield as California and Sydney use the name Granny Takes a Trip.
We had the privilege of attending a screening of Coventry Belgrade Theatre and NottinghamPlayhouse's production of Peter Arnott's swinging political love
story “Propaganda Swing”. Based on true events and
“jazzed up a bit”, our story takes place in “The Bore War” of the late
30's and early 40's and tells the tale of the American journalist
Billy Constant and his experiences in 1939 Berlin – a city on the
brink of more than one war.
Our protagonist takes a
leap of faith and moves to the unstable city in search of his one true love, married jazz-artist Lala. He experiences the propaganda war of
the Nazi regime as the Propaganda Ministry takes an interest in his
sweetheart and her band and decides to use them as weapons in the
war of propaganda. Lala and Co. face many moral dilemmas as their
beloved jazz, otherwise forbidden to them due to the racial politics
of the regime, becomes ''purified'' of it's “non-Aryan” themes
and used as a weapon against the Allies.
Propaganda Swing had us
dancing in our seats and holding our breaths as the tale took turns
to the unexpected, accompanied by the fantastic performance of the
accomplished live band. Chris Andrew Mellon's “Otto Stenzl” left
us in stitches and moved us to tears, and Miranda Wilford's amazing
“LaLa Anderson” left little to want as the story took darker turns. The play's amazing art
deco-set and the clever re-writes of the biggest jazz-songs made it all the more memorable and left us jazzed up and excited for
more to come.
On a similar note, our
exec's left the play feeling ready to swing the night away so here is
a playlist with some of the songs in the play (minus the propaganda!) and
some of our favourite jazz hits of all time!
The changes to our climate are impossible
to ignore and the science is clear – we are the cause of it. They are also changing in the sense that we are slowly waking up to these previously known but largely ignored facts and are more ecologically aware than
most were in previous eras. The winds are changing but the mainstream politics
seem to largely dismiss it as the last push for fossil fuels is fueling politicians into inaction regarding the climate.
Yet we still hold the key to mending some of the damage caused by our consumption and unsustainable economy, something which prompted the the biggest climate march in history on the 21st of
September this year. People from all around the world in all stages
of life took to the streets in 162 countries to demonstrate their
concern over the dramatic changes in the climate. The demonstrators also took an active stance against the exploitation of our natural
resources and the inaction which our politicians have shown in their
reluctance to act in order to deal with this impending crises which
is sure to happen should we allow it to go unnoticed.
The march had many
prolific and interesting speakers – the archbishop of London, Rv.
Richard Charters, spoke of the moral necessity of pressing for
political action as climate change indeed is a game changer in policy
making as a whole and in our sense of solidarity as a species. The shortages of water supplies around the world, the ever-growing
hunt for fossil oils in sensitive climates and the looming
inevitability of coming climate disasters displacing more and more
people were all reasons of moral and economic concern and he strongly urged those who
have a bigger historic guilt in this matter, e.g. the industrialised
countries, to right the wrongs which have been committed for their
prosperity. Other speakers spoke of disasters in local areas in the
UK such as the recurring floodings which have been linked to the
rising temperatures in the climate and the devastating results they
have had on the people, the climate and the economy as a whole. The
turnout also attracted rather known names, such as actress Emma
Thompson and activist designer Vivienne Westwood, who spoke of our
obligation to future generations and the necessity of a change of
lifestyle towards the sustainable.
Personally, I felt deeply
moved by the great mass of people that showed up and the commitment
and hard work put into making it all happen by the various NGO's
involved, allowing us to take this important stance for a better world. The
speakers came with a great variety and gave many interesting points of
view on a very pressing and important topic which will undoubtedly affect all of us one way or another. The march also further cemented
my belief in the need for a sustainable world and the urgency of this
issue, something which was shared by the tens of thousands of people
taking to the streets with me and which Warwick Vintage and Upcycling society has as a working foundation .
If we are ever to act for a better
world then there is no better time than now. If we are ever to
improve the situation and save ourselves from future disasters then
there truly is no better time to start than today. The winds are
indeed changing so lets make it a good change.
10 women's clothes from the 20th century that were so outstanding that they shaped entire decades and will not be forgotten for a long time. Whether it's the price of the clothes or the message behind it... these outfits are so well-known it's intimidating how powerful a simple outfit can be.
Geri Halliwell's Union Jack Dress (1997)
After the Spice Girls' performance at the BRIT Awards 1997, this mini dress featuring the Union Jack became one of the most iconic pop moments of the 90s and a symbol of 3rd wave feminism as well as the Cool Britannia movement. Created by stitching a Union Jack tea towel on a black Gucci dress, it holds the Guiness World Record for the most expensive piece of popstar clothing dealt at auction.
White dress of Marilyn Monroe (1955)
The white dress created by designer William Travilla has become one of the signature looks for Hollywood goddess Marilyn Monroe as well as part of one of the most iconic images of the 20th century: Monroe in the dress standing above a subway grating blowing the dress up.
