The return of Vinspiration! Jacques Griffe

Oh man oh man oh man! Vinspiration is back! Why did it stop you say? Well, mostly because it's a lot of work to find information on certain subjects. I love to research don't get me wrong, but with the ridiculous search for a wedding venue within our budget going on I had trouble justifying the 2-3 hours of research and photo finding time that were sometimes necessary for a vinspiration post.

I've found myself missing my vinspiration lately and I figure you all wouldn't hate me too much if I slacked off a wrote shorter posts every once in a while. So today's Vinspiration are pieces by Jacques Griffe.

The History Lesson (I'll be brief today): Jacques Griffe was born in France in 1917. He was apprenticed to a tailor at age 16, fought in World War II where he was eventually imprisoned for 18 months, was employed at the House of Vionnet, and later opened Jacques Griffe Evaluation, in rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 1947. He retired in 1968.

Jacques Griffe created some amazing structured designs in the 1950s-1960s. His runway gowns especially were structured to the point of wearable sculpture.

February 1951. 

Black Cocktail Dress with a very deep V in the front. Look at that thing, it goes almost to her belly button. A little more risky then anything I would wear, but I love the tight waist and structured bit above the pencil skirt. This is from the Paris Spring Fashion Show.

1952

Probably the most famous Griffe gown of all time. I have no idea how those scallops were made. Can anyone shine any light on this subject? I have to say this isn't my favorite evening gown of his... mostly it just reminds me of a pineapple.

Griffe very often used these Kimono sleeves in his dresses. Here combined with a belted waist and some seriously structured undergarments they make this model look like she has no waist at all. To me she looks like she's missing ribs. That's pretty darn skinny. I just love the draping on this garment. We can see the deep V neckline that Griffe favored here again, but this time the added ruffled collar and fur make it much more wearable.

Suzy Parker. October 1953. 

What can you say about this other than what a beautiful beautiful dress. Just looking at it gives me the warm fuzzies. The color, the shape, the outer wrap. This reminds me a lot of the Fortuny Gowns. The empire waist and that little bow are just too sweet.

 February 1956

Look at the structure of this mermaid dress. Can we say gravity defying? The cut is beautiful, the layers or skirt have such a great shape. This is one of my all time favorite Griffe gowns. Do you ever wonder if these pieces still exist somewhere? How much I would give to get my hands on this dress and figure out it's construction.

1965

Moving into the 1960s now. Again we have the V neckline, but it's softened with the high scarf like drape across the neck.  We also see more of Griffe's fantastic fabric draping. The shape here is much softer and much more 60s. Griffe was an interesting fellow. He very often had his hands in every part of a garments construction. Not only could be design, but he was an expert at draping and sewing as well.

Griffe later goes on to do several designs for Vogue patterns. I can tell you from experience that if you can find one of Griffe's patterns for sale they tend to be very expensive. I stumbled into this baby, but I don't think the seller really knew what they had... I'll admit that I didn't tell her either. It's missing one piece, but I'll take that over the $125 uncut pattern selling on etsy right now.  Don't you wish high end designers still designed for pattern companies today? Now don't get my wrong. I love Kay Unger, but she's no Vera and she's certainly no Griffe.

Vinspiration Tuesday! 1920s Hats!

So this week has been nothing short of crazy. Operation finish the dining room is nearly complete. I may or may not have taken an artist brush to my dining room molding this weekend. After about two hours or trying to perfect every stroke Fiancé told me the room was done. Complete. I'm not allowed to paint it anymore. So I can now say that after two months of hemming and hawing over the painting lines the dining room is finished. It is finally time to move in Fiancé's 1930s Brazilian mahogany inheritance. I'm looking forward to actually having a nice place to seat guests. Guess it's time to get to work on those curtains!

My sewing output has been very low this past week, but my business output has been high. Yay work! "But Nancy," you say, "How will you ever finish your summer essentials?" Well my friends, bathing suits. Bathing suits are the way. You may remember the 1980s swim suit post from a while back. I'm planning to make two of these and perhaps a blouse for good measure. Fiancé also wants me to finish Magenta Dress which has been hanging out on the ironing board for a month now. I have to get myself some clear seam stabilizing elastic before I do that. Heavier weight jerseys, like the jersey I am using for Magenta Dress need some added strength at the seams. I refuse to sew my shoulder seams without it.

So that's the goings on here. There probably won't be too many pictures of the sewing process. Unfortunately the new old camera just does not like my operating system and it's a big project to get the photos off the camera. I'm hoping to get a SLR for my birthday in September, but I'd settle for a point and click.

So onto today's vinspiration. I've decided that today will be all about hats.

The Beautiful Marlene Dietrich in "Desire" ca. 1936.  

I love hats! Hats give me this wonderful happy feeling. I can't get enough of them! I love the look, I love when other people wear hats, I like to wear hats whenever possible. Bring back the hat I say!!! Nowadays however I find that hats really give off more of a formal feel than I would like. Whenever I wear a hat I am always asked what the special occasion is or what type of formal event am I going to even if the rest of my outfit is casual.

