Tag Archive | Clothing

Eye On Design: Parabolic Evening Gown by Pierre Cardin

May6

pierre cardin parabolic evening gown photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Technically, a parabola is a symmetrically mirrored U-shape. Pierre Cardin began working with the parabola in the 1950s, particularly in the 1957 Lasso collection. With the introduction of stretch fabrics and hoops in the 1960s, those sweeping, graceful parabolic drapes became amplified, evolving into ellipses and cones.

pierre cardin parabolic evening gown photo by gail worley

Some of Cardin’s “Parabolic” fashions collapse flat, are easily packed, and emerge as before — like his earlier Cardine dresses, which could be twisted, rolled and stowed effortlessly into luggage. Developed alongside Cardin’s investigations into furniture sculpture, the big, sculptural shapes of the Parabolic dresses were likewise designed to be seen in 360 degrees. And since they were made of stretch fabric, they had a bounce reminiscent of his “Kinetic” dresses from 1972.

pierre cardin parabolic evening gown photo by gail worley

Referencing his earlier “Lasso” or “Eye of the Needle” designs done in wool and mohair, in 1990s’ Parabolic Evening Gown, Cardin creates the shape as a pink and green silk parabola.

Photographed in The Brooklyn Museum.

Eye On Design: Pink and Black Sequined Mini Dress By Stephen Sprouse

Feb12

Sequined Mini Dress By Stephen Sprouse Photo By Gail Worley
Photos By Gail

This Pink and Black Sequined Mini Dress (autumn / winter 1983 – 84) is characteristic of paradoxical charm of the work of Stephen Sprouse (1953 – 2004). He often sited the cutout, mini-skirted styles that designers like Andre Courreges and Rudi Gernreich introduced in the 1960s, yet he reartciluated these silhouettes within the distinct cultural context of 1980s New York. From his debut collection, he established a unique look, artfully integrating pop culture and street style into youthful fashions executed in luxurious materials.

Sequined Mini Dress By Stephen Sprouse Photo By Gail Worley

Sprouse was particularly known for his ability to sketch: the graffiti motifs developed for his textiles were frequently drawn by his own hand. The scrawled neon print of this dress has been skillfully engineered and embroidered with a gleaming layer if clear paillettes, lending a patina of glamour to an otherwise edgy garment.

Photographed as part of the exhibit In Pursuit of Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection, on view through May 17th, 2020 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

How to Put Together an Outfit: 5 Top Tips

Jan30

Fashionistas

You work hard to look your best. Unfortunately, not everyone is born with great fashion skills. Some people need more fashion advice than others. One of the keys to making sure that your look stays current and on point is to learn the basics of how to put together an outfit. After all, the right outfit can make all the difference.

If you’ve been looking for help with how to match your clothes, you’ve come to the right place for answers. Keep reading to discover tips for cute outfits to wear so that you’ll look like a million bucks rather than a wrinkled old dollar bill.

  1. Build Your Outfit Around a Single Item

When great style isn’t exactly your main strength, you’d be wise to build your daily ensemble around a single item that you really love. This could be an amazing pair of shoes, a skirt, a killer top, or even a gorgeous necklace or bracelet that you’ve been wanting to showcase.

Once you’ve picked an item to work around, you can start adding other details that will really make your look pop. This is a great way to keep from getting overwhelmed in the decision-making process as you’re getting dressed.

If you’re looking for the perfect accessory for your outfit, shop Fendi bags at SSENSE.

  1. Don’t Be Afraid to Mix & Match

Learning to mix and match can take some practice, and yet this is the secret to maximizing the contents of your closet. When you get good at mixing and matching your clothes, you’ll quickly develop an eye for how to make 10 different outfits from a small variety of clothing, from jeans to skirts, to blouses, cardigan, and from heels to sandals. The sky is the limit, really. You might think that this is a patchwork approach to fashion, but it’s actually a ton of fun.

  1. Remember to Think Seasonal

One of the keys to keeping your fashion game really rocking is to change your wardrobe with the changing seasons. This includes the colors you choose to the footwear that you match with the appropriate outfit. Even if you live in an area where the weather stays warm year-round, you can still change up your looks from paler colors to bright floral prints, depending on the weather and the specific month of the year.

  1. Always Be On the Lookout for New Ideas

If you’re a ‘people watcher,’ remember to always be on the lookout for cute outfit ideas. After all, great inspiration is all around you if you just pay attention. You’ll learn a lot by studying the fashion game of both strangers on the street and those you admire.

  1. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

Never be afraid to experiment with your outfits. Be bold, be creative, and be willing to take risks, because that’s ultimately what fashion is all about. For some people, figuring out how to put together an outfit that looks great can be challenging. Fortunately, the tips contained here can help you start looking your best in no time

Watchmen Squid Landing Area T-Shirt

Nov28

Squid Landing Area T Shirt

Hey, Happy Thanksgiving! You definitely should be celebrating today with family and/ or friends, and should not be doing any early Black Friday shopping, unless you are doing it online right now and picking up one of these on-trend Squid Landing Area T-shirts! Inspired by the Watchmen comic book series and fabulous HBO TV show, this attractive body wear with a retro design by Demonigote comes in a variety of styles, sizes and shirt colors to fit every super hero on your holiday shopping list! Buy it now for just $19.95 at This Link!

Eye On Design: Brocade Evening Coat By Jeanne-Marie Lanvin

Nov6

Brocade Evening Coat By Jeanne Lanvin
Installation View (Photos By Gail)

The Nazi occupation of Paris lasted from June 14, 1940 to August 25, 1944. The Nazi authorities initially planned to move the entire Paris fashion industry to the German Reich. Lucian Lelong, then head of the Chambre Syndicale, convinced them that the haute couture could only exist, “in Paris or . . . not at all.” Among those who could legally purchase Paris couture during the Occupation were some 20,000 French women (who had special couture ration cards) about 200 Germans, and citizens of neutral countries, such as Spain and Switzerland.

