Autochromes!

So today is the day that I have been looking forward to for a loooooooooong time. Autochromes!

Anna Stocká by Josef Jindřich Šechtl ca 1909. This photo is the earliest known autochrome of Šechtl's. The lady in the photograph is his future wife Anna. This is my favorite autochrome of all time and it is currently in the collection of the Šechtl & Voseček Museum of Photography. I am especially fond of the soft pale blue color of her dress and her beautiful wide brimmed hat.  

I'll start with an explanation of what an autochrome is. An autochrome is a color photo printed on glass using potato starch. Crazy right? The process was invited by Auguste and Louis Lumière (the same Lumière brothers who invented the motion picture camera the cinématographe). The process was patented in 1903 and was used as late as the 1930s.

The process used a screen of tiny potato starch grains dyed orange-red, green and violet. The grains were dusted onto a glass plate and then covered with a layer of panchromatic silver bromide emulsion. As light entered the camera it was filtered by the dyed grains before it reached the emulsion. The exposure time for one of these images was very very long, but the result was a semi opaque positive color image on glass that required no further printing.

Close up of Autochrome approx 1911

While working at the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film I was very fortunate to get to look at some autochromes up close. They need to be viewed on a light table to be seen properly, but I can tell you that the colors are even more vivid and stunning than the images in this post. It is very difficult to reproduce autochromes as digital files true to color because of the nature in which they are printed.

Autochromes are composed of a series of tri-colored dots (as you can see in the image above) that work like a video screen. Because the dots are so small and so closely packed together the colors of adjacent dots blend together in our eyes. Light from neighboring red and green dots will create a yellow color and like from violet and green dots will make a light blue. Neat, right?

I've included some of my favorite autochromes here, but I strongly encourage you to do a quick search online for others. It's amazing how well these images have held up over time and I just love getting to see the actual colors of frocks from the 1900s and teens!

Couple ca. 1910 by Mrs. Benjamin F. Russell. 

This lady is subscribing to a more relaxed fashion than the lady at the top of his post even though the photos were taken at relatively the same time. She's equally stunning in my opinion. I love the color of her frock, the simple cut, her matching pink scarf, and her cute hat. What do you think, Readers? Is that an engagement ring on her finger there?

Woman wearing red dress with houses in background ca. 1915.

 I find her up-do to be very lovely and her shoes to be very charming. It's a little hard to see but she is wearing a high lace collar and sleeves with lace cuffs. There are a ton of little button details up and down the front and sides of her dress that remind me of traveling coats from this era. I'm not sure what this frock is made out of, but the fabric is obviously quite thick and heavy. Canvas maybe? The way the fabric wrinkles around the skirt hem makes me lean more towards a heavy plant based fabric than an animal fabric.

Dancer wearing Egyptian-look costume with wings reaching to the floor ca. 1915

This would have been at the height of Egyptian fever, though still previous to the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb. As with most images from this period I could find out very little information about the woman in the photo and why she might be wearing this getup. Perhaps she is a dancer, though for what type of production I couldn't say.

Cowgirl by Mrs. Benjamin F. Russell  ca. 1910.

I love her! I love this image!  This autochrome is in the George Eastman House collection, Rochester, NY. I love her big hat and giant rodeo pants. I suspect this is more of a masquerade outfit or show outfit than actual work clothes, but I'm totally cool with that.

Lady Helen Vincent by Lionel de Rothschild ca 1910.

Lady Helen was apparently a society beauty and wife of the diplomat Sir Edgar Vincent. I am swooning over her beautiful pale pink dress with the lace sleeves. Just look at the lacy detail down the front of her skirt and the black belt around her waist is so classy.

Man and women carrying suitcases by Charles C. Zoller  ca 1907 - 1932.

I'm going to go ahead and guess that this print comes from 1918-1922 based on her dress and his sweater and tie. The only thing that keeps me from pinning this a few years later is the lack of make-up on her face. The early 1920s saw a huge swell in make-up usage with the widespread post-war availably of cosmetics. What do you think, Dear Readers? What time might this couple have lived in?

Unknown photographer, subject, and date... but wow. Just wow. Look at that dress! And look at those plumes on that hat! Look at that lace on her blouse! If this lady's attire doesn't scream fashion I don't know what does. Makes a girl want to start making Edwardian clothing doesn't it?

Seneca Pool 1924 ca. 1924

I really love these cute 1920s bathers. This pool was actually located not too far from where I went to college, but it has since been filled in. Look at how the ladies are mostly in dark wool swimsuits, but they wear brightly colored swim caps. I didn't realize that there were so many different cap color options when I wrote my 1920s swimsuit post. You learn something new every day. 

Pool Side: 1980s Chic

I've been talking a lot about the 1930s lately so I thought it was time for break. We're fast-forwarding 50 years. Today we're totally going 80s, Dude.

