6 inch heels!

The latest big thing in the fashion world seems to be the extremely high heels. it is 5-6 inch high. The woman can hardly walk in them. Why do women want to wear shoes like that? Women seems to feel sexy in them? Whose idea is it? I am asking as I am keen to know if the designer behind the shoes is a male or female? Any way it seems as if women cannot get them quick enough? I am putting a parallell between these really not practical shoes and corsets. In a morning television program some women were asked to go shopping wearing 6 inch heels. It did work although it was not easy. Shopping when laced in a corset is not that difficult.

Eco-fashion

What is ‘Eco-Fashion’?On what garments can we put the label ‘Eco-fashion’ on? Is it fashion made by textiles and methodes that is environmentally friendly? Is it fashion that has not been transported around the globe for different phases in its way to reach the consumer? To me it is fashion that is all of that. This kind of fashion could also mean a lower price-tag.

Comments are welcomed.

The revival of 50s fashion for ladies

The 1950s ladies fashion with full skirts have had a revival this summer. I find it very nice to see the feminine look back in fashion. Designers as Vivienne of Holloway are selling well. It seem to be women of all ages buying. But when visiting 50s festivals like Golden Oldies in Wettenberg in Germany, most ladies dressed 1950s seems to be ladies that want to revive the memory of their youth. 

What future has this feminine look?

Young womens dressing at Stureplan in Stockholm

In newspapers in Sweden you can read about teenage girls going to the bar dressed in only string thongs and bra. They do it to get attention from the male. Some women are complaining about the attitude shown from the male visitors. If I went to a bar or nightclub and saw women or rather teenage girls in string thong and bra only I would ask myself what they were there for? Don’t those young girls have any self-respect? What they want is free alcohol/champagne from the rich or at least pretending to be rich guys. A ‘fashion expert’ in Sweden, Ebba von Sydow claims that the young girls has a competition on who dress in less clothes? I find it incredibly stupid!
If you read this article I would appreciate if you left a comment.

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957 at the V&A Museum in London UK

The V&A Museum in London opened Saturday 22nd September the exhibition ‘The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957

Dior’s collection the  ‘New Look’ this Fall celebrates its 60th anniversary and that is the reason for the exhibition. It is important to note that it wasn’t Christian Dior that gave that name to the collection. The  name he gave the collection was ‘La Corolle’ because he thought that the skirt looked like a corolle the way it fell from the tiny waist. It was fashion journalist Carmel Winter that named the collection the ‘New Look’ simply because it was a new look.

A mistake is also that the number that has come to illustrate the collection is ‘Le Bare’. But it has come to illustrate the ‘New Look

Dior created the collection because he wanted a revival of the crinoline that was in fashion 1855 to 1863 with its peak in 1859. Dior admired C.F.Worth the father of haute couture and the couturier dressing the empresses of France, Austria and Russia. Some people have claimed he invented the crinoline. That is not true. That fashion came into fashion in 1856 (the steel hoops). By that time Worth was just a shop assistant. Enough about Worth.

Dior was lucky to meet cotton magnate Marcel Boussac. He could smell money in Dior’s ultra wide skirts. Dior borrowed 10 million francs from Boussac and promised to make wide skirts in fashion again.

Paris had lost its title as fashion capital of the world to New York. Paris was now very keen to regain the title.

Dior aimed clientele was established and elegant ladies in the world. He was surprised to see that also young women were attracted by his  collection. His own explanation for the success of the collection is that it was speaking about youth and future.

It took some time before London and England embraced the New Look.  The UK experienced a huge shortage of everything after the war. The newly elected Labour government had a lot of problems to face. Garments had to be marked with the ‘Utility mark’ before it reached the market. It meant that the garment had been through a strict price and quality control. Dior’s new skirt didn’t pass that test as it took far too much fabric. Of course women could travel to France and buy if they could afford it.

Another hurdle was that in the start women in the UK didn’t want to take orders from the fashion dictator in Paris. The ladies gave in slowly. First the made their own version of the wide skirt. Women were tired of the masculine style that had dominated their wardrobe since 1939.

Hoodies, friends or enemies?

