Snoods - Yea or Nay?

Friends, let's cut to the chase.  What do you think of the snood?

As my 1944 Outfit Project draws to a close, and with our photo shoot tentatively scheduled for Thursday (yes, Thanksgiving) morning -- where my cousin will be channeling Maureen O'Hara in Miracle on 34th Street -- I've been busy trying to assemble Cathy's period look on a dime.

I think you've already seen my muff, and why does that sound dirty?  The consensus seems to be that this little $3 hand warmer is shaved rabbit, or shaved something -- real fur.



My original intention had been to make my own shoulder pads for the coat, but I was up at Daytona Trim on 39th Street yesterday, and they had an entire canvas rolling cart full of these molded pads for just $1 a pair.  They're not covered -- I'll likely do that myself with muslin -- but they're huge.  To get the effect I'm going for, I'll be putting a pair in each shoulder!



I also picked up a yard and a half of crepe-backed satin for lining at Chic Fabrics.  I was originally going to use Bemberg rayon, but it didn't look heavy enough plus that's kind of fancy, don't you think?  I like the look of the satin better, it's cheap, doesn't wrinkle easily, and I think the weight will enhance the drape of the coat.



Then there was the question of hats/hair.  The Forties had a very particular look and I wasn't sure how to recreate it.  I looked at hats at the flea market, but the colors were all wrong (I needed brown or a muted green), or the shape, or the price.  I was hoping to find something like this, but no such luck.

So on my way home from the fabric store yesterday, I passed one of those ginormous beauty supply/wig/hair extension stores one often finds in New York City, Beauty 35, and I poked my head in to see what kind of accessories they might offer.  Friends, Lady Luck has smiled on me once again: I found a wide assortment of snoods -- just $1.99 each!  I bought two: one brown, one burgundy.

I experimented with them, and I must get your opinion: both of Cathy in a snood and of snoods in general.  To me, this type of hair covering treads dangerously into Orthodox Jewish territory.  (I have two orthodox first cousins -- daughters of Aunt Florence with the aqua toilet that looks like a Pintastic pin dispenser -- so it's a look I know well.)

OK, brace yourself:

1) With the bangs, I am a dead ringer for my cousin Ellen (who no longer goes by the name Ellen, of course).



2) This is a combination of Cathy's new hairdo, with Cathy's old hairdo in the snood.  Rest assured, she'll be clean-shaven and won't have swim goggle imprints around her eyes.  (Flower courtesy of Beauty 35 @ $1.)



3) Then last night I had an epiphany.  Some of the most famous Forties sirens were blondes.  I combined my vintage Eva Gabor wig (I didn't tell you about that $5 eBay purchase) with my Peter and the Parrot blonde wig in the snood, and came up with this:





Friends, Michael likes the blonde!

Anyway, back to today's topic.  I'm too lazy to delve deeply into the history of snoods, which have apparently been around since Medieval times, but you can read more about them at the Adore Cherie blog, where you can also catch a photo of Casey looking a little Amish if you ask me.  Snoods were popular during World War II and then fell out of fashion, though they've seen a resurgence in popularity among the vintage-loving crowd.

Are snoods simply too costumey for today, in your opinion?   Have you ever worn one?  Do they make you want to too say One ringy dingy and snort through your nose?

In short: Snoods, yea or nay?  

(....and which Cathy hairstyle, please)

Cathy's New Hairdo -- Yea or Nay?

Friends, I believe, when choosing between two paths, always to choose the one that really excites you in the moment.  Hence, yesterday, I put aside my two yards of polka dot poly charmeuse (more about that later) and made a beeline for Wigs & Plus at 152 West 32nd St.  Kind of has a nice ring to it, don't you think, Wigs & Plus? 

The consensus, building over many, many months, was that Cathy needed a new hairdo: something softer, longer, and in a somewhat lighter shade.  But she couldn't lose her essential Cathy-ness.  It was a very difficult challenge, perhaps equal to sewing a poly charmeuse blouse.  No, definitely harder.