Carrie Bradshaw Opening tutu (Sex and the City, 1998)
Love it or hate it, Sex and the City is a symbol of the post-feminist world and one of the most iconic fashion-centric series ever. The famous tutu that could be seen in the opening of every episode for 6 years set the tone for Carrie’s always-unexpected and quirky style, and guess what? The stylist bought it for 5$!
Black Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn (1961)
Often called the most famous ‘little black dress’ of all time, this Givenchy dress was created for the opening of Blake Edwards’ romantic comedy, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Now the dress has become the signature look for Audrey Hepburn, who is regarded by some to be the most naturally beautiful woman of all time.
Princess Leia's metal bikini (1983)
Only featured in 2 scenes, the costume has since become an iconic sex symbol with a huge pop culture following, spawning various spoofs and parodies and even a dedicated fansite. Fun fact: Carrie Fisher despised her metal bikini - "When I laid down, the metal bikini stayed up,” she once said, “so Boba Fett could see all the way to Florida.”
Rita Hayworth's black dress (1946)
The ultimate femme fatale dress created by costume designer Jean Louis and popularised by Rita Hayworth in the 1946 film Gilda. The dress and the look later became inspiration for Jessica Rabbit, the world's most famous animated sex symbol.
Wedding dress of Lady Diana Spencer (1981)
Ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, with a 25-foot (7.62 m) train, valued then at £9000. It became one of the most famous dresses in the world and was considered one of the most closely-guarded secrets in fashion history.
Madonna's cone bra (1990)
Madonna can easily be called one of the decade-defining style icons with her extravagant style and image in 80s/90s. One of the most glamours image of her was the popular cone bra created by Jean Paul Gaultier for Madonna’s 90s The Blond Ambition World Tour. The Cone bra popularized the idea of wearing underwear as outer wear.
Marlene Dietrich's tuxedo (1930)
Marlene Dietrich crossed fashion's gender boundaries in the 30s film Morocco - this iconic pose of her as Madmoiselle Amy Jolly in a mens' style suit and top hat with a cigarette streaming beside her is a timeless image that transcends fashion, defines style and keeps inspiring people.
Black Versace dress of Elizabeth Hurley (1994)
Often referred to as ‘That Dress’ and called Versace’s best-known creation, this neo-punk dress held together by several gold safety pins has turned a virtually unknown actress Elizabeth Hurley to a worldwide media star. / Pija x
First
of all: braces! It is a contentious issue, but the awesome among you will
understand how cool braces are.
(Left) Reverse cover art for Ian Dury’s New Boots and Panties!! (Right) Skinheads in Piccadilly Circus
Second
of all: a brief note on neo-fascism and the struggle for cultural tolerance… I
don’t mean to get political on a fashion blog, but the styles of ska music have
an important social history. I will give you an insight into this history as
well as a flavour of ska music and culture. In the early 70s, the white
working-class British youth shamelessly imitated the cool Kingston ‘rude-boy’
style of Desmond Decker and second generation Jamaicans and gave birth to
‘skinhead’ culture.
Dekker’s suited and booted look pre-empts the image of bands like The Specials
The
staples of this style were checked button-down shirts and tailored tonic mohair
suits, purchased at great expense, with short or turned up trousers, loafers,
brogues, and the most enduring icons of the style: Doc Martins and braces. From
this shared style emerged a brief moment of cultural harmony. But in one of recent history’s most hideous contradictions,
skinheads aligned themselves with ultranationalist parties such as the National
Front and violently turned on non-white cultures.
Shane Meadow’s This Is England dramatically depicts the corruption of youth by far right politics
It wasn’t until the end of the 70s that ska made a comeback from the most unlikely
of places: Coventry. 2-tone was born out of anger towards the vitriol and
racism on the streets of Britain. It united black and white musicians, in bands
such as The Specials and Madness, to create music everyone could
dance to, and the style that came with it was an attempt to rekindle the
cultural harmony of the early 70s. Pauline Black of The Selector remarks of
2-tone’s famous checked pattern:
“Black and white check is quite iconic and what we were trying
to portray is that black and white people could be in the same band and really
get along together and make music together … That was a very potent thing for
young people to see at that time.”*
Pauline
Black was at the forefront of piecing this style together using the power of
the thrift shop. Here lies the true beauty of this style. Aside from its
emphasis on cultural unity, a message that quite seriously needs voicing today,
2-tone style goes hand in hand with vintage culture; perhaps it even marks its
beginnings.
2-tone
introduced a number of other staples of the ska look: skinny black ties, the
still-popular Harrington jacket, overcoats, pork pie hats and trilbies, and Wayfarer
shades. You can see sly nods to this fashion on the highstreet today, but I
encourage you to venture off the highstreet and find something absolutely
skank-worthy.
In
conclusion: braces!
Adapting the 2-tone look: with skinny rather than straight-cut jeans, an old burton overcoat and brogue boots. DMs and similar will make a sizeable hole in your wallet; Blighty Bazaar for one have some awesome second hand boots on their ground floor. A nice jacket could give this look a more rude boy or even dandyish feel. The braces were my dad's.