I ask myself the question again after I have heard about the death of an 11 year old boy in Liverpool, UK. The guy  with the gun  was a hoodie. Not long ago  another young man in London was shot dead by a hoodie. Some hoodies seems to find it cool to be regarded as  a ‘gangsta’. To me it is only cowards that don’t dare to show their faces.  They don’t dare to stand up for what they are doing.  Of course not all hoodies are criminals.

Why women in trousers is not called ‘crossdressers’?

When in the fashion businesss you meet all kind of people. When you are doing historic dance and and have a love for dressing up in 18th and 19th century (reproduction) clothes, you now and then get in contact with men dressing in skirt. Why are they called ‘crossdressers’ in our Western community? Women dress in trousers without being called anything special. Dressing in the opposite sex’s fashion is nothing new. The first case I have heard of, outside university theatre, is in the 18th century. The british ambassador to Paris is said to have attended parties dressed as a woman. He was never revealed. When dead one found ladies clothes in his wardrobe.

In 1920s Paris women were fined if found wearing trousers.

Several books have been written about the phenomena. I have not read them yet.

The subject is interesting. Women in office environment and career women dress the same way as men. Many of these women claims they have to do it to be taken seriously.

Is trousers a power garment? You have a say “who is wearing the trousers in your house?”. I know an american lady. She dress in huge skirts á la 1950s. She has told me that men opens the door for her, ask her if they may help her and so on.

If you are reading this post I would appreciate if you posted a comment.

Golden Oldies in Wettenberg 2007

I spent last weekend at the 1950s festival ‘Golden Oldies’ in Wettenberg in Germany. It was my first time and definitely not my last. I have actually prebooked my hotel in Gießen for 2008. It was a fantastic experience. Great live bands playing from  Friday at 8pm. Some silent hours Saturday and Sunday otherwise loads of great music and great dance. Plenty of good food and beer too. Despite a thousands of visitors and alcohol I could not see one drunk person. Not one  police or any fighting people. The second great thing was the large number of ‘Golden Oldies’, that is old cars but in pristine condition. My main reason to go was the 1950s fashion. That is my passion. Thousands of petticoated ladies in billowing skirts. You could buy all kind of items both from stalls outdoor and in a hall. If you want to experience something great I can not recommend enough to visit Golden Oldies.

It is easy to go to Wettenberg. My flight was from London Heathrow to Frankfurt Airport. Arriving to the airport I bought a train ticket to Gießen (twintown to Winchester where I live). I changed train in Frankfurt. The ticket was €12.50. From Gießen train station left dedicated buses for the festival. A day ticket was €1. The entrance to the festival €9 and if you paid Friday the ticket was valid for all three days. I call that Value for Money. You will have three great days with everything that make life worth living. I will add photos in my Flickr.com account and upload a video at Youtube.

Bring back the 1950s!

“Bring back the 1950’s” was the answer Richard & Judy got when they went out and asked the public about the 1950s. A decade when the female curves was stressed by the help of the fashion. Women wore girdles and petticoats. The survey was in connection with the interview with Nina with a special salon, see below. I myself adore the 1950s. I two weeks time I am going to Germany and Wettenberg and their festival Golden Oldies . The next huge 1950s event is Goodwood Revival.

What is your experience and impression of the 1950s fashion? Would you like to see a revival of the 1950s fashion?

FIFTIES SALON
Nina the Head Dresser runs a salon with a difference. Down a small side street in south London, Nina’s Hair Parlour specialises in the vintage look. The fab fifties are back with bouffant curls and bullet bras to boot. But how does a girl get a fifties look in noughties world?

We sent Sarah Cawood and her friend, Bakul Patki to find out some of Nina’s top tips and spend a day at her salon for the ultimate fifties flair.

To get to know where to get the look visit Nina’s Hair Parlour, For more information on how to get the fifties look visit:

http://www.issidora.com
http://www.blackout2.com

The 1954 Cadillac in our film was provided by:
http://www.dreamcars.co.uk

Royal Ascot

Sorry for the total silence here. I have been at Royal Ascot for five days. It is an amazing event to study fashion at. Royal Ascot is of course most famous because of the hats but it is very interesting to study how the race-goers are dressed. In the Royal Enclosure top hat and morning suite or tail is what you wear as a man. You are also welcome to dress in your National Costume. I don’t know but want to find out when Royal Ascot become a hat parade event?