You, beloved readers, have been more than generous.  Laura offered to send me a red wig she has tucked away somewhere.  Sadly, red is the one color that makes Cathy's rosacea "pop" in photos.  Semi-retired wig stylist Richard suggested something slightly tousled, with more volume.  Sandy was even kind enough to send me a link to this beautiful portrait of sultry Gina Lollabrigida. 



From among the hundreds of wigs at Wigs & Plus, I found one I thought had possibilities.   Cathy and I took some test shots and I'd like to share them with you.  No makeup here, just a little lipstick, faux fur, and a lot of attitude.  Very spontaneous.  

Before:



After:







Yes?  No?  Maybe?

By the way, for those who wish to emulate Cathy's new look, it's Soul Tress "Perry," designed by James Lee (fancy!), and has copper highlights.    

Meanwhile, in poly-charmeuse-blouse land, I'm having second thoughts.  I fear the charmeuse is too heavy and, frankly, too cheap looking for the 1944 outfit project.  I especially don't like the way darts and tucks photograph in charmeuse.  Then again, most of it will be hidden under a jumper.



I may follow Stashdragon's advice, put it aside and opt for a more somber, historically accurate solid in a natural fiber rather than synthetic.  We'll see.

But back to synthetic hair.

In your opinion, does Cathy's hair conjure up any specific period or person more than others?  Ava Gardner?  Loretta Young?  Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched?

It does give off a somewhat late Fifties/early Sixties vibe to me.  Not sure how it will work with earlier periods, but hey, there's always hats, turbans, and snoods!

Cathy's new hairdo -- yea or nay?

More Cathy wig portraits below.

Halloween recap + NEW FABRIC!

Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen?  Princess Margaret and nephew Prince Edward?

To say Michael and I weren't exactly the most-easily recognized couple out on Halloween night is an understatement.  But at least neither of us was Zombie Steve Jobs.  Or a sexy secretary.

I'm not entirely sure what Michael was dressed up as, but I think it's obvious which one of us grew up in the suburbs (Hint: it's not me).  That "Woof" tee shirt is Michael's own creation, made with Swarovski crystal letters we ironed on with my Elna Press -- the first time I've used the darn thing in months.



The leopard leggings are something Michael bought for the cabaret show, though he ended up wearing my leopard pants.  We never did make it to the Halloween parade -- Michael was cold and my feet ached -- but we had a lovely Italian dinner at Donatella on Eighth Avenue instead.  We were seated next to a witch, a zombie, two pirates, and a French couple.



File under Don't Ask If You Don't Want To Hear The Answer -- the topic of Cathy's hair color.  I asked Michael if he thought Cathy needed to go a shade or two lighter.  Cathy has such a delicate complexion and she is a "summer," like myself, after all.  (A few months ago I did try to find Cathy's do in a somewhat lighter shade of brown, with no success.  Apparently Motown Tress has discontinued her style, do you believe it?!)



Not only did Michael answer Yes quite emphatically, but he also asked if we couldn't find something with perhaps a little gray in it!  Cathy was not amused.



Friends, even I am getting a little tired of seeing Cathy in that vintage McCall's rose-print cocktail dress, so let's move on, shall we?

I went fabric shopping yesterday and am now ready to begin my 1944 outfit project!



As you'll recall, I'm making the Butterick coat (above left) out of the dusty rose vintage wool blanket I bought a few weeks ago at the flea market.  I hope to enter it in the Pattern Review Refashion contest, if all goes well.



For the jumper, I wanted something with a pattern -- classic and a little conservative, to go with the period.  Here's what I chose:



For the blouse, I bought a cream and black polka dot poly charmeuse.  I've never made a Forties blouse before and never worked with poly charmeuse, so it should be interesting.





And that, dear readers, is that!  It seems like Halloween kicks off a holiday season of overeating that doesn't really end till Easter.  Oye.

Your fabric and hair color comments are most welcome.  You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a good pixie-cut wig that has some length on the sides and doesn't have all those irregular razor-cut edges.  What are all the Jane Wyman clones doing?   Could this work?