Jeanne-Marie Lanvin was a French haute couture fashion designer, who founded the Lanvin fashion house and the beauty and perfume company Lanvin Parfums. She designed this gray, black and gold Brocade Evening Coat in 1943.

Brocade Evening Coat By Jeanne Lanvin

Photographed as Part of The Exhibit, Paris, Capital of Fashion, On View at The Museum at FIT in Manhattan Through January 4th, 2020.

Eye On Design: Multidimensional Graffiti Ensemble by Rei Kawakubo for Comme de Garçons

Jul10

Multidimensional Graffit
All Photos By Gail

Exaggerated proportions and visual intricacy define this maximalist ensemble by Comme des Garçons. The elaborate coat and bodysuit, in various fabrics  including cotton, wool, nylon, polyester and linen — and in assorted shades of pink, red and white, are part of the Spring 2018 Multidimensional Graffiti collection, which appropriated the works 10 artists ranging from the 16th century to today.

Multidimensional Graffit
Shown Here in Contrast to a Minimalist Design By Narciso Rodriguez (Left)

According to Women’s Wear Daily, the result was a mash-up of prints and textures that allied to “the possibilities inherent when wildly unlike visual perspective coexist.”

Multidimensional Graffiti

Photographed as Part of the Exhibit Minimalism / Maximalism at the Museum at FIT in Manhattan Through November 16, 2019.

Multidimensional Graffit

Eye On Design: Mila Schön, Blue Double-Faced Wool Coat

Mar20

Blue Wool Coat
All Photos By Gail

By the 20th century, wool suits and coats were indispensable, practical elements of fashionable daywear for women. Double-faced wool, used here by designer Mila Schön for her Blue Coat (1968) is woven almost as two separate textiles, joined by a set of interwoven yarns, creating a thick, structural, spongy fabric.

Blue Wool Coat

The textile’s density supports this A-line silhouette, while the wool’s pliability eases the inset of Pop Art circles. The hems were self-finished by opening the layers and stitching the edges to the inside.

Photographed as Part of the Exhibit, Fabric in Fashion, on View Through May 4th, 2019 at The Museum at FIT in Manhattan.

Blue Wool Coat

Eye On Design: Beaded Vest By Marcus Amerman

Jan9

Beaded Vest
All Photos By Gail

This elaborately Beaded Vest (2013) was inspired by the catalogs for the Burpee Seed Company, an online purveyor of gardening supplies. Whereas much Native American beadwork features flat, abstract designs, Marcus Amerman (Choctaw, Born 1959) stitches each bead individually, alternating colors to create three-dimensional effects. The result is vivid imagery that leaps off the surface and defies our expectations of the medium.

Beaded Vest

Although the realism and commercial source of Amerman’s imagery are nontraditional, floral imagery has a long history within Native North American beadwork as an art form and a symbol of cultural resilience. Floral imagery emerged as a mainstay of beadwork during the fur trade, when beaded horse gear, bags, and clothing found a ready market among non-Native traders and settlers. As Native groups were disrupted and displaced by expansion, disease and war, floral imagery retained symbolic meaning known only to tribes, forming a visual language capable of surviving the destructive forces of empire.

Beaded Vest

Photographed in the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, CA.

Pink Thing of The Day: Gatsby-Inspired Pink Stripe Linen Suit By Brooks Brothers

Oct12

Gatsby Pink Linen Suit
All Photos By Gail

Geoffrey and I happened to be at Grand Central Station recently, waiting to board a train out of the city for the afternoon, when we happily discovered that we had an interesting opportunity to pass the time other than exploring the terminal’s impressive food court: we went to see a Brooks Brothers fashion exhibit.

Gatsby Pink Linen Suit Detail

Established in New York City in 1818, Brooks Brothers — America’s oldest clothing brand, and the place where my late father bought virtually all of his suits  — celebrated its 200th anniversary with an immersive special exhibition staged right in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall. The exhibit traced the accomplishments, cultural significance, and global influence of the brand. It was fun to discover the company’s rich history, notable innovations and iconic fashion items that are still relevant, and seen everywhere, today.

Pink Linen Suit

Alongside examples of formalwear ensembles created by Brooks Brothers for the 2013 film, The Great Gatsby (which won two Academy Awards for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design for Catherine Martin) we admired this classic Pink Stripe Linen Suit.  Inspired by the film’s costumes, and in collaboration with Martin, the limited-edition suit was sold at Brooks Brothers stores in 2013 as part of its Gatsby Collection. The line has since been discontinued.

 

Eye On Design: Suit Made From Feed Sacks By Lawrence Scott

Aug15

Suit Made From Feed Sacks
Photos By Gail

The making of dresses from feed sacks or flour bags began in the 19th century, but the idea is most closely associated with the1930s, when the Great Depression necessitated resourcefulness. Knowing that homemakers used the cotton sacks to make clothes and other household items, manufacturers began printing them with cheerful patterns.

Suit Made From Feed Sacks

In 1994, American Designer Lawrence Scott constructed this stylish suit from large pieces of old feed sacks. He chose to utilize traditional feed sacks rather than the fashionably printed, mid-century bags in order to call attention to their origin. Scott’s design exemplifies the increasing importance of recycling during the 1990s —  a notice that extended to fashion production.

Photographed as Part of the Exhibit, Fashion Unraveled: Fashion & Textile, on View at the Museum at FIT Through November 17th, 2018