Here in Atlanta we love the 1980s. Why wouldn't you? Modonna, Olivia Newton-John, Bowey, Come on!. We Atlantans love our 80s proms and some of us even host some snazzy 1980s pool parties. Of course going to all these events gets pretty pricey if you're shopping at vintage stores. A vintage bikini can sell for upwards of $50 and I don't know about you, but I get freaked out at the idea of wearing someone's used swimsuit. It's like buying used underwear.

Here at $25V we strive for that vintage look while keeping our wallets (and significant others) happy.  So where to turn? Why, to your local department stores of course! And if that doesn't work do a quick shopping trip around the internet. There is a lot of 1980s style in swim wear right now. Don't you just love cyclic fashion?

I've pulled together some fun 1980s swimsuit looks that we'll give you that vintage look while still looking chic. All $25.00 and under for a 80s pool party near you. Hopefully the party will be in a pool and not a giant mud-hole Encino Man Style.

Dude, I just totally found some rad pottery. Woah. 

The Deep-V

Art Deco Monokini From Forever 21 - $19.80


The Bandeau

Stripe 2 pc. Bikini Swimsuit  from Target - $24.48


The Crazy 80s Print

Dolphin Winner Suit from Swim 2000 - $25.00

The Fringe Bikini

Fringe Top from Venus - $13.00, Rio Bottom from Venus - $6.00


The Baywatch

Lifegaurd Flyback from Swim and Tri - $25.00


The Border Print

Red and Black Floral One Piece from Amiclubwear - 19.00


And now, I leave you with this not quite 80s inspiration. Wig Wam Bam.



PS. Camera cable came in the mail this morning. Now I can finish this Ruby business and get back to my sewing business. Expect those photos within the next few days!

The 1920s Swimsuit

So with no camera there really isn't much for me to post concerning Operation Ruby Shorts. There's no real progress to report since I've taken the last few days off. My Beau and I have spent the last couple of days getting our files in order. I know you may all find this hard to believe, but I've never had a filing cabinet before. I've always had a box. This was apparently not acceptable. Beau has lots of filing experience so he's been taking the lead on this project.

I did want to report that Ali over at The Wardrobe, Reimagined has finished her Rubys! So cute! And she posted a great Ruby Pattern Translation over at her blog. Check it out if you plan to make these some time.

Ali's Rubys came out fabulously! I only hope mine are similarly successful. I'm still crossing my fingers and hoping that the length will be okay. I'd like these shorts to be more mid-thigh, and so far signs are good.

In any case after Tuesday's Vinspiration this week I was struck with a thought. I know nothing about swimwear pre-1940s. I could go on and on and on about frocks, tennis suits, hats, even unmentionables from the 1920s and 1930s. I'm even planning on putting an authentic 1920s make-up tutorial on my blog, but I really only had a vague picture of swimwear of the time in my head. What did ladies wear to the beach once they'd thrown off their corsets and layers of petticoats?  Have I been missing some fabulous fashion statement all this time? Is there a 1920s swimsuit design out there somewhere that desperately longs to be recreated? I had to know!

So I sat down, did a little research, found some really cute photos and decided to share. I present to you swimsuits of the 1920s.

First a little history. Sorry. You guys know me by now. I have to do it. In the 1900s bathing suits tended to look like the photo above. Long skirts, paired with long bathing stockings and bathing shoes.  I have to say that these would make a very cute day dress today, but I digress. The suits were normally made out of wool or mohair and were normally black or very dark blue with a little colored trim. I have trouble picturing wearing one of these in the heat of summer under the intense beach sun. All I can think is "oh goodness, hot." But they are cute, really cute. I could picture one of these suits in a lightweight cotton and wearing it on a boating trip today.  

As the 1910s progress hemlines get shorter and more colors begin to appear. A long tunic top with a pair of knee length shorts seems to be a popular style post WWI. Black goes almost entirely out fashion, though white with black stripes becomes quite popular. The sailor suit has a moment in the sun during the 1910s are well. 

Bathing suits begin to really shorten in the early 1920s. Pants suits or play suits become more popular and began appearing on beaches all over the country. 

The suits really seemed to have looked like the men's bathing suits of the past decade. They definitely fit within the square boxy lines of the fashionable 1920s lady's silhouette. There's a definite de-emphasis on the breasts and waist. Bathing stockings become shorter bathing socks, revealing the legs around the knee area. Swimsuits were still being made of wool, but they definitely look much more comfortable for beach going. I'm a big fan of the lady second to the left. If I were to make an early 1920s swim suit, I would definitely base it on hers. The white stripe around her collar and skirt hem is just darling! 

As the 1920s progress the suits shorten even further revealing the upper thigh. Necklines begin to lower. Quite scandalous to the older generation I am sure. 

By 1925 the general shape of the swim suit for the next two decades was fully formed. These ladies above have obviously already been in the water and you can see a definite design flaw with the suits of the time. Stretch. Wet wool is very heavy and I can just imagine that these suits got longer and longer as the day progressed. If I were a lady of the time I don't think I'd ever get in the water. I'd have rather sat on the beach and looked pretty all day. By the late 1920s wool was still by far the most used swimsuit material. I suppose because of it's natural ability absorb moisture. 