Have a great day, everybody! 

"Would you believe Jane Wyman?" and other Halloween hash

It can't be ignored so why try?  Today is Halloween whether we like it or not.

Curmudgeon that I am, I consider Halloween exclusively a children's holiday and always have.  I don't think I've ever participated as an adult.  For one thing, my teeth can no longer handle Sugar Daddies and Mary Janes, and Halloween isn't Halloween without Sugar Daddies...



Maybe it's that I dress up strangely often enough that I don't feel the need for another opportunity.  This year, however, after our little cabaret adventure, I felt it would insensitive not to give poor Cathy a call, and see if she'd be free for some evening festivities. 

I suggested she dress up as Jane Wyman.

Well!  She didn't like that one bit!



Friends, many of you are no doubt familar with Oscar-winning actress Jane Wyman, perhaps from her Eighties-era evening soap, Falcon Crest, or maybe you know that she was married to then-B actor Ronald Reagan, before Mervyn Leroy introduced him to Nancy (how do I know these things?).

Jane's best-remembered films today are probably the two technicolor melodramas she made in the mid-Fifties directed by Douglas Sirk and co-starring Rock Hudson -- Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows.

Cathy's response to my suggestion was to ask, Seriously, who dresses up for Halloween as Jane Wyman, and do they get any candy?  Then she hung up her princess phone on me.  She thinks she most closely resembles Audrey Hepburn.



I think you'll agree that the resemblance between mid-century Jane Wyman and my cousin is remarkable, especially when dressed in opera-length gloves and McCall's 9152.

I am very fortunate that the big Halloween parade takes place just a stone's throw from my apartment (If you have a very strong throwing arm), and we are invited to a late dinner with friends on the Upper West Side.  Will we be able to stay up that late?  That's always the question since we're all very early-to-bed types here.  (I was under the covers by 10 pm last night.)

Doesn't Jane -- I mean Cathy -- look lovely in her cocktail dress and faux white mink stole?





Should Cathy tell people she's dressed as Jane Wyman, or is this simply an invitation to derision?

Friends, in closing, I must ask you: Do you dress up for Halloween?  If you do, do you actually leave the house or just sit around watching football and waiting for trick-or-treaters?

Have you ever dressed as something/someone so obscure that nobody knew what you were talking about?  Did you care or was it enough that it was your private joke?

Finally, if you were going to dress as Jane Wyman for Halloween, would you wear a little adhesive name tag that said "Hello, my name is Jane Wyman" or would you just wait to be asked?

Whether you're participating or not, Happy Halloween, everybody!

Cathy models the strapless 50's cocktail dress!

Friends, at long last, the cocktail dress photo shoot.

I know there was some drama involved in this project and undeniable differences of opinion with many of you, beloved readers, but I like to think that, in the end, it only brought us closer. 

As always, my talented cousin proved herself a true pro, handling yards of tulle, a boned bodice, and multiple layers of crinoline with aplomb, and even submitting to the indignities of a Maidenform "Control It!" Waistnipper brief.  The summer evening couldn't have been more lovely, gentle breezes blowing through Cathy's soft hair and carrying her tulle wrap aloft.  It was all very dreamlike.

I hope you'll enjoy this slideshow, which includes a special guest appearance from my wonderful photographer, Michael, as well as a number of other unexpected cameos.

As always, to see these photos full-size, please click on any image and in Picasa, choose the album name, and then, in the upper left hand corner, "Slideshow."



I'll admit that I wasn't quite sure athletic Cathy could pull off the strapless look, but I think she does this dress justice, don't you?

Is there a strapless cocktail dress in your future?  

Have a great day, everybody!

P.S.  Remember how it all started?

Cathy Sings! (Jerry Herman, no less)

Such exciting news, friends.  Cathy -- fashion model and my beloved identical cousin -- is adding professional singer to her list of accomplishments!

It's all very hush-hush right now, but songbird Cathy is deep in rehearsals for a musical show which she'll be performing before a live audience this coming fall!  Cathy plays a character considerably older than she actually is (with much bigger hair), but my cousin can find the truth in any role and I think you'll agree she pulls it off.