Two girls in straw hats ca. 1907

From the 1700s up until the 1940s-1960s hats were an every day article of clothing. So what happened? When did the hat become something that is never worn or only worn for special occasions?

Girl in super cute hat ca. mid-1930s

Well most sources point to World War II as the beginning of the downfall of the hat. During the war years many women found themselves working outside the home, doing jobs that were historically men's work, and with rationing many women stopped wearing hats daily. It was just another expense in a tight budget. In the 1960s hats almost completely disappeared. My soon to be Mother in Law can give you a very convincing argument as to how the Kennedy's killed the hat, but I think the most probable cause of that hat's demise is the popularity of big sculpted hairdos.

A family photo ca. 1969. That is some serious hair. 

Women were literally spending hours on building their hair as high as possible. I wouldn't stick a hat on top of that either.

There was a short resurgence of hats in the 1990s thanks to Princess Diana, but that resurgence has long fizzled out. So enjoy these photos of a time long gone when no outfit was complete without a fabulous chapeau. Hats of the 1920s.

And for a little color.

And just for fun I had to include this cute 1920s wedding photo. Love it!

Vinspiration Tuesday: Fabric choices

The camera cords have yet to arrive. I was going to snap a few pictures with the cellphone this morning just so I would have something to show, but I decided to be more productive and try to rework the front waistband on my Rubys. I had a serious problem with puckering on the first go around so I did some serious seam-ripping and tried again. The result is something that looks better, but still has too much puckering for my tastes. I'm going to suppose this has something to do with the seam allowances that I used. I went with a 3/8 seam for the entire short, but had to do so serious finagling to get the waistband to line up somewhat properly with the front legs. The Pink Rubys look pretty amateur, but we'll call them the first try. For purple rubies I'll be adding half an inch or so to the front waistband to resolve these puckering problems or simply decrease each front leg width by a quarter of an inch or so.

So I've decided to go in a new direction for Vinspiration today. Picture this: You've got yourself a fabulous 1930s dress pattern, but you're not sure what type of fabric to choose. Fear not, $25V has got you covered. Here are color scans from several different 1930s clothing and pattern magazines to give you some idea of what to look for.

approx 1937, France 

approx 1937, France

approx 1938, France

1930s France. Loving the red and white plaid on the far left. 

1934 Swimsuit, USA, Cosmopolitan Magazine

1930s, USA. I am SO in love with the lace pockets on the dress on the far left. Frugal me says imagine taking a cheap old thrift store lace table cloth and using it for embellishments. 

Spring 1934, USA

Spring 1934, USA, Sears Catalogue

Spring 1934, USA, Sears Catalogue

1937, USA. 

1937, USA

1937, USA

Spring 1938, USA

Spring 1938, USA

For more color magazine scans from the 1930s, check out the Costumers Manifesto. They've got some great stuff over there for historical costume/vintage clothing design. 

Your Friday Vinspiration: 1937

Quick camera update: The cords have been found! And they are on their way down here from New York! Apparently I'm holding up Lisette's big Ruby post, so I hope they come soon. 

Lately I've been on a 1930s kick. More specifically the late 1930s to very early 1940s. The tailored looks, the lowered hemlines, the hats, the furs! There's something about it the glamor of it that just makes a girl swoon. So in honor of that I present to you "A Year in Vinspiration: 1937." No history lesson today, just real people wearing real clothing. Bring back this type of everyday fashion!

March 1937 from the collection of The State Library of New South Wales. It's important to note that this is a high class social event these women are attending. They're enjoying a day at the races. I'm not sure if I love or hate Lady on the Left's suit. That's a lot of print with that matching hat, but the cut of the suit is very fetching. I do love the way the print is worked on the diagonal. I love their gloves and I need Lady on the Right's hat. Need. May have to set about figuring out how to make something like it.

From the same set as above dated March 1937. Still a more formal social outing. I dare any of you to tell me that Lady on the Far Left's outfit isn't the greatest most wonderful piece of fashion EVER. I am so loving the buttons down the front of her dress, her little white gloves and of course that hat. Gentleman in the Center is looking very dapper in his pinstripe suit. I'm a big fan of how far the lapel crosses over in the front, how fitted the jacket is and his pocket square. Gotta love a sharp dressed man.

Teenagers of 1937. This is a 7th grade class from 1937. I noticed some of the boys are wearing pants and some knickers. This is a great snapshot of the halfway point of a major change over in boys clothing. 

This guy was just so cool I couldn't help but put him in my list. This is Dick Mooney of Jamestown, North Dakota, 1937. Honestly if this photo wasn't dated I would have no idea what era he was from, but lucky for me it is! I wouldn't say he was very fashionable per say.... but I love western shirts. I wanted to make one for Fiancé, but the idea was shot down rather quickly. Fiancé is a well dressed Southern Gentleman, not a cowboy. 