I must say that I found my swimsuit expedition very fun. The overall shape of the 1920s swimsuit is not very flattering to the modern eye. That's mostly due to the fashions of the time and the limitations of the swimsuit materials. Still I can definitely envision one of these in my future just for the pure fun of it. The girls in this photos look so full of life and energy. I love it!

My fusible interfacing won't stick.

This is about how a feel right now...

I tried to make a pocket this morning. Tried being the key word here. I've never made a pleated pants pocket before and I wrongly assumed it would be no biggy and take me maybe half an hour or so. Apparently I was wrong. The Gods of Sewing were against me once again this week as I tried to fuse my interfacing. It just wasn't happening.

First I tried the old fashioned way: a damp cloth, a steam iron, high heat for 10 seconds. Nothing.

So I tried again with a different piece of the interfacing and some fabric scraps. Still nothing.

I tried sticking the interfacing to a piece of scrap fabric by putting the steam iron directly on it and pressing the steam button about 10 times. Nope.

Next I took some scraps and sprayed water directly on the interfacing and hit them with about 30 seconds of high high heat. Still no stick, but I did manage to melt my fabric scraps a bit. Awesome.

This is the last time I trust the information on the bolt! Fusible interfacing my butt, this stuff wouldn't stick to fabric if I used superglue!

So off to the store I will go after work today. I'm going straight to the notions section and getting that cheap stuff for embroidery. I know that sticks. Don't judge me for buying prepackaged stuff, you'd do it too if you wanted to finish a pair of shorts by the end of the week. At the very least I learned that if these shorts catch on fire while I'm wearing them they will melt to my skin and give me severe burns. I'll have to keep that in mind.

But, I'm still hopeful about my Rubys. I still love them and their buttons. And I also decided to join a summertime sewing project hosted by Ms. Ali.

The plan is to make five summer essentials. The goal is to stock your closet with quality summer basics. Ali has laid out some categories, but the rules are pretty loosy goosey. Just make five(ish) garments by August(ish). Mine will as usual be retro and under $25.00. 

First few items on the menu I've mentioned before.

Item 1, the Rubys. It's not cheating if I haven't finished them before the start of this new sew-a-long... right?

Item 2, 80s Swimsuit.

Still working on what fabric to choose. Pink in the middle is winning, but yellow herringbone is a close second.

The more I think about it..

The more I'm thinking of doing some sort of combo of these two drapery fabrics.

Very sixties don't you think? I'm not totally feeling these exact fabrics. I'd still like to go to some of the antique shops around here and see if I can't find anything that would suit better, but it's a start. I'm falling more in love with goldish fabric A up there every day. We have several massive paintings with gold frames that will have to go in our dining room so a gold set of draperies would be nice. 

I never EVER imagined myself with a formal dining room. I actually abhor the idea of having unused rooms in a house, but then I never imagined I would be dating a southern man with a house full of antique southern furniture either. So, I'm adapting. I've decided that I can live with a formal dining room if we use it. So, we'll be having a lot of people over for dinner from now on. That and I've decided to demand eating in our dining room every Sunday for Sunday Dinner. It's a little tradition of mine. I always make dinner on Sunday, no matter what. If you don't make a nice meal on Sundays when else will you have the time?

Well, with my back in full recovery I've decided to plan my next project as I finish up the Magenta Dress. My lovely Dressmaker 230 Sewing machine is starting to die on me. This might mean an expensive repair which I am dreading. I think she needs some oiling, but she's so well built I can't seem to get her apart. Might be finishing this project up on my Husqvarna Emerald 118. Sure Husqvarna doesn't have the vintage charm of Dressmaker, but at least she has a light that works and her threading assembly is actually on her front instead of strangely placed on the side. 

While I was shopping for bias tape yesterday morning to hem Magenta Dress, I happened upon some swimsuit fabric. I have never made a swimsuit before, and seeing as I have an easy swim suit pattern in my pattern stash I thought maybe I'd give it a go once Magenta Dress was completed. 

Behold McCalls 8023!!

1980s-tacular. Yay or Nay on this one? Haven't bought the fabric yet so I'm still up for suggestions here. As for fabric I found a super cute teal with white polka dot stretch Lycra that looked something like this at the store for $8.50 a yard.

I forgot to take a picture of the cute fabric at the store, so this is actually a picture of a similar print I had floating around. (Please excuse bad lighting/fuzzy focus. This is totally a cellphone picture.)

I also found some great retro inspired nylon lycra prints on fabric.com. They're a bit pricey, but considering I only need about 1 yard per suit I might be able to get away with these. The problem happens when I try to include the coordinating wrap in my $25.00 and I do want a wrap. 

16.95 per yard

9.98 per yard

9.98 per yard

16.98 per yard

Then I stumbled across some gorgeous Nylon Spandex Blend prints over at HartsFabric.com

$17.99 per yard

12.99 per yard

12.99 per yard

I imagine they'll look something like this, except instead of being on a tall leggy girl they'll be on a 5foot tall gal who is mostly torso.

So many choices! What to do, what to do?