Cathy looks sporty in houndstooth double knit blazer, silk scarf, and jazz pants.

I managed to sneak into rehearsals today and take this behind-the-scenes movie, which I do hope you'll enjoy.  It's all very informal -- Cathy doesn't even have her lashes on-- but I think it will give you a taste of what's in store.

Could a show tune album be in the offing?  Who knows!

Happy Sunday, everybody!

Cathy models the 40's midriff or "Sweetheart of the Navy!"

Friends, on this Memorial Day, I am thrilled to be featuring Cathy's latest photo shoot, which combines a 1940's midriff ensemble and our men in uniform.

Please join me as Cathy supports the troops the best way she knows how -- and forgive her.

As always, to see these photos full-size, please click on any image and then, in Picasa, choose "View All" in the upper left hand corner, and "Slideshow." 



Can Cathy still pull off a midriff (figuratively speaking)?  I hope so!

Have a great day, everybody!

Cocktail (Dress) Addiction

I can stop any time I want to; I just don't want to. 

Friends, I hope you'll let me know if you think my little cocktail dress problem has gotten out of control.  The source is -- no surprise -- Cathy, but it is also being fed by a life-long obsession with classic Hollywood women's pictures and onscreen clotheshorses like Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner...in fact the entire cast of Weekend at the Waldorf. 

What started out as lending a helping hand to a relative on the skids has turned into a professional partnership.  Cathy's new-found and growing notoriety is requiring my increased focus and, as a result, yours, for which I apologize.  I know many of you are chomping at the bit to stitch up some practical denim duds and we will.  But last Saturday's celebrity hobnob has turned into next Thursday's theater and post-performance party invitation and, as usual, Cathy will need something to wear.  A starlet needs to be seen out and about; she can't sit home nights filing her corns and she can't be photographed wearing the same dress.

If it had to happen for one of us, I'm glad it's her.  I've lived my life; Cathy's still young.  I shouldn't let the cat out of the bag a day early but tomorrow is both our birthdays.  I'll be turning 49 and Cathy will be turning...well, let's just say she's more than a decade younger -- an extremely rare occurrence among identical cousins but not unheard of according to scientific studies; something about recessive genes.

Long story short, I was up half the night perusing Etsy for patterns and haunting sites like Vintageous and Memphis Vintage, where photos of countless beautiful vintage cocktail dresses are on display, like the little lace number up top and the ones below. 

Extensive research has revealed that while nearly all lace overlay cocktail dresses are made with dark lace over a lighter fabric, occasionally one finds the reverse.   How do you feel about cream lace over black?   I don't love it.

Of course, I'm not only looking at lace dresses, not by a long shot.  How about tri-toned taffeta tiers?  That wouldn't be hard to whip up, would it?

Or this 40's asymmetrical number in black taffeta and crepe? 

My local fabric dive has 60" bolts of lace in both solid baby blue and solid cream for $2/yd. -- not the tulle-type lace I used in my redingote, but heavier, more traditional textured lace (My lace knowledge is severely lacking, which is only one of the reasons I have bought myself an overpriced used copy of Susan Khalje's highly regarded, out-of-print classic, Bridal Couture, a birthday present to myself which should arrive next week.).

What do you think of pastels for evening on a sophisticated woman like Cathy who, let's face it, is more Baroness Von Schrader than Fräulein Maria, though thankfully still years away from Reverend Mother?  We want to avoid anything that reads prom, bride, or -- perish the thought! --  mother-of-the-.

I try to approach my work with a zen-like Beginner's Mind, but this means I never remember anything.  I need help.  Those of you with strong opinions and no qualms about expressing them, what do you think?  Do you/would you generally opt for black for evening -- even you summers who should avoid it altogether?  How about midnight blue or brown?  Would you overlay light colored lace on a dark taffeta or satin, or stick to the other way around.

How did I get into this -- again?! 

Have a great day, everybody!