Above I featured society wear, here is some work wear. This is a photo of female workers at the Elektromekano; Helsingborg, a radio company in 1937. Most of these ladies are wearing smocks, which I love and totally have to have. I'm also smitten with their hairstyles. I love fingerwaves, I'm just incapable of setting them into my own hair. 

I love the shoes. Wow. I'm still completely hooked on white peep-toe summer shoes. I'm not sure what to think about the socks with open toes, but if it's good enough for 1937 it's good enough for me. Lady being Leapfrogged has another example of 1930s swimsuit and I'm thinking that the neck is pretty low. Oh you scandalous 1930ites you! I often wonder how the 50 somethings of the 1930s thought about the 20 somethings. After all when they had been their age beach suits were knee length dresses made of black wool. 

And finally Christmas Eve 1937. I'm digging Lady on the Left's shoes and belted combo. I've seen similar shoes in stores recently. The tweedy tan and black combo has been pretty popular in the last few years. I seem to remember seeing something similar in a Marshall's recently. To note: This is a picture from the Southern Hemisphere so we can all understand the short sleeved dresses. 

Have a good weekend everyone! Stay pumped for the Ruby's come Monday! 

Vinspiration Tuesday! 1940s Wedding?

I haven't gotten anything done this week! The endless phone calls to family members, friends and soon to be in laws have taken up most of our nights. On top of that apparently when you get engaged everyone wants to see you which is awfully sweet. I feel like a princess with people asking me about how my Fiance (formally my Beau) proposed, asking to see the ring, and sending us their well wishes.

There's also the matter of planning a wedding! Holy cow! The engagement was a bit of a surprise for me and I'll admit I did not have one bit of my wedding planned in advance. My Mama and Maid of Honor (aka Sister) have got me thinking about colors, bridesmaid dresses and themes. I'm not sure on any of those things, but you can be sure I'll be pushing for a vintage feel like this.

Just kidding! Though my Southern Man Fiancé tells me he's been to three Gone with the Wind Weddings where the wedding party was in full regalia. He denies it, but I think he secretly wants this type of wedding. The man is descended from the first Governor of GA, two signers of the Confederate Constitution and many many Confederate officers. Me on the other hand? My ancestors were pretty much all poor farmers in the mountains of New York and Pennsylvania. I'm marring up in society!

I'm still in shock from the whole thing. I almost don't believe that this is really happening. So in honor of all the wedding craziness today I am posting some Wedding Vinspiration. As I browsed the historical photo archives I couldn't help but be drawn the gowns of the 1940s. They're so glamorous and so Hollywood. These are the gowns I really would like to emulate on my big day.

I love this dress from 1941. The lacy overlay and the long flowing train! It also has sleeves, which I love in a wedding dress. The strapless look just doesn't do it for me. The cascading bouquets are so elegant as well. The veil is a bit much for me, but perfect for her. She looks lovely!

This photo was shot in 1940, but the dress was actually originally worn for a wedding in 1928. The long simple veil with the lace edging is so pretty and delicate. It's definitely a formal gown, but it's not stuffy. The gown itself has a beautiful bodice and I love the simple long sleeves. I'm also in love with the delicate, but not overly done lace around the neck line.

A gown from 1943. Long veils really seem to the the style of this age. Hats on Bridesmaid's are also very popular. Does this dress remind you a bit of the 1990s? Designers of the 90s were certainly pulling from this time period. Again I love the cascading bouquet, but I much prefer the bouquets of Image #1. Still Image #1 was early in the war, this wedding happened mid-WWII. If you know the story behind the photo the look seems to make more sense. I pulled this bit of info from the Australian War Memorial Collection's Flickr Page.

"The wedding dress was purchased second hand by the bride's mother because the family could not assemble enough coupons under wartime rationing to buy a new one. The bridesmaid wore a dress that she had previously worn when bridesmaid to another bride pre-rationing restrictions." 

Nifty piece of history there.

This is totally my wedding day makeup look right here. I just love it! She looks so pretty, the perfect image of a blushing bride. This image is from a McCall cover circa 1942. It was shot by our good friend Nicholas Muray. I love her soft pink cheeks, her perfect red lips, and her chocolate eyeshadow. The fresh flower on the center of her head is a bit weird, but I'll let it go for now. You can also get a clear view of the nail polish style of the day in this photo. Only the center of the nail was painted leaving an unpainted crescent at the top of the nail and another unpainted crescent near the cuticle area. Loving the peachy pink shade of the polish.

Those shoes! This photo is only fueling my need for a pair of strappy white shoes! This dress is very different from the long flowing gowns, but a much better example of the post-war wedding gown. This image was taken in 1946. My grandmother's dress was tea length and similar to this one. I'm loving the lace sleeves.

So hope you enjoyed today's vintage goodness. I'm still gushing over Image #5's shoes. I also want to apologize for not commenting on all your blogs over the weekend. Everything should be getting back up to speed this week.